Rick left the camp along with Daryl, and to Katherine annoyance, Glenn and T-Dog, two of the people she's closest to. She tried convincing them to not go, saying their lives aren't worth risking over the life of Merle Dixon, but T-Dog felt responsible for it and didn't want to hold that guilt, so he went, and Rick convinced Glenn to go, since he knew his way around the city.
When Katherine heard they were going, she tried going as well, but Rick, who had taken charge of going back for Merle immediately shut her down, saying she wasn't old enough to go, and he didn't want to risk her going. She told him she'd been with Glenn before and was fine, but his mind was made up, Katherine James was staying at camp.
In hindsight, it wasn't so bad, she got to be with her sister, whom she was never letting out of her sight, not again. Last time she left a family member out of her sight, she saw them get ripped to shreds in front of her very eyes. She does not want to experience that again.
Harlow, however, wanted to sit on the RV with Dale, waiting for the others to get back, and with a kind smile from Dale was reassurance enough for Katherine to leave her sister with the old man while she and the other women went down to the quarry to wash the clothes. They were chatting about their lives before the fall, what they were doing the day the news was let out.
Katherine's school day was cut short, Amy was in college, Jacqui was at work, Carol was at home and Andrea was out of the state with some friends. Katherine wondered what happened to the people she went to school with, most importantly her best friend Kathleen.
She wondered if she got out, or if she were part of the many unfortunate who didn't manage to get out and were devoured by the walkers, or maybe, she's still in her home, with her Dad and younger brother, waiting for things to get better.
Katherine's glad she got out, she doesn't think surviving in her home would've been smart, sooner or later they would've needed to go out, whereas here at the quarry, with the group, they all have jobs to do, like a community. Katherine's grateful for her small community, it brings a smile to her face.
"Can someone explain to me how the woman wound up doing all the Hattie McDaniel work?" Jacqui questioned, with a sneer, while looking over at Shane and Carl who were catching frogs, but it seemed they were playing in the water.
"Carl's a kid, he's the exception, Shane however" Katherine mumbled the last part.
"And the world ended, didn't you get the memo?" Amy playfully asks.
"It's just the way it is" Carol adds.
"Screw it, we should all rebel" Katherine states.
"You don't have to help, Kat. We've said you don't need to" Carol smiles at her.
"And I've said, I want to. I feel useless otherwise. If the world didn't end, most kids my age would have a job. This is the job" Katherine replies.
"I do miss my Maytag," Carol comments.
"I miss my Benz, my sat nav," Andrea adds.
"I miss my coffee maker, with that dual-drip filter, and built-in grinder, honey," Jacqui says.
"My computer, and texting" Amy pouts.
"My playstation," Katherine adds.
"I miss my vibrator" Andrea says, earning giggles from the other woman, Katherine included.
"Shh, there are children present" Amy covered Katherine's ears, she rolled her eyes and removed her hands, sending her a playfully glare.
"Me too," Carol quietly adds.
The woman laughed even louder, not expecting that Carol.The laughs were all genuine, because for a moment, the woman felt like the world was normal, that it hadn't ended.
"What's so funny?" Ed asked, walking down to where they were, after watching them for the past hour. Katherine thought he was creepy, and an asshole, so any given moment to turn his cogs and make him annoyed, she'd do it.
"Just swapping war stories, Ed," Andrea informed him.
"Even with that one? The kid?' he pointed at Katherine, "What is she? 12?"
"I'm 16 asshole" she snapped at him. She turned back and scrubbed the clothes, with Ed's glaring eyes on the woman's backs, they stopped talking, no longer in their happy moods they were before. Ed had that effect on people.
"Problem, Ed?"Andrea asked him.
"Nothin' that concerns you" he replied, "And you ought to focus on your work. You watch your mouth, respectin' adults and all. This ain't no comedy club" he turned from looking at Andrea to Katherine.
It was clear that Katherine's hatred for Ed was returned. He didn't like the young girl because of the mouth on her. Katherine spoke however she was feeling, and whenever it concerned Ed, it was always hatred and anger. Besides, why would she 'respect' Ed when he doesn't deserve to be respected at all. Katherine hopes he burns in hell.
Ed continued to stand behind them, smoking another cigarette, Katherine could feel his burning gaze on her back, and it was starting to piss her off that he was standing there, doing nothing while they all were working hard.
