A Painful Place (Walking Dead Fanfiction)

Chapter 3: We Hunt

Rick raised an eyebrow as he studied Tilly’s resolute face for a long moment.
“Alright,” he nodded. “But you try anything, anything stupid and I will not hesitate to put a bullet in your head.”
“Got it, boss,” Tilly replied, and went to help Lana off of the ground.
“What’s the plan, now?” Glenn asked. “Where do we go?”
“We head toward DC,” Abraham barked. “We gotta get Eugene up there so we can put an end to all this mess.” He gestured toward a man sporting a mullet and a cargo vest.
“And what exactly does Billy Ray over here know about all of this?” Tilly pried.
“For your information, ma’am, I happen to be a scientist, and I know exactly what caused this outbreak and how to stop it,” he answered.
“Care to share with the class?” Tilly wasn’t buying it.
“It’s classified,” he snapped. “I’ve been communicating with officials through my sate- shit! My satellite phone! They took it when they shoved us in the train car. We have to go back!”
“No need,” a young woman with dark hair and a crop top stepped forward, holding out something that resembled a brick more than a phone. “Grabbed it when I ran inside to find my gun.”
“You’re a lifesaver, Rosita,” he thanked her. “If there’s ever any way I can repay your kindness just let m- oof!” Abraham elbowed him in the gut before he finished his sentence.
Look at that, Tilly thought, a love triangle.
Rick shook his head and held up a hand. “We can talk about DC later, but we need somewhere to hunker down for a few days while we come up with a plan.”
“What about the farm?” Carol suggested.
“Yeah,” Glenn agreed, “when we went back to bring what livestock were left to the prison it was clear.”
Daryl spoke up, “It’ll probably take us a day or two to get there, but I don’t think that’s a terrible plan. Hershel stuck some food and water in the basement before the heard came through. It’s probably still there. Should last us a few days.”
At the mention of Hershel’s name, the group suddenly became more somber. Tilly looked over to Maggie and saw that she and Glenn both had tears in their eyes.
“Who is Hershel?” Lana had finally found her voice.
“Hershel is Maggie’s father,” Rick replied. “We were attacked while we were living in the prison and he was killed. He held us together, made us better. It was a big loss for our group.” There was sorrow in his voice. “We were all separated after the attack and were on the road until we made it to Terminus.” Tilly could have sworn Rick’s lip was quivering. “I guess we haven’t had time to mourn his loss yet.”
“We should have a service,” the woman with the katana suggested, “you know, when we get to the farm.”
“Absolutely, Michonne,” Rick nodded. “It’s what he would want.”
“We need a map,” Glenn offered. “I don’t think any of us know how to get back to the farm from here.”
“There are signs hung all along the tracks with maps to Terminus,” Tilly suggested.
Daryl nodded his head, “Good thinking. Those maps cover a pretty huge area, so we should be able to find it.”

Then it was time to move. The group trudged toward the tracks in search of a map. What should have been an easy mile-long walk felt like it took ages to Tilly. After the craziness of the escape and losing Joseph she was beyond exhausted. A quick look at Lana proved she felt the same.
“Hey, you alright?” Tilly asked.
“You already know the answer to that,” Lana replied.
“I know it’s rough. I know you’re exhausted and sad and a million other things right now, but we need to pull it together. Put on a brave face. We don’t know these people, and we can’t afford to appear weak. They don’t really seem like the type to hurt us, but they could very well leave us behind if they think we’re holding them back.”
“Ain’t gonna leave you guys, “ she jumped when she heard Daryl’s voice behind her. He had been in the rear of the group keeping watch while Rick led.
“Did Rick stick you back here to eavesdrop on our conversations?” Tilly accused.
“To be honest, yeah.” Even as they spoke, his eyes never stopped scanning the area around them. “We don’t know ya’ll from Adam, and after what happened at the prison we can’t be too quick to trust anyone.”
“What happened at the prison?” Lana asked. “If you don’t mind talking about it, of course.”
“The short version? Some bastard started himself a town, Woodbury, called himself Governor. Real charmin’ guy, but evil to the core. He caused all kinds of trouble, kidnapped Glenn and Maggie… and me. Tried to kill Michonne, but she took out his eye. He killed my brother and most of the people in Woodbury. We took in the survivors and he disappeared for a while. We thought he was gone.”
Tilly watched him attentively as he recounted their experience with the Governor. “Turns out he’d been watching us for months. Found himself some new followers. He wanted what we had. Showed up at our gates with a tank, and Hershel and Michonne as hostages. Rick told him we weren’t leaving, and he took Michonne’s sword to Hershel’s neck. All Hell broke loose after that. We got separated, but all found our way to Terminus. You know the rest.”
“Shit, a tank?” Tilly was shocked. “God, I’m sorry. Did you kill him?”
“Nah,” Daryl shook his head, “I didn’t. Michonne says she got him through the heart, though. Safe to say he’s rotting in Hell right now, or at least wandering around looking for someone to eat.”
He looked at Tilly and they locked eyes. “Good,” she said.
Their gaze lingered a moment too long, and Tilly reached out and grabbed Daryl’s arm as he tripped over the tracks. She didn’t have the strength to hold him up, and they both landed on the ground, Tilly’s face smashing against his chest.
“Ya’ll alright?” Lana stifled a chuckle.
Tilly put her hands on the ground to push herself up, then held out a hand to help Daryl. “Yeah,” she said as he took her hand and she pulled him to his feet, “I’m good. You?” She looked to Daryl.
“I’m alright, just need to pay a little more attention to where I’m stepping, ‘stead of having story time.” His face turned serious, and Tilly could tell she wasn’t going to get anything else out of him. He didn’t seem to handle embarrassment well.
The group walked in near-silence for a while longer before Rick stopped and turned to address them. “That’s enough for today,” he said. “We only have a couple hours of light left, so I think we should make camp here. There’s a map just up ahead. I’ll grab it and we can figure out which way to go in the morning. Daryl, you mind going out and hunting a bit?”
“Nah,” he answered, “I got it.”
“Good. Don’t go far, and make sure you’re back before dark. Take Tilly with you.”
“What?” Tilly was a little surprised. “Why do you want me to go?”
“Cause if you’re going to be part of this group you need to contribute.”
“You got a gun?” Daryl asked.
“No. I used to, but it’s still somewhere in Terminus, I’m sure. I have a knife.”
Daryl nodded, “Good enough. You know how to use it?”
“Would I have survived this long if I didn’t?” She was mildly offended by his skepticism of her abilities.
Tilly looked back to Lana, nervous to leave her alone with these strangers. “You alright to stay here?” she asked her friend.
“Yeah, “ Lana replied. “I’ll be fine.”
“We’ll take care of her,” Tyreese assured.
Tilly thought for a moment, then looked at Daryl, “Ok, then. We hunt.”
“Let’s see what ya got, Red,” he challenged, and they walked toward the woods.