My eyes watched as the screen door bounced shut, as Andrea a entered the cabin. Her figure quickly disappearing into one of the adjacent rooms. In her haste she must have startled Hershel, because soon he was hobbling his way towards the door. His eyes wide when he saw it was me standing on the porch.
"You're back." He stated, almost as if he didn't believe his own eyes.
"Yeah we're back." I sighed, running a hand through my wild hair trying my best to keep it at bay. "Most of us..." My eyes found his, knowing that I should tell him that Shane didn't make it.
"What do you mean most of us?" He questioned, his brow raised. His hand slowly pushing open the screen door, so he could be on the porch with me.
"Shane ain't made it." Daryl called out from behind me, taking the five pairs of glaring eyes off of my focus. "We got overrun, hospital ain't safe. Never was and never will be." He shrugged his shoulders and slowly made his way around the truck to pick up our stuff.
"So this cure Shane was talking about, it wasn't there?" Maggie finally asked the question that was on everyone's mind. A question I didn't feel like answering, mainly because I wasn't feeling up to describing what happened. The other reason was because I didn't want to break their spirits.
This cure was the last string of hope we had. It was a frayed string, something dangerous and untrustworthy but it was a string for us to hold onto in this cruel, relentless world. In all actuality, the string was better left to fray. Not even considered as a option, because now that string is gone and we have nothing to replace it with.
Slowly walking down the porch steps I made my way over to Daryl. Taking my bow and bag from his already full hands. At first he gave me a glaring look, but it soon disappeared knowing I wasn't going to let him carry my shit for me.
"Why don't we let these two go get cleaned up." Merle spoke, before I had time to address Maggie's question. "They smell like shit and I ain't want them stinking up my cabin."
"It will give us time to get the others." Glenn added in from beside Maggie. They shared a slight look which I couldn't quite decipher, before Glenn turned his attention back to us. "Well Rick Mainly."
"That's fine with me, rather only explain this once. Not five hundred times." I shrugged before running up the steps again.
"Gave ye and my baby brother here, the attic." Merle called out, making me stop in mid step to look at him from over my shoulder. I watched as Merle's face pulled into a coy grin, before he jabbed at Daryl's ribs with his elbow. "Know ye two want ye alone time, if ye know what I mean."
Thanks for your consideration Merle, and blurting it out for all to hear. I'm sure it was obvious to people Daryl and I had something between us but we weren't a Maggie and Glenn type of relationship. Where they showed affection for the whole group to see. We kept it to ourselves.
"Thanks Merle." I rolled my eyes and shook my head before waving him off.
Quickly I opened the screen door, and entered the cabin. Leaving the group outside by themselves. They could talk all they wanted, I on the other hand just want some time alone. As my feet carried me down the hall, my eyes roamed the walls glancing at the dusty picture frames. Most of them were of a guy, either standing or kneeling next to a dead animal. A rifle in one hand, the rack of the animal in the other showing off to world. A few pictures had Daryl and Merle in them, who stood along side the mysterious man, but not that many.
The man had a striking resemblance to Daryl, but I wasn't going to bring it up. If Daryl found it necessary to tell me then he would.
Rounding the corner I passed Sophia and Carl playing cards on the floor of the small living room. They both glanced up at me and gave a smile before returning to what they were doing.
"Where the hell is the stairs..." I grumbled to myself, getting a bit frustrated.
"Over here Sherlock." I stopped when I heard Daryl's voice from behind me.
Spinning on my heels, I saw him standing in the middle of the hall I just walked down. A small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Oh I'm glad someone is enjoying watching me struggle....
Slinging his bow onto his back, he reached towards the ceiling. His fingers lacing around a metal chain that was dangling in the air. With one quick pull, a wooden ladder slid down and onto the ground.
"After ye." Daryl motioned with his hand for me to go up.
"Thanks." Even though he was enjoying me struggle a smile still painted across my face.
Stepping in front of him, I climbed the wooden ladder. My hands and feet pulling me up until I reached the top. Once I got to my feet, I shifted my bag, and glance around the room.
There was one small bed, in the center an old quilt covering the mattress. Two window lined the wall, over looking the yard. Really it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Well besides the single bed, but I'll make this work some how.
