By the time morning comes around I feel fine, there's a slight dizziness but nothing that will hinder me. The ache in my head is a dull throb too, Lori and I really got lucky with how bad that accident could've been yesterday. Aside from a few scratches the both of us were pretty much unscathed. I still feel bad for not saying something to her sooner, I could've killed her and her unborn baby.
I venture out to see everyone's still sleeping and so I begin making them all breakfast. Time goes by fast and I enjoy the peaceful morning and the time that have to myself. I wonder how my life would've been, if I'd never been taken, would I have had kids by now? Would I have had days where I stood making breakfast for them before they go off to school. I wonder about what type of man I would've met, if I would've married my high school boyfriend, Jasper. I wonder how his life turned out too.
My thinking comes to an end once Maggie and Patrica come down, "I made you guys breakfast." I say making them smile at me grateful. "You should be resting." Maggie says as she takes a plate and sits down. "I've done enough resting, besides I'm fine now."
"Is Beth still not doing well?" I ask making her smile dim as she shakes her head. "I'm sure your dad will be back today and Beth will start feeling better soon." I offer. I then go out to call the others. "What did I say to you?" Daryl asks as everyone begins making their way to the house.
The party that would go out for the search was gonna have breakfast and go, they were all ready. "Relax mom, I'm fine, I made you guys breakfast so come on."
"Selene since we can't race today do you wanna colour with us instead?" Sophia asks as she and Carl drop back to walk with me. "Yeah, I love colouring." She smiles and grabs my hand laughing as I swing our arms around, I turn to carl beside me and do the same with him, smiling as both children laugh happily on the short walk.
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"Selene you make the nicest food ever." Carl says as he munches happily, "thanks kid," I say ruffling his hair as I walk past him. "Way better than my mom anyways." I can't help but laugh as Loris mouth drops, "what Carl?" He shrugs, "I'm just telling the truth mom." I hear more snickers throughout the room.
"Well I mean he's not wrong."
Once everyone's done eating Shane, Daryl and Andrea get ready to leave, "you sure I can't convince you to let me come with you?" I ask Daryl wanting to annoy him, "very funny." He says after an eye roll. "I know, but you be careful out there, we don't need to be bandaging you up again." He scoffs as he flicks the bandage around my head, "look who's talking."
They're literally seconds away from getting in the car when a car pulls up in front of us. Rick, Hershel and Glenn are back.
"Patricia, prepare the shed for surgery." Hershel says as I glance at the back of the car and see a kid sat there, blindfolded.
"Are you hurt?" I don't say anything about the kid and turn back to Lori and Rick reuniting. "No, but what happened to you?" He asks after seeing her split lip. "l was in a car accident." I wonder how mad Rick will be with me for letting her go. "Accident? How?"
"l went looking for you."
"Snuck out with Selene. l brought her back." I look down as Shane answers, even though he wasn't a part of the conversation. Glenn notices my reaction and walks over, I throw my arms around him as he approaches so glad he was back. "I'm so glad you're back." I tell him as he squeezes me tight. Glenn reminded me so much of my old boyfriend Jasper, he'd been my bestest friend growing up and it was nice to see a bit of him in Glenn's kind heart. He was definitely one of my favourite members of the group, if not my favourite.
"Are you crazy? You could've--"
"Who the hell is that?" Rick is cut off as the kid in the car is spotted and everyone wants to know about him."That's Randall."
As well all head towards the house I see Rick hang back, probably to tell me I should know better than to have gone along with Lori. "Are you okay?" He asks nodding to my bandage, I avoid his eye and nod as I mumble a yeah.
"I'm so sorry about going with Lori, I had no idea that she was pregnant and I know that I'm not a proper part of the group but-"
"Hey hey hey, what are you talking about?" He asks cutting me off and softly catching my arm to stop our walking. I turn to him properly, I'm confused because he doesn't seem angry or annoyed at me. "I know my wife, once she made up her mind to come after us there was nothing anyone could've said that would've stopped her. I wanted to thank you, for going with her, for not letting her go alone. I was concerned for you because you know that you're not supposed to be doing strenuous things."
I finally meet his eye, "and what's all this about you not being apart of our group?" I shrug and look back down. "Did someone say something to you? You are as much a member of our group as anyone else, don't let anyone tell you any different."
I nod but he presses on, "did someone say that to you?" I shake my head but I can see that he doesn't believe me. "Shane, he said a bunch of stuff last night, it doesn't matter though he was just stressed." He sighs at my words and shakes his head. "Don't listen to him, and I'll talk with him, he can't keep treating you like this."
