Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Too much was going on. Nothing made sense. Finley’s vision was blurred with tears that fell effortlessly down her cheeks, and she kept tripping over her own feet. The sounds of dead men screamed behind her. Finley ran as quickly as she could. She was out of breath, but that didn’t stop her. She wasn’t going to die yet. She promised that she wouldn’t.

Finley looked to her left and saw an alleyway. She turned without hesitation and stumbled into the first door she saw. She slammed the steel door behind her.
She stumbled backward, tripping over her own feet but not allowing herself to fall. Her breathing was quick and unsteady as she listened to the dead men pile up onto the steel door, each one desperately wanting to have her for a snack.
She swallowed a ball of air that almost seemed to stay in her throat.
You’re safe.
You’re safe.
You’re safe.
She repeated the same words over and over to herself in her head. Once she had finally slightly calmed herself, she took a second to take in her surroundings. She stood in a dim, tiny room. There was one window that was quite small and didn’t let much light in. Most electrical lights in the world were broken by now, so she wasn’t surprised by the darkness of the room.
Before she could actually calm herself down, she heard a noise from behind her. Fuck. She didn’t have any type of weapon right now. This was it. She didn’t dare to turn to see what would appear behind her.

“Hands up!” A voice demanded from behind her. Finley furrowed her brows in confusion. Did the dead talk? Finley put her hands up.
A pause. “Turn around. Face me.” The voice added. Finley did exactly that. She expected to see an intimidating man with like, a machete, or something— but she saw a teenager. A teenage boy. He looked about sixteen or seventeen. He had a stern expression on his face and had a pistol pointed right at her. He looked her up and down.
“Don’t try anything.” He spoke before slowly walking toward her and then resorting to patting her down. She wasn’t too worried about that part as she quite literally only had a hair tie in her pocket right now, which for some reason he took.
Once he finished the pat down, he stepped back and kept the pistol pointed.
Another pause. Finley couldn’t believe she was about to get shot by someone like, twenty years younger than her.

“What’s your name?” He asked, his tone serious. Finley hesitated to speak.
“Finley.”
He nodded in approval.
“You with anyone?” He asked. Finley shook her head. The boy nodded again. He hesitated also, but he decided to share his answer to the previous question.

“Fisher. Fisher Bradbury.” He spoke, putting his gun in his belt. Finley nodded, though she was surprised by how quickly he trusted her.
They were interrupted by gunshots coming from the roof, and Finley heard some faint voices. Fisher began to run, so Finley just followed.

Finley ran up flights of dark stairs, last in the line of people going up. She assumed this was Fisher’s group.
Once they finally reached the door at the top, a man with a bald head yells to a man shooting gunshots from the roof.

“Hey, Dixon, are you crazy!?” The bald man yells to the man with the gun, who was apparently called Dixon.
Finley was questioning her decision to follow Fisher up the stairs instead of just leaving. This “Dixon” didn’t look very nice at all.
Dixon laughs at the bald man’s voice, not even thinking to quit the shooting.

“Hey! Y’all be more polite to a man with a gun. Huh? Only common sense.” Dixon spoke with an annoying grin on his face. He sounded like he smoked, for sure. Finley did as well, but her voice wasn’t like his.
Dixon would turn around and look at his group from the ledge he stood on. He saw all of the people that he already knew— then he saw Finley. He laughed yet again, for whatever reason.

“Why, hello beautiful!” He spoke. Finley made a face of disgust. Heads turned to look at her. Everyone looked confused as to who the hell she was.

“Who’s this?” A blonde woman with a ponytail asked Fisher who stood right next to Finley. Before Fisher could answer, Dixon shot another bullet off of the roof.

Everyone just let it go for now and went back to Dixon.
“Man, you’re wastin’ bullets we ain’t even got!” The bald man yelled. Dixon just wheezed again.
“And you’re bringing even more of them down on our ass! Man, just chill.” He added.

Dixon spoke up again. Finley wished she could tune him out.
“Hey! Bad enough I’ve got this taco-bender on my ass all day.” He spoke, referring to a Mexican man in a black shirt. “Now I’m gonna take orders from you? I don’t think so, bro. That’ll be the day.” Dixon seemed to be referring to the bald man’s dark skin. Finley was sickened.

“That’ll be the day? You got something you wanna tell me?” The bald man struck back at Dixon's words.
The man in the black shirt butt in. “Hey, T-Dog man, just leave it.”
T-Dog. Finley was slowly learning names.
T-Dog didn’t hesitate to refuse to leave it. Finley didn’t blame him one bit.
The man in the black shirt went on and on about how it wasn’t worth it. It really wasn’t, but T-Dog didn’t look like he was going to back down.

Dixon just didn’t know when to stop.
“You wanna know the day?” Dixon spoke, seeming almost excited to say the next words. He knew nobody would appreciate his words, which was why he was speaking them.
“Yeah.” T-Dog spoke.
“I’ll tell you the day, Mr Yo. It’s the day I take orders from a black man.” Merle stepped down from the lining of the roof. T-Dog could’ve blown steam from his ears at that point.

“Mother!—“ T-Dog speaks before lunging at Dixon.
Dixon easily got the upper hand and began to repeatedly punch T-Dog in the face. People began to panic and yell. Finley stayed in place, knowing that she shouldn’t get involved.
Before they knew it, Dixon, who Finley learned was actually named Merle, grabbed a pistol and pointed it at T-Dog's face. The blonde woman begged for him to stop, which may have sort of worked.
Merle grunts and hesitates before finally deciding to let T-Dog go. But, before doing so, he made sure to spit on T-Dog’s shirt and really rub it in. Finley furrowed her brows in disgust.
Once T-Dog was let go, he scrambled over to everyone else who helped him up and made sure he was alright.

Merle stands and begins to speak as if he was crazy.
“Yeah! All right! We're gonna have ourselves a little powwow, huh? Talk about who's in charge. I vote me. Anybody else? Huh? Democracy time, y'all. Show of hands, huh? All in favor? Huh? Come on. Let's see 'em.” He would raise his hand.
One man raises his hand, giving up. The blonde woman scoffs before the rest of the group raises their hands as well, just to get him to leave them alone. A woman in a black shirt holds her middle finger up instead. The blonde sighed and finally raised her hand as well, figuring that there wasn’t any point in going against it.
Finley just stared from afar, not knowing how to feel about any of this.
Merle turned around at looked at her.
“How ‘bout you, dollface?” He spoke. Finley looked at Fisher who had his hand raised. He gave her a look. Finley slowly raised her hand, and Merle smiled.
“All in favor? Yeah. That's good. Now that means I'm the boss, right? Yeah. Anybody else? Hmm? Anybody?” Merle went on annoyingly.
Before Merle could speak again, a man in a beige cop outfit pops up behind him.
“Yeah.” The man responds to Merle’s words just before hitting him over the head with a pipe. Finley would jump and cover her mouth out of shock. Merle yelped before falling onto the concrete floor.
The cop puts a pair of handcuffs on Merle’s left wrist, cuffing him to a pipe that connected to the building so he wouldn’t be able to escape.

Finley picked up that she and the cop must both be new to this group, cause Merle didn’t seem to recognize him at all.
“Who are you man?!” Merle spoke in a loud yet weak tone, being held up by the shirt by the cop.
“Officer Friendly.” The cop answered.
Finley stepped slightly closer, trying to see what was happening more than in the corner of her eye.

The cop had a serious look on his face, giving Merle a quick lecture.
“Listen, Merle, things are different now.” He spoke before adding another sentence. “Everyone who isn’t a dead man is just a man. Nobody is just their race anymore.”
Merle began to seem dazed and weak.
“Screw you, man.” Merle spoke. The cop smiled slightly, amused by Merle’s response.
“I can see you making a habit of missing the point.” Officer Friendly added.
Merle only became weaker. “Yeah? Well, screw you twice.”
Officer Friendly became not-so-friendly in just two seconds after those words. He seemed to have lost his cool and pulled out a gun, pointing it to the side of Merle’s head and making Finley’s eyes widen.
“Ought to be polite to a man with a gun. Only common sense.” He stole Merle’s words, showing that if he needed to pull the trigger on him, he would.

Finley kept her distance from the crowd. They seemed to be ignoring her so far, but she knew that they wouldn’t keep that up for long. If she stayed, they might be putting a gun to her head soon. So far these people seemed ruthless, and Finley didn’t have a goal of dying today.
— Though, she couldn’t bring herself to leave. She couldn’t do this alone. She’d die immediately and she knew that— so she just couldn’t leave. Not yet.

Merle decided to talk back, which Finley found stupid.
“You wouldn’t. You’re a cop.” Merle said weakly, referring to the gun that the cop threatened to shoot right on his temple. The cop brought his gun down, but he didn’t stop lecturing Merle.
“All I am anymore, is a man looking for his wife and son.” The cop spoke under his breath. Finley felt a faint stab in her chest hearing those words. “Anyone ‘gets in the way of that is gonna lose.”
The cop took something from Merle’s pocket and stood. He walked towards the edge of the roof and threw whatever was in Merle’s pocket off of the rooftop. Probably a cigarette. Merle began to yell and try to lunge at the cop, but the handcuffs stopped him from going anywhere.
Finley suddenly felt a faint feeling of grief creeping through her veins. She looked at her shoes, not paying attention to Merle’s yells.
Finley felt a sense of relief when there was silence. The cop left, and Merle stopped yelling. She thought she could calm down now, but she never could.

Finley felt someone push her. She stumbled backward and caught herself on a pipe before looking up and seeing yet another teenager. This time, a girl.
The girl had a brunette ponytail and looked the same age as the boy, who had now begun trailing behind the girl telling her that Finley was fine and that she didn’t even have weapons on her.
“Who are you, huh? What are you doing here?” The girl spoke to Finley. She didn’t quite sound like she was about to offer her some welcome biscuits. Biscuits sounded really good right now.
“I already asked her all that shit, Char—“ Fisher panicked behind the girl, trying to get her to stop messing with Finley.
“Shut up, Fisher.” She looked at Fisher before looking back at Finley and stomping up close to her. The girl pulled out a pocket knife and put it to Finley’s throat. Finley’s breathing quickened.
“Didn’t you hear me? Who are you?” The girl asked aggressively. Finley wanted to speak, but she couldn’t. Nothing would come out of her mouth.

“Maybe if you tried being a bit less aggressive…” Fisher spoke, crossing his arms. The girl looked at him and sighed, then removed the knife from Finley’s throat. Finley exhaled heavily in relief, panting from holding back her breath.
“I’m sorry.” The girl spoke, crossing her arms and avoiding eye contact. Finley looked around and saw people staring directly at her. It made her a lot more anxious than she already was before.

There was an awkward silence for a good twenty seconds before Finley finally gave in.
“Finley.” She announced to every eye that was on her. She kept her gaze on the girl.
The girl now looked directly at Finley.
“Charlie.” The girl spoke. She turned around to the rest of the group and pointed at each of them, sharing their names.

“Glenn, Jacqui, T-Dog, Andrea, Merle—“ She paused to turn to her other side to look at where the last two men were. “Morales, Officer Friendly.” She would look back at Finley, seeming to be finished.
“Oh, and Fisher.” She added, pointing behind her toward the first boy Finley had met.

“You and Officer Friendly are both new here.” Glenn mentioned.
“His actual name is Rick, though.” He added. Finley nodded slowly and nervously with a forced tough expression painted on her face.

Fisher turned to face everyone else in the group. “I already did all the safety shit on her, so there’s no need to shower her with questions.” He announced, making sure nobody bothered Finley anymore.
The rest of the group seemed sort of hesitant of just trusting her right off the bat. Finley wouldn’t immediately trust herself either, so it was understandable. Though, they didn’t seem like they were gonna kick her out just yet.

Not much time had passed now. Finley was still off to the side, while everyone else was peering over the edge of the roof. They were talking about some sort of signal, but Finley wasn’t really listening. She had only picked up a few words from their conversation so far.
Thunder rumbled above their heads. It was cloudy and sad outside. Perfect weather for the apocalypse, in Finley’s opinion. She’d always loved the rain, even when she was a kid. It’s hard to love it now, though. If it’s raining, it’ll be hard to get away from the dead, which will result in death. Rain means death now. Finley didn’t like the rain that much anymore.

Rick seemed to have had some great idea that Finley didn’t hear, but Morales told Glenn to go check something to see if it would work.
No walkers were in the area where he checked. Maybe one or two, but that’s good news, ain’t it? Even if Finley didn’t hear Rick’s plan, Rick seemed smart, so it’d probably work out if there weren't any walkers.
Jacqui said a lot of big words about the building that Finley didn’t understand. Finley didn’t understand anything right now. These people were too smart for her.

Jacqui’s big words must have been good news to Glenn.
“How do you know that?” He asked Jacqui.

“It’s my job.” Jaqui responded. She paused. “Was.” She added. Finley frowned. “I worked in the city zoning office.”

Rick turned to Glenn. “Any way we can get under this place?” He asked. Glenn sighed.

~

Finley gripped her hands on a metal fence built around a square hole in the ground leading to the dark sewers. She stood next to Fisher at the end of the line of people looking down into the disgusting darkness.

“This is it? You sure?” Morales looked at Glenn who shined a flashlight down the hole.
“I really scoped this place out the other times I was here.” Glenn spoke. “It’s the only thing in the building that goes down.” He paused. “But I’ve never gone down it. Who’d want to, right?”
As soon as Glenn spoke those words, everyone looked at him. Except for Finley. Well, she did when she realized she was the only one who wasn’t looking at him. Glenn’s face drooped when he realized what that meant.
“Oh. Great.” He said, very clearly, not excited with the idea.

Andrea tried to comfort him. “We’ll be right behind you—“
Glenn interrupted, sounding almost angry. “No, you won’t. Not you.”
Andrea immediately quit feeling bad for him. “Why not me? Think I can’t?” She spoke, offended.
Glenn was unhappy, but he didn’t mean to offend anyone. “I wasn’t…” He sighed.

“Speak your mind.” Rick told him, sounding quite serious. Finley painted a confused expression on her face as she stared at Glenn.

