ɢʜᴏsᴛs ~ 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚆𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚍¹

(8) Chances

Season 1, Episode 5: Wildfire

October 6th, Day 63

RORY HADN'T SLEPT all night. She was too scared to close them but they hurt badly from pulling an all nighter two times in a row. She didn't know if she'd sleep again - especially here. Amy had died here, she herself had almost died here. She sat on one of the foldable chairs, Kat propped on her lap. Sophia and Carl were still packing, and Lori and Carol went to check on them both, and then they'd leave. They had good times here but too many bad ones, and speaking of which, she still couldn't remember anything about her past. Everything felt like a lie. She had remembered her parents and siblings dying. Or maybe they didn't.

Daryl stalked over towards her, glaring down at the kid with a shirt in his hand. "Put this on your arm, kid."

"It won't work," Rory mumbled, looking back down at Kat who meowed in protest. "And you need to wear something."

Daryl shook his head, "Kid, I ain't askin' again. Put 'em on. I am older, I tell ya what to do. I'll help ya if ya need, kid."

"Mr. Dixon, I still have the one you gave me."

"I said I ain't arguin'."

Rory sighed and allowed him to help her put the makeshift sling on. It actually felt nicer than the previous one. It wouldn't work properly, but it was soft. She looked back at him and saw slight concern in his eyes, as if he were worried for her. He gave her his shirt because she needed something to help heal her arm, he didn't want it to heal on its own because it could get even worse. He had broken bones before so he'd know what it can do if they don't heal properly. Maybe Daryl wasn't as bad as everyone made him out to be.

He was concerned for her safety and possibly all of the other members too. Wait, Daryl is always trying to pick a fight, just like his brother Merle. He couldn't have been nice, he just wanted to go.

Once Sophia and Carl were ready the tents were taken down, they all started to put things into the vehicles. Nobody was really sad about the camp in general - just the people they had lost. Blood stains had still covered the camp and the campfire was left forgotten.

"We're, uh...we're-we're not going." Morales announced just before everyone was about to leave.

"We have family in Birmingham." His wife Miranda told them. "We want to be with our people."

"You go, you're on your own. You won't have anyone to watch your back." Shane warned, sounding reluctant to let them leave.

"We'll take the chance." Morales countered. "I gotta do what's best for my family."

"You sure?" Rick questioned, peering down at the Morales children who were clutching at their Mother's skirt.

Morales nodded. "We talked about it. We're sure."

"All right." Rick relented. "Shane."

Rick had then handed the Morales family some guns and ammunition - just so they could protect themselves, and of course, Daryl had scoffed.

Lori had hugged the family goodbye first, and then Sophia and Carl. Then men only shook Morales' hands and said goodbye to Miranda. Rory took her turn in hugging the kids before hopping into the car and sitting beside Carl. Rory wasn't used to goodbyes, she never said them before. They could die, though, so she wanted to say goodbye before they did. Kat hopped into the car and curled into a ball, purring softly as she slept.

Once everyone was in, Lori and Rick got into the front. She can't remember the last time she had actually been in a car. She would have loved the wind blowing through her hair, but not this time. She hated it.