Chapter 14 - Fragile
Highway 85
Daryl was fed up with babysitting. Carol's sobs felt like a blow to the gut and he couldn't hang around any longer.
"I'm gonna walk the road, look for the girl." He grumbled to Dale atop the RV, crossbow and flashlight in hand. Andrea perked up at the opportunity to get away from Dale and his ever present gaze,
"I'm coming too." She bounded down the steps of the vehicle and Daryl sighed to himself but didn't protest.
"I'm going for a walk. Shine some light in the forest. If she's out there, it'll give her something to look at." Daryl set off down the road and Dale called after him,
"Do you think that's a good idea right now?"
"Dale." Andrea glared at him, basically telling him to shut up and she trailed after Daryl, who was slinking into the woods.
She jogged after him, following the beam of his flashlight and fell into step with him. They walked through the darkness silently for a while. Daryl had nothing to say to Andrea and had quite honestly never had any interest in talking to her either. He knew that if he'd crossed paths with her before, she wouldn't have seen him as anything more than a dirty redneck. Maybe she still did but he didn't care. He thought of her as an uptight, rich bitch and so far, she hadn't proved him any differently. Other than the massive chip on her shoulder she'd acquired after losing her sister, she hadn't changed at all in his opinion.
"You really think we're gonna find Sophia?" Andrea asked him and he glowered, sick of the way everyone seemed to have given up on her.
"You got that look on your face, same as the rest of y'all. What the hell is wrong with you people?" He snapped at her, "We just started looking." Andrea didn't look convinced or even bothered by his outburst.
"Well, do you?"
"It ain't the mountains of Tibet. It's Georgia. She could be holed up in a farmhouse somewhere. People get lost and they survive. It happens all the time."
"She's only twelve."
"Hell, I was younger than her and I got lost. Nine days in the woods eating berries, wiping my ass with poison oak." He told her and Andrea looked up at him with wide eyes.
"They found you?"
"My old man was off on a bender with some waitress. Merle was doing another stint in juvie. Didn't even know I was gone. I made my way back though. Went straight into the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. No worse for wear. Except my ass itched something awful." Daryl smirked at the woman on his left and in the dark, he could have sworn he saw a flicker of auburn hair but he blinked and it turned blonde. Andrea laughed, drawing his attention,
"I'm sorry. That is a terrible story." She smiled up at him, trying her best not to laugh but Daryl chuckled in agreement and she let loose.
"Only difference is Sophia's got people looking for her. I call that an advantage." He pointed out to her and Andrea nodded, her mind a bit more at ease about their hunt for the young girl.
As they made their way deeper into the forest, a foul stench wafted over them, causing Andrea to wretch.
"What the hell is that?" She gagged and they came to the foot of a tall tree. Swinging from one of the low branches was a walker that started to gnash its teeth and growl as they approached.
"Got bit. Fever hit. World gone to shit. Might as well quit." Daryl read aloud a note that had been left behind and sneered at it. "Dumbass didn't know enough to shoot himself in the head. Turned himself into a big swinging piece of bait. And a mess." He poked at what was left of the walker's legs and Andrea groaned.
"You alright?"
"Trying not to puke." Andrea was keeled over and looked ready to hurl. Daryl smirked to himself, amused by her weak stomach.
"No, I'm fine. Let's just talk about something else for a moment… How'd you learn to shoot?" She asked the first thing that came to mind.
"Gotta eat. That's one thing these walkers and us have in common." He confessed, continuing to prod at the hanging body. "Look at him, hanging up there like a big pinata. The other geeks came and ate all the flesh off his legs." Andrea gagged, then vomited and Daryl sniggered quietly.
"I thought we were changing the subject?" She groaned some more and wiped her mouth clean.
"Call that payback for laughing about my itchy ass." He jibed and Andrea rolled her eyes. There wasn't really any point in them being out here any longer, Daryl decided. "Let's head back."
"Aren't you gonna…?" Andrea looked up to the thrashing figure in the tree's.
"Nah. He ain't hurtin' nobody. Ain't gonna waste an arrow either. He made his choice. Opted out. Let him hang." Daryl shrugged and turned to face Andrea, genuinely curious as to what the answer to his next question would be.
"You want to live now or not? It's just a question."
"An answer for an arrow. Fair?" She bargained and Daryl nodded reluctantly.
"I don't know if I want to live or if I have to or if it's just a habit." Daryl gave her a dry look and shot the walker in the tree with his crossbow.
"That's not much of an answer. Waste of an arrow." He grumbled and started walking back to camp.