Glenn paused, not knowing what to say or do. He looked at Rick, then back at Andrea. “Look, until now I always came here by myself. In and out, grab a few things, no problem.” He spoke.
“First time I bring a group, everything goes to hell.” He adds. “No offense.”
Charlie would roll her eyes at Glenn. Charlie didn’t seem like she was on the nicer side of people. Maybe she was just on edge. Finley hoped to see a different side of Charlie, if there was one.

Glenn continued. “If you want me to go down this gnarly hole, fine.” He pauses for a moment. “But only if we do it my way.”

Finley leaned on the railing. She didn’t know if she’d get a part in this plan. These people didn’t know her. She’d said barely two words to them now— maybe not even that many.

Glenn would set out his plan.
Rick and Andrea out in the main area making sure the dead don’t get through the doors.
Morales and Charlie with Glenn in the sewers.
Jacqui and Fisher stay where they are to call to the trio in the sewers in case something happens.

Glenn looked at Finley and paused. He sighed.
“You can just go with Rick and Andrea, I guess.” He spoke. Finley would nod. Sounded fine to her.

Rick pats Glenn on the back. “Okay. I think everybody knows their jobs.”

Glenn would stick a flashlight in his mouth and climb down into the dark hole. Charlie and Morales follow while everyone else would shine flashlights into the hole while the three climb down the ladder.
When Charlie reached the floor, she looked up directly at Fisher. She had a nervous expression on her face. Finley didn’t think she’d ever seem that. Charlie seemed like a brave girl— but she’s also just a kid. Fisher gave Charlie and nod, and Charlie smiled softly.

Rick and Andrea leave for the main area of the building, not bothering to wait for Finley.
Finley noticed Rick and Andrea leaving and she immediately felt her heart beat quicker. She would look at Fisher. He was the only one she felt trusted her so far, so she trusted him, too. Fisher would look at her, pause, and then finally just give her a nod. Finley hesitated before nodding back. She looked down the hole where she didn’t see three people anymore. Everyone has begun their job, except for her. She sighed before finally turning around and beginning to slowly trail after Rick and Andrea.

✦

Finley leaned against a counter in the main area, trying to avoid Rick and Andrea. Andrea just seemed kind of intimidating to Finley and she was afraid she’d get interrogated. Rick seemed okay— but Finley didn’t want to talk to him anyways.

I guess Finley’s wish of not talking to anyone didn’t come true because when she looked up from her feet, guess what she saw— it was Rick. He came waltzing up to her in his stupid cop uniform like they were about to become best friends or something. She tried not to make the fact that she was dreading talking to him extremely visible.
He leaned on the empty part of the counter next to her. There was a silence that Finley didn’t want to fill in, but I guess Mr. Officer Friendly did.

“You just met these people, too, right?” He asked her. Finley looked at her shoes and hesitated to answer.

“Yeah.” She spoke after a pause. She continued to stare at her shoes that stood on the shiny white floor. She tried to avoid eye contact with him. He must’ve noticed, because he let out a heavy exhale through his nose that didn’t sound like just breathing.

“I get it.” He said.
Finley furrowed her brows and finally looked at him. “What?” She spoke softly. He looked down at her.
“I get it.” He repeated. “You feel like the odd one out.”
Finley didn’t say anything.

“I just got here too, you know. I kind of feel like the odd one out, too.” He added.

“These people trust you already. You seem to trust yourself. They don’t trust me yet— and I don’t trust myself.” Finley spoke, looking at her shoes again. He didn’t seem like the odd one out at all. He fit right in. He let out yet another sigh.

There was a long pause. Neither of them knew what to say, until Rick did.
“I’m looking for my family.” He spoke, breaking the silence. “My wife. My boy.”
Finley suddenly felt sad all over.
“I’m gonna find them. I know I will.” He adds. Finley would look at him again and smile softly.
“Yeah. I’m sure you will.” She spoke. She wanted to believe that he would, but this world has been going on for weeks now, and he hasn’t been in touch with his family. There are things you gotta think about, even if you don’t want to.

Their conversation was interrupted by glass shattering and the sound of walkers moaning getting louder. Finley jumped and Rick took his gun out. They both ran toward the front doors and saw walkers walking through the first set. Rick pointed his gun. Everyone else who was in on the plan came rushing, too.
There was one dead man with a brick who broke the first doors. Now, there was only one more set of doors keeping them out of the building. Finley let out a shaky breath.

Chapter Text

Finley stood against the beige concrete ledge that outlined the rooftop, anxiously tapping her fingers on it. She knew that walkers were going to get into the building soon, and this group hadn’t even found a way out yet.
Thunder rumbled in the sky, and clouds hung under the sun and made the world gloomier than it already was.

Rick was the first in the line of people peering over the edge of the rooftop. Finley was last in line, again. She stood next to Fisher, again.
Rick looked through binoculars out at the streets. Finley again, didn’t know what they were planning. She was listening when they were talking about some sort of plan, she just didn’t understand any of it.

Rick lowered the binoculars and handed them to Morales.
“That construction site, those trucks— they always keep keys on hand.” Rick spoke. Morales took a look through the binoculars to see what Rick was referring to. Morales then looked down at the street below them which was crawling with the dead.

“You’ll never make it past the walkers.” Morales told him.
Rick took a step back from the ledge and looked at Glenn who was slightly separated from the group. “You got me out of that tank.” Rick said.

“Yeah, but they were feeding. They were distracted.” Glenn responded, squinting from the sunlight in his eyes.
“Can we distract them again?” Rick asked, desperately trying to find a way out of the building.

“Right. Listen to ‘im, he’s onto something.” Merle spoke, making Finley jump. Finley looked at Merle with a confused expression. She thought he was for sure unconscious. Or better, dead.
“A diversion. Like on Hogan’s Heroes.” He added, still annoying as ever and also still cuffed to the pipe.
Jacqui rolled her eyes. “God, give it a rest.”

Rick ignored Merle. He made sure that this plan was his first priority.
“They’re drawn by sound, right?” Rick would ask.
“Right. Like dogs.” Glenn answered. “They hear a sound, they come.”
“What else?” Rick spoke, trying to find things that they could use to distract the dead.

“Aside from they hear you— they see, smell you, and if they catch you, they eat you.” Morales answered, binoculars in hand.

“They can tell us by smell?” Rick paints both a confused and almost disgusted expression on his face.
“Can’t you?” Glenn spoke.

“They smell dead, we don’t. It’s pretty distinct.” Andrea adds in.

Rick would sigh with a hesitant look on his face.
“What if they can’t smell us?” Rick would suggest. Finley furrowed her brows in confusion.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Finley spoke, almost afraid to hear what Rick had planned. There was a long pause as Rick hesitated to speak.

~

Rick grabbed gloves from one of the shelves on the main floor while everyone else stared at him.

“If bad ideas were an Olympic event, this would take the gold.” Glenn spoke, looking just as disgusted as everyone else. Finley felt like she was going to vomit.

“He’s right—“ Morales said, going up to Rick as he picked out long coats. “Just stop, okay? Take some time to think this through.”
“How much time? They already got through one set of doors, that glass won’t hold forever.” Rick spoke, throwing a coat to Glenn who looked quite unhappy holding a pile of gloves and coats.

“This is disgusting. None of us think that this is a good idea.” Charlie argued.
Rick looked at Charlie. “Sometimes you have to take risks.”
Charlie would roll her eyes at him.

~

Now in the room Finley had first stumbled into, she stood off to the side in a long brown coat, exactly what the others were wearing. Morales and Rick had just gone outside to get a dead walker. Finley wanted to shut the door on them and run, but she couldn’t. She was so going to vomit.

Rick and Morales dragged a dead walker in and Glenn slammed the door behind them with a baseball bat in his hand, making sure no dead men other than this one get inside.
Finley looked at the walker and gagged.

“Seriously!” Charlie spoke under her breath before looking at Fisher, then back at the body.

Rick put protective glass over his face and sighed. He didn’t look like he wanted to do this any more than anyone else, but he had to. He held a crowbar in his hand and turned around to see an ax in some emergency glass. He shattered the glass and took the ax.
Rick was gonna be the one to chop up the walker. For the first swing, he attempted it, but he couldn’t. He put the ax down and for some reason began searching the walker’s pockets.

“What are you doing?” Charlie spoke, her arms crossed. Rick didn’t answer.
He pulled a wallet from the man’s pocket and opened it as if he was searching for money.

“Wayne Dunlap.” Rick read off of the ID inside of the wallet. “Georgia license. Born 1979.” He removed the card and passed it to Glenn who stared at it for an awful long time.
“He had $28 in his pocket when he died,” Rick added, making everyone a bit sad. “, and a picture of a pretty girl.”
Finley crossed her arms, staring at Rick who held the wallet in his hand. Sometimes she forgot how sad the apocalypse really was, even if it was terrifying, too.
Rick read something off of the photo. “With love, from Rachel.” He read. “He used to be like us. Worrying about bills, or the rent, or the Super Bowl.” A pause. “If I ever find my family, I’m gonna tell them about Wayne.” He added. He slid the wallet pack into the walker’s pocket.
Rick stood, and everyone began preparing themselves again.
Glenn interrupted. “One more thing.” Heads turned towards him. “He was an organ donor.”
Before they knew it, Rick slammed the ax into the walker and everyone yelped. Charlie covered her mouth and looked away as if she was about to vomit.
Rick continued to cut the walker open, swing by swing. The noises were disgusting. Finley couldn’t even look.

“Oh my god.” Charlie said under her breath, same with everyone else. Fisher put a hand on her back as she looked at the walker again. The guts that were once inside of it were now disgustingly exposed to the world.
Rick swung again, now slicing the walker’s arm off.

“I’m gonna throw up.” Charlie spoke, turning around and leaning on a wall. Fisher followed her and made sure she was okay while Rick just kept swinging.

“I think that’s enough.” Finley spoke, covering her mouth. Rick looked at her, breathless, and finally dropped the ax.
Finley looked at Charlie and Fisher. Charlie was hunched over as if she was about to be sick. Charlie glanced at the walker one last time, and that did it. Any food she’d eaten before just came right back up and onto the ground.

“Jesus.” Fisher whispered, his hand still on Charlie’s back as she finished throwing up, now slowly standing.

Rick paused and looked at the walker. He picked the ax back up and handed it to Morales.
“Keep chopping.” He said.

“Really?” Charlie spoke, disgust just painted all over her face. Rick and everyone else ignored her.

“I am so gonna hurl.” Glenn said.
“Charlie did it for you, luckily.” Andrea spoke, looking at Charlie. Charlie avoided eye contact with her.

With each chop, Finley jumped. Even when she saw it coming. She didn’t think she’d ever see a dead man get chopped up in her entire life, but here we are.

The chopping finally stopped, but the disgust on everyone’s faces stayed.
“Everybody got gloves?” Rick asked.
“Oh my god.” Charlie spoke.

“Don’t get any on your skin or in your eyes.” Rick ordered as everyone slid gloves on their hands.
“Wasn’t planning on it.” Fisher said, staring at the walker in disgust.

People had now begun scooping up the guts with their hand.Everyone except for Finley. Finley just stared. Charlie looked at her when she noticed.

“Come on. Even I’m doing this shit and my food just came the wrong way.” Charlie spoke with her hands deep in the walker’s stomach. Finley sighed and slowly walked up to the body, hesitantly squishing her hands through it’s gooey insides. Finley gagged.
People began to smear the redness on Rick and Glenn.

‘You’re crazy, man.” Fisher told Rick as he slapped guts onto him. Rick nodded in plain acceptance of the description.

“Oh god. Oh god, this is bad. This is really bad.” Glenn spoke in distress, all tensed up as people slid blood on him.
“Think about something else. Puppies and kittens.” Rick suggested, somehow extremely calm with the situation.
“Dead puppies and kittens.” T-Dog spoke. Finley gave him a look.

Glenn finally hunched over and vomited.
“That is just evil. What is wrong with you?” Andrea looked at Rick.
“Next time, let the cracker beat his ass.” Jacqui spoke as she smeared guts on Rick. Rick sighed.

“Do we smell like them?” Rick asked.
Andrea nodded, a disgusted look on her face. “Oh yeah.”

Andrea walked over to Glenn and slowly pulled a gun out from her pocket, standing next to him. “Glenn.” He looked at her, confused. “Just in case.” She spoke before awkwardly sliding it into his bloody pocket.

“If we make it back, be ready.” Rick announced.
“What about Merle Dixon?” T-Dog spoke. Finley rolled her eyes.
Rick sighed and reached into the pocket of his pants, grabbing a key and holding it out. He tossed it to T-Dog.
“Give me the ax.” Rick spoke to Morales. Morales handed the weapon to him. “We need more guts.”
“Oh god.” Andrea spoke just before he sliced into the walker again.

~

Everyone was on the rooftop again. Glenn and Rick had probably just gone outside, and Morales had binoculars so he could look for them from above.
Finley stood off to the side, as usual. Fisher and Charlie weren’t far from her. They were talking about something that Finley couldn’t quite hear.

T-Dog tried to get in touch with a camp over the radio. Finley assumed that they had a group somewhere else.

“There.” Morales pointed out somewhere on the streets. Charlie and Fisher walked over to the ledge to look at where he was pointing. Finley did the same.
Thunder rumbled the same as it had been all day, just much louder this time. That wasn’t a good sign in this situation. Not at all.

“That asshole is out on the street with the handcuff keys?” Merle barked. T-Dog looked at him, then slowly held the keys up. Merle looked very, very unhappy with that.

Rain began to patter. Finley held her hand out and felt raindrops on her skin.

“Oh, man.” Morales spoke before looking through the binoculars again.
“Shit.” Charlie spoke. “The guts are gonna wash off.”
The rain went from soft to heavy. That wasn’t good at all.

Finley stared down at Glenn and Rick, and she soon noticed that walkers had begun running after them.

“Shit!” Charlie repeated.
They all watched Rick and Glenn run from a horde of hungry walkers. The dead were fast. Very fast. Finley didn’t think that they stood a chance against them.