Dropping my bags to the floor, I wandered over to the bed. Flopping down onto the thin warn out mattress I stared at Daryl who was still coming up the ladder. Throwing his bags to the side he crawled the rest of the way up.
"Ain't much, but it's gonna do." He shrugged, placing his bow on the hooks that lined the wall.
"As long as its not outside, on the cold hard dirt, it feels like a palace to me." I smiled and kicked off my boots. My feet instantly enjoying the fresh air around them, instead of being cramped into a leather shoe for the past month.
"There's a shower up here, ye can use it if ye want. Should be warm water, Merle ain't one for cold showers even if its the end of the world." He sank down next to me, running a hand over his tired face.
"You ok Dare?" I leaned over looking at him. But even from here he seemed like he could use food, a warm shower and maybe a good nights sleep.
"Yeah I'm fine, just go shower Had." He laid back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
"Ok." I quietly whispered and got to my feet.
Sliding on my socks across the hardwood floor, I made my way to the small bathroom. I don't even know if I'd call it that, given the fact it had no door and was barely the size of a small closet. But I'm not going to complain.
Stepping inside, I pulled off my t-shirt carefully and placed it on the sink counter along with the sling that my arm was resting in. In the process I took a peek through the doorway at Daryl, who was still laying on the bed, but his hands were now behind his head.
Scrunching my nose up, I wondered what was up with him. Given the fact that he was perfectly fine before we arrived here. Sighing I just shook my head and went back to what I was doing.
I gazed at myself in the mirror as my hands went down and unbuckled my belt from around my waist. Once it was free I pulled it out of my belt loops and placed it on the sink, where I had my growing pile of frumpy clothes. My fingers then worked at the button and zipper of my black jeans.
At this point they were no longer black, the were a musty brown color. Dried blood, dirt, walker brains and who knows what else caked the material. Salt rings circled the area where my thighs and ankle were, from where my sweat had dried causing the material to turn a whitish color.
Placing my hand on the wall, I tried my best to slide out of the over used jeans. But the material was so dirty, it was causing it to stick to my body not wanting to come off. Biting onto my lower lip I yanked on it one last time, causing the material to tear apart. The seem of them split right down the middle leaving the legs of the jeans pulled apart.
"Great, this is just great." I mumbled as I stepped out of the other side. Given that one side was complete destroyed it gave me enough room to maneuver.
Once I was free I just threw them onto the heap of clothing, letting them precariously lay on the edge of the counter. That was my last good pair of jeans.... All I had left were shorts and even though the weather was warm, I wasn't to keen on spending time outside with a large portion of my skin exposed.
Running a hand down my face in frustration I just gave up. I stayed in my bra and underwear. At least they would get somewhat clean in the shower with me, an I didn't want to chance losing these as well.
Reaching into the shower I turned the nob slowly, seeing water start to trickle out of the shower head. At first the water was warm, but I didn't feel like using all the warm water so I quickly turned it as cold as I could get it.
My hand ran through the water, letting the cold droplets hit my hot skin cooling it almost instantly. Goose bumps raised all along the skin of my arm as the coolness started to spread over my body.
Taking a deep breath I hopped right under the ice cold water. Letting it rain down onto my head, and onto my back and shoulders. Just stepping under the cold stream instantly took my breath away, and my eyes widened with the shock of how frigid the water actually was. I was now more alert then ever, and felt rejuvenated but I knew it wasn't going to last so I was just going to enjoy the feeling.
Dropping my head I let the water hit the back of my hair, as I watched a years worth of dirt slowly circle the drain. The once clear water now a mixture of brown, black and red all of varying shades. Small bits of leaves and twigs also fell from my body as I stood there. I kept my head down and let my hand slowly scrub at some of my exposed flesh, trying to get more of the filth off of me.
"Had?" Startled by the sudden voice, I jolted forward ramming my head into the shower head.
"Fuck." I grumbled, as my hand went to my forehead and held the spot I hit. My eyes scrunching as a sharp pain spread across the upper part of forehead only to slowly dissipate into a dull ache.
"Sorry, ain't meant to startle ye." Daryl spoke as I felt his hands reach into the shower to steady me.
"It's ok." I smiled as I turned around to face him. Only to see that he was shirtless and in his boxers. "What are you up too?" I asked, raising my brow at him.
