Kitten sat in her house, bored out of her mind and had no one to talk to. She missed her boyfriend, nephew and best friend. She didn't know if any of them were even alive with all the dead walking about devouring everything living; she barely even made it out of the city limits when they started dropping bombs. She was worried the most for rick. He was in a coma. He would have needed a miracle to of survived, she knew Shane would have gotten carl and Lori, but it made her feel guilty. She had blocked them the way she did. She had no clue where they could even be. Luckily for kit, she was just thankful the house she had signed for and moved into a couple of days before everything went to hell was outside the city enough to where she was safe-ish. She has only had a few stragglers but being alone was easy to be quiet and not attract their attention; her penthouse would have been a very different story.
She had heard rumors that a refugee camp was going to be set up, but after the bombs, she wasn't sure if it would even be around anymore. This possibility alone had been bugging her for weeks trapped inside her own home, and she had been trying to talk herself into going. She was a doctor; after all, it was in her nature to help, but she also wasn't stupid. She knew most people would be inhuman, now some even barbaric. That's what happens in mass panic situations; kill or be killed, and the need for survival will only solidify that. But she needed to go; she had to. She packed her belongings, keeping it light and thoughtful, into the back of her hard-top jeep, her pantry, camping gear, her small arsenal, and a bag of carls stuff that he leaves at her house for his visits in case she finds him. Then getting dressed in shorts and a white tank top, silently thanking herself for getting her body hair permanently removed a couple of years back. Strapping her tiffany blue Glock in a holster to her thigh and a knife in the one attached to her belt. Taking a deep breath, she got into her car, opening and closing her garage manually in case she needed to come back. After driving a couple of miles and turning onto the highway 85 towards town, she only made it a couple more before she had to slow to a stop when an older man and woman were flagging her down, a couple of vehicles and tents a little ways away. Kit unclipped her gun in case and flicked off the safety knowing she already had one in the chamber. rolling down her window, they walked a little closer to the car "cant go in the city. It's overrun," the woman said
"refugee center?" kit asked, any hope she had diminishing
"long gone, honey," the older man said, a solemn look on his face
"shit," kit mumbled, taking a deep breath and looking down. "I'm a nurse. Is there anyone here I can assist before going on my way?" she asked, looking back to them before they could answer, and a voice came from behind them
"kitty cat?" the two stepped aside, revealing Shane. Kit leaped out of the car as quickly as she could, almost hitting the other two with her car door, wasting no time jumping on him like a koala. Tears were filling her eyes.
"I thought I lost you, Lil Bird," he mumbled into her neck, his voice cracking.
"I'm sorry," she cried.
"shh shh, baby girl, I got you. I'm here, "trying to get her to calm, just basking in the feeling of having her in his arms again, almost feeling like this was just a dream; after a few more seconds, he set her back on her feet, barely pulling away though. "where have you been kitty I sent someone to the apartment, and you weren't there?"
"I got that house I had been talking about and was able to move in just before everything went to shit," she said awkwardly; they weren't talking at the time, so he wouldn't have known the deal went thru. Shane clenched his jaw but cradled her face anyway.
"you ain't leaving again, kitty, not now, you understand me?" he said sternly. Kit only nodded in reply "good girl; now I'm gonna moved your car; you stand over by the RV," he instructed, kissing her forehead. when she walked over to the RV, she noticed the two people from earlier "I'm kitten Adams but everyone usually just calls me kit." she introduced herself, sticking out her hand with a warm smile. "I'm dale," shaking her hand, "Jacqui" doing the same.
"it's a pleas-"
"aunt K!" kit spun around just in time to see a brown-haired little boy flying at her, dropping to her knees just as he slammed into her, their arms immediately wrapping around each other in a tight hug "oh carl sweetheart, I'm so happy your ok" fight her tears, carls stepping back little tears running down his face, kit whipped them away " hey now big guy don't cry, I'm ok, you're ok. is your dad?..." she hesitated to finish, but a giant smile relieved her to no end "he got here yesterday we thought he died"
"nothin' could kill your daddy. He's too stubborn for that," she said, smiling teasingly, making carl laugh a little, agreeing. She spotted Lori a few feet away, shifting. They gave each other a nod in acknowledgment before she looked back to carl.