“They can’t run from that.” Finley spoke. Her heart began to beat a bit quicker and her fingers tapped on the mini-wall in front of her.

Glenn and Rick threw their weapons over a weak fence and then climbed over it.
The two slid the gut covered coats off, as there was no point in wearing them anymore.
Rick turned around and pulled his gun out. Walkers were climbing the fence. Rick shot a couple that were close to getting over while Glenn got the keys to a truck from a box on the wall. Rick put his gun away and caught some keys that Glenn threw to him
The two both got into a box truck and put the keys in.

The fence finally collapsed and the herd of walkers began running after the truck which Glenn and Rick were in.
The truck started, and they just drove. It looked like they were leaving without the rest of them.

You could just see the worry and disbelief on everyone’s faces.

The rain had now stopped, and everyone was soaked.

“They’re leaving us.” Andrea spoke. Charlie looked like she was about to cry.

Everyone began to panic.
“No. No. Come back.” Andrea begged.

“They can't just leave.” Charlie panicked.

“They’ll come back.” Fisher spoke.
Before they knew it, Glenn was speaking through the walkie-talkie.

~

“Come on, let’s go!” Morales yelled as everyone quickly picked up bags from the rooftop floor and began to run to the stairwell.

“Hey! You can’t leave me here!” Merle yelled. Everyone ignored him.
Merle looked afraid, which was almost surprising. He noticed Finley running after everyone else.
“Hey! Doll face! Cmon, help me out here!” Merle yelled to Finley. Finley scoffed and passed Morales and T-Dog, then continued to run down the stairwell after everyone else. She didn’t even feel a little bit bad for Merle.

“Morales, come on!” Andrea yelled up the stairwell.

They got to the main floor and saw the walkers beginning to crack the glass of the last set of doors. Charlie stopped and stared, causing Fisher to stop as well.
Finley looked behind her and stopped herself when she noticed the two not moving. She looked at the doors, and noticed why.

“All the more reason to hurry. Come on!” Finley called to them, causing them to finally move. Finley looked at them as they passed her and noticed that they were holding hands. Finley chuckled and ran after them.

Everyone stumbled through the garage door, bags in hand. Jacqui, Morales, and Andrea dropped the bags and held their hands on the chain to open the garage. They waited to hear a car or some sort of sign that they could open the garage.

There was a faint alarm in the background. Morales shushed everyone so he could listen closer. Everyone looked just as confused as the other.

“What is that?” Andrea spoke.

“Is that a car alarm?” Charlie furrowed her brows in confusion.

There were the sounds of a car backing up near the garage door.
“Car! I hear a car!” Finley yelled. The three on the chain began to pull the garage door open. T-Dog came rushing in, begging for them to wait for him.

The garage door opened to Rick with a box truck opened up for everyone.

Fisher climbed in first, then him and Rick helped Charlie in. Finley followed after them. The last four of the group rushed to throw bags into the truck and then finally piled in once they knew nothing (except for Merle) was left behind.
As soon as the last person was in the truck, the walkers that were once behind glass were now flooding into the garage and chasing after the truck. The car started and bolted off onto the streets, and Fisher was the only one who actually stood up and shut the door to the box everyone sat in.
The driving was rough, which caused Finley to fall on her ass as soon as the car turned. It hurt.

When they got away from the walkers, the driving was a lot smoother. Finley tried to catch her breath. She looked around and saw Charlie and Fisher still holding hands. Finley smiled softly at the sight.

Charlie rested her head on Jacqui’s shoulder and Jacqui held Charlie’s head in her hand. Finley hoped to have that kind of bond with this group in the future. They all seemed like family.

T-Dog broke the silence that sat in the car. “I dropped the damn key.”
Everyone stared blankly at him. Finley tried to resist it, but she burst out laughing. She covered her mouth with her hand, embarrassed but unable to stop laughing. The rest of the group resorted to staring at her, as she was the only one cruel enough to be laughing.

Finley calmed herself, though her eyes were watering from laughing so hard.
There was silence again, until Andrea looked around at everyone in the car.

“Where’s Glenn?” She spoke.
Everyone looked at Rick, and Rick just smiled.

Chapter Text

Finley sat criss-cross, her back against the wall of the box truck. It was silent. The only noises that were made were the bumps Rick hit on the road as they drove.
When they had been running from flesh-eating monsters, Finley didn’t hesitate to hop into this truck with a bunch of people whom she barely even knew. But now that she was thinking about it, she had no idea where they were going or who they were going to. Would this be considered kidnapping in the normal world? Maybe not.

Finley stared at the ceiling, listening to the conversation Rick and Morales had just suddenly decided to have. There wasn’t anything else to listen to unless they came across some sort of music, so might as well eavesdrop.

Suddenly, instead of just the sound of the road and Rick and Morales, Finley heard that same sort of car alarm from before. She switched from looking at the ceiling to looking out the windshield from the back of the truck. Over the sirens, she heard someone cheering. Finley smiled. It was Glenn.

“At least somebody’s having a good day.” Morales spoke with a smile on his face, looking at Rick. Finley chuckled silently.

✦

The truck finally came to a stop. Finley opened her eyes after having them closed for a while. Across from her, she saw Jacqui waking Charlie up, who seemed to have been sleeping the entire ride on Jacqui’s shoulder. Then she saw Morales open his door and climb out.

Fisher stood and rolled up the door to the back of the truck, revealing rays of sunlight. He hopped out and held his hand out for a tired Charlie to step down.
Jacqui and Andrea got out, too. Finley looked at Rick who seemed to be preparing himself to get out. She sighed and stood, slowly stepping out onto the dirt and then off to the side of the road that everyone stood on.

Finley watched as Andrea hugged a sobbing girl, who was probably either her sister or her daughter. Finley smiled softly and crossed her arms, trying to get through watching everyone reunite without feeling any envy.
Then, Finley watched Morales hug his wife and kids.
Then went Charlie, running to hug an old man who ruffled her hair afterward, causing her to chuckle.

In the back, Finley noticed a mother and son. The mother pulled her son off to the side and kneeled to be at his level. The boy began to sob as his mom comforted him. Finley’s smile faded. There were good and bad parts to this new world. Mostly bad, and sad.

A tall man with a large gun in his hand spoke.
“How’d y’all get out of there, anyway?” The man spoke.

“We got some new people. The guy got us out.” Glenn said, leaning on the door of a red car.
“New people?” The tall man repeated.

“Yeah. The guy just got into town, not sure about the girl.” Morales spoke. “Hey, guys! Come say hello!”

Finley forced a smile and slowly walked up to Morales and his family. She smiled awkwardly at people she didn’t know. She then looked at the truck when she heard the door open, and saw Rick climb out.

“The guy’s a cop. Like you.” Morales said. Finley smiled and looked at the tall man, who looked shocked. Finley furrowed her brows, confused.
Finley then looked at the wife and son, who also looked just as shocked as the tall man. When the boy began to run, screaming “Dad”, that’s when she knew.
Finley covered her mouth with her hand when the boy and Rick ran to each other and hugged, falling to the floor in the process.
The woman chased after her son and paused as she waited for Rick to stand with the boy in his arms. She looked like she’d seen a ghost, pale and all. Then when Rick stood with the boy in his arms, she hugged him with his head in her hand— and Finley felt almost a bit sad.

✦

The sun was setting and people were starting a fire. Finley didn’t know if she wanted to interact with them or not. She wasn’t big on being social.
Finley sat on the ground next to a few chairs. Not the chairs because she wasn’t sure if they were like, reserved or something like that. She didn't want to break the rules.

Finley would look up and would from afar see the same old man whom Charlie was hugging walking right up to her. He sat down in one of the chairs that sat next to her. She stared at him. She could tell he was waiting for something, but she didn’t know what.

“Well, aren’t you gonna sit?” He held a hand out to a chair that stood next to him. Finley blinked before finally standing and awkwardly stepping over to the chair next to the old man, then sitting down shortly after. It was a lot more comfortable than the ground was, honestly.

The old man smiled at her.
“So, you’re Finley, right?” He spoke.

Finley nodded. “That’s me.”

“Right. My girl told me a bit about you.” He pointed at Finley, then rested his hand back on the armrest.

“Your girl?”

“Oh, Charlie.” He spoke, now pointing at Charlie who was helping whom Finley had learned was named Shane with the fires.
“You guys have met, right?” He asked.

Finley nodded. “Briefly.”

He smiled at her. “I’m Dale.” He paused. “I’m not her grandpa or anything. I was just her neighbor before this.”

Finley nodded slowly. She would fidget with her hands, hesitating.

“Um, if you don’t mind me asking—“ Finley paused. Dale nodded as a way of telling her to go ahead.
“Why is Charlie with you?” She asked. She quickly corrected herself after realizing that could have come out a bit rude. “Like, if you’re just her neighbor, why isn’t she with her parents, I mean?”

“Ah. ” Dale spoke as if he’d gotten that question often.
“Well, her parents weren’t the greatest people. I’d been neighbors with her family for a while and from what I’ve seen, they were very, well— unresponsible. Like seventeen-year-olds, you know?” He spoke.
“When Charlie was a bit younger than she is now— maybe twelve— her parents dropped her with me and never came to pick ‘er up.” He explained. Finley just felt her mood drop from the inside.

“That’s horrible.” Finley spoke.

“Oh, well it isn’t that bad.” Dale waved his hand. “My wife and I loved having her, and her parents weren’t very good at taking care of her, anyways.”
Finley smiled softly. At least she was in the care of good people at that point.

“You know, her mama gave her a cigarette when she was eight. Eight years old!” He continued. “Charlie didn’t smoke too much after that one time, but we had to stop ‘er occasionally.”
Finley frowned. She wondered how people could be so cruel. To do things like that to their child, then just give up on them instead of trying to get better? Maybe it was for the best, though. Charlie seemed to have been given to good people.

✦

Later that night, Dale had permitted Finley to stay in the R.V. while everyone sat around the fire outside. Finley wasn’t big on that kind of stuff, and she didn’t really know anyone, so it’d be kind of awkward. Dale had already told her everybody's names, anyway. She didn’t have to meet anyone or any of that stuff.

Back in the truck earlier that day, while Finley was listening in on Rick and Morales’ conversation, Morales mentioned that Merle Dixon had a brother. Merle wasn’t on the nice side of the scale, so she didn’t think his brother would be, either. Dale had said that a guy named Daryl was out hunting right now. That was the same name she heard in the truck.
Finley dreaded meeting Daryl. He was probably just an exact copy of his brother, and Finley hated his brother, even if they only briefly met.

✦

CHARLIE

The sun hit Charlie like a brick as she lay on the bed in her R.V.
She kept her eyes shut but squeezed them when she woke up as if she could see the sun right through them.
She covered her head with a blanket just before hearing the R.V. door open.

“Time to wake up.” Charlie heard the voice of an old man say just before she felt the covers getting pulled off of her body. Charlie groaned, still keeping her eyes shut.
“You can’t stay in bed forever.” He spoke.

“Stop.” Charlie said in a sleepy voice, grabbing onto the covers that were now on the floor and pulling them back up onto her body. Dale just pulled them off again.

“Everyone’s awake, and Carol is askin’ for you.” He added. Charlie groaned a second time. She suddenly felt Dale’s hand around her arm, and then she was getting pulled off of the bed and on her feet. She blinked her eyes open as she tried her best to balance after getting forced to stand.

“Up.” Dale spoke before leaving the R.V. Charlie groaned a third time, but finally gave in.

Charlie opened the R.V. door after getting dressed and felt the sun hit her skin. She squinted and put a hand over her eyes as she made her way down the steps of the R.V.
When she looked to her left, she saw Dale and a few other people stripping Glenn’s red car apart for parts while Glenn watched, clearly unhappy. She chuckled and shook her head.

Charlie then looked forward and scanned the camp for Carol. She finally saw her ironing clothes on an ironing table. Charlie smiled.
“Hey, Carol!” She called, getting the woman’s attention.

✦

Finley woke up early in a tent that someone from the camp had given. She was up before basically everyone else in the camp. Maybe around four a.m., or earlier. She didn’t get a lot of sleep. She hadn’t in a while. Though, this was still the best few hours she’d gotten. She had a sleeping bag, which was more than she’d had in a long time.

After a few hours of just sitting, Finley climbed out of her tent— messy hair, a baggy t-shirt, and shorts that these people had also given her— she looked like she could be homeless— she kind of was, actually.
She walked out into the open where she saw each person doing a different job. Ironing clothes, folding clothes, taking Glenn’s car apart, everyone had their own things to do. Finley had decided that her job was to sleep, then sit for three hours.

Finley squinted her eyes, rays of sunlight getting in the way of her sight. Her hair hung in front of her face as she walked. She didn’t bother to push it away.
Finley jumped at the sound of a laugh next to her. She looked to her right and saw Lori chuckling. Was she laughing at her?

“Honey, do you need a hairbrush?” Lori asked, smiling. Finley chuckled softly, wondering how bad her hair looked right now.
“I’d love that. Thank you.” Finley spoke.
“Alright. Let me just head over to my tent and grab mine, okay?” Lori spoke. Finley nodded.

Finley put her hands on her hips and took in her surroundings as she waited for Lori to come back. There was the R.V. she stayed in for a bit last night, a lot of tents, a lot of people, a lot of nature, and that was it.
Finley somehow jumped again when she heard Lori. She was quite jumpy, which wasn’t a very good trait in the apocalypse.
“Here, hon.” Lori spoke, walking over to Finley and then holding a purple hairbrush out for her to take. Finley smiled and grabbed the brush from Lori’s hand.
Finley then began to run it through her knotty brown hair. It took a while to get through her bedhead, but she got there eventually.
Finley handed the brush back to Lori. Lori smiled warmly at Finley then proceeded to leave Finley alone yet again to go place her hairbrush back into her tent.

Finley sighed, turning her head towards the blue sky. She took in the warmth of the air on her skin, shutting her eyes. She’d always loved mornings— especially in the fall or summer.
Rick walked right past Finley, straight to Lori who had gotten back from her tent a bit earlier.
Finley stared at the two. She could hear bits and pieces of their conversation, but she didn’t want to eavesdrop.
Finley couldn’t believe she had doubted that Rick would find his family. Finley felt like a horrible person. A person without hope or enthusiasm. God, who had she become in just a few weeks?

