Both Eyes Open - Daryl Dixon (under editing)

Stranger at the Door.

"You find anything? Check the back door?" Rick asked aloud as he peered out the window from behind a curtain, and Carl wound a wire around the front door, to keep it locked shut.

Lara leaned against the wall, after closing all the doors downstairs, so that they were boxed in the room. She watched as Rick limped around the couch, and leant against it, forcing it in short bursts toward the door.

"I tied the door shut." Carl said sarcastically.

"We don't need to take any chances." Rick said, continuing moving the chair.

"You don't think it'll hold?"

"Carl."

"It's a strong knot. Clove hitch. Shane taught me." He said, and he let an awkward silence fill the air before asking, "Remember him?"

"Yeah, I remember him. I remember him every day. There something else you want to say to me?" Rick asked him, his voice harsh and cold. Lara watched the encounter in confusion, but she couldn't bring herself to interrupt the family fight by potentially asking a hurtful question. What the hell happened to Shane?

Lara stepped forward and helped the boys move the couch back, as it rumbled on the floor, and they flipped it upright, before collectively settling on it.

"This'll have to do for the night." Rick said, before rummaging his bag and holding out food for Carl.

"You gonna have some?" Carl asked him.

"You should eat." Rick replied.

"We should save it."

Lara watched awkwardly as Rick struggled to open the bag, and she reached over before Carl, and gently took it from Ricks hands. He watched her open the bag and place it back into his hand, sneaking a small handful of the contents out as she did. He let out an amused puff of air from his nose as she popped the food into her mouth and began to chew.

"Hey." Rick pushed himself off of the chair and hobbled over to Carl, who was setting himself up a few cushions on the ground.

"I don't want any." He complained.

"Eat it." Rick snapped, dropping in onto Carl's makeshift bed, "Now." He grunted before walking past, and up the stairs for a change of clothes.

Carl looked down, a mixture of emotions swelling on his face as he slumped down onto the floor and picked up the bag.

Lara slowly dropped onto her knees and crawled over to him, holding her arm out. He looked up to her a little confused a first, and then his eyes grew sad, as he let himself be pulled into the embrace without a word about it.

Lara sighed heavily into his shoulder, her eyes flickering about wildly as she thought about what she could say. If she could say anything.

"I don't care about what has happened." She spoke with a raspy, gravelly voice, for the first time in months. Her own voice sounded foreign and strange to her as it warmed up with every word.

"But show him respect. He's doing what he can. He got you this far, I applaud him." She finished, pulling back from the hug.

Carl looked up at her, almost in amazement, like he had never heard her speak before.

Lara got to her feet and clicked her fingers, and motioned to Fergus to sit beside Carl. The dog didn't hesitate in following his masters command. She began to head for the stairs, but she heard Carl's voice ask,