II. VESTIGE OF HOPE Season One, Episodes Five & Six
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The morning after the attack was hard.
The heavy feeling of misery and loss surrounded the remaining survivors, and perhaps some of them felt some sort of guilt about being alive whilst the others lied dead on the ground.
Sometime during the early morning, Dani found the strength to move. She had to, whether she wanted to or not. Because the truth is she wanted to sit down on the ground next to the walker she killed, rotting away with it until she's just a pile of bones. But she was needed this morning, so she couldn't.
Her hands and clothes were still covered in blood, and every time her hands came into her eyesight, she grimaced and felt like throwing up. The smell of death and rotten flesh didn't help whatsoever, her weak stomach was probably screaming at her right now.
It took more strength than she could muster to move the bodies, both human and turned. But she managed without the help of others because she didn't want to really interact with anyone just yet. She still hadn't full processed the night before, and she was afraid that she would lash out at someone. But she had talked to Glenn only briefly, and it was to make sure they were in agreement with burying their people instead of burning them.
Every time she brought the back of her hand up to wipe the sweat off her face, she scraped it across her cut on her cheek from last night that she had yet to cover up. Yet another reminder of what she and the others endured, if she didn't have enough of them.
Once she set down the body of a man, Jacqui's voice rang out loudly: "A walker got him! A walker bit Jim!"
Dani's heart fell to her stomach as she looked up to Jim, who was now pacing back and forth with worry about everyone's reactions. "I'm okay. I'm okay." He repeated. No one listened.
"Show it to us!" Daryl demanded, a large pickaxe swung over his shoulder, covered in blood and brains.
Jim quickly picked up a shovel for defence, though it was useless when T-Dog ran up behind him and grabbed him by the arms and pulled them back, both disarming him and making it easy for Daryl to lift up his shirt to reveal the bloody teeth marks on his side. Dani's hands flew up to her face, covering her mouth, eyes wide with shock.
Still, Jim repeated the same two words, "I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay."
Dani didn't know whether he was trying to convince the group or himself if he was okay. Maybe both. Either way, the reveal of the bite was enough to make her feel overly nauseous. The woman ran behind the RV, scrunching her eyes and nose as she threw up.