Finley was just about to walk away, but then she heard a scream from the woods, followed by a little boy, probably Carl, calling for his mom, probably Lori.
Lori and Rick went running without hesitation and Finley watched as other people shot past her to see what the scream was.
Finley swallowed heavily before walking through the woods and into the commotion. Lori hugged her son with a worried look on her face, and Carol did the same with her daughter, who seemed to be with Carl. Finley slowly walked down the path she thought she’d seen the men go down and came to see a walker feeding on a deer’s neck. Finley made a face of disgust. She hoped she’d get used to seeing shit like this soon.
Finley looked farther down the deer and saw two arrows in its hip. Someone had already gotten to this deer, cause the walker sure didn’t shoot this deer.

The men stepped a bit closer to the dead man with weapons in their hands. The walker dropped the flesh of the deer and slowly stood up, turning around to see what it thought would be its next meal.

Rick slammed some sort of stick into the walker, causing it to fall back down to the ground. Then, Shane hit it in the back with a gun. Then Glenn slammed something into it, then Morales, and then they just kind of started repeatedly hitting it. Finley furrowed her brows, staring at them.

The men continued to hit it like complete idiots. Finley heard a scoff from behind her, and then there came Charlie. She would walk up to the head of the walker and then stomp on its skull one single time. The head broke to pieces and blood splattered. The men stared at her in pure shock.

“Idiots.” Charlie scoffed before walking off, her boot now all bloody. Fisher trailed behind her like a dog, and Dale stared at her just as in shock as she walked away. Finley had to hold back her laugh.

Amy and Andrea caught a look at the bloody mess Charlie had made by crushing the dead man’s head.
“Oh god,” Amy spoke. Andrea put a hand around her shoulder and guided her away.

Finley wasn’t gonna try to act like it didn’t look disgusting, cause it did. She didn’t understand how a teenager who was vomiting at the sight of walker guts just a day ago had just stomped on a skull. She was tougher than Finley was.

Dale caught his breath, cleared his throat, and tried to act as if he didn’t care that his girl just did more than any of the men ever could.
“That’s the first one we’ve had up here.” Dale spoke, backing up from the walker. “They never come this far up the mountain.”

Joe interrupted. “Well, they’re runnin’ outta food in the city.”

There was silence before there wasn’t. The branches rustled which spiked everyone’s anxiety yet again. Finley stepped back from the spot the noise came from, afraid it may be another one of the dead.
What they saw wasn’t a walker— but a man. A man with a crossbow. Finley looked at the arrows, then back at the man. They must be his.

“Oh, Jesus.” Dale muttered. Finley furrowed her brows, confused as to why he seemed upset— but she understood quickly.

“Son of a bitch.” The man spoke roughly, stomping out of the bushes and toward the deer and the walker.
“That’s my deer!” He barked. Finley pressed her lips together, crossing her arms.

“Look at it all gnawed on by this—“ He spoke before continuing his sentence as he kicked the walker aggressively, making Finley raise her eyebrows.
“Filthy, disease-bearing, motherless, poxy bastard!” He said aggressively, kicking the walker with each word before finally quitting as he finished speaking. Finley blinked in both confusion and disbelief.

“Calm down, son. That’s not helping.” Dale spoke, seeming a bit surprised by his reaction as well.

“What do you know about it, old man?” The man growled, stomping up to Dale. “You’ take that stupid hat and go on back to On Golden Pond.”

The man sighed, bending down to pull the arrows from the deer’s hip. “Been tracking this deer for miles.” He spoke, disappointed.
“‘Gonna drag it up to camp,” He spoke before continuing. “Cook us up some Venison.”

Finley was a bit disappointed, too. She hadn’t had cooked meat since the apocalypse began. She’d been living off of chips and bread with her old group. She’d never tried deer before, but she was sure it’d be good. Even if it wasn’t, she’d eat it anyway.

“What do ya’ think? We can cut around this chewed-up part here?” The man suggested, pointing at the spot on the deer’s neck that the walker had gnawed at.

“I would not risk that.” Shane spoke, holding his gun around the back of his neck and on his shoulders.

The man sighed again. “That's a damn shame.”
Finley agreed. It was a shame— but she wouldn’t want to risk it either.

“I got some squirrel. ‘Bout a dozen or so.” The man then mentioned, pointing at a rope he had around his shoulder which dead squirrels hung off of. Finley made a face when she saw the squirrels.

“That’ll have to do.” The man added.

The man walked past everyone and toward the camp, then began yelling for Merle. Yep. This was Daryl.

Once the others began to follow behind Daryl, Finley did too. However, she kept her distance. As soon as Daryl knew that they had left his brother for dead, she didn’t think he’d be the type to take it well. Though, she wouldn’t blame him.

“Merle, get yo’ ugly ass out here!” Daryl called to the brother he thought would’ve been there.
“Got us some squirrel! Let’s stew ‘em up.” Daryl added, placing his stuff by a tiny pot but keeping the squirrels around his shoulder.

“Daryl, just slow up a bit. I needa’ talk to you.” Shane called to Daryl. Daryl turned around and quit walking. Finley almost felt a bit afraid to see how this would turn out.

“‘Bout what?” Daryl spoke.

“About Merle.” Shane replied. “There was a, uh—There was a problem in Atlanta.”
Pretty much everyone in the camp was watching to see how this played out. Lori, Charlie, Dale, you name it.
Daryl looked around at the people, seeming to notice and visibly getting a bit worried.

“He dead?” Daryl avoided eye contact with Shane, walking from spot to spot. Almost pacing. He stopped in one spot to hear Shane’s answer. There was a pause as Shane thought about how to tell him what had happened.

“We’re not sure.” Shane spoke, sounding sad for Daryl.

“He either is or he ain’t!” Daryl barked. Here was the ugly part.

Rick stepped forward. Finley sighed. Idiot.

“No easy way to say this, so I’ll just say it.” Rick spoke with a serious look on his face.

“Who are you?” Daryl asked.
“Rick Grimes.” Rick answered. Finley resisted a smile as she got deja vu from Officer Friendly and Merle.

“Rick Grimes. Got somethin’ you wanna tell me?” Daryl began to look quite angry. Not a good sign, Finley crossed her arms and stepped back a bit.

“Your brother was a danger to us all.” Rick said without hesitation. Idiot.
“So I handcuffed him to a roof, hooked him to a piece of metal.” Rick explained. “he’s still there.” Idiot!

Daryl turned the other way, seeming to be in disbelief.
“Hol’ on. Let me process this.” Daryl pointed to his head and waved his finger in circles.
“You’re saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof,” Daryl started, warming up to the real anger. “And you left him there!?” He yelled, turning back around and looking at Rick with a furious expression.

There was a pause.
“Yeah.” Rick spoke blankly. Idiot, idiot!
Daryl looked furious. He held back for a moment, but couldn’t help it. He threw the bag of squirrels right at Rick. Rick ducked and they went over his head, right to Finley. Luckily, Finley jumped to the side before they could slap her right in the face.

Daryl was pushed to the ground by Shane to avoid a fight, but it didn’t work. Daryl landed on the ground and refused to back down. He pulled a knife from his belt and stood.

“Watch the knife!” T-Dog called, now getting involved to try to break up a fight if there was one. Finley prayed that T-Dog wouldn’t admit anything about Atlanta.

Daryl swung his knife at Rick but missed due to Rick’s oddly good reflexes. Daryl took a couple more swings, then gave up on the knife. Daryl began throwing himself at Rick. It was a kind of funny fight. Finley choked back a laugh.

Shane pulled Daryl away from Rick in a chokehold, stopping the fight, yet not stopping Daryl’s aggressiveness.
“You best let me go!” Daryl yelled.
“Nah, I think it’s better if I don’t.” Shane spoke, keeping Daryl in a tight chokehold.

Daryl would grunt, his face turning red. “Choke hold’s illegal.” He strained.

“You can file a complaint.” Shane slowly brought Daryl down, but didn’t let go of him. Daryl refused to beg for his life.
“C’mon man, we can keep this up all day.” Shane added. Daryl grunted and breathed quickly through his nose, trying to catch some air into his lungs.

Rick kneeled to where Daryl’s head was in Shane’s arms.
“I’d like to have a calm discussion on this topic. You think we can manage that?” Rick spoke gently as if Daryl were a toddler. Daryl didn’t respond.
“Do you think we can manage that?” Rick repeated a bit louder this time. Daryl still refused to speak, both because he was stubborn and he couldn’t breathe. Rick looked at Shane as a sign to let him go.

Shane threw Daryl off to the side. Finley almost felt bad for him as he gasped for air.
Rick continued to kneel at Daryl’s level to speak.

“What I did was not on a whim.” Rick explained. “Your brother does not work— and play well well with others.” Daryl stayed silent.

“It’s not Rick’s fault.” A voice said. Everyone’s head shot toward the voice. T-Dog. Idiot!
“I had the key.” T-Dog spoke. “I dropped it.”

Daryl stared in disbelief, still on the ground panting as he caught his breath. “You couldn’t pick it up?” He spoke aggressively.

“Well, I dropped it down a drain.” T-Dog added. Daryl scoffed, his face anxious as he turned it to the ground. His palms and knees both touched the ground as he processed all that’s happened.
Rick stood, staring at Daryl who now finally stood with him.

“If it’s supposed to make me feel better, it don’t.” Daryl spoke to T-Dog in a calmer tone, though it was evident his mood hadn’t changed. Daryl walked past T-Dog but stopped once he heard his voice again.

“Well, maybe this will.” T-Dog continued. Finley had to hold back a groan.
“Look, I chained the door to the roof so the geeks couldn’t get at ‘im.” T-Dog spoke, staring at Daryl who still seemed he felt the same as he did before. “With a padlock.”

“It’s gotta count for somethin’.” Rick looked at Daryl who breathed heavily, face still red and angry. Daryl looked down and almost looked like he was crying for just a moment before snapping out of it and wiping his eye. Finley felt kind of sad for him.

“Hell with all y’all!” He yelled, seeming to be holding back tears.
“Just tell me where he is.” Daryl spoke quieter, his voice cracking slightly. Finley sighed. As annoying as Merle was, maybe they shouldn’t have left him.
“So’s I can go get ‘im.h” Daryl added, voice raspy.

Lori suddenly spoke from beside them, leaning on the door of the R.V.
“He’ll show you.” She butt in. “Isn’t that right?” Lori seemed a bit disappointed in Rick. Finley could tell by the way she looked at him. Finley wondered why.

Rick hesitated, knowing Lori wouldn’t like it, but came up with his answer. “I’m goin’ back.”
Lori quit looking at Rick as if she just couldn’t anymore and stepped back inside the R.V. Rick knew she was disappointed, but he had made his decision.

Daryl walked past Rick, going who knows where. Finley stared at him. He looked at her and it seemed almost like she had almost made his day worse.
“Man, where are y’all gettin’ these people?” Daryl yelled, walking off right after. Finley swallowed heavily, crossing her arms.

Chapter Text

Twelve-year-old Charlie Baker stared blankly into the slightly cracked mirror that hung on her door. She had no expression, and no feeling as a tear fell down her cheek. Her hand rushed to wipe it. She couldn’t show sadness. She had to show that she was tough. She wasn’t weak. Her momma always told her that sadness was weak. She sat on her knees and let her hand fall back to her side as she stared.

Charlie lifted her hand yet again to gently touch a bruise that had appeared on her cheek this morning. It was probably from last night.
She got these bruises often. Sometimes her daddy got mad, and he hurt her. Her momma never really hurt her. Not as much as her daddy did.
Charlie loved her momma. Charlie thought her momma loved her, too— even if she never stopped Charlie’s dad. Even if she was mean. Even if she yelled at Charlie a lot and made her cry— Charlie thought her momma might still care about her.

Charlie stood, finished with her staring contest with the mirror. She turned around to see her very messy room. Piles of clothes and other items sat on the ground. Charlie didn’t bother to pick them up. She found it was easier to grab the clothes when they were on the ground rather than pull them from a hanger and then end up ripping them.

Charlie sighed and turned back toward the mirror. She stared for one last moment before gripping her hand on the golden knob of the door and opening it to a dimly lit hallway that seemed almost as messy as her room.
She walked through the door and down the hallway where she saw her daddy snoring on the couch with a beer bottle in his hand. Charlie walked into the kitchen and looked out the window to see her momma smoking a cigarette out on the porch.

Charlie stepped over to the fridge and opened it to cold shelves that were practically only beer and junk. She shut the fridge, then switched to the pantry, hoping to find something to eat. Maybe chips or pretzels.

Charlie then heard the porch door slide open, and then close loudly. Charlie jumped when someone slammed the pantry door shut and grabbed her tightly by the wrist.
Charlie was forced to turn around when she saw her momma. Charlie breathed unsteadily, recovering from the scare she had earlier and now afraid of the words she was about to hear.

“Didn’t I tell ya’ no snacks?!” Charlie’s momma barked in her heavy Southern accent. Charlie stayed silent and choked back tears that had formed quickly in her eyes, unable to speak without letting them fall.
Her momma shook Charlie’s wrist, shaking a tear out of her eye and making her yelp.
“Ain’t you gon’ say something?” Her momma continued. “You know you can’t snack!”

Charlie swallowed, tears uncontrollably falling from her eyes now.
“I’m sorry.” She muttered.
“What’s that?”
“I’m sorry!” Charlie said a bit louder this time. Her momma scoffed and threw her wrist to the side. Charlie pulled it to her chest as her momma walked out of the kitchen.
Charlie took deep breaths, wiping her wet face. Dammit. The tears were only gonna make her momma more mad.

✦

Charlie sat on her bed, the sun gleaming into her room through her window. Charlie stared at her wrist. It was like a big bruise. It hurt a lot, and it looked pretty bad. Her momma was probably having a bad day— and Charlie was breaking the rules. It wasn’t her momma’s fault.

