the big spot
DARYL HAD A NICE GROUP GOING ON THE RUN. Tyreese, Glenn, Bob, Zach, Michonne, and Scarlett were his choices. Well, Bob not so much, but Bob pleaded to go. Daryl decided to let him. Zach was a young man Beth had taken to. He was funny, always trying to guess what Daryl did before the apocalypse. He was nice to Scarlett to, informing her that he was in charge of her Daddy when in Woodbury. Declan stayed at his house, and Zach promised he had not seen the man since the battle. Declan took almost everything from Zach's house that he could survive with and bolted.
Scarlett was not surprised.
Scarlett hummed softly as she sat in the passenger seat next to Daryl. He rolled his eyes as she dug around for a CD. She found one, putting it in.
"No."
She ignored him, pressing play.
"No."
She turned with a wiggle of her eyebrows as the beat started. She snapped her fingers to the beat.
"I hate you."
Michonne snorted a laugh in the back. She road with them while the others took their own car. Michonne soon joined in singing causing Daryl to groan even louder.
"Sing it, maestro," she teased, curling up her hand into a fist as a fake microphone. She placed it near Daryl's lips causing him to just give her a look that dared her to get closer or he would bite. She grinned even more. "Spoil sport."
Daryl let her leave the song on as they drove. When they got closer, she turned down the radio as Michonne told her of what she found while looking for the Governor. She had been looking for Declan too, but she found no sight of either. Scarlett did not like the fact that her father was still out there planning his strike. She always kept an eye out on runs or when hunting.
"How'd you find this place, Dar?" Scarlett asked as she rolled down the window to match his. He was smoking a cigarette before they got there as he slowed the pace of the car. She gestured for his cigarette when he got to the end of it. He gave it to her, watching her smoke the rest of it.
"Army came in, put these fences up, made it a place for the people to go," he told her as he watched her flick the cigarette out the window after two more drags. "Last week, when we spotted this place, there was a bunch of walkers behind this chain link, keeping people out like a bunch of guard dogs."
"So they all just left?" Michonne asked him.
"Give a listen," he grunted, turning the radio off completely. Scarlett heard the loud music a ways away. She smirked. "Smart boy. Drew them out."
Daryl smirked right back. "Put a boom box out there three days ago. Hooked it up to two car batteries."
They all parked close to the store, getting out with their weapons and empty bags to get loot. Scarlett checked the rounds in her Python before holstering it. She took out her large hunting knife, swiping it against her leather jacket once for dramatic effect. She grinned, ready for the rush of killing walkers.
She did not forget how to survive.
"All right, let's make a sweep," Daryl commanded, taking control. "Make sure it's safe. Grab what you can. We'll come back tomorrow with more people. Come on."
Zach stuck by Scarlett as Daryl walked up to the window. He had his crossbow ready as he banged against the window a few times.
"Just give it a second," Scarlett told Zach when he looked at Daryl in confusion.
He nodded before snapping his finers. "Okay, I think I got it."
"Got what?" Michonne asked.
Zach held his weapon close as he shrugged. "Oh, I've been trying to guess what Daryl did before the turn."
"He's been trying to guess for, like, six weeks," Scarlett retorted with a laugh. "Always wrong, says Dixon."
"I'm pacing myself," Zach defended himself. "One shot a day."
Scarlett knew Daryl enjoyed the little banter between them. "All right, shoot."
Zach nodded as some walkers hit the window. "Well, the way you are at the prison, you being on the council, you're able to track, you're helping people, but you're still being kind of surly. Big swing here. Homicide cop."
Michonne and Scarlett began laughing hard at that.
"What's so funny?" Daryl asked with narrowed eyes.
"Nothing," Michonne giggled. "It makes perfect sense."
Daryl watched more walkers hit the window. "Actually, the man's right. Undercover."
Zach's eyes widened. "Come on, really?"
"Yep," Daryl grunted out, completely filled with sarcasm. "I don't like to talk about it because it was a lot of heavy shit, you know?"
Zach caught on with a roll of his eyes. "Dude, come on, really?" He sighed. "I'll just keep guessing, I guess."
"Yeah, you keep doing that," Daryl responded, nodding to Scarlett to take point. He knew she needed this run.