"Im gonna join ye, if ye don't mind." He quietly said. "But ye still are clothed, ain't expect that one Had. Usually people shower with nothin' on."
"Well when ones clothes are dirty, it's like killing two birds with one stone." I shrugged and I tugged him into the shower with me.
I could hear him cursing under his breath with how cold the water was, but it sure looked like it woke him up.
"Ye crazy ye know that. It's fucking cold in here." His eyes found mine and I just smiled. Turning us so he was now directly under the water.
My hands reaching up between us and instantly finding his hair. I ran my fingers through his dark brown hair, trying to get it clean. His eyes slowly shut tight as I did this, my eyes watching his face carefully. Pulling on his hair, I watched as his canine bit into his lower lip slightly. But if I wasn't this close I would have never even have noticed it.
Then I let my hands run down his chest, scrubbing away months of filth. He stood still, not moving as I did this. Only on occasion he'd slip up and a small groan would leave his lips, causing my smile to grow.
"You're probably as clean as I'm going to get you." I chuckled as I leaned in against him. Gently whispering my words into his skin, causing him to instantly open his eyes.
He didn't say anything as he looked down at me. The mood instantly changing as his arms wrapped around my waist pulling me closer to him. My head resting against his shoulder.
"I hate this shit hole." He finally spoke, getting what was bothering him earlier off his chest. All the while hiis fingers ran down my back. Running against the reddened skin of my scars. "Ain't nothin' here but bad memories."
Furrowing my brow I kept my arms around him. Just listening to Daryl talk, knowing that if I said something he'd probably stop opening up. I didn't want that, I wanted to let him know that I was always here to listen. So he didn't have to close himself off to the world anymore and hold all of his anger inside.
"The old man use to beat me here. Both of us really. Well till Merle high tailed it outta here when he got smart." Daryl whispered against my neck. His voice sounding as if it cracked when he tried to get the words out. But it did explain to me where he got his scars, and it killed me to know they were caused by his own father. "Ain't never gonna be nothin' to nobody he said. Ain't nobody ever gonna want a sorry son 'o' bitch like me." Again his voice cracked, making me pull away from him.
The water was still running causing little streams of it to trail off of Daryl's head in different patterns. But I could still see how much pain he was in thinking about what his father said to him. What lies he drilled into Daryl's brain over the years, causing him to be the hardened person he is now.
"I want you Daryl." I smiled. "We are two misfits living in a a dying world. I couldn't picture anyone other than you being by my side." Leaning up I kissed his lips gently, before reaching behind him and turning the water off.
He kissed me back for a few moments, letting his lips move with mine until he pulled away. His eyes staring down into mine. Before he grabbed my hand.
"C'mon, we better go before they get ideas." He let out a small laugh as he lead me out of the shower. He was obviously satisfied with my answer, but I really wasn't finished. But then again, its not about me, it's about Daryl.
I left my stuff in the bathroom wanting to get into something a little more fresh. As we entered our small room, Daryl threw me a towel and I started to dry myself off. All the while my eyes watching as he did the same thing in the corner.
Once I was dry, I bent down and rummaged around my bag until I found a pair of jean shorts. Sliding them on, I quickly zipped and buttoned them. They hung loose on my hips but I didn't need a belt to keep them in place. Next I pulled another black t-shirt from my bag along with a red plaid over shirt. Sliding those on, I grabbed one last thing from my bag before looking over at Daryl, who was now watching me with curious eyes.
"Ye take forever." He groaned, but soon made his way over to me. Taking my hand once again and leading us over to the ladder.
Letting go, I sat down on the edge and jumped to the wooden floor below. My fingers gripping tight onto the file I managed to snag from our trip to the hospital.
Within seconds Daryl was at my side and we were making our way outside again. We walked down the hallway side by side until we got to the screen door. We stood there looking out at everyone sitting in different spots along the porch. But like Glenn said, everyone needed to hear this.
Pushing on the door it swung open with a small creak and I stepped outside. Everyone's eyes falling on me instantly.
Maggie rose from her seat on the porch railing and wandered closer. Her arms crossed over her chest.
"So can you tell us if there was a cure or not now?" She asked.
Walking around her I let my feet carry me over to Hershel. Out stretching my arm towards him, I gave him the files. He looked at me quizzically at first but he ended up taking them from me.
