✓ | SPITFIRE ¹ ✶ the walking dead

⠀⠀⠀𝒗𝒊𝒊. auto mechanics

⠀⠀⠀Now, they were slim pickings, Bianca riding with Daryl in his truck with a rolling silence between them. Bianca didn't mind the quiet. She liked to be left alone with no expectation to hold up a conversation. But this silence was palpable with Daryl, an unusual mess of angry, distraught, and frustrated with everything that happened in the past few days. Especially about his brother. For once, Bianca would rather be in the RV with Glenn talking non-stop, Andrea in her comatose shock, and Dale spewing random facts from the driver's seat.

⠀⠀⠀They made it a few miles out of camp when the RV let out one loud honk. Shane had earlier told them that if there was any trouble, sound the horn, only once, so everyone knew to stop.

⠀⠀⠀"I told you we'd never get far on that hose," Dale told Rick with a shrug as they all crowded around the RV that was fuming. "I said I needed the one from the cube van."

⠀⠀⠀"Can you jury-rig it?" Rick asked, setting his hat back on his head and squinted his eyes shut from the glare of the sun.

⠀⠀⠀"That's all it's been so far," Dale sighed with a tight frown. "It's more duct tape than hose, and I'm all out of duct tape."

⠀⠀⠀"You got any ideas, Bianca?" Lori asked, her arms crossed over her chest, but she held an encouraging smile towards her.

⠀⠀⠀"Bianca? What could she do that I haven't already?" Dale asked, not trying to sound rude, but it still came off harsh. Bianca didn't take it offensively. Dale was asking an honest question since she'd never stepped forward to help with cars or the like before.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca didn't respond, so Lori continued.

⠀⠀⠀"She nearly graduated as a mechanical engineer," Lori explained, turning to Dale. "Didn't get to because of the outbreak."

⠀⠀⠀"You—?" Dale started, turning to Bianca with eyes as big as dinner plates, as did the rest of the men that didn't sit down at the quarry doing laundry with them. "And you didn't say anything?!"

⠀⠀⠀"I don't like dealing with cars," Bianca explained with a shrug, turning to look at her feet then back up again. "There's not much else we could do without parts, anyway."

⠀⠀⠀"I see somethin' up ahead," Shane called, lowering his binoculars and turning back to the group. "Gas station if we're lucky."

⠀⠀⠀"Y'all! Jim!" Jacqui shouted, running out of the RV with sweat beading down her face. "It's bad. I don't think he can take anymore."

⠀⠀⠀Jacqui didn't stick around for them to discuss the situation. Instead, she rushed back into the RV to keep close to Jim.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, Rick," Shane called. "You wanna hold down the fort? I'll drive ahead, see what I can bring back."

⠀⠀⠀Rick nodded, stepping away from the front of the RV to join Jacqui and Jim.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, I'll come along, too," T-Dog told Shane, peering through the binoculars after him. "And I'll back you up."

⠀⠀⠀"I'll go if you want some help finding parts," Bianca offered, seeing that there was no backtracking from her experience now.

⠀⠀⠀Shane eyed her, then nodded, "Yeah, alright."

⠀⠀⠀"Lemme get my sledgehammer," Bianca told them, turning to Daryl. He still had a scowl on his face but not one directed at her.

⠀⠀⠀"Get on," he muttered, nodding his head back toward the truck.