Spider Monkey

Chapter Seven - Reunited

They made it to the highway, meeting up with some of their group. Hedley patted Lori's arm to get her attention, showing her a card.

'Daryl'.

"I didn't see him, honey. I'm sorry."

The boy whimpered, hitting his head in distress but quickly stopped when the familiar sound of a motorbike. The rumbling made Hedley flap his hands in excitement and as soon as Daryl lept off with Carol, Hedley went running towards him, hugging him at the waist.

Surprisingly, Daryl wrapped his arms around the boy, a sigh of relief escaping his chest.

"Hey, Spider Monkey. 'M glad ya safe."

Glenn and Maggie climbed out of the car that was followed by Daryl.

Hershel and Beth ran to Maggie, "Oh thank God!"

Rick looked to Daryl

"Where'd you find everyone?"

"Well, those guys' tail lights zigzagging all over the road... figured he had to be Asian, driving like that."

Glenn laughed sarcastically, "Good one."

"Where's the rest of us?" Hershel asked.

"We're the only ones who made it so far." T-Dog said.

"Shane?" Lori asked.

Rick shook his head.

"Andrea?"

Carol shook her head, "She saved me, then I lost her."

"We saw her go down." Glenn said.

"Patricia?" Hershel said, sad as if already knowing the answer.

"They got her, too. Took her right in front of me. I was... I was holdin' onto her, daddy. She just-" Beth sobbed, and Hershel hugged her, "W-What about Jimmy? Did you see Jimmy?"

"He was in the RV. It got overrun." Said Rick, making Beth sob once more.

"You definitely saw Andrea?" Lori asked again.

"There were walkers everywhere."

"Did you see her?"

Rick sighed in defeat.

"I'm gonna go back." Daryl said and went to saddle his bike, but Hedley whined, holding him back.

Rick stopped him, "No."

"We can't just leave her."

"She isn't there. She isn't. She's somewhere else or she's dead. There's no way to find her."

"So, we're ain't even gonna look for her?"

"We gotta keep moving."

"There have been walkers crawling all over here. I say head east. Stay off the main roads. The bigger the road, the more walkers, more assholes like this one." Daryl suggested, pointing to a walker slowly stumbling towards them. Daryl gestured for Hedley to do it. So, the boy raised his crossbow, aimed and fired, getting the walker right in the cheek. "Good job."

Hedley beamed under the praise.

****

That night they made camp in the middle of the woods. Everyone was on edge and huddled around a fire. Rick paced the area while Hedley climbed up into one of the many trees, wrapping one of the blankets he had stored in his backpack around his small frame as he watched from above.

"Everyone stop panicking and listen to Rick." Lori tried, the group vibrating with nerves.

"All right, we'll set up a perimeter. In the morning, we'll find gas and some supplies. We'll keep pushing on." Said Rick.