"There wasn't a cure, and I'm sorry to crush that dream." I spoke up, so everyone could hear me.
You could cut the silence of the group with a knife after the words left my lips. It was like what I just told them knocked all the air from their lungs and left them speechless.
"So the radio calls were just lies? I don't understand?" Carol was the first to say something. The look of confusion clear by her facial expression.
"They played that damn thing to get people there." Before I had time to answer, Daryl chimed in. "It was just leadin' people there so they could use them."
"For what?" Andrea crossed her arms over her chest, as she glared in my direction.
"Human testing...." This time Hershel beat me to the punch line. Causing us all to look in his direction.
He was flipping through the hundreds of papers in the file I gave him. His eyes scanning the writing on each page before moving to the next.
"They were testing different things on humans to see if they were close to some kind of cure. But some of these files date back much earlier then the break out." His eye brows furrowed as he continued to flip through the information. "2009, 2006... These have been going on long before the dead started walking."
"That would explain the soldiers." I spun around looking at Daryl. Remembering the guys who caught us heading down the stairs and how well trained they seemed to be. They had government records, so why couldn't they be from the government themselves?
"The military was there?" Rick questioned, running a hand through his graying hair as he tried to keep up with everything going on.
"Ain't no military I've ever seen. Shitty aim, but they moved 'round like soldiers." Daryl shrugged as he leaned up against the side of the cabin.
"So what do we do now, now that we know there isn't any cure? Sit around and wait for this to end by itself?" Glenn asked as he looked between all of us.
Frankly I didn't have an answer for him, so I wasn't going to offer him my opinion.
"Stay here as long as we can, but head out again. We ain't going towards no water, we keep heading in." Merle suggested. It seemed to appease everyone in the group. Even Rick. "Till then, we gotta get supplies ready. So 'morrow we gotta go on a run."
"What do we need?" Maggie's asked as her hands shoved into her front pockets.
"Gas, food, clothes. Ain't got nothin' for that baby so something' for her." Merle shrugged. " Why don't ye ask officer friendly since he seems to be back in action."
Turning my attention to Rick, he looked between us all.
"Like Merle said, we're going to need supplies. So the more who can go on runs the better." He added in. "Probably Glenn, Maggie, Daryl and Hadley can go out tomorrow."
Taking a few steps backwards I leaned against Daryl's side unsure about the two of use going on a run. Given the fact we just got back from a run that almost killed the both of us. He seemed to notice my apprehension and gently placed a hand on my shoulder, rubbing his thumb in my skin.
"If everyone's ok with that, then I guess this meeting is done." Rick said as he started off the porch. Heading back our into the yard.
My eyes watched the rest of the group slowly get up from their spots. Assuming that this meeting was finally over.
"Hadley!" Catching my attention I heard Hershel call me.
"Yeah?" I stayed by Daryl as I watched as he fished out several sheets of paper.
"Your last name isn't Sanders is it?" He asked. That was an odd question to ask.
"Yeah it is, why do you ask Hershel?" Stepping away from Daryl I made my way over to him. Unsure of if I really wanted to know what he was going to say.
"Because they have a file of you in here, dating before this all started." Stopping just in front of him, my hand shakily reached out and grabbed the sheet of paper from him.
As I stood there I could feel everyone else eyes on me as I glanced at the sheet.
"Hadley Sanders, infected June 19, 2009." I read out loud so they all could hear.
June 19, was the day I started working in the underground lab, but I didn't remember them giving me anything. I think I would remember someone shoving a needle into my arm. Well actually, now to come to think about it, I really don't remember much of what happened that day. I guess I chalked it up to nerves, but I'd assume I'd remember something happening to me.
"Read the last line Hadley of the first file." Hershel almost whispered, that's how low his voice was.
Skimming over the words in the file I finally got to the last sentence.
"Time of death: 12:32pm June 19, subject suffered severe reaction to mutation. Cause unknown."
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Hope you guys liked this chapter! Sorry it was a bit slow, but I'm building up for something big!! So what do you think of Daryl finally opening up to Had about his past? Is Rick back as the leader or do you think Merle is more capable? What do you think about the government file Had read, is it true that? Or is it a coincidence that the names match??? Tell me what you think, I love the feed back as always. This week, who ever is closes to my actual plot will get a dedication and shout out In the next chapter!!!