Learning to Live Again - Book One

Chapter 4

           

Daryl healed quickly and Tamara soon forgave Andrea enough to not attack her every time she saw her. When the stitches finally came out of Daryl's side four days later, Tamara was relieved that he had healed so fast and hadn't had any complications. She vowed to tell him about the baby that morning after breakfast.

But then Glenn dropped a bomb on the group.

Tamara was sitting on the ground beside the camp chair she and Carol had forced Daryl to take when he came back from the big house with his stitches out. Lacy was sitting in her lap and the group was eating breakfast.

Carol had just spooned more scrambled eggs onto Daryl's plate and Lacy's when Glenn stood up and moved to stand in front of the group, "Umm, guys?" Everyone looked up from whatever they were doing and turned their attention onto him. "So...the barn's full of walkers."

Tamara's fork stopped halfway to her mouth, a cold chill sliding down her spine at his words.

"What?" Daryl asked gruffly, putting down his plate.

Lacy, sensing that there was something going on, climbed out of Tamara's lap and tried to get onto his. Daryl picked the little girl up and let her cuddle into his stomach as Glenn repeated what he had said.

"There're walkers in the barn."

Immediately the group left their food and went to the barn, Lacy safe in Daryl's arms, Tamara staying close to his side as her skin crawled at the thought that Glenn could be right.

Shane was the one to go and look through a crack in the barn wall and when he turned back to the group it was with dark angry eyes, "You cannot tell me you are alright with this." He sneered at Rick.

"No I'm not." The group's unofficial leader said sounding just as mad as Shane. "But we're guests here. This isn't our land."

"Oh God. This is our lives, man!" Shane yelled at Rick.

"Lower your voice." Glenn hissed out when the growling and gurgling from the barn started to increase.

Lori spoke up, "We can't just sweep this under the rug."

"It ain't right. Not remote." T-Dog added.

Shane stopped his pacing, "We either gotta get in there and make this right, or we gotta go. Now, we been talkin' about Fort Benning for a long time-."

Rick cut him off, "We can't go."

"Why Rick, Why?" Shane snapped.

"Because my daughter's still out there." Carol said, her arms wrapped around her stomach.

Tamara moved to her side, trusting that Lacy was safe with Daryl and knowing that her friend needed her.

Shane took a deep breathe, "Okay, now I think it's time we just gotta consider the other possibility."

"Screw you!" Tamara snarled, "You don't get to say that until we have proof."

"Shane! We're not leaving Sophia behind." Rick interrupted seeing the anger and tension between the two.

"I'm close ta findin' this girl." Daryl said starting to pace, Carol taking Lacy from his arms, "I just found her damn doll a few days ago."

Shane scoffed, "You found a doll, Daryl. That's what you did, you found a doll!"

Daryl snapped, throwing a rock Tamara had never seen him pick up at the barn wall before taking a threatening step toward Shane, "Man, ya don't know what the hell ya talkin' about!"