Andrea watched the walker fall limp and felt satisfied knowing it was no longer left to hang in the woods for God knows how much longer.
"I don't know what I want. All I know is I'm sick and tired of being treated like I'm going to blow my brains out or that I'm not capable of protecting myself." Daryl turned back to look at her, unsure what to say but he needn't say anything because Andrea hadn't finished.
"You men get to walk around with your guns and us women have to hide behind you because you think we're weak." Daryl huffed derisively, not impressed by her argument.
"Tess is armed." He reminded her, annoyed that she was still harping on about this being about gender. Andrea rolled her eyes and scoffed.
"What's your damn problem with her, anyway? All y'all women pissin' on your territory like she's not welcome." Andrea withered under his glare, not having expected him to come to her defense so quickly. She told herself that she shouldn't have been too surprised though and she sighed.
"I don't know. I guess I'm jealous." She admitted meekly.
"Jealous about what?"
"She gets to be everything I want to be and nobody bats an eye at her. She gets to protect the group, she gets Shane-" Surprised, Daryl stopped her before she could continue.
"Hold up. What do you mean, Shane?" Andrea just shrugged,
"Yeah, I walked in on the two of them getting real cozy back at the CDC." Daryl frowned. He was confused and completely caught off guard by the unexpected news. Thinking back, he had noticed her sneaking glances at the other cop and vice versa. Had they really been…? Daryl felt like a fucking idiot.
"Let's just go." He growled and stormed back to Highway, feeling bitter and angry for reasons he didn't understand.
—
Lori didn't spend long in the kitchen of the Greene's farmhouse before deciding to go back to her child's bedside. She had to admit that a bit of food and some water had made her body feel better but her heart and mind still ached. Hershel had rigged the new transfusion of blood but it didn't make her feel any better either. She urgently needed Shane to get back because she didn't know if her son could hold on for much longer.
Lori struggled to see whether it was really worth it though and Rick had tried so hard to convince her otherwise. Her husband sat in the chair at the end of the bed, solemnly watching his son fight for his life. Tess and Hershel were prepping for the surgery and the old man seemed anxious; his earlier warning that they may need to go ahead with the surgery without the extra assistance weighing heavy in her brain. Lori watched fearfully as Hershel examined Carl's torso.
"He's still losing blood faster than we can replace it. And with the swelling in his abdomen we can't wait any longer or he's just going to slip away." He advised them all and gave the boy's parents a morose look. "Now I need to know right now if you want me to do this, because I think your boy is out of time. You have to make a choice."
"A choice?" Rick croaked, looking defeated.
"A choice. You have to tell me what it is." The old man confirmed for him, letting them know they were at the end of the line. Rick and Lori shared a desperate look but they knew it was time.
"We do it." Rick steeled himself for what was to come. Hershel flew into action,
"Pull the sheets down. Tess, get the IV bag down over there. Rick, Lori, you may want to step out."
All of a sudden, tires screeched outside the window and an old truck came to a stop at the front of the house. Tess felt an enormous sense of relief as she spotted Shane in the driver's seat and the four of them raced out to meet him.
"Carl?" Shane panted, dragging the medical equipment with him into the house.
"There's still a chance." Rick smiled at his friend appreciatively.
"Otis?" Hershel asked, when no one else left the truck. Shane froze for a moment,
"No." He confessed, dourly and Hershel nodded.
"We say nothing to Patricia. Not until after." Hershel gave Tess a look and the both of them grabbed the supplies from Shane and ran back into Carl's room, shutting the door so no one would follow them in.
"I wish we had something stronger for the pain, it would make things a lot easier." Hershel said offhandedly as he prepped for the surgery. Tess' eyes went to the bag of Merle's medication she'd left by the door earlier and swooped down to search through it.
"I might have something…" Rifling through the bag, shoving aside the illegal substances, she pulled out a small white bottle that read Opana. She looked down at the bottle in her hand. Seeing it made her feel uneasy and she jumped when she felt Hershel place a hand on her shoulder. He slowly reached to take the bottle out of her hands and she let him.
"I know that look." He said gently, without judgment. "I'll hold onto this if that's okay." Tess swallowed thickly and rubbed her face in shame.
"Are you going to be okay?" Hershel asked her and she nodded vehemently.
"What do you need me to do?"
—
Hershel and Tess worked through the night and into the early morning trying to fix up Carl. Lori and Rick spent most of the time pacing, waiting anxiously for any news, good or bad. It took all their willpower not to barge into the room to see what was going on but they knew deep down that it was out of their hands now. Shane had lamented about Otis and how he'd sacrificed himself for the sake of their son and it made them even more grateful for the grace God had granted them in order to save their son.
