Both Eyes Open - Daryl Dixon (under editing)

Bloodletting.

"You still worrying about it?" Lara asked Lori as the group paced through the woods, scavenging for evidence of some form.

"It was a gunshot." Lori mumbled.

"We all heard it." Daryl stated sarcastically, earning a distasteful glare from Lara.

Lori turned to look at Daryl, "Why one-- Why just one gunshot?"

He shrugged, "Maybe they took down a walker."

"Be realistic about this Daryl." Lara sniped.

"Please don't patronize me. You know Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to put down one walker, or Shane. They'd do it quietly." Lori told him with a sour expression.

"Shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" Carol asked, looking about the now suddenly quiet group.

Sidestepping Carols question Daryl paced about on the spot saying, "There's nothing we can do about it, anyway. Can't run around these woods chasing echoes."

"So, what do we do?" Lori asked.

"Same as we've been. Beat the bush for Sophia, work our way back to the highway." Daryl said monotonously, looking about the area as he spoke

"I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the RV. " Andrea told her, offering some form of solace in her suggestion.

Lori glanced about uncertain, before pushing forward past both Glenn and Daryl, only stopping when she heard Andreas soft voice.

"I'm sorry for what you're going through. I know how you feel."

"I suppose you do-- Thank you. The thought of her, out here by herself... It's the not knowing that's killin' me. I just keep hopin' and prayin' she doesn't wind up like Amy." Carol said honestly, oblivious to what she had just said, only realising how harsh it seemed when she looked at Andreas lost expression.

"Oh, God! That's the worst thing I ever said." Carol gasped, clutching Andreas hand.

Andrea shook her head and gave Carols hand a tight squeeze, "We're all hoping and praying with you, for what it's worth."

"I'll tell ya what it's worth--" Daryl started, striding forward to the two women, Lara hot on his heels in case she needed to pull him back. "Not a damn thing. It's a waste of time, all this hopin' and prayin'. We're gonna locate that little girl. She's gonna be just fine." He stated firmly, turning back to the direction they were headed, "Am I the only one zen around here? Good lord..." He mumbled.

Lara watched him, Lori, Glenn and Andrea continue on ahead and she walked with Carol at the back of the group. Reaching into the back of her pants pocket, she pulled out a small pile of grey beads and she stopped Carol a second time very quickly and quietly, placing the rosary into her palm and closing it over.

With a weak smile she said, "I don't think it's a waste of time. Besides, gotta have faith in something, why can't it be the bearded guy ignoring us in the sky?" She asked, causing Carol to giggle softly, and the pair return to the back of the group, a Carol fiddling with the rosary.

~~~

"Lori? Lori grimes?" The mystery girl with short brown hair on the horse called out. Lara stood staring down at the dead walker she had just smashed in with a baseball bat, seemingly impressed.

"Whoa! I'm Lori." Lori replied calmly. Lara stepped forward slowly, and exchanged a wary look with Daryl, both inspecting each action the mystery woman made, expecting an attack at any moment.

"Rick sent me-- You've got to come now." She told her, her voice set with determination.

"What?" Lori asked, obviously shocked.