Blood Soaked Arrows (On Hold)

(19) The Shots

“Just hold your arm still and this will be over in a second.” I said in a nurse like voice as I firmly held onto Carl’s arm. The boy however didn’t seem to need to any kind of reassurance which surprised me because even Adam had hated needles. Carl boldly watched as the needle sunk into the inside of his elbow without making a sound.

The golden liquid quickly emptied out of the vial and into his blood stream. When the vaccination was gone I pulled out the needle and then got out a cotton swap and surgical tape. I made quick work out of blocking the small hole in the boy’s skin before patting my hands on my thigh. “All done.”

Carl looked up at me with a smirk. “So I won’t turn?”

“No you won’t.” I smiled weakly back at the boy. “But that doesn’t mean that ya’ can wander off again like ya’ did back at the farm Carl. Just because ya’ immune now doesn’t mean that ya’ can’t get hurt.”

The boy’s smile grew wider as if he hadn’t really taken what I had just told him seriously. “I know.”

Carl slid off of the stump that I had been using as a seat and rushed over to Sophia. I let out a sigh as I watched the boy stick out his chest and grin arrogantly while she commented on how manly he was from not crying over the shot.

I rolled my eyes at the small boy thinking about how Adam would never be so egotistical. If had been here Adam he would have probably knocked into Carl and laughed at him just to brush Carl’s pride. Adam had a sweet side but most of the time he was a little shit. I smiled weakly at the thought of my brother and felt a little sting in the center of my chest.

I had such high hopes that Adam was still alive. I wanted him to be alive so much that sometimes I forgot that there was still a possibility that he might be dead. My fingers grew cold and stiff by my side. If I didn’t find Adam alive and well at Fort Benning I would be devastated.

With a shake of my head I cleared my mind and looked around for my next patient. I had been administering shots to the group ever since I opened my eyes and even though there were only elven of them it had felt like twenty. When I saw no one standing around looking at me I let out a little sigh and started zipping up the duffle bag. One vial however was setting above all of the others and I frowned at it before picking it up.

I had counted and separated the amount that I would need to vaccinate the group earlier this morning so I shouldn’t have any extra setting out. I tapped my nail against the golden vial as I mentally listed off all of the people I had given the shot to. When I came down to the last person on my list my frowned deepened and I gave a quick shake of my head before counting them off again but the answer was the same.

I hoisted the duffle bag over my shoulder and twisted the last vial around in my hand before storming off to track the stupid man down. I wondered passed other members of the group as they repacked supplies into their cars. It didn’t take long for me to find Daryl because he tended to be either in the woods hunting or talking to Rick. Daryl must have seen me coming out of the corner of his eyes because he quickly wrapped up his conversation with Rick before giving me his back and walking away.

“Daryl.” I called as I quickened my pace.

As if he realized that he was running away from me he suddenly stopped. “What?”

I made my strides longer and quicker before turning so that I was standing in front of him. I lifted the vial in my hand up to his face and gave it a little shake. “Did ya’ forget about this?”

His gaze stayed connected with mine even though I held the vial right up to his face. “I didn’t forget.”

“Good.” I nodded and relaxed a little bit. “Then sit down for a second so I gave give it to ya’.”

“Don’t want it.” He murmured and then breezed pasted me.

“What?” I asked harshly before spinning around on my heels and chasing after him. “What do ya’ mean ya’ don’t want it?”

“Exactly that. I don’t want it and I sure as hell don’t need it.” He spat as he neared his motorcycle.

“But Daryl this is the vaccination-

“I know what it is.” He snapped again before grabbing his crossbow off of his bike and slinging it over his shoulder.

“If ya’ know what it is then explain to me why the hell ya’ don’t want it because I’d seriously like to know.” I yelled back at him.

He let out a grunt that sounded a lot like a curse. “Don’t have to explain myself to ya’.”

I felt a little stab in my heart at his words but I refused to back down from this. “The hell ya’ don’t.” I snapped back and took a threaten step towards him. “Ya’ expect me to just let ya’ walk away without getting the vaccination and to be okay with that? Fuck no! What if we get over run by Walkers again and ya’ get bit?”

“I ain’t going to get bit Evie.” He harshly grunted as he pulled his biker jacket up off of his bike and shrugged it on over his long sleeved shirt. “Been doing just fine on my own without that shit. Besides it don’t look like ya’ have all that many.”

“I have a hundred and one right now.” I countered.

Daryl picked up his crossbow from his bike and repositioned it over his shoulder. “Like I said ya’ don’t have a lot so don’t go wasting it.”

“Daryl.” I said in a calmer but still aggravated tone. “Please take it.”

He looked down at me for a hard minute and in that minute I could tell that no matter how hard I pushed him he wasn’t going to budge. With a sigh I shoved the vial back into the duffle bag with the others and zipped it shut. “Just promise me then that you’ll be extra careful.”

He gave me a lopsided smile as he hiked the strap of his crossbow up a little more. “Can’t really promise anything to ya’.”

I frowned slightly. “Why?”

“Never know what I’m gonna do until I’m already doing it.” He replied taking a step towards me.

I understood what he was saying but it didn’t comfort me at all. “Guess you’re right.” I let my eyes drop down to the ground between us.

I tightened my grip on my duffle bag and shifted my weight uncomfortably from side to side. I didn’t really want the conversation to end like this. I wanted Daryl to just accept the damn vaccination because if he didn’t then I would be ten times more worried about him if we faced Walkers again. Of course Daryl wasn’t one to go out of his way just to ease my mind so it left me in a kind of cross road. His whole reasoning for not taking the damn immunity seemed a bit cocky and stupid to me anyway.