Charlie heard a knock on her door. She looked up, not saying anything as she stared at it, waiting to see a person peek through the door or to hear a voice.

“Honeybee? You in there, sweetheart?” A southern voice spoke, muffled through the door. “It’s momma. I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to yell at ya’ like that.”
Charlie didn’t respond. The door opened to a blonde woman— her momma, peeking through the door. She smiled warmly when she saw Charlie, but Charlie didn’t smile back.

“Hi, honeybee.” Her momma spoke gently. Charlie sat criss-cross, staring at her mom and choosing not to talk. Her momma frowned.
“I’m sorry, baby. You know I didn’t mean to.” She continued. She walked through the door and closed it behind her quietly. She hopped over piles of clothes and sat on the edge of the bed next to Charlie.

“I love you. You know that, right?” Her momma spoke. Charlie didn’t respond.
“I just get so serious about the rules and how you turn out— I didn’t mean to.” She added. Charlie looked down at her wrist, breaking eye contact.

“Forgive me, please.” She begged. Charlie still didn’t respond. Her momma sighed heavily.
“I’m your momma. I always will be. We’re gonna have fights sometimes, and we’re gonna make up.” She spoke gently. Charlie pretended she wasn’t there. Her momma sighed again, but it sounded angrier this time.
“I apologized, Charlotte.” She spoke, her anger warming up. Charlie risked not responding again. “Charlotte.” She repeated, only sounding more and more scary to Charlie.

Her face just got angrier and angrier as she got more and more impatient. She was about to snap.
“Charlotte Everley Baker.” Her momma spoke, sounding louder. Snap.
Her momma exhaled sharply and angrily before grabbing Charlie by the arm and dragging her toward the hallway. Charlie knew what this meant.

“Momma, no! Please, I’m sorry!” Charlie begged, tears forming in her eyes yet again.
“I forgive you! I’m sorry, momma!” She tried to resist being pulled out the door, but her momma was too strong.

“It’s too late now, Charlotte. You’ve just gone and done it.” Her momma growled. Charlie screamed and kicked and cried, but her momma just kept pulling her.

✦

Charlie took yet another punch to the face, this one making her fall to the ground, on her side. She sobbed violently, blood pouring from her nose. She looked up and saw her daddy again just before he kicked her in the stomach as hard as he could.

“Momma! Please!” Charlie screamed, looking at her through the window. Her momma watched emotionless as she smoked a cigarette.

“You don’t go callin’ for her now.” Charlie’s daddy spoke before kicking her again, making her yelp in pain.
Now lying on her stomach, Charlie attempted to crawl to the front door, but her dad grabbed her by the leg and pulled her away before she could reach the doorknob.

Charlie screamed and cried as her one and only daddy kicked her onto her back as she lay on the floor and climbed on top of her. Charlie was afraid and confused as to what he was doing.
Charlie tried to hit him and get him off, but he grabbed her wrists and put them above her head with one hand as she struggled. With the other hand, he undid his belt. Charlie didn’t understand. What was he doing?

✦

Charlie sat against her bedroom door, her legs curled up to her chest as she stared into space, afraid of any little sound that was made around her. She couldn’t even cry anymore. She was in shock.
Her daddy had never done anything like that before. She couldn’t think. Charlie felt so aware of her body that it was scary. She’d barely even processed what just happened.
It hurt. It was uncomfortable. She didn’t know why he would do that. Did he know how much it would hurt?

Charlie looked up from the ground and spotted her window. She had an idea. It wasn’t a good or safe idea, but it was an idea.
Charlie stood slowly, her legs shaking. She limped to her window and opened it to the warm air of the earth hitting her right in the face.
She took a deep breath and weakly climbed through the window, landing on the grass. She looked back at her room, hesitating, but knowing that if she ever wanted to get away from her parents, she had to try.

She looked back at the open field in front of her and ran. She just ran.

Charlie’s momma walked in.
“Hey, honeybee, how are you doin’—“ Her momma furrowed her brows when she didn’t see Charlie. She scanned the room and then saw the open window. “Oh shit.” She rushed to the window and saw Charlie running. She slapped the wood outline of the window angrily.
“Jackson!!” Her momma yelled to her husband. He rushed into the room and looked through the window.

“Oh, what the fuck?” He groaned, jumping out of the window and running after Charlie.

Charlie looked behind her and saw her daddy, who was much quicker than she was, especially with her shaking legs.

“No, no, no!” She yelled, trying not to sob just at the sight of him.
She tried to run quicker, but he caught up easily. He threw his hands around her waist so tightly that she couldn’t breathe.

“You just never fuckin’ learn, do you?” He muttered, throwing her over his shoulder as she kicked and screamed. He didn’t react to the kicking as he began walking back to the house.

✦

Charlie couldn’t even move as both her father and her mother screamed at her. She could barely understand them. Too much was going through her head to listen to them. Her ribs hurt, her face hurt, her wrist hurt, her stomach hurt, everything hurt. She didn’t understand what she did so wrong today. She just wanted something to eat.

✦

Charlie woke up to her entire body sore from the other day. She sat up, the blanket of the bed over her legs as she leaned against the wall behind her bed.
She lifted her wrist from under the blanket and stared at it. It was worse than before.

Charlie stood from her bed, walking to the mirror on her door. She hadn’t even bothered to look in the mirror yesterday. She looked like a mess.
Bruises were scattered all over her face and neck, and dried blood sat on her upper lip— she had cuts on her face, too. She lifted her shirt and saw bruises on her belly as well from being kicked. She sighed, dropping her shirt and covering her stomach again.

Birds sang outside her now boarded-up window. Her daddy had covered it up with wooden planks after what happened yesterday.

Charlie jumped at the sound of a knock on the door.
“Ey, get ready. We gotta leave.” She heard her daddy’s voice say from the other side of the door. She blinked rapidly, trying to wake herself up.

What he meant by “get ready” was to cover her bruises so people didn’t know what was going on at home. She sighed and hopped over piles of clothes to her messy bedside table.
She slid the middle drawer open and grabbed a heavy coverage concealer and her blender. She hated doing this. It always really hurt to blend.

She hopped back over to the door and sat in front of the mirror. She twisted her concealer open and then began to put dots of it on her bruises.
She closed the concealer once she had added enough and grabbed her concealer-covered orange blender. She dabbed the concealer on the bruises, wincing with each tap.

Finally, she finished blending, and her bruises had magically disappeared under her makeup.
She hopped back over to her bedside table and dropped the products into her drawer.

Charlie would then make her way back to the door and twist the golden knob, opening the door to the dim hallway.
She would walk over to the bathroom which was just across from her bedroom, not bothering to shut the door. She would open the cupboard below the sink and grab a paper towel, then close the cupboard and look in the mirror in front of her. She would turn the sink on then wet the towel and wipe the blood from under her nose, and also any other blood that had escaped from the scratches she had gotten.

Charlie slowly made her way to the main room where her parents waited. She avoided eye contact with them as she slid her black sandals on.

“Where are we going?” Charlie spoke, her voice raspy. Neither of her parents responded. She swallowed a ball of air, stepping to the side when her momma and daddy made their way past her.
Her daddy opened the front door and held it open for his wife who smiled at him as she walked out. Charlie hesitated. He sighed and grabbed her arm then threw her out the door. She almost fell on her face but caught herself.

Her dad closed the door behind him and caught up to his wife. Charlie trailed behind. She was confused when they passed the car and began to walk on the sidewalk, but followed anyway.

She trailed behind her parents when they began walking up the driveway of the house next to theirs. She furrowed her brows. Why were they here?

Charlie stood behind her parents on the front porch when they rang the doorbell.
It took a second, but eventually, an old man answered.

“Can I help you?” He spoke.

Charlie’s momma put a friendly smile on her face. She’d always been good at that. Hiding things. She was a good actor.

“Hey, we live in the house right next to you.” Charlie’s momma spoke.
There was a pause, the old man looked confused.

“My husband and I are going out for the night, and we couldn’t find a babysitter for our daughter, Charlotte. She’s twelve.” She then added, breaking the silence. She looked behind her at Charlie, raising her eyebrows. Charlie didn’t move and her momma rolled her eyes, grabbing her arm and pulling her in front of her and Charlie’s dad.

“She’s pretty shy.” Charlie’s momma laughed.
“We were just wondering— could you watch her just for the night?” Her momma added. The old man looked confused. He hesitated, then sighed and spoke.

“Sure, I guess.” He shrugged.

“Thank you so much. We’ll be here tonight to pick ‘er up.” Charlie’s momma put on a quite convincing fake smile.
She looked at Charlie and gave her a look to go along with it. She pulled Charlie into a hug, which Charlie didn’t give back.

“I love you, honeybee. We’ll be back tonight.” She spoke. Charlie avoided eye contact and didn’t say anything.

“Well, bye-bye now.” She spoke, letting go of Charlie. She walked off of the porch and her dad followed

Charlie and the old man stared at each other awkwardly once her parents had disappeared.

“Well, come on in.” The old man sighed. Charlie slowly walked in, and he closed the door behind her. She looked around, noticing how oddly clean and brightly lit the house was. Her house wasn’t like this at all.

“So, you’re Charlotte?” He spoke. Charlie stared at him, hesitating to speak.

“Charlie.” She muttered. The old man nodded.

“I’m Dale.” He spoke awkwardly. There was yet another pause.
“You know where your parents are headed?” He asked. Charlie shook her head. Dale nodded, his mouth a line.

“Alright.” He spoke. “My wife should be back from the grocery store soon. She’ll make you something to eat.” He smiled. Charlie smiled back softly enough that you could barely see it.

✦

Charlie flipped through TV channels while Dale and his wife, Irma, made Charlie some food. Charlie didn’t expect anything nice. She grew up with chips and meat, and that was kinda it.
Charlie had never been allowed to watch TV. The TV was for her momma and daddy, and them only. Charlie would earn a new bruise if she ever watched TV. That’s one of the reasons why she wasn’t allowed to go to her friend’s house. Her friends were never allowed at her house, either.
Charlie didn’t have many friends anyway. Except for Fisher. Fisher was her best friend. He always has been. Though, Charlie's been absent from school for a few weeks now, so she hadn’t talked to him for a while. Charlie was pretty sure her parents dropped her out.

As Charlie flipped through the channels on the TV, she heard footsteps, she jumped and quickly turned the TV off out of panic. She looked beside her and saw an old woman. Irma. Charlie swallowed a ball of air, a bit embarrassed.

“You alright, sweetie?” She asked, a plate of food in her hand. Charlie nodded and turned the TV back on.
Irma smiled warmly at Charlie.

“You’re lucky I just got back from the grocery store. I made you some grilled cheese and carrots for lunch.” Irma spoke gently, placing the food down on the coffee table in front of Charlie. Charlie stared at the food. This was nice compared to what she usually had at home.

“Thank you.” Charlie muttered, sitting up straight and hesitantly grabbing a triangle of grilled cheese. Irma smiled and walked away.
Charlie slowly bit down on the grilled cheese and chewed. It was good. She took another bite. It was really good.

In about ten minutes, Charlie had finished her food while staring into the TV. Just in time, Irma came back around. She raised her eyebrows.

“Done already?” Irma spoke. Charlie smiled a tiny bit bigger than she had when she got here. Irma chuckled.
“Do you want anything else?” She asked. Charlie did want more, but that’s against the rules. No snacking.

“No snacking.” Charlie spoke quietly. Irma furrowed her eyebrows.
“Sorry?” Irma spoke.
“The fourth rule. No snacking.”
Irma had formed a slightly confused yet worried expression on her face.

“Okay, hon.” Irma spoke, confused. “I’ll be right back. I’m gonna go speak to Dale for a minute.” Charlie nodded.

Charlie tried to listen to what Irma was talking to Dale about. She finally heard the voice of a concerned woman and man. Charlie turned the TV down to hear better.
She listened to the conversation from afar.

“She doesn’t seem very verbal, and she was saying something about like, a rule list or something. She said the fourth rule was no snacking.” Irma whispered to Dale. “I saw some bruises on her arms, too.”
“She may just be clumsy, and her parents might just be strict. I’m sure it’s fine, Irma.” Dale spoke. Charlie exhaled sharply.
“I think we should call someone.” Irma spoke. Dale sighed.
“Fine. I’ll call someone, you go talk to her.”
Irma nodded.

Charlie didn’t know if she felt grateful or afraid.

Irma walked back into the room, a fake smile on her face. It was evident that it wasn’t real and she was actually concerned for Charlie. Charlie’s momma would have hidden her emotions better.

“Sweetheart, can I ask you something?” Irma spoke. Charlie nodded.
Irma sighed. “Are your parents um.. hurting you?”
Charlie didn’t respond. I guess Charlie’s facial expression accidentally told Irma the answer, though.
Irma nodded sadly. “Okay. Don’t worry, honey. We’ll keep you safe.”

✦

There were a lot of cars outside. The sun was setting, and there were police officers at Charlie’s house. There was an Asian woman, a tall man, and a few other people talking to Charlie, Dale, and Irma. Most of them were with Charlie. The Asian woman was gently interrogating Charlie.

“Can you tell me how you got all of these bruises and cuts?” The woman asked. They wiped Charlie’s makeup off earlier, and now everything was showing. That made Charlie a lot more anxious than she had been before.

Charlie didn’t answer. She sat on the black couch she’d been sitting on for the past few hours. She turned her head and looked through the doorway behind her where Dale and Irma were being questioned.

Charlie looked back at the Asian woman. She just kept trying to get Charlie to speak with different questions.

“Charlie?” She spoke. Charlie didn’t say anything.
The Asian woman sighed and looked at the tall man. He shrugged.

The woman looked back at Charlie.
“Look, we’ll find you a place to stay until you feel comfortable enough to answer some of our questions.” She spoke. Charlie didn’t know how to feel. Should she be grateful? Should she be afraid? She just couldn’t figure it out.

