Spider Monkey

Chapter Two - A Friend

"So, where's this kid you went to get?" Shane growled from his place. He was sitting on the step, cleaning a handgun.

Rick sighed, "He's in the trees next to the barn. Won't come down."

"He's probably scared." Lori suggested.

"I think it's more than that."

"What do you mean?"

"He won't or can't talk. Won't communicate. Won't look us in the eyes."

"And he does the flappy thing." Glenn added.

Andrea frowned, "What flappy thing?"

Glenn does a demonstration.

"Could be autism." Hershel said from his place on the porch swing. "Stimming, no eye contact, non-verbal - all adds up."

"What's autism?" Carl asked. Daryl was wondering the same thing, chewing his thumbnail.

"A neurological disorder. It just means that their brain works differently to us." Hershel explained, "Characterised by difficulties with social interaction and communication and by restricted or repetitive patterns of thought and behaviour. The hand flapping is what we call stimming. It's a repetitive movement that helps regulate an autistic's brain chemistry. It can be a sign of strong emotions. Happiness, excitement, fear."

"How do we get him to come down?" Glenn asked.

"Patience."

"I'll get him somethin' to eat." Daryl went inside to where all the food is and took some bread and a bottle of water. He then went over to where he last saw the boy.

"Hey, Spider Monkey!" He called up.

When seeing Daryl, he made a little humming noise and flapped his hands. He then saw the bread that Daryl was offering and made his way to dangle from one of the branches to collect it.

He gave the boy the bread then sat down at the base of the trunk. He waited for a bit, watching as the boy went back up into the tree to eat.

The kid then slowly made his way down until his dirty bare feet touched the grass. Daryl looked up and gave him the water bottle.

The boy sat down next to Daryl, drinking the water and finishing off the bread.

Daryl stayed quiet, not wanting to spook the boy back up the tree. Instead he looked at the boy's backpack. Blue with a simple dinosaur patch of a pterodactyl stitched on the pocket. But that wasn't all. Written in black marker pen at the top next to the handle was a name and information.

'Hedley O'Kelly - If lost call -////////'

"Hedley." Daryl said and like a dog, the boy lifted his head and tilted it up to Daryl. "Your name's Hedley?"

The boy waved his hands around, rocking back and forward.

"I'm Daryl."

Hedley didn't respond or look at him, instead he dug in the dirt and took out a worm and showed it to Daryl excitedly, wiggling along with the invertebrate.

Daryl was about to say something but was suddenly brought back to the terrible reality that was the end of the world when he heard shouting and voices, everyone rushing towards the barn.

"You cannot tell me you're all right with this." Shane said angrily.

"No, I'm not, but we're guests here. This isn't our land." Rick responded.

"This is our lives!"

Glenn shushed them, "Lower your voice." But no one listened.

"We can't just sweep this under the rug." Andrea said.