"You trust me?" "With my life."
[ We bury them ]
Lyra walked out seeing everyone at loss, her heart broke more seeing Andrea hovering over her dead sister tore her in pieces.
She knew that feeling, the feeling of loss, the feeling of guilt the feeling of self blame, she knew that Andrea felt like she had nothing anymore, and that her life was meaningless.
"Oh Amy...." Lyra whispered as Shane hugged her close. "Hey, don't look."
"She was just a kid." Lyra frowned, she felt comfort in Shane, she felt like he was her safe space and he was. Pulling away, she walked over to Glenn's.
"Hey—whoa what are you guys doing? This is for geeks." Glenn questioned as he watched Daryl and morales pick up one of their own and drag them towards the burning pile. "Our people go over there!"
"What's the difference? They're all infected." Daryl shrugged, clearly not having sympathy for anyone in the group other than himself. Lyra watched as Glenn shook his head frustratingly.
"Our people go in the pile over there!" Glenn snapped causing the two men to stop in their tracks. "We don't burn them! We bury them. understand? Our people go in the row over there."
The two men took in his words before redirecting themselves towards the RV where the rest of the people were laid. Lyra was proud of Glenn, proud he finally got the confidence and courage to allow his voice to be heard.
"Y'ALL LEFT MY BROTHER FOR DEAD!" Daryl angrily yelled as he dropped the body to the floor beginning to storm off.
"You had this coming!"
Glenn sighed taking of his cap wiping away his sweat. Lyra shook her head at Daryl before walking towards Glenn.
Gently patting his shoulder. "You did great Glenn, I'm proud of you for saying something."
He placed the cap back on his head and smiled small. " I don't know where it came from. All I do know is that if it were under different circumstances Daryl would have shot me with his crossbow."
Lyra playfully rolled her eyes at the younger man. "Don't be scared of Daryl he's upset about what happened to his brother. But there isn't anything we can do to change what happened now."
Glenn nodded Really appreciating what she'd said to him. Lyra was aware of how many emotions were in the atmosphere right now and she knew that's why Daryl lost his cool.
But she needed to stay strong, even if she struggled a little along the way.
Suffering a large amount of loss in one night was enough to send people over the edge and she knew if she could shed a little positivity on that she could make a small difference, didn't have to be a big one, just enough to keep people going.
Walking over to Shane, she noticed how frustrated and irritated he looked. Before she could ask what's wrong, Jacqui called "a walker bit Jim! A walker bit Jim!" Drawing everyone's immediate attention to Jim.
People begun to crowed around him and immediately Lyra hurried infront of the crowd to examine the bite herself.
Multiple people ordered him to show them the bite. Jim's face faltered, an expression crossing his face that match the one he had the previous day while digging Graves—delusion. "Jim it's okay let me help you—"
"No! Get back!" He blurted picking up the shovel in defense as he tried to back people off. Shane immediately put Lyra behind him.
"Shane let me talk to him he's just manic right now the infection is spreading—all these people around him are making him panic!" Lyra tells him from a medical perspective. "He's dangerous Lee he ain't gonna listen—"
"I've handled situations that I wish didn't even happen! I fought and served in Afghanistan—I saved people that didn't have a chance...I can do this Shane.."
The man stared at her thinking about his choice, and what can happen if he made the wrong one. "Lee..."
"Shane Please. I can do this. Trust me on this. Please." She begged, her doe eyes making him go soft. Dropping his head, he moves "be careful."
Nodding, Lyra continue to Jim. "Jim—hey it's me, it's Lyra. I'm not gonna hurt you, remember I can help you." She says kindly and he shakes his manic head "no—no im no better than a dead man walkin—we both know—I ain't walking outta here alive."
"No jim we can try—there's always trying. Don't give up, please just let me help you, so I can see how far the infection spread." She stepped closer.
But Jim was a lost cause, the man lifted his shirt showing the veiny pus infected bite "there ain't no saving me."
T-dog and Daryl came up behind Jim and restrained him. Lyra knew that it was true and that there really wasn't anything she could do at this point she thought just maybe there was something she could do but...she couldn't. "Come on Lee."
***
At the hill where Jim had dug the holes was a struggling Andrea. She struggled getting Amy's body into the hole. She wouldn't let anyone help. And Lyra understood why, she felt it was her duty as her sisters keeper.
Seeing the woman just stare at her sister wrapped in a white sheet brought her down to her knees. Andrea was broken. Getting out of the hole she wrapped her arms around herself and choked on her sob.