✦

Charlie stared through the window where the Asian woman spoke to the police officers who had been searching Charlie’s house.
She was almost one hundred percent sure they wouldn’t let her go back to her parents. She should be happy about that, but she didn’t know if she could be. Despite her parents' actions, she loved them. She didn’t know if she'd be able to just let them go.
Charlie looked behind her and saw Dale and Irma muttering to each other. Dale sighed and nodded to something Irma said.
The two stepped through the front door, down the porch steps, to the cops and woman and began to speak to them.

After they talked for about ten minutes, Irma looked excited, or grateful. Maybe both. Dale was smiling as they came in and the cops left.

They looked at Charlie who stood by the window, a confused look on her face. Irma smiled, walking up to Charlie.

“Hey, sweetie.” She started. “How do you feel about um— staying with us for a while?” Irma added. Charlie smiled softly.

“Okay.” Charlie whispered. Irma smiled big and looked at Dale, who had smiled too.

“Okay.” Irma repeated softly, now looking back at Charlie.

Chapter Text

Finley leaned against a tree, listening to the wind and the birds in the day. Daryl and Rick wanted to go get Merle, which Finley didn’t quite understand. She knew if someone else like Glenn were out there right now instead of Merle, Merle wouldn’t care one bit to go get them— but Finley and Rick weren’t like Merle. Finley was seriously considering going with them because even if it wasn’t her fault that Merle was left up on that roof, she felt horrible.

Finley sighed and stepped a bit closer to where everyone was talking about Rick and Daryl leaving. Glenn looked disappointed, which probably meant he was going.

“That’s just great, now you’re gonna risk three men, huh?” Finley heard Shane say toward Rick. She didn’t quite know what was happening yet, as she had sort of just gotten there.
“Four,” T-Dog volunteered.

Finley assumed that if she wanted to join, she’d have to do it now. She hesitated but continued. “I wanna go too.” She spoke, making heads turn to her.
Rick looked at her and nodded. “We need all the help we can get.”

Charlie looked like she was about to speak, but Rick caught it in time to stop her.
“Not you.” He said, looking at Charlie. Charlie furrowed her brows.

“Why not?” She argued.
“You’re a kid. You’re strong, I’ve seen that— but we’re not gonna risk anything when it comes to you.” Rick spoke.
Charlie scoffed, slowly turning around in disbelief and walking toward the R.V. without a word.

“That’s five,” Dale spoke.

Shane looked at Rick. “It’s not just five. You’re putting every single one of us at risk.” He spoke. “Just know that, Rick.”
Shane continued. “Come on, you saw that walker. It was here. It was in camp. They’re moving out of the cities.”

Finley sighed, putting her hands on her hips.
Shane just kept talking. “They come back, we need every ablebody we got. We need ‘em here. We need ‘em to protect camp.”

“Seems to me what you really need most here— are more guns,” Rick spoke.
“Right… The guns.” Glenn spoke, remembering something that Finley didn’t. What guns were they talking about?

“What guns?” Shane asked.
“Six shotguns, two high-powered rifles, over a dozen handguns.” Rick listed. “I cleaned out the cage back at the station before we left.” He added.

Finley raised her eyebrows. She had no idea what any of those guns looked like or were at all, but they sounded useful.
“I dropped the bag in Atlanta when I got swarmed. It’s just sitting there in the street, waiting to be picked up.” Rick explained. Shane looked stunned.
“Ammo?” Shane spoke.
“Seven hundred rounds, assorted.”

Lori spoke up, looking up at Rick from the ground next to the hanging laundry.
“You went through hell to find us. You just got here, and you’re just gonna turn around and leave?” Lori spoke.
“Dad, I don’t want you to go.” Carl stuttered after his mom. Finley bit the inside of her cheek.

“To hell with the guns— Shane is right.” Lori continued. “Merle Dixon? He’s not worth one of your lives, even with guns thrown in.”
Lori stood up once Rick walked toward her.

“Tell me. Make me understand.” Lori spoke. Finley couldn’t tell if she was about to blow smoke out of her ears or cry a river.

“I owe debt to a man I met and his little boy.” Rick spoke. Lori almost walked away, but Rick spoke again and grabbed her attention. “Lori, if they hadn’t taken me in, I’d have died. It’s because of them that I made it back to you at all.”

“They said they’d follow me to Atlanta. They’ll walk into the same trap I did if I don’t warm them.” Rick explained.
“What’s stoppin’ you?” Said Lori, softer than the test of the words that she had said.
Rick paused. “The walkie-talkie, the one in the bag I dropped. He’s got the other one. Our plan was to connect when they got closer.”

Shane butt in. “These are our walkies?” He said, referring to the police station’s walkies.
“Yeah,” Rick spoke slowly. Lori looked confused as if she hadn’t processed what she had just heard quite yet.

“So use the C.B. What’s wrong with that?” Andrea suggested, her eyes squinting because of the sun.
“The C.B’s fine. It’s the walkies that suck to crap— date back to the seventies, don’t match any other bandwidth, not even the scanners in our cars.” Shane explained.

There was a short pause.
“I need that bag,” Rick spoke softly to Lori. Lori seemed disappointed. Rick sighed and walked right past her, over to Carl who sat behind her.

Finley stood with her hands on her hips. She couldn’t quite come to which of the two was more in the right here. Lori had every right to be upset, but Rick had good reasons to leave. God, she was glad she wasn’t in their situation right now.

Rick squatted down to where Carl was sitting, looking right at him.
“Okay?” Rick spoke softly to his son, assuming he had been listening to him and Lori’s conversation. Carl hesitated, but then slowly nodded in approval.
“Alright,” Rick whispered.

✦

Finley spaced herself away from the group as they prepared for her and a few others; T-Dog, Rick, Glenn, and Daryl to leave for Atlanta. Finley observed the people around her, taking in what she’d learned about them so far.

Charlie, who Finley could see talking to Dale from afar, seemed like an adult trapped in a sixteen-year-old’s body. Finley noticed that Charlie seemed as if she had a lot of bottled-up feelings that she wouldn’t let out. She wanted to feel like she was useful and not just a kid, which was what made her appear almost more intimidating or difficult, in a way. However, Finley had also noticed that Charlie seemed different around people that she may care more about; such as Dale, or Fisher.

Finley switched her gaze to Fisher who was leaning on the R.V.
Fisher seemed to be nearly the complete opposite of Charlie. He was strong like Charlie, but not quite as tough. He was still a kid despite his mature choices and actions.
When Finley met Fisher for the first time, he seemed like he was almost afraid. The fact that he was pointing a gun at her made it harder to believe, but she could tell that he wouldn’t pull the trigger. Not if he didn’t have to. He didn’t seem like that type of guy.

Finley looked back at Charlie and saw that she was alone now. Dale had most likely left earlier to speak to T-Dog and Rick with Jim over at the R.V.
Charlie looked disappointed. Probably about not being able to go to Atlanta. She understood why Charlie wanted to go so badly, but maybe it was for the best that she stayed back this time.

Finley suddenly jumped at the sound of the box truck honking. She took her eyes off Charlie and switched them to the truck to see Daryl on the inside honking the horn with his foot. She put a hand on her heart, letting it slow down a bit, and exhaled.

“Come on, let’s go!” Daryl shouted. Finley sighed and finally used the strength she had to put one foot in front of the other, toward the box truck.

✦

Finley stared at the roof of the truck as she felt the wheels go over bumpy roads below them. All she could think about was Lori’s face when Rick got into the passenger seat. She looked devastated. Finley felt kind of bad for her. She’d just gotten her husband back, and now he was leaving again.

Finley’s running thoughts were quickly interrupted by a rough voice across from her, breaking the silence that sat between everyone in the truck.
“Who are you?” The voice said. Finley looked up to see Daryl Dixon staring at her for an answer. She paused.
“Finley.” She finally answered. Daryl nodded. There was yet another pause that awkwardly floated between them.

“Why are you helpin’ us, Finley? My brother?” Asked Daryl in a calmer tone than Finley would have ever expected to come from him. Finley looked at her hands that rested in between her knees.

“Don’t know.” She paused, again. “I don’t even like your brother that much.” Risky. “But… I kind of feel bad. It wasn’t my fault he got left up there, but you gotta think about how he feels. How scary it must be for him to be all alone up there, just waiting to be walker food.”
She said more than she intended to, and it was a little embarrassing. She looked back up at Daryl, and he looked like he was genuinely listening to her. Like, almost understanding exactly what she meant.

“I’m sorry about what we did to your brother,” Finley added. Daryl broke eye contact and nodded, looking at the ground.
“Wasn’t your fault. Your words.”
Finley smiled softly and switched her gaze to the windshield.

The truck slowed down, coming to a slow stop. Finley could hear the tires running over a bunch of frocks and what sounded like possibly train tracks.

Daryl looked at T-Dog.
“He’d better be okay. That’s my only word on the matter.” Daryl had made sure that T-Dog knew it.
“I told you, the geeks can’t get at him. The only thing that’s gonna get through that door is us.” T-Dog spoke, his face giving away the fact that he definitely didn’t want to be speaking to Daryl.

Finley heard the brakes squeal, and then the engine finally stopped. Glenn, who sat in the driver’s seat, turned to look at the three in the back, then at Rick who sat next to him.
“We walk from here,” Glenn ordered. Finley didn’t say anything. Neither did anyone else as they all filed out of the truck into the cloudy day.
Once they were all out, they began walking down the train tracks, following behind Glenn, as he was the only one who knew the paths well.

✦

The five of them caught up to a cut in a metal fence which must have already been made by Glenn way before today. Glenn cut it open again with bolt cutters that they had borrowed from Dale. They all climbed through the opening in the tall fence one by one, Daryl being last behind Finley.
They stepped over a shorter and thicker fence up the short hill onto a road. Rick, who had climbed through the opening first turned to look at the rest of them.

“Merle first or guns?” He asked.
“Merle!” Daryl spoke as if it was obvious. “We ain’t even havin’ this conversation.”
“We are.” Said Rick as the five of them began to walk down the road. Rick looked at Glenn. “You know the geography, it’s your call.”
Finley trailed behind them, the knife in her belt scratching her thigh only slightly as she tried to keep up with their almost-running walking.

“Merle’s closest. The guns would mean doubling back.” Glenn decided. For some reason, they began to jog, which Finley hated but she did along with them anyway so she wouldn’t end up behind. “Merle first,” Glenn repeated.

✦

Finley held the knife that was once in her belt in her hand as they slowly crept through the clothing store they had left Merle on top of. She wouldn’t admit it, but her heart was pounding.
Finley was already on edge, but when she heard footsteps that weren’t hers or the other guys’, she could have fainted. They all came to a stop and Finley gripped her knife so tight her knuckles turned white.
Rick pointed at where the sound had come from and Finley spotted a ripped-up, discolored dead woman waltzing around. Daryl pushed through to the front of the line. He aimed his crossbow at the ceiling and walked closer and closer to the dead girl.
Once he got to the point where he was almost face-to-face with the walker, he finally pointed his bow at her.

“Damn. You are one ugly skank.” Daryl spoke. The walker slowly got louder before he finally shot her right in the head with an arrow, shutting her up.
Finley followed behind Rick and Glenn followed behind her. She tightened her grip more and more, just making sure she wouldn’t drop it if something were to happen.
Daryl went up to the dead walker and gripped the arrow that had been shot into her skull, then began to rip it out, leaving it a bloody mess. Finley looked away.

✦

The five of them rushed up the many, many stairs that led to the roof of the tall building.
T-Dog, who was in the front, used the bolt cutters to cut the lock that he had put on the door the day before. The chain slipped off of the door once the bolt cutters got through it and Daryl immediately kicked the door open, being the first to go running, in hopes of seeing his brother alive.

“Merle!” Daryl yelled. Finley ran behind him, and the three others ran behind her and Daryl.
Once they got to the spot they had left Merle, Finley slowed down to a walk, staring down at the area. She hopped down the steps, onto the concrete. She covered her mouth, shocked.

“No! No!” Daryl repeated, his face scrunching up into a sob.
Only Merle’s hand was on the ground, below the bloody handcuffs that they had locked onto him. Finley gagged, trying to resist throwing up the berries she had eaten this morning.
Daryl looked up at T-Dog like it was his fault. T-Dog looked ashamed. Finley couldn’t look. She would hurl if she looked at that damn hand just once more.

“No!” Daryl yelled yet again, looking at the tool Merle had used to amputate his own hand.

✦

Daryl looked at his brother’s hand one last time, and finally snapped. He aimed his crossbow and ran up to T-Dog, pointing it right at his forehead. Before Daryl could shoot, Rick pointed his gun at Daryl’s head as a warning.
Daryl didn’t look away from T-Dog, but he knew not to shoot now if he wanted to keep his own life. Daryl breathed quickly and heavily, and Finley couldn’t tell if it was out of anger, fear, sadness, shock, or maybe even something else. Anger was definitely one of the things he was feeling, and Finley understood why. He had every right to feel that way.

T-Dog had almost no reaction to the crossbow. He looked like he’d just accepted it, and Finley felt a stab in her chest in addition to the many others she’d gotten in these past two days.

“I won’t hesitate. I don’t care if every walker in the city hears it.” Rick stared at Daryl. He was serious. Finley gulped as she watched from a few feet away.
Daryl’s face twitched as it appeared he was trying to hold back tears. Finley couldn’t help but feel bad for him.
Daryl finally gave in. He aimed his crossbow down instead of at T-Dog and stared at the floor. Rick kept the gun at Daryl’s head for a few seconds, before finally standing down as well.

Daryl and T-Dog held eye contact for a bit before Daryl finally spoke as if he was actually trying to avoid a fight.
“You got a… You got a do-rag or somethin’?” Said Daryl. T-Dog shook his head at him. Finley didn’t know if it was out of disbelief or if he was saying that he didn’t have a do-rag.
To her surprise, he reached into the pocket in his pants by the knee and pulled out a blue bandana, then handed it to Daryl.
Finley watched as Daryl looked at his brother’s hand. She really hoped he wasn’t about to do what she thought he was about to do.

Daryl sighed and walked over to Merle's hand, placing the bandana down flat and squatting down to the floor next to the fabric and the hand.
“Guess the saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs.” Daryl picked up his brother’s hand by the finger.