Scarlett grinned, nudging him with her hip. "We're gonna do this, detective?"
"Let's do it."
"We go in, we stay in formation for the sweep," Scarlett told the group, eyes focusing on Bob and Zach. "After that, you all know what you're supposed to look for. Any questions?"
Scarlett let Tyreese pull the door open, and she immediately killed the walker that came at her. She grinned taking off one's head, mimicking Michonne's easy swipe she does with her sword. They pushed in, all taking care of the walkers easily. It was quick to finish, and then, Daryl commanded them to get looting.
Scarlett wiped her knife off on a random bag before holstering it next to her gun. She stayed near Daryl, feeling safest there. They took the pharmacy, sighing at the place looted just about. She hopped the counter while Daryl went next to the pharmacy where the check out area was. He began taking the food and drinks people get when they check out. Some were still there surprisingly.
Scarlett found bandages, a stitching kit, and some alcohol for cleaning wounds. She found a few pill bottles that she figured Hershel and Dr. S could go through. She continued rummaging through the bottles when her eyes found a familiar name.
Paroxetine.
The rational part of her brain remembered when she got to the prison. She had ran out, and her body took it out on her with the exhaustion from being on the run. If she took them, she would only run out again.
But it kept her mind quiet.
Gulping she stared at them, opening the lid.
Before she could do anything, a loud crash had her jumping in fright causing the pills to go everywhere. Her eyes widened as she stared at the mess. She felt a tear leave her eye. Breathing in and out, she tossed the empty bottle on the ground in anger before grabbing a few other medicines and stuffing them in her bag. Hopping back over the counter, she ignored the pull that told her to go pick the pills up and rushed over to the fallen shelf that had Bob underneath it.
"You all right? You cut or something?" Tyreese asked, glancing at Bob underneath a wine shelf. Michonne noticed Scarlett's red face, a silent question going through her eyes. Scarlett ignored her, rushing to Tyreese, trying to help lift it.
"No, man. But uh—my foot is caught," Bob told them.
"All right. He's just caught. Come on, help me out," Tyreese told Zach as he bent down to help Scarlett.
"What happened?" Daryl called as he got closer.
"It's all right. We're over at wine and beer," Scarlett called back.
"I was moving fast, man," Bob told him when Daryl got into view. "I drove right into the drinks."
Daryl nodded. "Man, you lucked out. If this thing had come down on you the wrong way—"
Scarlett jumped as she felt the roof above them break in. She felt pieces of the roof hit her just as walkers began to fall inside. They were on the roof, and now, falling onto them. She screamed as she backed up right into a fallen walker. It landed on her, and she rushed to grab her knife that was stupidly still in the holster.
"DARYL!" she shouted just as the walker opened its mouth to take a bite.
A bolt flew through its head, stopping right in front of her eyes making her look at the point of the arrow cross-eyed. Blowing out a breath, she pushed the walker off of her as she heard more walkers falling. Daryl ran to her, pulling out his bolt and grabbing her to help her stand.
"Yeah, uh, we should probably go now," she told him.
"Good idea," he muttered.
"Bob's still stuck!" Tyreese shouted.
Scarlett and Daryl jumped up a pile of old soda boxes. He was shooting some with his crossbow while she took out her gun and shot the others close to their group.
"Get out with Tyreese!" Scarlett shouted to Michonne. "Get the car started! Grab Zach!" Scarlett jumped over a walker as she landed near Bob. "Daryl, cover me!"
"Already on it!"
Scarlett grabbed Bob's arm with Zach, who foolishly did not go with Michonne and Tyreese. They got Bob out as Zach tripped backwards from the weight of pulling. Scarlett turned to help him up just as a walker grabbed his leg and took a bite. She winced as he screamed out as more surrounded him. Bob was frozen.
Scarlett groaned, aiming her Python at Zach's head while he screamed for help. She let the bullet fly as she took Bob's hand and ran. They grabbed their fallen bags as Daryl cleared a way for them to get out.
Tyreese had his car open for Bob while Michonne had hers open for them. Daryl threw himself into the backseat as Scarlett did the same in the front. Tires squealed as they took off, walkers only following.
Breaths were heavy as they left, hearts following suit as Scarlett pictured Zach's scared eyes staring at her to do something.
She should have taken the pills.