Lyra walked over to the emotional woman putting her arm around Andrea consoling her, the woman sobbed harder. And they stayed that way for a bit, letting Andrea feel comfort was the least Lyra could do.
"i should have saved her..."
There goes the self blame Lyra mentioned earlier. "You didn't know she was gonna get bit—you didn't know walkers were on camp—no one did Andrea. You can't blame yourself for something that no one seen coming." Lyra comforted.
Andrea shook her head in denial "if I wasn't so caught up in the moment I would have spotted that walker from a mile off."
Lyra stops the blonde standing in front of her as she gently rested her hands on Andreas shoulders.
"Andrea....I know what it's like to lose someone the way you lost Amy...I know how you feel because he was my little brother. He was ripped apart in-front of me and I will never forgive myself for that. I know some of what you feel. I know that pain but I know that I couldn't have done anything—we didn't know the world was ending—we didn't know people would start eating each other..."
Lyra paused and toke a brief breath, seeing Andreas eyes glossed once more. "Point is, I've learned that people are a gift, you surround yourself by good people and slowly the void—that big hole in your heart will start to fill again."
"But how?" The woman choked out.
"Time. Time can heal you or it can break you. You have to decide that part on you own, but regret is your biggest enemy. You shouldn't feel guilty about letting your guard down last night, that laughter—those brief moments of happiness. That's what keeps us going. Memories. That's what keeps us going."
Andrea nods, a small sad smile painted on her lips. She had thought about what Lyra had said. About time. "I'll try. Yeah. Yeah I'll try thank you. Amy was the only thing I had left of my family, it's gonna take some time. And I'm still deciding how to spend it."
Lyra nods "I get that, take all the time you need. The worst you can do is rush." Andrea gave her a bigger smile than before hugging her one last time before walking off.
But while she walked away, Lyra felt like a hypocrite. She hasn't found a way to deal with her own loss, but she gave her advice about coping and healing.
But she still hasn't healed, Lyra still felt hurt as if it were a fresh wound. The dark haired woman made her way back to camp and leant against the back of the RV away from everyone.
"How'd I know you were back there." Shane's voice breathed coming from around the RV.
"Because you stalk me." The woman teased earning an eye roll from the officer. "Anyway I've-uh been thinking about ricks plan. Now look there are no Guarantees, either way. I'll be the first one to admit that. I've known this man for my whole life, I trust his instincts."
"If you trust him...I trust him." Lyra says without hesitation. "You trust me?"
"With my life." She replied again. The first time he saved her life, she trusted him. Weather she liked to admit it or not.
Shane chuckled and cupped her face in his hand. "You make me feel like I got some sense." He whispered.
"Well, god watch over me or you'll lose your head." She giggled leaning in a little closer.
"Mmmhmm." Pressing his lips to hers, it just felt right, natural.
"Ride with me?" He asked instantly as he pulled away for air. "Trying to get me all to yourself Officer?"
"Would it be wrong of me to say yes?"
Pecking his lips as her fingers weaved through his thick brown hair she smiled up at him.
"I'll get my things." As he walked away, as a joke she slapped Shane's ass, the man making a surprised face made her laugh. "I Love to watch you leave Boy!" She whistled.
Playfully rolling his eyes the man continued on to his tent where he began packing his things.
Heading up to her tent where she gathered all her belongings including the tent. Afterwards Lyra head towards Shane's jeep. Putting her bag in the back seat.
"So you and Shane?" Glenn asked like a friend would. Lyra playfully rolls her eyes. "I don't know Glenn maybe." The girl hummed to him.
"You kids don't have too much fun now!" Glenn teased "Glenn, Im older than you by like 5 years."
" yeah and Shane is by 7!"
"Hey! He is only 34! It's not that bad of an age gap." Lyra says in her defense. She was 29 just for reference.
"I'm turning 30 in two days." She tells Glenn with a shrug. The boy rolled his eyes "whatever lyra, I'm gonna ride with Dale."
"Watch Jim for me?" She asked as he walked away. "Yeah!" He called back.
"Ready?" Shane asked coming up to Lyra.
The brunette nods. "Yep, waiting on you Walsh." She tells him as he rest his hands on the bed of the jeep, on either side of Lyra.
"Hell, I'm sorry to keep you waitin."
Lyra rolled her eyes and ruffled Shane's hair. "Let's roll Boo." She adds kissing his cheek as she hopped into the jeep.
Shane let out a sighed running his hands through his hair, what was this woman doing to him? She was changing him. He didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing yet.
***