“Oh my god,” Finley muttered to herself. Daryl looked at her, then back at the hand, placing it down on the bandana.
Daryl sighed yet again and wrapped the stiff hand up in the fabric. At least they wouldn’t have to look at it anymore.

Daryl picked up the wrapped-up hand and stood. He looked at Glenn and gestured for him to turn around. Glenn immediately looked like he was gonna jump off of that roof right then and there.
Daryl opened Glenn’s backpack and placed the hand inside. Glenn sighed and shut his eyes. Finley made a face.
Once the hand was placed inside of the backpack, he finally shut the backpack and walked back over to the blood puddle made by Merle probably not too long ago.

“He must’ve used a tourniquet. Maybe his belt.” Daryl thought out loud. “Be much more blood if he didn’t.” Daryl began to follow a trail of blood drops, crossbow in hand. T-Dog, Rick, and Glenn began to follow. Finley sighed and decided to do the same just so she wouldn’t get left behind.

The five walked through a door that led to a new stairwell that Finley hadn’t yet been down. Daryl held up his crossbow, and Finley once again took her knife from her belt.
They all slowly crept down the staircase, being careful not to make too much noise.

“Merle! You in here?” Daryl called down the middle of the stairs. I take it back, not all of them were trying to be quiet.
There was no answer.
Finley continued following the four men in front of her down farther and farther. She was a little invested in what happened to Merle, but she wouldn’t say that out loud.

✦

They had split up, and Finley and Daryl soon made it to a room with wooden walls and old photos.
“This kinda looks like it’d be from the sixties, huh?” Finley acknowledged. Daryl looked at her funny, then shook his head and looked away. She furrowed her eyebrows. What’d she say?

A dead woman with guts falling out of her mouth noticed the two, and Daryl shot her in the head before she could begin moaning at them and causing unnecessary attention.
When they walked past her body, Finley made yet another face. She wondered how that woman could have even ended up with her own insides coming out of her mouth.

Daryl and Finley crept out of the sixties-looking room and into a hall where Rick, T-Dog, and Glenn came in from at the same time.
Finley and the others followed behind Daryl into a room with a dead walker that they were not the ones to kill.

“Had enough in him to take out these two sumbitches.” Daryl spoke, referring to the two dead walkers that lay on the carpet below them with papers scattered around them. “One-handed.”

A pool of blood sat next to the heads of the dead walkers.
“Toughest asshole I ever met, my brother.” Said Daryl as he examined the walkers. “Feed him a hammer, he’d crap out nails.”
Finley had to admit– Merle did seem like a tough dude. He took out more walkers than Finley or anyone else could have with only one hand.

“Any man can pass out from blood loss, no matter how tough he is,” Rick spoke, pointing his gun, just in case. Daryl scoffed.

✦

The five continued to follow the long trail of dripped blood from presumably Merle’s hand.

They made it to yet another doorway, and Daryl peeked his head out.
“Merle!” He yelled.
“We’re not alone here, remember?” Rick whispered, an angry tone in his voice that he didn’t even attempt to hide.
“Screw that. He could be bleeding out, you said so yourself.”
T-Dog shushed the two.

Finley was a little afraid that they were gonna find a walker Merle. God, that would leave Daryl a mess. And maybe one of the others a bloody mess, if it got bad. Finley would probably be the one to go, honestly.

They continued walking along the blood path, and they turned a corner to find a bloody belt on a sink. There was a tiny fire going, and many things which seemed to be quite cooked on metal. Merle was here.

“What’s that burned stuff?” Glenn spoke, looking at the burnt things on metal squares.
Rick picked one of the squares up and examined it.
“Skin,” Rick placed the square down. God, this was all so disgusting. Finley should have stayed back at the camp.
“He cauterized the stump.” Rick then added. Glenn looked just as disgusted as Finley was.

“Told you he was tough,” Daryl told Rick. “Nobody can kill Merle but Merle.”

“Yeah. I can see that.” Finley added. That was probably like, the second full sentence she’d said this entire time. Good for her.

“Don’t take that on faith. He’s lost a lot of blood.” Said Rick who finally began walking away from the area right behind Daryl and Finley.

“Yeah? Didn’t stop him from bustin’ outta this death trap.” Daryl walked up to a broken window before everyone else noticed it. Once he made it, the rest of the five came rushing toward it, too. Jeez.
“He left the building?” Glenn walked up to the glass last in line. “Why the hell would he do that?”

“Why wouldn’t he?” Daryl spoke. “He’s out there alone, as far as he knows. Doing what he’s gotta do.”
Rick stuck his head through the window. It led out to a big drop with stairs leading down to an alleyway.
“Surviving,” Daryl added.

“You call that surviving?” T-Dog looked at him in disbelief. “Just wanderin’ out in the streets, maybe passin’ out? What are his odds out there?”
“No worse than being handcuffed and left to rot by you sorry pricks,” Daryl spoke, slowly losing his cool.
Everyone was getting tired now, and they all needed a break– but they also needed to just get this over with. Hopefully without any fights.

“You couldn’t kill him.” Daryl went up to Rick, close to his face to maybe appear more intimidating. “Ain’t so worried about some dumb, dead bastard.”

“What about a thousand dumb dead bastards?” Said Risk with an oddly calm expression. “Different story?”
“Why don’t you take a tally? Do what you want. I’m gon’ get him.”
“Daryl, wait.” Rick pushed Daryl out of the way so he wouldn’t leave.
“Get your hands off me!” Daryl barked. “You can’t stop me!”

“I don’t blame you.” Rick looked at Daryl calmly, the opposite of how Daryl felt in this moment. “He’s family, I get that. I went through hell to find mine. I know exactly how you feel.”
Daryl looked at him, licking his lips and looking angrier and angrier. Finley wished they could just move on and get this damn thing over with.
“He can’t get far with that injury,” Rick added, just after a long pause. “We can help you check a few blocks around, but only if we keep a level head.”
Daryl paused just for a moment.
“I could do that.” Daryl finally said. Rick nodded.

T-Dog sighed.
“Only if we get those guns first,” T-Dog added. “I’m not strolling the streets of Atlanta with just my good intentions, okay?”
Finley nodded in agreement. Daryl looked at her and sighed.

✦

Finley stared at Glenn, eyebrows raised.

“You’re serious?” Said Finley, looking at Glenn.
“You’re not doing this alone,” Rick added.

“Even I think It’s a bad idea and ion’ even like you that much,” Daryl said. Nobody thought this was a good idea.

“It’s a good idea, okay? If you just hear me out.” Glenn spoke. “If we go out there in a group, we’re slow, drawing attention. If I’m alone, I can move fast.”
Finley sighed. This was stupid.

“Look,” Glenn used a clip to symbolize the tank in the road around lines he had drawn on the ground to represent buildings and roads. “That’s the tank, five blocks from where we are now.”
He then picked up a crumpled sticky note and placed it next to the clip. “That’s the bag of guns.” Glenn let go of the sticky note, leaving it next to the clip.
Glenn then shifted his finger and tapped an alleyway that was just a building away from the guns. “Here’s the alley I dragged you into when we first met. That’s where Daryl, Finley, and I will go.”

“Why me and Finley?” Daryl asked.
“Your crossbow is quieter than his gun. Finley’s knife, too.” Glenn explained, pointing to Rick’s gun. Rick sighed.

Glenn would pick up a blue piece of sharp tin to symbolize Daryl and Finley in the alleyway.
“While Daryl and Finley wait here in this alley, I run up the street and grab the bag.” Glenn looked up from the floor. Finley nodded. It may be a little stupid, but it works.

“You got us elsewhere?” Rick spoke, referring to him and T-Dog.
“You and T-Dog, right,” Glenn spoke, grabbing an eraser to symbolize the two. He placed it in an alley about two blocks away from the one Finley and Daryl would end up in. “You’ll be in this alley here.”

“Two blocks away? Why?” Rick looked at Glenn.
“I may not be able to come back the same way,” Glenn explained. “Walkers might cut me off. If that happens, I won’t go back to Daryl and Finley. I’ll go forward instead. All the way around to that alley where you guys are.”
Glenn looked at Finley and Daryl, then Rick and T-Dog. “Whichever direction I go, I got you in both places to cover me.”
Rick would hesitate, but nod in approval.
“Afterwards, we’ll all meet back here.” Glenn sounded almost worried, but he hid it well.

“Hey, kid, what’d you do before all of this?” Daryl asked. What Glenn was doing seemed impressive. Finley agreed with Daryl, he’s gotta have some experience.

“Delivered pizzas. Why?” Glenn spoke. Finley couldn’t help but choke back a laugh, making everyone look at her. Her smile faded and she went silent quickly.

✦

Finley climbed down a yellow ladder in between Daryl and Glenn. Glenn below her, Daryl above.
After Glenn, Finley reached the end of the ladder and jumped down to the dirty concrete floor. The lighting was dim, and the cloudy skies didn’t help.

Daryl then dropped down after Finley and walked in front of her, hunching over and running behind Glenn to the end of the alleyway.
Finley made sure her knife was tight in her hand as she hunched over, running behind Daryl now as Glenn led them.
They stopped behind a dumpster that was right next to a gate that led to the streets of Atlanta.

Daryl held his crossbow up so he wouldn’t accidentally shoot anyone.
“You got some balls for a chinaman.” Daryl told Glenn. Finley scoffed.
“I’m Korean.” Glenn corrected him.
“Whatever.”
“Shut.” Finley hissed.

Glenn bounced to the door of the gate and Daryl and Finley crouched behind the dumpster. Finley watched Glenn run out of the gate, and her heart beat a bit quicker than it already had been.
Daryl looked at Finley, and he must have picked up that she was nervous.

“You good?” He asked. Finley looked at him.
“Yeah. Just peachy.” She responded, accidentally adding some sarcasm. She almost always used humor to cope when she was nervous. Daryl looked away.
Finley bit her lip. She hoped she didn’t come off as rude.

“Are you good?” Finley asked him. Stupid question. He was obviously good.
Daryl looked back at her.
“Yeah. Doing pretty peachy, too.”
Finley smiled. Daryl chuckled and smiled a bit too.

They continued to hide behind the dumpster, almost starting a conversation just before the noise of footsteps ruined it. Daryl’s smile faded and he got his crossbow ready. Finley tightened her grip on the knife that sat in her fingers, the feeling of comfort already taken away from her.

Daryl and Finley jumped out from the dumpster. Daryl pointed his crossbow, Finley had her knife ready as it could be.
What they saw was a teenage boy with a shaved head. Not a walker, not Glenn, but a boy. Finley lowered her knife and furrowed her eyebrows.

“A kid?” She muttered.
“Woah, don’t shoot me! What do you want?” The kid panicked as Daryl got closer to him with his crossbow aimed;

“Lookin’ for my brother. He’s hurt real bad. You seen ‘im?” Daryl didn’t take his eyes off the kid.

“Ayudame!” The kid yelled as loud as he could, making Finley jump.
“Shut up!” Daryl barked. “You’re gonna bring the geeks down on us. Answer me!”

“Hey, kid, we’re not gonna hurt you–” Finley tried to say before being cut off by another yell from the kid.

“Ayudame!” He yelled again. Was that a name?
“Ayudame!”
“Shut up, kid!” Daryl said again.
“Ayudame!--” Daryl cut the kid off by smacking him with his crossbow, making Finley gasp out of shock.

The kid screamed on the floor as Daryl crouched down and tried to cover his mouth with his hand.
“Shut up, shut up,” Daryl muttered.

Finley stared, shocked until she felt a kick in her spine, making her fall to the ground with a yelp from sudden pain. She saw another man that she’d never seen before running past her and toward the kid and Daryl.

The man who had kicked her from behind stepped to her side and kicked her in the stomach, making her body scrunch up in pain. Daryl looked up and noticed Finley getting beat. His eyes widened and he attempted to stand so he could get the man off of her, but the man that went for him didn’t allow him to.

“Hey!--” Daryl tried to yell at the man kicking Finley but was cut off by the second man kicking him to the ground.
The man hit him with a metal baseball bat, and Finley kept getting kicked over and over until she was dizzy.

Glenn ran through the gate with the guns, not realizing what was happening until he saw Finley and Daryl getting beaten. He then stopped in pure shock. His eyes were wide and he seemed to have frozen in place.
The man beating Daryl spotted the sheriff’s bag in Glenn’s hand.

“That’s it! That’s the bag, vato!” One of the men yelled, causing the kicking in Finley’s body to finally stop. “Take it! Take it!”

They kicked Glenn to the ground and beat him instead.
Finley stood using the strength she had. She grabbed the knife she had dropped from the ground, limped over to the closest guy, and stabbed one of the men in the arm, causing him to scream. Daryl shot the other in the buttcheek, causing more screaming.

They took the bag, and then the man whom Finley had stabbed grabbed the knife out of her hand and threw it toward Daryl. He then kicked her to the ground, again, causing her to hit her head on the dumpster and finally pass out.

The two men worked together to drag her to a red car that had now just stopped in front of the alleyway.
Glenn stood and ran to Daryl, not noticing Finley getting dragged away.

Daryl looked at the kid on the ground to make sure he was still there, and when he looked up, Finley had already been stuffed into the red car, and walkers were approaching both the car and the gate to the alleyway because of the noise.
Daryl finally stood and ran to the gate which was now closed by the walkers pushing on it. The car drove off with Finley inside.

“Come back here!” Daryl yelled angrily. “You sumbitches!”

As soon as the walkers had fully closed the gate, Daryl jumped back. Rick and T-Dog had finally made it to the area, though they were too late.
The kid had stood now. Daryl turned around and stared at him.
Daryl couldn’t hold back anymore and ran to the kid and pushed him to the brick wall with a loud, angry yell.

Glenn stood off to the side, next to the dumpster shocked and confused.

“Woah, woah, woah. Stop it!” Rick spoke, running to Daryl and holding him back away from the kid.

“I’m gonna kick your nuts up in your throat!” Daryl barked, pointing at the kid. T-Dog held the kid against the wall, just as confused as Glenn was.

