𝓗𝓮𝔂 𝓐𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓵 | 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝔂𝓵 𝓓𝓲𝔁𝓸𝓷

Chapter 11: The Search Begins

"Seriously T how did you do manage this," I questioned causing him to chuckled slightly.

Daryl Rick, Glenn and Shane were searching for Sophia. I was going to help but T-dog was losing a lot of blood and I was the one with the most medical knowledge apparently. Rick also insisted I stay to look after everyone. He said he'd feel a lot better if he knew I was up with them while the others looked.

"I panicked when I saw the walkers and cut my arm," He explained then grunted as I wrapped the duct tape around his arm.

"Sorry but it's all we've got."

"Nah it's cool better than anything I could do," he laughed.

I put a hand to his head and frowned. He was already burning up but we didn't have any medicine. You would've thought we would have found some in all these cars but so far there was no luck.

Time passed by slowly as we went about waiting for the others clearing paths on the interstate so the RV could turn around. I was still on a hunt for meds and simply growing more frustrated. No Sophia, no meds.

Night was beginning to settle. Orange hues filled the sky and still, Daryl and Rick weren't back.

I was filled with some relief when I saw them back but there was no Sophia with them. Carol seemed to break a little bit more and I wrapped an arm around her in comfort. But there was nothing much that could help a grieving mother. I knew that much. Worse part of my job had always been telling the victims family what had happened whether that had been death or not and it had never got any easier over the years

The next day we were heading out for Sophia setting off spaced out from the creek slowly moving through the area as close to an official search as we could manage.

Not much hope was found at all. The tent was nothing more than shelter to a corpse. But the bells had given us hope. They rang out loud and hopefully through the forest. Opening the doors we were greeted by a disappointing sight. A few walkers littered the room some were even sat in the pews but as the doors creaked open they turned in our direction hungry for flesh.

I had headed in first with Rick and Daryl vaulting over a church pew and kicking the walker backwards before plunging my blade downwards into its skull. Daryl, Rick and Shane took care of the other three.

"Yo JC you making requests?" Daryl questioned the crucifix.

"If he ever did never responded to any of mine," I mumbled heading out of the church.

When the bells chimed again we found it was coming from a speaker. The damn sound was on a timer.

"So maybe she was never here at all." I sighed walking off. I'd always hated missing person cases. Especially the ones involving kids but this was different. There were no suspects round or leads to follow. Only walkers to kill and endless expanse of forest with no tracking or search party other than who was already here. At least I had a method for the old cases protocols to follow. I sat down on the ground.

"Get yo ass up, Lilith. I'm not having you give up on that girl," Daryl pulled me up.

"I don't want to I just feel useless. You're the only good tracker."

"I ain't lettin you give up. We gonna find her hell if I to teach to track along the way do be it!" He decided. I looked up at Daryl with a small smile.

"You, Daryl Dixon, are full surprises you know that," I said half teasingly. "You're not half as bad as you you make yourself out to be."

"Oh yeah?" He cocked an eyebrow.