It Comes With The Name

Chapter 18: White Knight Syndrome

He shook his head in frustration, taking off his baseball cap. "I can't believe you would keep something like this from me."

"It was one night, Shane." She tried to reason.

"Yeah, one night. A lot can happen in one night!" He growled. "Let's say something did happen; the walkers got out and got you, or Glenn, or Lori, or Carl. That blood would be on your hands, Lauren. Do you understand that?"

"Rick is talking to Hershel, okay? He's gonna figure it out." Lauren told him, trying to shift the subject slightly.

"Yeah seems like Rick's got an awful lot he's gotta figure out." Shane muttered.

"What?"

Shane shook his head. "Look, you're a smart girl, Lauren. This place ain't safe. You know it, I know it, and Rick doesn't want to know it. He's risking our lives by staying here, man."

"Shane, you're just on edge. Rick can handle this, alright? He always does."

"Does he?" Shane laughed. "Cause by my account, I've been the one that's kept you and Lori and Carl alive. Not Rick, me."

"Yeah, Shane, you did a lot for us and I'm forever thankful for that but Rick is back..." She said cautiously, not loving how this conversation had taken a turn. "You don't have to take everything on alone."

"Except apparently, I do. Cause while Rick wants to go play house with this old man, I gotta make sure that you stay alive and Lori and Carl are safe."

"Look, I may not agree with Rick all the time but it's his call..." Lauren glanced behind her, half hoping someone would come and save her from this conversation.

"You know it and I know it, Lauren. As much as we love Rick, he ain't built for this world." Shane insisted. "Somebody's gotta make the tough calls."

Lauren looked behind her again and thanked whatever higher power that Glenn had seemingly finished his talk with Maggie.

"Alright, then..." She said, backing away slowly. "I'll check back in later I guess."

She quickly turned around and hurried back over to Glenn. What a weird fucking interaction.

Shane's just anxious about the barn.

She told herself

Plus, he's probably still riled up from the fight earlier. He didn't mean all that.

She shook her head, trying to clear her mind as she walked back to Glenn. As she got closer, she had to hold a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"Oh, wow." She unsuccessfully tried to hold back a giggle as she took in Glenn's appearance. He walked up to her, his expression one of annoyance and defeat. His hat was in his hand and he had egg yolk running down the side of his face from the top of his head. "So I take it the talk went well?"

Glenn sighed. "She cracked an egg on my head." He wiped the side of his face with his free hand, getting off some of the yolk.

"She won't even talk to me." He held up his baseball cap in defeat. "And this was my only hat, dude."

Lauren once again struggled to contain her amusement. She collected herself enough to offer him a temporary solution. "Go see if Dale has an extra hat, I'll try and talk to Maggie."

Glenn looked at her questioningly. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"You got a better one?" She challenged.

"No." He admitted.

"That's what I thought."

---

Lauren was fairly certain that she would find Maggie in the farmhouse but she figured it couldn't hurt to check the stables on her way there. After all, thats where she and Dale had found Hershel yesterday, who was to say she wouldn't find Maggie there too?

As she neared the stable, Tank trotting along beside her, Lauren heard two voices coming from inside the corridor. She couldn't quite make out who or what was being said. It was quiet for a moment. As she rounded the corner, she was met with a saddle being thrown onto the ground in front of her.

"What the fuck?" She exclaimed, obviously not expecting that. Tank jumped back, startled by the sudden noise and object now in his path.

Daryl, who was a few feet away, groaned and doubled over in pain. Okay so if she was reading the room correctly, Daryl had thrown one of the saddles in what she was assuming was anger as that was usually how the Dixons handled those kinds of things.

"Are you alright?" Carol started towards him from where she had been standing a bit further down the aisle. The concern in her voice was apparent and her face was flushed almost as if she had been crying.

Daryl held out his arm, telling her to keep back. He glared at her. "Jus' leave me be, Stupid Bitch."

He muttered the last part, brushing past Lauren without so much as a second glance. Lauren had to stand there for a minute to even start to process whatever the hell she had walked in on. She blinked in shock a few times before her gaze fell on Carol. The woman was barely holding back her tears.

"Oh, honey," Lauren said, rushing forward and wrapping Carol into a hug. Carol hugged her back and Lauren could feel her crying against her shoulder. She didn't ask what happened, she didn't need to. Whatever the context had been, Daryl was way out of line, per usual.

After a few minutes of simply letting Carol sob into her, and Tank nudging at their legs with concern, Lauren pulled away slightly. She wiped some of the remaining tears on the woman's cheek before walking over to the saddle on the ground. She picked it up placing it back where it was supposed to be before making her way back over to Carol.

"Let's head back to camp, alright?" She said comfortingly, guiding Carol gently out of the stables.

As soon as Lauren had Carol settled back into the RV, finding her one of the books from Dale's collection to read and try and get her mind off of everything, she headed back out. As soon as she was out of Carol's sight, her demeanor changed from calm and comforting to absolutely enraged.

Her heart was beating a million miles a minute as she made her way towards Daryl's tent. She was absolutely fuming. How dare he talk to Carol that way, especially when all that woman had ever done was be undeservingly kind.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Lauren stormed into the half-unzipped opening. Daryl looked up at her, annoyed, from where he was once again lying on his sleeping bag. "In what world would you ever think it would be okay to talk to Carol like that? All she was trying to do was make sure your dumbass didn't go out there and get yourself killed!"

"She needs to learn to mind her own damn business." He grumbled, glaring up at her. "She ain't the only one."

Lauren scoffed. "You think I want to sit around babysitting you? Trust me, I have about a million other things I need to be doing right now. So set your ego aside and take it easy for one fucking day."

"You nosy bitches needa jus leave me be." He spat.

Lauren narrowed her eyes at him, not even phased by his words. "Call me whatever names you want Daryl, I really couldn't care less. But don't ever speak to Carol or any other woman in this camp that way again. She doesn't need that shit from you on top of everything else."

Daryl glared at her still, but this time it seemed less angry and more defensive. "The hell do ya want me to do about it?"

"Apologize, beg for forgiveness, get her a fucking bouquet of roses? I don't care what you do, Daryl, I have other shit to deal with. Just make it right somehow."

He scoffed and she rolled her eyes, exiting the tent. She called back as she left. "And if you pop your stitches doing some stupid shit like that I'm not fixing them!"