For Tess, she did her best to assist Hershel as much as she could. It hadn't been easy for her by any means. Her hands and arms were covered in blood and it took all her focus to not freak out. She couldn't lose herself now, not when Carl needed her most, so she grit her teeth and concentrated on keeping her hands steady and following Hershel's instructions. As the night drew on and the sun began to rise, her exhaustion was beginning to catch up with her and she wasn't finding it so easy to stay calm. Her hands trembled and she started to feel panicky.
"I don't think I can do this anymore, Hershel." She professed, and the old man gave her a sympathetic look.
"It's okay. You can stop."
"Are you sure?" She asked him tentatively.
"We're nearly done. I can take it from here." Tess thanked him and quickly left the room to get some air. As she reached the end of the hallway, Lori and Rick sprung to their feet and rusted towards her.
"Carl?" Lori begged frantically.
"He's gonna be okay. Hershel's just finishing up. He'll come get you when he's done." She told them both tiredly and Lori embraced her in a vice grip.
"Thank you." She wept and Tess waited awkwardly to be released.
"I'm gonna get some air." She mumbled and left the elated couple alone.
Tess burst out the front door, down the porch steps and around to the side of the house where it was more private. She sat down on the grass, kicked off her boots and socks and planted her feet firmly on the ground. It was all she could do in order to stop the world from spinning around her and she welcomed the cold dampness of the dewy morning. She sucked in a series of deep breaths and used her self-soothing techniques to calm down.
She knew she had been operating on Carl. And she knew what she had been getting into. But the sight of all that blood covering her hands sent her reeling with flashbacks. Hershel, thankfully, somehow seemed aware of her predicament and was patient with her whenever she would start to freeze up. She appreciated the way he remained calm when she could not.
Resting her head back against the porch, Tess soaked in the morning sun. At a guess, it was around 6 A.M. and the others from the highway were bound to be on their way to the farm soon. She looked forward to them all being reunited again. It was better for them all to be together and she wondered what the chances of them staying here were.
"Hey… you okay?" A voice came from her right and she turned to see Maggie walking towards her slowly.
"Yeah. Yeah I'm good." Tess reassured her half-heartedly.
"Are you sure? Cause you look like hell?" Maggie stated and Tess laughed with what little energy she had left.
"That's so nice of you to say."
"I'll get you something to clean up, I'll be back in a sec'." The Greene girl quickly headed back inside, returning a few moments later with a wet towel.
"Here you go." Maggie knelt in front of her and handed her the towel.
"Thank you." Tess said gratefully and began scrubbing to remove the dried blood from her hands. Her trembling hands felt weak and she had to slow her movements in order to control the shakes.
"You wanna talk about it?" Maggie asked her suddenly and Tess peered over to her.
"I appreciate the offer, Maggie, really. But I just don't have the energy for that right now." The younger woman simply shrugged.
"Well the offer is always there. Us gals have gotta stick together." Tess smiled, already warming up to her. "It's nice to have another woman my age around. I can only talk to my sister about so much."
"You have a sister?"
"Beth. She's sixteen. Probably still asleep. Would sleep through a house fire, that one." The women laughed quietly and Tess felt significantly lighter. She had to agree with Maggie that it was nice to have someone else closer to her age around. Sure, there was Glenn but it was Glenn…
"How's T-Dog doing?"
"He's fine. Resting. That medication your friend had is certainly helping."
"I never actually met Merle. But from what I've heard, not many people considered him a friend. His brother is alright though." Tess told her indifferently.
"Glenn said the rest of your group was meeting you here today?"
"Yeah, I'd say they'd be here soon. You think your dad would let us stay?" Maggie looked thoughtful for a moment, mulling the question over.
"You'll be welcome to stay as long as Carl needs to heal. After that…" She sounded uncertain and Tess couldn't blame her. It was a lot to ask, especially of people they didn't know.
"I understand. Whatever time we can spend here, we're grateful for. Rick will probably try to convince Hershel to let us stay no doubt but if we have to move on, well, we have to move on. One of our group, Carol, lost her daughter a couple days ago. Got chased into the woods by a walker."
"Walker?"
"One of the dead. We've been trying to find her ever since."
"I'm so sorry to hear that."
"I'm sorry too. Starting to kinda feel like we're cursed." Maggie looked at her sadly, with concern and Tess felt like hitting herself in the face. Excellent way to convince people to let you stay, she scolded herself.
