infection | D. Dixon

chapter thirty-five

Carver

"Give it back!" Lonnie laughed, I shook my head and continued to hold the dragon toy over my head.

"It's a toy!" I yelped, "you don't need it!"

Lonnie smiled, crossing his arms. I lowered the toy, "Action Figure. Please? Would you give it back if I traded you my stale M&Ms?" he asked, holding up the yellow bag of goodness.

I smiled and handed him the toy, not accepting the candy. I couldn't eat them. Michonne used to bring them back for me. I pulled the corner of my lip up slightly, remembering the times she brought the countless books for my shelf.

Noticing my sudden change in mood, Lonnie smiled widely, "you're remembering again?" He asked.

I inhaled sharply, tightening my ponytail from behind my head. I've been wearing a mask since I met Lonnie, he's never even seen my face.

"Foxy," he sighed, "Fox." he corrected himself. The name came from when he found me stalking him in the woods, I had been watching him for weeks, trying to find out if he had any clue where my people were. He said my hair and eyes made me look like a fox against the fire lit woods.

"Whatever." I sighed, pulling my sweater tighter around me.

He laughed, "what? No storming off and not coming back for days?" He asked.

"I was young, Lonnie." I said simply, running my finger along the edge of my blade.

"It was three weeks ago." he stated.

I smiled, tying my laces on my boots, "exactly." I said calmly. We sat for a second in silence. Lonnie was thirty-seven, only two years older than me.

A departed came out of the woods, followed by two others. I sighed, getting up to kill them. "Don't." Lonnie said. "Let's go."

I sighed again, grabbing my bag and stomping on the low embers. Lonnie smiled, opening the car door for me, I got in, leaning the seat back and curling up, "I'll drive in the morning." I said.

Lonnie smiled and lurched the car forward, "get some sleep, Fox." He said. I smiled and closed my eyes, waiting for the nightmares to start.

----

I gasped awake, the car was stopped on the road and Lonnie was next to it, starting a fire to cook lunch. We must have broken down again. "Ah, you're awake. It's the hose again," he sighed.

I already did that; the hose is more duct tape than hose. And I'm out of duct tape.

I cringed and sat next to him on the road, "we'll take it on foot. Macon is only a couple miles anyways." I said, taking a piece of jerky from my bag. I split the jerky and he gave me some of the noodles from the can.

"Maybe we'll find a nice truck or something. RV sounds comfy." He said.

Dale slid a card across the table of the RV. "He means well, you know?" He smiled, offering the wisdom he had on my situation with another group member.

I flinched as Lonnie got up, walking to the car to gather our bags, "how are we doing with medical?" He asked.

I sighed, swallowing my last piece of jerky and putting out the fire. I dusted off my hands and grabbed my bag, looking inside. "Not well." I said.