I shake my head again, "I really don't care. It's fine." He nods but he looks me in the eye very seriously. "I mean it when I tell you that we all love you. Carl and Lori absolutely adore you and Selene there's nothing I would do for you. I never had any siblings before all this but I look at you and I see that you're my sister." My eyes sting at the way he was being so completely genuine. He sees me starting to tear up and so he pulls me into a hug and doesn't say anything until I'm ready to pull away.
When I do, I don't know what to say and I think he can tell because he simply slings his arm around my shoulder, pulls me close and walks back to the house with me wordlessly.
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"We couldn't just leave him behind." We're all in the house as rick tries to explain why they brought that kid with them. Most of the group are sat down except a few of us like me, I'm stood near the doorway leaning against it. "He would've bled out, if he lived that long."
"It's gotten bad in town."
"What do we do with him?" I find myself biting on the nail on my thumb as I try and think about this situation.
"l repaired his calf muscle as best l can, but he'II probably have nerve damage. Won't be on his feet for at Ieast a week." Hershel tells us all, "When he is, we give him a canteen, take him out to the main road, send him on his way." I was fine with Ricks plans for the kid and so I don't have anything to say.
"Isn't that the same as leaving him for the walkers?" Andrea asks as Daryl finally joins us, he settles near me sparing me a quick glance before listening to Rick. "He'II have a fighting chance."
"Just gonna let him go? He knows where we are." I knew Shane would want to kill the boy, he was so predictable. "He was blindfolded the whole way here. He's not a threat."
"Not a threat. How many of them were there? You kiIIed three of their men, you took one of them hostage, but they just ain't gonna come looking for him?" I let my thumb rest and begin chewing on my lip as I think over Shane's words. His point seemed kind of irrelevant, how would they know that we have him? Or where we are and it sounds like they'd be coming regardless if we killed the kid or not.
But thinking of the way that Rick and Glenn told us about what happened. His group probably think the kid is dead, they didn't stop to help him, they ran before they knew that he was getting help.
"They left him for dead. No one is looking."
"We should still post a guard." T- dog adds, that didn't seem unreasonable to me. "He's out cold right now, will be for hours."
"l'm gonna go get him some flowers and candy." Shane scoffs beginning to do his toddler tantrum exit, "well they already helped him and he's here now. What's the point in killing him, he is just a kid." I add making Shane's eyes narrow at me.
"Look at this, folks we back in Fantasyland. Did those ten years in that basement teach you nothing?" I blink, my whole mind goes silent with the room, "you wouldn't have ended up down there if you hadn't been a naive little girl who stopped to help." I see red, I can't hear anything that's being said even though I can see Ricks mouth moving.
I don't think anyone anticipates that I'm about to go absolutely ape shit on him because no one reacts fast enough to stop me. I'm in his face instantly and I don't even think before I start punching and hitting him. He tries to stop me but I don't let up as I start screaming at him for blaming me. Regardless of wether I stopped for the man or not he could've at anytime grabbed me. He was a lot bigger and stronger than I, regardless of the situation, I didn't have much of a chance against him.
To throw the worst thing that ever happened to me in my face like that was heartless, any positive feelings I had for Shane disintegrate and it's all replaced with disgust and hatred. An arm loops around my waist and I'm lifted up with ease. I accept this and don't fight whoever was holding onto me as they pull me back. Instead I keep my glare on Shane, who was staring at me like I was insane.
"Don't you ever, ever speak about shit that your nonexistent brain could never understand, again. Don't look at me, don't talk to me and sure as hell do not come anywhere near me or I will kill you." I huff not caring about anyone else in the room, or what this would make them think of me. "Crazy bitch you-" he stops talking when I try and lunge forwards again.
"Y'all need to sort her out, she is out of control." He scowls trying to stomp off, "You know, we haven't even dealt with what you did at my barn yet. Let me make this perfectly clear, once and for aII- this is my farm. Now l wanted you gone. Rick taIked me out of it, but that doesn't mean l have to like it. So do us both a favour...keep your mouth shut." Hershel calls after him making me feel relieved that it wasn't just me who this problem with him.
Once he's gone I relax and push Daryl's arm from my waist, finally seeing it was he who had grabbed me and pulled me away. I feel everyone looking at me, I don't what they're looking for, it gets on my nerves and so I turn on my heel and exit the room swiftly. I take two steps before I hear them talking about me.
I'm not interested in what they have to say so I head for the front door, the last thing I hear is Daryl tell them Shane had that coming for a long time.