"I should have known," Shane teased, walking up to them "don't be jealous, Shane. It's just cause I'm the best," she said, grinning, making carl laugh at shanes mock offense "ain't that right small fry?" she asked carl his laughter cutting through the air.
"I missed you, aunt k."
"I missed you too, sweetheart; come on, where's your dad? I gotta kick his butt."
"he went out to get a guy they left behind," he said, pouting. She peeked at Lori to see her fidgeting and chewing on her nails.
"carl, look at me" he did so but still pouted, "your daddy will come back. wanna know why?"
"Why? "he mumbled
"cause your dad loves you too much to let anything stop him.....he's like a cockroach," carl scrunched up his eyebrows, Shane and Lori stifling their laughs.
"did you just call my dad a bug?" he asked, laughing
"yes, I did ain't nothing killing a cockroach. I'm telling you short stack, one of these days, you'll be calling him daddy cockroach, forget all that papa bear nonsense," she said grinning
"no way!" carl protested, laughing, his spirits lifted again
"miss Adams, I don't mean to be a bother, but would you mind taking a look at Jim. he was off earlier digging grave-like holes and wouldn't stop, had to end up restraining him," dale asked kit stood up dusting off her knees removing the pebbles that dug into her knees
"absolutely, let me grab my bag, carl. I have a bag just for you too," she said before turning back to Shane, who had his hand on his hips "deputy, I would like to unrepo my car," she scoffed before chuckling, "come on, you two" carl grabbed kits hand as they walked to her car, opening the passenger door she grabbed her med bag and carls, shutting the door turning to him.
"Alright, so there are clothes, toys, and your comics. Oh, and I tossed in your chocolate bar stash I found," she said, handing it to him with a raised brow carl just smiled back sheepishly, "can I share with Sophia and my other friends?"
Sure. Wait, Sophia? carl grimes do you have a little lady friend?" she smirked a little carls cheeks turned red "she's just a friend," he laughed
"better be mister, your young for that, run along" she nodded carl hugged her again before running off. kit turned back to Shane, leaning against the car with a small smile "wanna show me where my patient is?"
"can I just enjoy you for a minute?"
"mmm, no, especially if you have that man restrained. But if you give me a really good apology later, I might just be obliged to play doctor on you." a small seductive resting on her lips and a raised brow. he bit his lip, chucking, stepping away from her jeep
"Right this way, doctor" he led her over to a tree where dale was already waiting with a man tied to it sitting on the ground.
"Seems a little extreme, don't it, boys?" the man she assumed was Jim chuckled "hello Jim, my name is Kit Adams. I'm a doctor; I'm just gonna check you out, alright?" he nodded kit began running thru all the basics with her tools eyes, temp, throat, lungs and heartbeat all normal with some signs of dehydration and sun exposure.
"Alright, Jim, wanna tell me what happened" "why were you digging?"
"I had a reason but don't remember. I dreamt it last night" she gave him a warm smile nodding.
"Well, Jim, it sounds like you have a case of oneirophrenia."
"what's that?" Shane asked; kit stood.
"its confusion mostly lacks the ability to distinguish between reality and dream. A dreamlike state of consciousness is usually used to describe it. My guess is he dreamt of people dying, making him think he needed to give them a burial, thus the digging. But as all dreams do, it went away, but by the time that happened, prolonged sun exposure and dehydration had already set in, so he just never stopped, mind still confused with only one goal in mind. Digging." she stated, then saw everyone's dumbfounded expressions. "he's fine. You can cut him loose, but you need more water."
"yes, ma'am," he said as dale cut the rope.
"I hope you understand why we did what we did, Jim. no hard feelings," Shane said
"there's not; I get it. "Jim gave him an understanding smile
"okay," Shane chuckled, "why don't you come join in with the rest of us? big ol' fish fry."
"I'd like that very much" "good," Shane said, standing again, wrapping an arm around kits waist, leading her away, carl taking the chance to latch onto her hand again "have I told you lately how much I love your mind" he whispered in her ear. "its cause I'm the best" she teased softly as carl led them around introducing his aunt to everyone.
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The Shane relationship is important to character development.