"Ed are you gonna stand there and look stupid or you gonna help?" Katherine asked him.
He spared her a small glance before going back to whatever he was doing, "Mind your business girly"
Andrea finally snapped, "You know what" she caught the other woman's attention, "You don't like how your laundry is done. Here" she threw it at him, "Do it yourself"
He was fast to throw it back, hitting her neck hard, "What the hell?" Katherine yelled, she was feeling herself ready to snap too.
"Ain't my job, missy" Ed says.
"Andrea, don't" Amy begged.
"What is your job Ed? Sitting on your ass smoking cigarettes?" Andrea questioned.
"Which by the way, is really bad for your health. I sincerely hope it catches up to you" Katherine fake smiles at him.
"Well, it sure as hell ain't listening to some uppity smart-mouthed bitches" Ed glares between the two, which they happily return, "Tell you what– come on. Let's go"
"No" Katherine whispers, grabbing Carol's arm, "Don't go with him"
"I have too" Carol replies, her voice barely under a whisper.
"No, you don't. We'll protect you, we've got your back" Katherine retorts.
"I have too," Carol repeats.
"Hey, don't think I won't knock you on your ass just cause you're some college-educated cooze" Ed says to Andrea.
Katherine scoffs, "At least she has an education. Unlike you asshole"
"Don't think I won't knock you on your ass either just because you're some big mouth little bitch with a little twerp of a sister" Ed says to Katherine.
"What did you say?" her eyes filled with fur. She was completely fine with Ed calling her names, but when it came to her sister, he had overstepped.
"You heard me" he glowered down at her, "Now you come on now, or you gonna regret it later"
"So she can show up with fresh bruises later, Ed?" Jacqui butts in, "We've seen them"
"Stay out of this. Now come on! You know what? This ain't none of y'all's business. You don't want to keep prodding the bull here, okay? Now I am done talking. Come on" he grabbed Carol's arm.
"No" Katherine cut in, grabbing the older woman's other arm.
"You don't tell me what! I tell you what!" Ed shouted, as he slapped Carol across the face.
Screams burst out from the woman, mostly Katherine and Andrea who were riled up the most, "You son of a bitch!" Katherine shouted, shoving Ed's chest.
His arms reached back and he shoved Katherine back, she went tumbling, unable to catch herself as he shoved her hard, Jacqui who tried catching her, but just missed as Katherine hit her head on the bin behind them.
"You're okay, honey" Jacqui assured, holding a t-shirt to her bleeding head, her vision was getting blurry. She looked towards the shortline where she saw a sobbing Carol, followed by Shane who was beating the hell out of Ed.
"You put your hands on your wife, your little girl, Kat, or anybody else in this camp one more time, I will ot stop next time. Do you hear me?" Shane punches him one more time, standing up, giving him one more kick and leaving to where Katherine and Jacqui were.
Jacqui helped Katherine to her feet, she collapsed again in Shane's arm, she doesn't like him that much, but she's in no mood to argue. Her head rolled onto his shoulder as he picked her up into his arms, shutting her eyes, "Don't shut your eyes, Kat. You might have an concussion"
He quickly brings her back to camp, catching the attention of everybody, "What happened?" Lori asked.
"Ed shoved her," he quickly explained, bringing her into the RV and onto the bed, "She might have an concussion, don't let her fall asleep"
Shortly after, Jacqui joined her again, and together she and Dale cleaned up the blood on her face, luckily she didn't need stitches, but she wasn't allowed to sleep. And she hated it. She just wanted to sleep after the day she had.
Harlow sat beside her on the bed, cuddled into her side, sleeping peacefully. Shane dropped by every 30 minutes to make sure she was okay, ensuring she wasn't falling asleep. The woman dropped by two, checking up on her. Even Carol and Sophia did too. Carol's hand laid atop Katherine, and though no words were exchanged, Katherine knew what she meant.
Katherine would do anything for the people she cared about.
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Katherine will do anything for the people she loves. number one of the Carol and Sophia protectors club, in-fact, she's the ceo.
Katherine going after Ed >>>> as she should. he deserves it. so glad he bites the bucket.
I'm so looking forward to developing the friendship between Katherine and Carol