“Rick’s having me go on a run into town for some gas and supplies.” I looked up from the ground to him but before our eyes could meet Daryl moved his gaze to the strap on his shoulder and started fiddling with it.

A small smile spread across my lips. “Oh really? Do ya’ think Rick would let me go with ya’?”

“Don’t see a reason why he wouldn’t.” He gave a side shrug and turned back to his motorcycle.

My smile grew even more. “I’ll be right back then.”

“Whatever.”

In a giddy mood now I quickly found Rick. He was leaning against the red car that I had been recovering after the Walkers had over run the farm. Hershel and T-dog were by his side going over what routes they thought would be best to take to Fort Benning. As soon as I neared them however Rick instantly stopped talking and looked up at me with a confused expression. “Yes?”

My smile dimmed slight. “I’m going to go on that run with Daryl.”

Rick’s lips strained into a solid line and I instantly knew that he was going to be difficult about it. “Daryl’s quick on his own.”

“And with me he’ll be quicker.” I countered folding my arms over my chest.

Rick’s eyes wondered over to Hershel for a brief moment before he looked back at me but that brief look between him and Hershel must have been some kind of signal.

“Your wound hasn’t healed enough yet,” Hershel spoke in his doctor like tone. “If you go out you’ll probably just do more harm than good.”

Talking about the wound on my shoulder reminded me of the heavy stiff feeling that had been bothering me but I quickly sealed those painful feelings away. “My shoulder is healing just fine.” I sternly replied and to prove so I square my chest and raised my shoulders up.

Hershel brought a hand up to his shirt button and fiddled with it for a moment. “If you rip out your stiches while you’re out the smell of blood will attract walkers.”

“Daryl and I can handle it if I do.”

Hershel looked back over at Rick when he realized that he ran out of reasons. Rick kept his eyes trained on me and clenched in jaw in frustration. “You’re going to need to grab some gas for the cars and supplies.”

I smiled triumphantly. “Not a problem.”

Rick gave me a nod but the hard stare of his eyes had me frowning. I knew that he was mad at me for leaving but truthfully he had no right to be. I was more than capable of taking care of myself and he had already said that I had earned my place in the group so it wasn’t like I was going to run away or something.

I turned away from the men as they went pack to picking routes on the map. I wondered over to my ‘tank’ grabbed my hunting knife and a bow and arrows. I had an upper thigh holster for the hunting knife and quickly stabbed it onto my right thigh. I mean sure I could have just looped the knife through my belt like I had done countless times before but with my injured shoulder it would be difficult to slide the knife out. For the simple bow I slung it over my back along with the quiver of arrows. After I was done arming myself I locked up my tank and started heading back to Daryl.

As soon as my eyes caught Daryl leaning down beside his bike I grew kind of excited. This was the first run that Daryl and I were going on together and thinking about had my stomach in knots. I brought my lower lip into my mouth and chewed on it lightly trying my best to suppress the huge smile on my face. As I made my way over to him I noticed the grease stained dark blue rag in his hand. His long hard fingers rubbed the towel over the motor of the bike as if he had just finished tuning it.

I forced my steps to grow shorter despite how thrilled I was about going somewhere with him because at that moment I could bare to take my eyes off of him. His tanned hands gently wiping off smudges on his bike make my lower stomach twist even more. The way his blue eyes shined from being so focused and mindful of his work had my skin crawling with goose bumps.

Once I was close enough to him however he’s blue eyes captured me and I could barely breathe. With a deep cleansing breath I cooled down my surprisingly flustered body and hastened my steps. Slowly I relaxed the muscles in my face until I was certain that it was expressionless.

“Fixing something?” I asked casually and leaned a little bit forward once I was near the bike.

“Nah.” He answered turning back to the back and wiping off the last bit of grease. “Going to have to change the oil when we’re in town though.”

“Does that take long?” I knew it didn’t but I couldn’t think of anything else to say to him and I didn’t want the conversation to end.

“Few minutes.” He pocketed the rag and picked up his crossbow from the ground before slinging that over his shoulder like always. Without even looking back at me he swung his leg over the metal beast and kicked back the kickstand.

I felt my throat grow a little tight as I watched him reeve up the engine. My lips felt chapped and my hands were sweaty from just looking at the bike. Back in training at the CDC they had taught me how to ride a lot of vehicles but I had always avoided the motorcycle because even though it gave you more mobility it wasn’t very safe in a crash.

Daryl looked over his shoulder at me with a frown and reeved the engine again. “Ya’ walking or what?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat before closing the distance between me and the bike. In one less than graceful swing I was straddling the back of the bike. Without even waiting to see if I was hanging on or not Daryl kicked on the gas and jerked forward. I let out a little cry and wrapped my arms around his back.

I pressed my face against his back as well and clenched my eyes closed. I could feel the lean muscles in his back stiffened through his leather jacket and I loosened my grip just the tiniest bit. I meant to say something, apologize maybe but I couldn’t manage to open my mouth. It was strange for me to be…afraid? No, unsettled? Maybe.

The roar of the engine vibrating below was odd but slowly that odd sense became calming. I could feel my coiled body unwind until the only thing that I was holding onto tightly was Daryl. His hard back against my face made me feel secure and calm. I slowly moved my head to the side so that I could rest my cheek against him and felt a tingling sensation move in my stomach. The wind whipped my hair over my forehead and back but I didn’t really mind.

In a matter of minutes I was relaxed and…content sitting behind Daryl. It was strange how Daryl could make me feel so calm at a time like this. I flattened my hands against his chest and thought that maybe it wasn’t that strange after all.