"Sorry. Ignore me. I'm just tired."
"You must be exhausted. You should get some rest. We'll probably do breakfast in about an hour, you can join us then if you'd like?" Tess thanked her and Maggie took the dirty towel back from her to wash inside, leaving her to sit by the porch on her own again.
Tess watched the cattle grazing in the field over yonder and felt far more at ease here than anywhere they had stayed so far. It was like an untouched paradise, separated from reality and she felt slightly envious of how sheltered the Greene family were. She guessed that they could possibly survive off the land with what they had now for at least the coming year, with no need to venture out for anything. It almost seemed too good to be true.
Tess had to remind herself not to get her hopes up or get too attached, knowing that their stay here likely wasn't permanent. She would just have to appreciate the here and now and be thankful for the opportunity they had been given. It would take at least a couple weeks for Carl to be back up on his feet and in that time, they had somewhere they could stay and continue to look for Sophia.
To the right of the field, wound the long dirt driveway that Tess had driven down last night. Now, she could see the RV slowly making its way toward the farm house, with Daryl on his motorcycle leading the way. Tess got to her feet, excited and relieved that they were finally all back together again and went back to the front of the house to meet them. Daryl, still seated, slowly walked his bike up and Dale parked the RV behind him.
"Hey, you guys made it!" Tess called out to Daryl but he didn't seem to hear her over the rumble of his bike and so she waited for the others to leave the RV. Carol was the first to jump out and she quickly engulfed Tess in her arms. The older woman looked stricken and short on sleep but her grip was tight nonetheless.
"How is Carl?" She asked when she finally let go.
"He's going to be fine. He's resting right now." The look of distress on Carol's face lessened some at the news and her shoulders relaxed.
"That's wonderful news. We were so worried."
Dale and Andrea stepped out of the RV now too and were making their way up to the house. Daryl had turned his bike off now but was still standing by it, looking wary. Tess cracked it up to them being in a new place with new people and him being far from trusting of those he didn't know.
"Everyone else is inside. Come."
Tess led them indoors, leaving them with Glenn and T-Dog, the latter of which looking considerably better now, and fetched Rick from the room at the end of the hall. Lori didn't appear overly phased that the rest of the group had arrived and instead stayed by Carl's beside, anxiously watching over him.
"How is he?" Dale asked once Tess had returned with Rick.
"He'll pull through." She told him reassuringly, "Thanks to Hershel and his people."
"And Shane." Rick interjected and Tess nodded quietly, recognizing that the man of the hour was noticeably absent. "We'd have lost Carl if not for him."
"Thank God." Andrea murmured quietly.
"How'd it happen?" The troubled look on Dale's face almost seemed like a permanent fixture now.
"Hunting accident. That's all. Just a stupid accident." Muttered Rick, sullenly, still finding the whole thing hard to believe, himself.
"Sorry to interrupt." Patricia spoke quietly, her eyes red and raw looking, still glazed over with unshed tears. Tess felt terrible for the woman's loss, as did all those that knew what her husband had sacrificed last night. "We're about to have a memorial for my- for Otis." She struggled to get the words out, her throat thick with sadness.
"Outside, under the old willow. We would like for you to join us."
"Thank you, Patricia." Rick nodded, knowing there was nothing he could do or say to express how grateful or sorry he was.
"We'll gather everyone and meet you outside." Tess told her, compassionately, giving her a small smile of support. The older woman tried her best to return it but it was shaky at best and she left the house to say a final goodbye to her husband.
"Otis?" Dale inquired, clearly having missed something. Rick had already left to get Lori and Shane and Tess sighed, solemnly.
"He went with Shane last night to get the medical supplies we needed for Carl. He didn't make it back."
"Oh dear…" Carol whispered, her hand covering her mouth as she stood in shock. From the back of the room, Daryl grunted and trudged back outside.
"We oughta go say our condolences, then." Dale asserted and they all went to join the funeral.
—
"Blessed be God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to Him for the gift of our brother Otis, for the span of his years, for his abundance of character. Otis, who gave his life to save a child's, now more than ever, our most precious asset. We thank you, God, for the peace he enjoys in your embrace. He died as he lived, in grace." Hershel stood at the head of Otis' grave, bible in hand and stood quietly after his sermon.
Tess stood quietly off to the side, eyes downcast and brow furrowed as she thought about the man lying in the ground in front of her. He sounded like a good and kind man and she knew this would not be an easy loss for the family. They were joined by Maggie's sister Beth and a young boy by the name of Jimmy. The Greene sisters kept close to Patricia, providing her with the support she needed.
