Pretty When I Cry

Missing

Daryl's POV

Me and Merle just got back from our hunt this morning. We saw Carmen was awake, and she was picking at her clothes again. I nudge Merle.

I nod her way. "Kids still ain't got no clothes." I motion to the way she's pulling at her clothes, like they're clinging to her uncomfortably.

He smacked his teeth in reaction, probably just now remembering that we forget. "Damnit." He muttered under his breath. I don't wait for him a second more and go into our tent quickly, and pull out one of my own sleeveless shirts. Maybe she'll feel better with it.

I nudge Merle again to get him to look at me. I hand him the shirt and he gets the idea. He walks over to her with the shirt and I go back to skinning our game.

I feel for the kid. It's hard having nobody there for you.

But then again, I never needed anyone anyways. But I don't know what she needs. So I might as well be there just in case. I would've wanted that as a kid too.

I never really liked kids that much, nevertheless teenagers. They always act like they are completely independent, but they still follow to the orders of their parents, of other people, and they take advantage of that without even knowing it. Not to mention how mean they can be.

But Carmen, she's independent, and not in the way that most kids think they are. She doesn't follow anyone but herself, she knows what she wants, she doesn't act like she needs an adult to live her life, because she's already been doing it on her own without having another choice. I can respect that, no matter how bad it seems.

I notice Merle walking back over here, and Carmen walking over to Glenn, which is what I really find odd. She never tries to talk to the people here, so I don't know what she could need from Glenn of all people.

"Should we get 'er some clothes ourselves?" Merle asks as he approaches. I shrug.

"We could." I say plainly. I never cared about a kid before, and I know Merle would be on my ass if he knew what I thought about her, that I actually cared.

But if I was being honest, I would think that Merle cares about her too. Whether he knows it or not.

"Let's go out tomorrow. Get 'er some stuff, 'cause we know she's not askin' 'erself." Merle suggests, and I agree. Who knew that a teenager that's not even from here is what makes him soft now.

~~~

"Have y'all seen Carmen?" Shane comes up and asks us out of nowhere. I raise a brow, and Merle furrows his in confusion.

"Yeah? We saw 'er talkin' wit Glenn earlier." He replied in a tone that says, why are you talking to me.

"She went back to the fire pit after." I added.

Shane grumbles under his breath and he seems to be stressed out. "Why you askin' Deputy?" Merle drawls out, seeming concerned, making me smirk internally. At least I'm not the only one who cares about this kid.

"She uh..." he trails off, and puts his hands on his hips like how cops like to do. "She's missing."

Merle shot out of his seat, and I shot my head up to look Shane in the eye. Missing?

"Whatcha mean she's missin'?" Merle asks, almost like he instantly blamed Shane for her disappearance, even though he was just the messenger.

"She's been gone for half an hour and no one can find her." Shane confirms, making me stand up too, gripping my crossbow that I was cleaning before he came up to us.

"Outta my way." Merle pushes past Shane, knocking his shoulder as he took strides toward everyone crowded around each other. I followed after him.

As we both approach quickly, people start to notice us. "Do you know where she is?" Lori asks as if she even had any idea who Carmen even was in the first place.