𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐎𝐍 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 | 𝐭𝐰𝐝 ¹

37.

   Nicole thought that they were lucky. She still refused to believe in such a preposterous thing, but it was the only word that could manage to come through her hollowed daydream. It was the only word that seemed to describe what they had all experienced in the past three hours.

   Everyone was exhausted from the running, stabbing and shooting they all encountered. Nicole's shoulder ached from the kickback of the shotgun she used. Nadia's right hand had a deep cut on her palm from climbing out of the RV bathroom skylight after Jimmy got bitten. Hershel's heart hurt -- for the farm, the memories. Rick and Carl, well, they just ached for Lori -- to be reunited with their family.

   It didn't take Nicole long to realize where they were pulling up to. The highway that she tried so desperately to get to with Sophia. Nicole glanced over to Nadia, who saw the solemn look on her face. Nadia gripped Nicole's hand gently as Rick parked the car.

   No one wasted time before getting out of the van. Nicole observed the degraded labels on the food and supplies Nadia and she had left. They didn't have enough room to take it, and Nicole's ankle and the dead little girl was the priority, not food. Nicole saw the faded paint from the rain; the only word completely legible was Sophia. Nicole's heart pinged at her name.

   "Wait, where's mom?" Carl's voice suddenly bursts through the silence. Nicole let out a heavy breath and raked her hand through her greasy and bloody hair. "You said she'd be here." Nicole glanced around, holding her bat on her shoulder. She was ready to swing if Carl's outburst brought any unwanted attention. "W-we gotta go back for her," Carl continued, begging his father.

    "Carl--"

    "No. Why are we running? What are you doing?" Carl yelled at his father. "It's-- it's Mom. We need to get her and not be safe a mile away."

   "Shh. You need to be quiet, all right? Please," Rick tried to reason with his son. Nicole didn't know if that was working out or not.

   "Carl, your father is doing the best that he can under the worst circumstances. Give him a break," Nicole explained to the boy. Carl glared over to her and sighed.

   "Please," Carl murmured to his father with pleading eyes. "It's Mom."

   "Look, Carl, listen--"

   "No," Carl spat before marching away from his father. Nicole sighed and picked at her nails as he walked by. Rick didn't know what to do anymore. Neither did Nicole.

   Nicole took in a deep breath before turning around. She brushed past Nadia and stepped over to to the angry little boy. "Hey, dude."

   "Hey."

   "Ya know, I'm worried too," Nicole whispered to the boy. Carl glanced up to the older blonde. "Worried about Cheyanne, worried about your mom and the rest of them."

   "Ho-- how are you keeping yourself together?" Carl asked as he looked down and kicked a rock that laid on the pavement.

   "Oh, trust me," Nicole chuckled softly. "I'm freaking out inside." Nicole bent down to Carl's level; it put pressure on her ankle but it didn't hurt all that bad.

   "What if none of them made it? What if we are the only ones left?" Carl's eyes teared up. It was so easy to forget that he was just a child thrown into a vicious, man-eating world.

   "We're not." Nicole gave him a small smile. "This group -- us included -- are some of the meanest sumbitches I've ever met," Nicole whispered to him. "They'll be here."