"Shane, will you speak for Otis?" The widow asked.
Shane, who had been skittish and acting strange all morning had recently shaved his head and he looked a lot more intimidating now. Tess was curious what had motivated his sudden change in appearance but not enough to purposely seek him out and ask. He appeared uncomfortable at Patricia's request and shook his head.
"I'm no good at it. I'm sorry." He deflected feebly as he fidgeted.
"You were the last one with him. You shared his final moments. Please. I need to hear. I need to know his death had meaning." Begged Patricia and Shane saw no other option but to say his piece.
"Okay... We were about done. Almost out of ammo. We were down to pistols by then. I was limping. It was bad. Ankle all swollen up." Shane shook his head, like he didn't know what to say and Tess found herself frowning at him. Something was off. "'We've got to save the boy'. See, that's what he said. He gave me his backpack. He shoved me ahead. 'Run' he said. He said 'I'll take the rear. I'll cover you'. And when I looked back…
"If not for Otis, I'd have never made it out alive. And that goes for Carl, too. It was Otis. He saved us both. If any death ever had any meaning, it was Otis'." Patricia looked touched by his words and she silently wept for her husband, clutching the youngest Greene daughter to her side.
Tess felt uncertain that Shane was telling the whole truth. Something in her gut made her think there was something he wasn't telling them. There was no doubt that had it not been for Otis, Carl would be dead but the way that Shane spoke, as if he were trying to convince himself, made her think that there was more to this story then he was letting on.
—
Tess didn't stick around Otis' gravesite much longer, deciding instead to give the family their privacy and head back over to Carol's Cherokee to grab her backpack. She sat tiredly in the back seat, eating crackers and trying not to get too comfortable, fearing she may fall asleep if she did. She watched the group from a distance and wondered about what the future would hold for them all.
Carol and Andrea were nowhere to be seen and Tess guessed that they were likely in the RV; where they normally were. Lori had quickly gone back to Carl's bedside. Dale, Glenn and T-Dog had retreated back inside and Daryl was keeping himself busy with his bike. Rick and Shane were talking together and slowly walking towards her. She knew Rick was probably discussing their next moves regarding Sophia and she wouldn't be surprised if Shane were less than co-operative.
"Hey, Tess. How're you doing?" Rick asked, as he approached.
"I'd kill for a coffee right now." She replied, only somewhat joking. Both Shane and Rick nodded in agreement. "You two discussing Sophia?" Tess asked as she got to her feet and met them at the front of the car. She leant against the bonnet with her arms folded and looked at them both impassively.
"We were." Rick confirmed, "We're waiting on Hershel. He knows this area better than anyone else." Tess nodded in understanding, figuring he was probably right. She couldn't imagine the old man traipsing through the woods with them but maybe he knew of some places where the young girl may have holed up in.
"Best hope that girl found somewhere to hide." Shane grumbled, causing Rick to sigh. Tess scowled up at him, not impressed by his pessimism but she bit her tongue as she saw Hershel and Maggie walk towards them from the farmhouse.
"How long has she been lost?" Hershel inquired with them when he arrived.
"This'll be day three." Rick told him somberly. Maggie lay an old, folded up map onto the hood of the Cherokee and flattened it out.
"County survey map. Shows terrain and elevations."
"This is perfect. We can finally get this thing organized." Hopeful, Rick examined the map keenly. "We'll grid the whole area, start searching in teams."
"Not you. Not today." Hershel reprimanded him, "You gave three units of blood. You wouldn't be hiking five minutes in this heat before passing out." He frowned at the Sheriff, having expected him to know better than to push it and turned to his ex-colleague.
"And your ankle, push it now, you'll be laid up for a month. No good to anybody."
"Guess it's just me then." Stated Tess, causally.
"You sure that's a good idea?" Rick looked concerned, uncertain if she should really go off on her own, despite knowing that she was probably more than capable. "When was the last time you slept?"
"I'm good." She shrugged, flippantly. "Time's not really a luxury we can afford right now."
"I'll go." Daryl interjected, a stern look on his face. "I'm gonna head back to the creek, work my way from there." Tess smiled at him appreciatively, thankful that she'd had another pair of better trained eyes with her.
He didn't acknowledge her or even look at her though, which she found strange. Rick nodded along in agreement, satisfied that they would have one another to watch their backs and settling on the fact that there was nothing he could do today.
