traded my life [TWD]

『24』

"There's some crutches in my ambulance."

"I'll go grab them," Lori says and places a hand on Shane's shoulder. "Bring her to the RV and we'll get her patched up."

Shane looks around before standing up. "Come on."

"Seriously?"

He turns his back and motions for me to hop on.

"You can't walk on it. Let's go."

I scoff and struggle out of the van with one working leg. I latch onto Shane's back. He jostles me around until he's comfortable and starts walking to the RV.

"You wanna tell me how you actually did it?"

"I did," I argue. "Chains."

"You and Glenn are tiny enough to slide through a crack in the door and I know y'all ain't have tools like that with you."

I wrap my arms further around his neck and rest my chin on his shoulder.

"So?" He urges.

"I saw a spider and ran away but slid in geek blood."

Shane laughs and I whine in protest.

"That one sounds more like you."

"Do I really have to stay off it?"

"It's safer. We'll figure out a better situation for runs. You can sit a few out."

"I've always done the runs with Glenn, though."

"Well, you're injured. You'll just slow him down out there if you try and go."

I open the RV door from Shane's back and he carries me inside.

"Sprains don't take long to heal, right? I can go out soon?"

"Why do you insist on going on runs?" Shane questions as he sets me on the bed. "You got a crush on Glenn?"

"Glenn reminds me of an old friend," I admit. 

Shane gives me a look.

"Not him," I say in regards to Q. "Sungjin. He worked at that Chinese restaurant. He brought his niece trick-or-treating to our house that one year."

Shane hums in acceptance and kneels on the floor to continue looking at my ankle.

"Plus I like going out there."

"It's dangerous out there."

"It's like a video game. I feel like I'm completing quests or some shit when i find a bottle of water."

"That's stupid."

"It's the only form of entertainment I have. And I get to help out."

"You could help in other ways. Laundry, cooking-"

"When have I ever done housewife chores? I made dinner for us but that's just because your cooking sucks and has no seasonings."

He snorts a laugh. "Whatever."

"I like bringing stuff back. I'm kind of good at the whole heist thing, you know?"

"I know a little all too well."

At the mention of our history, the cat-and-mouse game of cop and delinquent, I find myself smiling. Lori walks into the RV with her arms full of supplies.

"I think I got everything," she says and sets the items on the floor beside Shane.

"Thanks," Shane sends her a smile that she returns.

I squint my eyes. Lori places her hand on Shane's shoulder once again and squeezes.

"I've heard most sprains take a couple of weeks to heal at most," Lori tells me, not removing her hand from Shane.

"I've had something like this before," I recall. "Skateboarding accident."

"Really? But, you're such a natural."

"Gotta fall twenty times before standing up straight on it," I remark.

"That's life," she relates.

Shane wraps my ankle in bandages and eases the crutches to my side. "Have you used these before?"

"Nuh-uh," I deny.

Shane helps me stand up. The three of us laugh when we realize that the crutches are way too tall for me. Shane adjusts them as Lori keeps me standing. Then, Shane teaches me how to walk with them.

"I should help Carol start dinner," Lori says, placing a hand on Shane's side. "Is there anything you need, Hyejin?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks. I told Carl I'd hang out with him, so don't worry about him."

Lori and Shane trade a look before she leaves. I stare at Shane as he watches her go.

"What?" he asks, seeing my stare.

"What's all that about?" I wonder.

"All what?"

"Grabby hands. Smiles. It's gross."

Shane shakes his head. "It's nothing."

I shove aside the gross feelings.

Rick was dead. We had to move on. I just hated the thought of Carl's feeling at stake now.

"I'm not calling her 'mom'," I note, hobbling to the door, my back to Shane.

"What?"

I blink a few times. "I said that's Carl's mom.."

A tense silence passes through us. I grip the handle of the crutches as tight as possible.

"Just.. be careful. With Rick and all, you know?" I try to recover my slip of words. "Still fresh."

I don't give Shane time to answer. I speedily, and messily, fling myself out of the RV. I cringe at my actions and scurry over to where Carl was showing his new toy to Sophia.

 𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈--

hyejin and glenn bestie agenda has begun and i have never been more feral

did u catch the maknae reference hehehehehe