Dallas, Shane, Andrea, Carol, and Tyler all rode up to the highway. they arrived back to the car that Daryl had rigged up for Sophia two days prior. Carol has her hands against the blankets they had left, gazing sadly at the note written for her in what looked like white paint.
SOPHIA STAY HERE WE WILL COME EVERY DAY
the sign read. Andrea walked up, placing a hand against Carols back comfortingly.
"we'll come again tomorrow," she spoke softly. "you know, there's always the chance-"
"i don't," Carol shook her head and looked at the blonde. "i don't need to hear it anymore, Andrea. save the thoughts and prayers."
Andrea gave her the smallest nod, and walked towards the direction of woods they were to go to next. Carol gazed back at the white letters.
"you never know, Carol-" Shane started. but Carol lifted her hand up to stop him, shaking her head. she closed her eyes as a pained look crossed her face. he moved the rifle he had to his other hand, and followed Andrea to the edge of the woods.
soon, they were walking into a clearing with a fence. Andrea and Shane were talking, Shane holding his gun at his side. Andrea asked when she could start to carry, and he laughed.
he described placing a few targets along the fence. they then started to talk about Dale. Andrea smiled as Shane made a comment about Dale being all on her ass on some sort of "suicide watch".
"he did come a minute or so of being blown to hell because of me, to be fair," she defended.
"look i," Shane stopped, turning serious. "i see you have a desire for gunwork. desire will take you a long way, but there's something you need to know."
"i'm listening," she told him as the group stopped. she turned and he adjusted his hat that read 'police'. he and Rick seemed to have been police officers together, and judging by how Rick seemed to act towards him the night Otis was killed, and how Shane went out and risked his life for Carl's; maybe they had been partners?
"putting up targets is one thing. easy to hit what ain't moving. but taking down one that's trying to kill you, it's- its different. cuz they say, that kind of situation, things slow down. that's crap. they speed up. adrenaline, it'll cripple you if you let it. you need to use your instinct, gotta roll it out. if somebody is gonna die, better hope you're the one making that decision."
"how? i mean, how do you do that?" Andrea looked at him. Carol uncomfortably shifted her position as the two spoke to one another.
"turn off your switch," he spoke, looking at the ground. he seemed to be distant again, like he had at the funeral held for Otis. "the switch. the one that makes you scared. or angry, sympathetic, whatever. you don't think. you just- you act. because odds are, someone else is counting on you. that's your partner. your friend. there ain't nothing easy about taking a man's life. but when you get it done, you have to forget it. i guess i haven't quite gotten that last part down yet."
"but you're getting there," Andrea told him, giving him a small, firm smile. he turned to her.
"i hope so." he pulled his arms off of the fence he had been leaning against, and turned back to the whole group. "it's a good spot. will do."
—
Hershel and Rick finally returned. by that time, Dallas and Tyler had put the food in a cooler and their belongings into their tent.
he watched the two speak. Rick seemed rather serious in his speech, while Hershel stood there listening. he spoke one line, and Rick spoke again immediately after. Hershel didn't seem to be talking as much as the officer.
while Hershel stood still, Rick was moving around on his feet. at some point, he briefly pointed at the group. when Rick did sit down and Hershel started to speak more than a simple sentence, he listened intently.
soon enough, Maggie and Glenn came riding back. Lori left the house, and Rick walked in instead. Glenn handed her something, and quickly walked away.
Dallas watched as Daryl walked into the RV. he stood, wanting to ask if he was hungry. the group had cooked up some early dinner, and Daryl had been gone while they had.
he walked in, and saw Carol sitting at the back end of it. Daryl looked at him, and back down at the clean, neatly stacked, plates.
"you hungry?" Dallas asked, offering the plate of food to him. he took it, and gave him a small nod. he then turned to Carol.
"cleaned up. wanted it to be nice for her," she spoke, noticing the two men looking at the newfound cleanliness of the RV. Daryl looked back at the other half again briefly.
"looks like a five star place," he smiled, and she returned it before looking back down at her sewing.
he then reached forward, and placed a glass bottle down in front of her. Dallas hadn't even realized he held it. there was a single white flower inside of it.
she looked up.
"a flower?" she sounded surprised.
"it's a cherokee rose," he told her. "story is, that when American soldiers were moving Indians off their land, on the trail of tears, the Cherokee mothers were crying so much, cuz they were losing the little ones on the way. exposure, and disease, and starvation. a lot of them disappeared. so the elders, they uh, said a prayer. asked for a sign to lift up the mothers spirits. give them strength. hope. the next day, um, this rose started to grow right where the mothers tears fell. i'm not fool enough to think there's any flowers bloomin for my bother. but uh, i believe this one, bloomed for your little girl."
Carol was crying, wiping her tears away with a smile on her face. she looked down, still crying, but definitely seemed appreciative of his actions.
Daryl turned, and walked past Dallas on his way out. he paused before walking out, and looked at the woman again.
"she's gonna really like it in here," he told her. she smiled again, and looked out the window. he looked down, and then opened the door to walk out.
Dallas glanced at the flower, and walked out after him. Carol didn't need another person another person telling her the same stuff over and over again. Daryl had said the right things to help make her feel beyond better for that moment.
when it was turning dark, some people went to sleep, while some others stayed up playing cards in the RV.
Dallas had just walked out, and was heading to his tent. he saw Lori walk from the house, glancing around as if to see if anybody was nearby. she then walked out past the RV, and past the tents. Dallas watched her, confused as to what she was doing.
she stopped walking in the middle of the grass, mostly covered by shadows. she stuck her knife into the log next to her, and ripped something out of her pocket. when he saw her take a pregnancy test out of the bag, he froze.
she probably sat there for ten minutes before lifting the test to her face. when she started to cry, and dropped the test; he knew he didn't have to ask her to know the results.