"I can still be useful." Shane protested, "I'll drive up to the interstate, see if Sophia has wandered back." It seemed like a valid idea and they all agreed. What good was leaving the girl supplies if no one went to check if she was there using them?
"All right, tomorrow then. We'll start doing this right." Rick sounded upbeat and hopeful.
"That means we can't have our people out there with just knives. They need the gun training we've been promising them." Shane was authoritative and Tess found it hard to disagree with him on this. Everyone needed to be better prepared. Hershel didn't seem so convinced though and frowned, unhappily.
"I'd prefer you not carrying guns on my property. We've managed so far without turning this into an armed camp." Tess wanted to roll her eyes but refrained for politeness sake.
"All due respect, you get a crowd of those things wandering in here…" Shane protested but Rick was quick to shut him down.
"We're guests here. This is your property and we will respect that. First things first: set up camp, find Sophia."
While Shane went off to secure all the weapons as per Hershel's request, Maggie went in search of Glenn, whom Rick had recommended she take with her into town to get supplies. Tess smirked to herself secretly, knowing poor Glenn would love and hate nothing more than one on one time with the farmer's daughter. Rick continued to speak with Hershel and Daryl started to leave, heading toward the forest. Tess jogged over to catch up, not missing the way Daryl didn't slow down to meet her.
"Hey. Everything all good with you?" She asked him awkwardly, sensing the same reserved and hostile nature she'd encountered when they first met.
"Fine." He grunted sharply, not at all convincing.
"Yeah okay, that seemed legit."
"Ain't none of ya' damn business, lady." Daryl snapped back at her before he could stop himself.
"Jeez, alright. No need to be an asshole." Tess chided him, affronted by his attitude.
She let him storm off ahead of her and she kept her distance. She had no idea what she'd done to make him so angry at her but she sure as shit wasn't about to aggravate it further. She had neither the time nor the energy for it right now. This is gonna be an absolute joy of a day, she grumbled to herself sarcastically, now in a foul mood with him as well.
—
Just as she predicted, their expedition through the forest was a silent and uncomfortable affair. Neither of them spoke to one another and Tess remained a few yards back from Daryl at all times but still kept him within her sight. She'd been wracking her brain trying to figure out what she'd done to piss him off and all she could come up with was that he was annoyed about being left on the highway the night before. But he hadn't seemed bothered at all at the time so Tess was seriously confused.
Perhaps she'd just overestimated the friendship she thought they'd had and he was starting to get fed up with her. She was aware of the fact that she probably spoke to him more than anybody else did and maybe he didn't appreciate that? Maybe he really did just prefer to be left alone.
They're trek along the edge creek was fruitless at best. Daryl wasn't able to find any tracks indicating that Sophia had been here and Tess wasn't able to discern anything either. They'd followed it for as long as they could without going too far, conscious of the fact that they would need to make it back to camp by nightfall. They ventured deeper into the thick of the forest and away from the creek, still keeping their distance from one another. While Daryl kept a sharp eye on the ground beneath his feet, searching from footprints, Tess peered off into the distance, a dark shape looming in the trees.
"Is that a house?" She blurted out, bewildered. For the first time that day, Daryl looked at her and without a word, the pair bolted towards the building and hopefully Sophia.
The home was abandoned and decrepit. Rotting wood and creeping vine diminished the once impressive facąde, making it look cold and unwelcoming. Tess hoped Sophia had been brave enough to venture inside. As they crept towards the front door, the porch boards creaked and Daryl slowly pushed his way inside, crossbow drawn out in front of him. Tess clutched her machete tightly, prepared to use it if necessary. Daryl pointed for her to go right, while he swept the left hand side of the house. Tess moved into the living room, keeping her eyes peeled for any sign that someone had been there recently.
Everything looked untouched in years, covered in a thick coating of dust and dirt and the air was so stale that Tess guessed nobody had lived here for at least a decade.
Sidling further into the house, she came across an open wardrobe. Curiously checking to see what was inside, she gasped softly in surprise. On the floor was a makeshift bed. Only big enough to fit a small child.
"Daryl!" She called out. This was a good sign! She had been here! She must have been. Daryl raced into the hallway she was standing in, looking ready to shoot but skidded to a halt when he saw her crouched. "Look." She prompted and Daryl stared wide eyed at the cubbyhole.
"There was some food in the kitchen too. Just opened by the looks." He told her softly and turned on his heel. Tess jumped to her feet and followed him outside.
"Sophia!" Daryl shouted desperately at the top of his lungs. "Sophia!"
