Complicated ✔

Ch. 32 - Questioning The Kid

KATHRYN'S POV

It's been a week since my dad brought that boy back. That means it's been a week since Shane tried to rape me in the barn the night after we found out Sophia had been a walker the whole time we were looking for her. That means that I've been following Daryl around nearly constantly after what happened, and he has still yet to tell me to get lost. My father hasn't said a word to me about following Daryl like a second shadow. I think he prefers it after what happened with Shane and him keeping it from happen. It's like he trusts Daryl more than Shane now. Speaking of Shane, him and Dad left about mid-morning to drop that boy off somewhere away from our camp.

I didn't really feel a need to follow Daryl around today, since Shane was with Dad I didn't think I needed to keep close to the man that saved me from him. So, as I was sitting up on the upper porch from the second story of the house, I could see out into the fields and where our camp was. If I walked over to the edge of the railing and peered around the side of the house slightly, I could see Daryl's small camp too, which is where he stayed most of the day. Maggie came up to sit with me at one point, after what happened with Beth downstairs trying to kill herself with a broken piece of mirror from the bathroom, she just needed to get away from nearly everyone but chose to keep me company as I waited for my father's return.

She'd constantly ask me what was going on between me and Daryl, as I'd spent the whole week doing nothing but following him around, and I'd always give her the same reply saying that nothing was going on and that he just made me feel safe after what happened. I haven't slept out in the camp with the others since that night either. I've stayed up in Maggie's room with her after my father and hers both insisted on it. There was no room left for debate on that matter so I didn't argue, but I did make her take her own bed. I turned the topic away from me, turning it back on to her and Glenn. I watched as this sad expression crossed her face and I knew right then that something wasn't right. "Maggie," I asked as I reached out and grabbed her hand, causing her to look up at me.

"When your dad and Glenn went to go find my dad," she said squeezing my hand as she spoke, "before they left, I told Glenn I loved him. And now he blames me for him freezing up." "It's not your fault," I said quickly wrapping her in a hug to comfort her, "Glenn's a big boy. He'll figure his shit out and learn not to blame you for something he did or didn't do, okay?" I pulled back to look at her as she nodded and gave me a weak smile before we heard the sound of a vehicle approaching the house. We both looked over our shoulders and out into the yard as the car Dad and Shane took pulled into the yard. "They're back," Maggie said before I smiled and jumped to my feet, making my way back down the stairs and down the front steps of the house just as Daryl seemed to be walking up.

DARYL'S POV

I watched as Kathryn bound out of the Greene's house, a smile on her face knowing her dad made it back. Her auburn hair pulled back into a messy ponytail as she came to a stop, her smile faltering and causing me to look back to see Rick and Shane walking out of the car, both looking like they'd been to hell and back. "The hell happened to you to," I asked walking forwards a couple steps, not missing the fact that as soon as I was closer Kathryn instantly stepped into place near me. I glanced back at her for a second before looking back to Rick as he began talking.

"Shane and I had a little disagreement," Rick said casting a quick glare over at the man who'd been his best friend until probably a week ago, "got into a fight. Things got ugly." "Fight over what," I asked and could sense Kathryn stepping slightly closer, probably thinking what I was at the moment he said they got into a fight. "What he did to Kathryn," Rick said as his eyes landed on his daughter, "or rather what he would've done to her if you hadn't gotten to them and stopped him first." I nodded and glanced back at the girl who was now standing nearly directly behind me as she watched her dad and Shane when I heard movement. Looking back up I watched as Rick pulled the kid out of the back of the car while Shane simply stormed off.

KATHRYN'S POV

Dad brought that kid back, turns out he knows Maggie. That whole night, I laid awake on the floor in her room wondering what was going to happen to the kid now. Daryl was going to question him first thing this morning and I tagged along behind him, not wanting to be too far away from him in case Shane decided to get back at me and Dad for what happened yesterday when they tried to haul the boy off away from where we were. I leaned back against the shed as he disappeared inside, closing the door behind him to begin his questioning of the boy. I'd cringe every time I heard the sound of that boy moaning and groaning in pain as Daryl hit him when he didn't get an answer to his questions. And what was worse, I could hear everything being said, and I didn't want to hear the last of it.

"But," I heard the boy's voice clearly through the shed walls, "we'd go out, scavenge. Just the men. One night, we found this little campsite. A man and his two daughters, teenagers you know? Real young, real cute. Like the young red head in your group." I'd forgotten he'd seen me this time when Dad dragged him out of the car. But I did know I didn't like where this conversation was headed, but I couldn't move from my spot, wanting to know what he was going to say and wanting to stay close to Daryl. "Their daddy had to watch while these guys," he started but paused to seem to think, "and they didn't even kill him afterwards. They just, they just made him watch." He seemed to get lost in his thoughts for a moment, the silence deadly quiet as I could hear Daryl's slow movement, like he was turning to face the boy or something.

I guess I was right too, as the kid started stammering quickly to try and save himself from what he was saying. "No," he said, "but, but, but I didn't touch those girls. I swear I didn't touch those girls." In that next second I heard the sound of Daryl's groan and the kid's as he hit him somehow, causing him to shut up. I was frozen in place, listening to the sound of Daryl using that kid as a punching bag. That was a touchy subject around the group, after what Shane tried to do to me everyone was on edge about it and I think Daryl was taking out his anger on the kid instead of on Shane like he'd like to. I didn't even notice it'd gotten quiet in the shed until I heard the sound of the door opening and looked over to see Daryl walking out.

My eyes snapped quickly over to him as he shut and locked the door before picking up his crossbow that had been sitting next to me on the ground. When he stood back up, he locked eyes with me, his blue eyes staring into my own. In that moment, I saw something there I'd never seen before on his face, even when he saved me from Shane. In that moment, I saw worry in his blue eyes as he continued to stare at me. I knew he was aware I'd heard what the boy said, it was probably plain as day on my face and I wasn't going to hide it when he obviously knew how I felt about this. Finally, I broke eye contact with him when I thought I saw something else there in his eyes with the worry, and looked down at his hands to find them bloodied at the knuckles.

"Can I clean up your hands," I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. The last time I offered to help him like this, it ended badly and I was scared to get the same backlash from him as before. If he pushed me away again right now, I don't know what I'd do because I looked to him for safety from Shane. "Later," he muttered and turned to walk towards where everyone else stood at the main camp for the group, "after we've told your dad and the other's about this kids group and warn them what they're capable of." "Okay," I whispered with a nod before falling into step behind him as we slowly began to trek our way back to the others. But I still couldn't get it out of my mind. That boy, travels with murders and rapists and he could lead them right to us.