SHELTER | DIXON

|11|

It went without saying that Madison wasn't really in the mood for partying. Throughout dinner she was silent as the others celebrated the finding of a safe haven, at least until Shane demanded to know what had happened at the CDC and relatively killed everyone's buzz. Madison didn't mind it. She wasn't exactly in a celebratory mood either way, and she couldn't deny her curiosity about what had happened as well. 

Jenner's answer was depressing. When shit hit the fan, most people left to be with their families. Others, they couldn't face the world outside and no longer wanted to be a part of it, so they opted out― Jenner's way of saying they committed suicide. He was the only one left, and when Andrea asked why he stayed his only response was that he had hoped to do some good. Madison thought there was more to it than that, but it wasn't her business, and she didn't really care enough to ask about it either way.

Eventually, everyone dispersed into several different rooms for the night. Carol offered for Madison to bunk with she and Sophia after they checked out the rec room, but Madison denied the offer as politely as she could. Her speech was a bit slurred due to the alcohol she had consumed, but Carol understood her need to be alone, even though she eyed the bottle of Jack Daniels clutched in Madison's hand with concern clear in her eyes.

Trudging down the hallway, Madison walked along until she found a room that nobody had claimed yet. It was small, with only a couch and a coffee table, as well as a small bathroom with a walk-in shower. There were two thin blankets folded on the arm of the couch, and one pillow. Not much, but for Madison, it would do.

It took her quite some time to finish showering. Her inebriated mind made her sluggish as she scrubbed off all the dirt and grime off of her body and out of her hair. By the time she was finished, she had sobered back up a little and her skin was slightly red due to how hard she'd been scrubbing it. Madison got dressed into some old cotton shorts and a tank top, grabbing one of Shawn's old zip-up hoodies and slipping her arms into it. After brushing through her hair, she crawled onto the couch and went back to drinking the bottle of Jack Daniels she had smuggled from the dining hall. Drinking it reminded her of the time she and Shawn had stolen her dad's bottle of whiskey and snuck into the loft of the barn to share it with each other. 

The memory was a good one, but it was still bittersweet. It only served as a reminder that Shawn would never be around to make any more memories now.

She had worked her way halfway through the bottle when the door to her room cracked open, and Madison took another swig of the whiskey. "This room's been taken," she slurred, not bothering to look at whoever had come inside.

"Well, looks like ya gotta share, woman," the person grunted. She looked up, her gaze narrowing as she saw Daryl entering the room and shutting the door behind him. "All the other ones are taken, and it's either I bunk with you or the Chinaman."

"He's Korean," Madison muttered dismissively.

Daryl ignored her. "I'll take the floor."

"There's only one pillow." She struggled to reach over and grab it, pushing it onto the floor for him. Daryl raised his eyebrows and picked it back up, setting it beside her.

"Take it. Wouldn't be the first time I slept without one." He grabbed the duffel bag his clothes were stuffed in and started toward the bathroom door. "Any hot water left?" Madison shrugged in response. She could hardly remember if the water she'd showered with was hot or not. Her mind had been so preoccupied that the water temperature went unnoticed by her.

Only minutes passed when Daryl returned from the bathroom, his body clean from all the dirt, blood and sweat. Madison was still sitting in the same position as she had been when he went into the bathroom, the bottle of whiskey still clutched loosely in her hands as she stared blankly ahead at the wall. He frowned at the blank expression on her face. "How ya feelin'?"