"Daryl, she's gone. Even if she could hear you, she wouldn't be able to tell where we are." She knew he was just venting his frustration but they couldn't afford to bring every walker within a mile radius down upon them.
"She ain't gone!" He snapped at her and Tess realized her poor choice of words.
"That's not what I meant-"
"Y'all think she's dead and you've just given up! You're just wastin' ma' time." He growled and glowered at her but Tess wasn't intimidated.
"Hold on a second. When have I ever given any indication that I've given up on Sophia? I ain't gonna stop looking for her anymore than you are! I'm here to help." She bit back, fed up with his attitude.
"You should'a just gone with Shane today. I don't need no damn baby sitter."
"Okay, you're seriously starting to piss me off. What the fuck is your problem?"
"I ain't the one with the problem." Tess rolled her eyes aggressively and sneered back at him,
"You think I'm tryna be buddy buddy with Shane of all people? I can't stand the prick, let alone trust him. The hell made you think otherwise?" Daryl didn't respond, instead, he chose to remain silent. Which only irked her further. "Hell no, you don't get to be quiet now." Daryl shuffled on his feet awkwardly and mumbled,
"Andrea said…"
"Andrea said what?" She snapped, this entire conversation going from bad to worse.
"You're shackin' up with him." He told her through gritted teeth and Tess gawked at him like he was crazy.
"And you believed her?!" Daryl stayed silent, not having anticipated that he'd been misled. "The hell would Andrea know about anything I do? Shane is so far beyond the last person I'd ever want to be doing anything with. But even if I was, it sure as shit wouldn't be your business. And regardless of your opinion of him, it doesn't give you the right to treat me like you have been all day." Tess ranted at him, beyond vexed that Andrea was clearly gossiping about her and that Daryl had taken her words at face value.
She glared at him furiously, causing Daryl to feel uncomfortable. If she didn't know any better, she may have thought he was ashamed but she found it hard to believe that he cared about the way this had made her feel.
Tess sighed tiredly and pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes. She'd always dealt with people gossiping about her growing up. The child with no parents and serious social incompetence caused a stir for kids her age (and their parents) throughout all stages of her life. She never thought she'd still have to put up with it from her peers now while they literally fought for their lives.
"I'm going back to the farm. I hope you have better luck looking for Sophia without me slowing you down." Tess said firmly as she turned on her heel and left Daryl to continue looking for the young girl on his own.
—
Tess got back to camp around late afternoon and immediately got to work setting up her tent back from the rest of the group. She could really use some sleep but once she lay under the canopy, looking up at the orange plastic she struggled to rest. She tossed and turned, huffing in defeat and crawling out of the tent when she finally accepted she'd not be getting to sleep right now. Tess dragged her feet to the little dining area that had been set up at the heart of the campsite and sat down in front of Glenn. He seemed distracted and didn't look up to greet her.
"Hey. How was your day with Maggie?" She asked curiously, striking conversation with him.
"It wasn't a date!" Responded Glenn far too quickly. His face turned a light shade of red.
"I said, day…?" Tess raised a brow at him, not having expected him to get defensive. Glenn's eyes bulged as he realized he had misheard her.
"Oh…"
"What's going on?" She eyed him suspiciously.
"Nothing. Nothing happened."
"Mhmm…" Tess hummed, skeptically. "You're blushing."
"It's hot."
"Sure, okay. Did you make a move on her?" She teased, not anticipating the way Glenn's blush deepened. She gasped in mock horror,
"Glenn, you dog!"
"She made the move." He admitted sheepishly and Tess laughed excitedly.
"Well, hey, that's good news! You're in!" She cheered, happy that Glenn had found someone amidst this shitstorm of a world.
"We kinda- already…" Glenn hedged around his words but it was all Tess needed to hear to know what he was getting at. Her jaw dropped, genuinely stunned that he'd managed to pull it off so quickly.
"Scandal! Good for you guys!"
"Thing is… She said it was only a one time thing…" Glenn mumbled sullenly and Tess gave him a supportive look.
"She might say that now but you never know. Just don't pressure her."
"No, of course not!" Glenn agreed avidly. "I'd really appreciate it if you didn't say anything to anybody. I'm sure Maggie would too."
"Say anything about what?" She grinned at him, playing dumb. Glenn chuckled lightly, his worries alleviated.
"Thanks, Tess." He smiled at her warmly and Tess felt the best she had all day at that moment.
"I take it you had no luck finding Sophia today?" Glenn asked hesitantly and Tess dejectedly shook her head.
"We found a house where she may have slept but there's no way to know how recently."
"Where is Daryl, anyway?" Glenn asked, looking around, not having seen him return with her. Tess exhaled loudly and winced, thinking back to their encounter in front of the abandoned house.
"I kinda screamed at him and left him in the woods." Glenn gawked at her in shock, finding it hard to imagine anyone yelling at Daryl and living to tell the tale.
"Why'd you do that?"
"He was under the impression that I was sleeping with Shane."
"What made him think that?" Glenn asked her, incredulously.
"Doesn't really matter." Tess shrugged, not wanting to throw Andrea under the bus with Glenn. Her problem was with the other woman and her alone, she didn't see why Glenn needed to be angry with her as well.
"But it obviously made him think real low of me. So I basically told him that I couldn't think of anything worse and that he was an idiot."
"Wow…"
"I'm not expecting an apology any time soon." Tess had no illusions that apologizing was probably a foreign concept to Daryl Dixon. It'd be like waiting for rain during a drought and she wasn't going to hold out hope for a rain cloud. Glenn snorted, agreeing with her.
"Looks like he's back now, though." Glenn gestured behind her and Tess glanced over her shoulder. Sure enough, Daryl was walking back through the field and toward the camp. He carried his crossbow in one hand and a white flower in the other. Both Glenn and Tess frowned, confused as to why Daryl of all people had brought a flower back to camp.
He made a beeline for the RV and disappeared inside, exiting a few minutes later no longer holding the flower. Tess found herself smiling softly, realizing he must have gotten it for Carol. It was a kind and thoughtful gesture that was unexpected but was a heartwarming sign of care and support.
—
That evening, Tess went to check in on Carl. The young boy was asleep when she visited but the color had returned to his cheeks and he looked a million miles away from the ghostly figure he had been just a day ago. Tess noticed Rick's sheriff's hat sitting on the bedside table and she smiled fondly, imagining Carl in the oversized hat.
She spoke a little with Lori, asking how he was doing but the woman was short for words, too transfixed on her boy in the bed to carry a conversation. Tess didn't hold it against her. She'd be the same if it had been someone she loved, nearly taken away by a rogue bullet. She was able to coax the woman into getting some dinner however and the both of them walked back to camp.
Dinner was a far more joyous affair for the group than it had been in a long time. Carol, her spirits lifted by Daryl's gift and story of the Cherokee Rose, whipped up a delicious mix of tinned spaghetti and beans, which seemed like a delicacy nowadays. T-Dog was doing a lot better now and Tess took her usual place wedged between him and Glenn, chatting about insignificant things like which NFL team they rooted for or whether they thought cilantro tastes like soap. Tess and T-Dog loved it but Glenn, not so much.
Most people were pretty exhausted though and were quick to turn in. Rick and Lori had taken their dinner into the house with them so that they could sit with Carl and Tess knew she wouldn't be seeing them for the rest of the night. Daryl hadn't turned up for dinner which Tess found curious but she was quick to shrug it off. It wasn't too unusual for him not to join them in group activities like this.
Tess bid the two men next to her goodnight after clearing up her dishes and walked through the cluster of tents, back to her own. It was dark and hard to see, so she kept her eyes on the ground for tent cords, not wanting to trip. When she finally reached the outskirts of the camp and closer to her tent she felt more confident in her ability to keep her footing and looked up through the darkness ahead of her.
Daryl stood awkwardly in front of her tent, like he was trying to decide whether to walk away or not and Tess raised an eyebrow suspiciously.
"Are you here to accuse me of more shady shit?" She jabbed unnecessarily, unable to help herself.
"I ain't." He denied with an uncomfortable expression on his face.
"Good."
"I know you ain't givin' up on Sophia." Was this his way of apologizing?
"Thank you… What you did for Carol earlier was real nice of you." She told him, joining in the extension of the olive branch. Daryl looked a little surprised that she knew but shrugged as if it were nothing.
"Don't mean nothin' if we don't find her daughter."
"That's not true, you know that. Otherwise you wouldn't have done it." She reasoned with him, not buying his flippant demeanor. Daryl didn't argue with her but didn't seem convinced either.
Tess sighed and was about to turn in but decided to address the elephant in the room before she did so.
"Look, about earlier… I really don't like being accused of shit, I feel like I've made that clear. Anyone ever tell you something about me that you don't know to be true, just ask me." She told him tiredly and Daryl nodded, understanding where she was coming from and relieved that he wasn't being forced to apologize outright. Pleased that they were now on the same page, Tess pulled aside the door to her tent.
"Now I'm gonna go to sleep. It's been a long forty-eight hours."