“Let me go!” The kid yelled.
“Chill out.” T-Dog looked at him.

“They took Finley! That little bastard. That little bastard and his homie friends took Finley!” Daryl yelled yet again. “I’m gonna stomp your ass!”

Chapter Text

Finley’s eyes fluttered open to see only darkness, and she could immediately hear the sounds of men talking. There was a pillowcase or something over her head which covered her vision. She could see where the lights in the room were, and the figures of people, but not much else.
She had woken on a chair to which her ankles and wrists were both tied, which was quite uncomfortable.

Her entire body ached horribly. She had been beaten pretty good, the last she remembered. She also had a raging headache that made her wanna stab herself in the eye.
Finley shut her eyes for a moment, trying to get used to the pulsing headache in the back of her head and the aching she felt mainly in her back and stomach. She could hear the voices of two men, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. She couldn’t tell if it was either English or Spanish, either.

“Hey…” Finley mumbled weakly, getting the two’s attention.

“Is she awake?” One of them whispered to the other.
“I mean she just fucking spoke, so yeah, I think so.” The other man said, making the man beside him feel stupid for even asking.

The man who had just spoken walked up to Finley and snapped in her face, making her jump. The other came up and took the bag off of her head. Finley squeezed her eyes shut, adjusting to the bright light.

“Well, good morning princess. Hope you had a good beauty sleep.” The man who had snapped in her face spoke. The other man stayed pretty quiet for the most part.

“Let me go,” Finley mumbled, keeping her eyes shut. “What do you want?”
“You know what I want? I want that bag of guns your friends who shot our man in the asscheek had.” The chatty man spoke. So that’s what this is about.

“Well, how sad.” Finley’s speech became a bit clearer over time. “You should have taken Glenn. Not me. They aren't gonna come back for me.”
“And why’s that?”
“Cause I met them yesterday. They could care less about if I’m dead or alive. Plus, I’m a woman.” Finley hoped he knew that that last part was sarcasm (for the most part).
The men looked at each other, then the chatty one kept talking.
“Well, we’ll just have to see about that.” He said before looking at his friend with a nod. Suddenly darkness covered the world around her again.

✦

Maybe around thirty minutes had passed, and Finley had just been sitting there. Alone in that damn wooden chair. It was a very uncomfortable chair, by the way. It made her back hurt more than it already did.
She stared into the small gaps in the fabric that covered her head. She could see a few boarded-up windows and one single light. The room was dim and gloomy. It was small and looked like a basic storage room. She was probably in a basement because you know, you’re always gonna end up in a basement when you get kidnapped, right?

Finley thought she was going completely insane listening to the extremely loud silence before she heard a door behind her open and footsteps shuffling quickly and loudly.
The fabric on her head was suddenly pulled off, making her squint again at the light. She heard duct tape being ripped off of a roll of it.

“Jesus, what’s the big hurry–” She tried to say before a big gray piece of tape was put onto her mouth. Finley attempted to yell at them through it. What the hell was this all about?

She could feel them untying her ankles, which made another part of her body sore once the pressure was gone. They untied her wrists and told her to stand up but not move, and she listened.
They tied her wrists back up behind her back and then put the bag back over her head. Two of the maybe four or five men grabbed her by the arms and began dragging her. She continued to yell at them through the tape, attempting to resist but failing miserably.

Her thoughts rushed. Were they going to kill her? Maybe cut her up into little pieces and eat her– or throw her off of a building? Maybe something worse?

Finley could feel stairs below her feet as they climbed them. God, they were gonna throw her off of a building.
She suddenly heard one of the men open a door and felt a large gust of cold wind. She could feel the sun on her skin. She squinted through the bag, the sunlight making it through the thin fabric.
They came to a stop. Not at the edge of any building, as they had just gotten through the door. She could hear faint voices from below her. She knew she was on a rooftop. She was so gonna be sacrificed.

She suddenly heard a voice from below which was louder than the rest of the speaking.
“Oye!” It called. She began being forced to walk forward.

Once they stopped, the man on her right pulled the bag off of her head. She saw a very, very far drop. She was at the edge of a building.
She wasn’t afraid, or sad– she was angry. She didn’t like being forced to do things. She tried to yell “What the fuck?”, but it came out all muffled due to the duct tape.
She looked at the people on the ground, and she realized that she recognized a few. Rick, Glenn, Daryl. She didn’t see T-Dog.

She could see anger on Daryl’s face. Anxiousness on Glenn’s, nothing on Rick’s.
A man she didn’t recognize began to speak to the three, but she couldn’t figure out what they were saying.

Finley tried to refrain from doing anything stupid, but she couldn’t help it. She attempted to kick one of the men’s knees. It didn’t work too well. The two men both kicked her at the same time in her inner knee, causing her to fall pretty hard on the ledge of the roof right on her knees. Her face scrunched in pain.
She could hear Daryl yell “Hey!”, then that was the last thing she could make out of what they had been saying.

Finley heard the sound of a gate closing below her. That’s when the bag went back over her head, and she was forced to stand up again. She was turned around oddly aggressively, then they began to walk the same way that they had originally come from.

✦

Finley didn’t bother to resist it anymore. She was back on the wooden chair in the gloomy room with her wrists and ankles tied.
She’d been sitting there for a while. It’d been at least another twenty minutes since she was dragged up to the roof. Had her group left her? If they had come to get her, she would’ve been out by now. She had been left behind, hadn’t she?

She once again heard the door open. She tried to sigh, but the tape didn’t let her.
Somehow, this entrance didn’t feel aggressive. If it were, the footsteps would be more all over. These sounded calmer.

The bag was pulled off of her head.
She saw a skinny man walk in front of her. He looked familiar, somehow…
Finley thought about where she’d seen him from– then she finally got it. It was the guy who had been talking to Glenn, Rick, and Daryl. That’s where she remembered him from.

The skinny man took a look at her, saw the tape, and immediately looked at one of the men behind her, annoyed.

“I thought I told you to take that damn tape off of her mouth.” He spoke. The skinny man sighed and walked up close to Finley.

“May I take the tape off?” He asked her. Finley found it weird that he asked. She nodded slowly, confused.
He reached for her face, which only made her slightly uncomfortable, and ripped the tape off.

“Shit!” Finley yelled. No warning or anything? He just ripped it off. Probably ripped her lips off along with it. “Jesus!”
The man put his hands up and backed away from her, the tape in his right hand.
“Sorry.” He said. Finley sighed successfully this time, her mouth stinging.

The skinny man looked behind him and saw a metal stool. He took a step closer to it, grabbed it by the seat, and dragged it in front of Finley, who was still tied up to the chair. The stool screamed against the floor, making Finley wince.
He let go of the stool and finally sat, staring at Finley in silence. Finley furrowed her eyebrows, still just as confused as she had been this entire time.
There was a long pause. That same loud silence that Finley couldn’t bear.

“We’re not gonna hurt you.” The skinny man finally said, breaking the silence. Finley didn’t believe him.

“You were hanging me off of a damn roof about twenty minutes ago.” Finley stared at him, skeptical.

The skinny man sighed.
“That bag of guns your friends have– we need that.” He said. “We weren’t gonna drop you, we just needed them to think we would.”

Finley still didn’t believe them. She was slowly getting there, but not yet. He looked at one of the men behind Finley, paused, and looked back at her.

“If we untie these knots ‘round your arms and legs, will you try anything?” He asked. Finley narrowed her eyes.
She paused. “No.” She had to admit, these knots were really tight, and they hurt a lot. She wanted them off. He looked at one of his men again and nodded, standing up from the stool and leaving her to stare at the messiness of the room in front of her yet again.

Finley felt the knots around her wrists being untied, and then she saw some men bending down in front of her ankles to untie those as well. She felt one of the ropes around her wrists finally fall and she twisted her wrist around, thankful for the ability to move it again.
She could feel each limb one by one being untied, and she twisted each one around to make sure she still could.

Finley didn’t stand from the chair she’d been sitting in for a while now. She watched the skinny man walk in front of her yet again.

“I’m Guillermo.” He said. Finley didn’t say anything back.
“You got a name?” He then asked after a long pause.
Finley sighed, again. “Finley.”
“You can stand up, Finley.” He spoke. Finley stayed seated. “We ain’t gon’ hurt you.”
Finley glared at him for a moment before finally slowly standing up. Guillermo nodded as a greeting, and Finley did the same as she bit the inside of her cheek.

“Follow me. You can see what this place really is.” He began to walk toward the door. Finley stared at him, watching his men follow him. She sighed again and finally gave in. Her legs began moving after him, toward the door.

✦

Finley followed the men through an alleyway that led to a tiny field. What she saw confused her. Old people? She furrowed her eyebrows.
They continued to some steel stairs which led to a path along the walls of the brick buildings surrounding them.
They walked through a door leading to a long hallway, and many voices.
As they walked through the hall, Finley stared into the open doors on each side. There were older people reading books, being given medicine, sleeping, they were everywhere.

“This place was an old folks’ home. Before all of this.” Guillermo spoke from the front of the line. “When the world went to shit, all the staff just left these people for dead– knowing they can’t fend for themselves.”
Finley frowned. She loved old people. She thought they were adorable. She would have easily stayed to help them, even if it meant her life.

They all paused, walking into a very large room where voices flooded all over. Older people sat at the many tables in the room. They played cards, talked, many things that she could see them doing.

“You can sit anywhere. One of our folks’ will probably come talk to you.” Guillermo stopped, turning and looking at Finley. “Let us know if you need anything to eat or drink.”
Finley nodded, and they walked past her, into the hall again and through the door they entered from.

The room smelled like that typical old people smell. She loved it. It made her feel like she was ten and visiting her grandma in the nursing home again.

Finley dodged the old and young people walking around the room. Some stared at her, some didn’t even acknowledge her. She walked to the nearest empty table and pulled a plastic folding chair out from the table, sitting down and beginning to admire the area she was in.

✦

Finley fidgeted with her fingers, zoning out on the eighth minute of sitting.
She thought about whether her group would come back. They had before, but would they again? If it risked the guns, or themselves?

“Excuse me?” Finley heard the feminine voice of an elder. She looked up to see a wrinkly woman with tan skin and gray hair that went to her shoulders.
Finley smiled softly at the sight. “Hi.”
“Are you the new young white girl I heard about?” She asked. Finley almost laughed at the title.
“Maybe.” Finley didn’t know how many white girls were here, but she didn’t see too many. The woman smiled and sat down across from her.

“How are you doing, sweetie?” She spoke.
“I’m doing good, how are you?” A laugh mixed into Finley’s sentence.
“I’m good, thank you.” She replied, light from the windows reflecting off of her shiny red-framed glasses. “What’s your name?” The old woman looked at Finley, seeming to be quite happy to talk to her.
“Finley. What’s yours?”
“Rose.”
“That’s beautiful,” Finley told her, making her smile.
“Thank you very much.” Rose nodded. They both paused.
Rose continued. “Am I the first person you’ve talked to?”
Finley nodded. “Pretty much.”
“Oh. Well, it’s good you found me first. I can warn you about some of the people in here.” Rose spoke, whispering while saying the last part. Finley laughed.
“Is that so?” Finley spoke. Rose nodded. “Like who?”
Rose paused, then leaned in a bit closer to Finley from across the table. Finley took the hint and did the same.
“Well, Jonathan,” She pointed to a man about two tables away from them. “Once you get to talking with him, you never stop. He always brings up his grandchildren and children, and he ends up talking for hours and you can never escape.”
Finley laughed yet again. “I’ll make sure to watch out,” Finley spoke. Rose nodded, a very serious look on her face. It was a little funny.
“Oh, and Mary–” Rose was interrupted by heavy breathing coming from the back of the room, then some non-elder voices asking for medicine.
Finley looked past Rose and saw an older man sitting down with his hand on his chest while elder and non-elder helped him and comforted him.

A concerned look was painted onto Finley’s face. “Is he okay?”
Rose paused, staring at him. “He’s having an asthma attack. It happens often.”
Finley stared at him. “Should we go help him?”
Rose nodded and stood. Finley stood after her and followed her to the crowd around the man.

“Where’s his medicine?” One of the non-elders spoke.
“Felipe has it.” One of the old, short women spoke. She had white-gray hair which was slicked back and a blue gown.
“Would you mind getting him? Quickly. He needs it now.” The non-elder spoke, his hand on the older man’s shoulder while he struggled to breathe. The old woman nodded and began waddling as fast as possible toward the exit.

Finley pushed through the crowd and bent down in front of the man as he kept his hand on his heart.

“Hey, hey,” Finley spoke gently. The man looked at her. The crowd of elders and the non-elders both stared at her in confusion. None of them really knew who she was, except for Rose. “Breath. They’re getting your medicine. You’re gonna be just fine.”
The man tried his best to take longer breaths, which he was just barely successful with.
Finley frowned and grabbed one of his hands. She didn’t really know how to comfort someone who was having an asthma attack, but she did her best.

Soon, a man who looked familiar came with an inhaler.
Oh. It was the guy Daryl shot in the ass.

“Alright. Nice and easy. Just breathe.” The man said, giving the old man having the asthma attack his inhaler. Finley continued to hold the old man’s hand, not noticing that her group was literally right behind her and had in fact come back for her.

Finley jumped when she heard the voice of Rick Grimes behind her.
“What the hell is this?” He asked her in a half-whisper. She turned her head to look at him.
“Well, hello, Officer Friendly,” Finley spoke, her eyebrows raised. “Asthma attack.”

“We thought you were bein’ eaten by dogs, girl.” T-Dog stared at her, both surprise and confusion on his face. Finley furrowed her brows and looked at a dog bed where 3 chihuahuas lay. One barked at them.

Rick turned around. “Could I have a word with you?” Rick muttered to Guillermo, dragging him away. Finley looked back at the old man she held hands with who was slowly catching his breath.

After Guillermo and Rick’s whisper conversation, Finley heard her name from Rick. She said goodbye to the old man in front of her and stood, following Rick, Daryl, Glenn, T-Dog, and Guillermo out of the room.

✦

Finley was the last in line to walk into a small, messy room. Rick placed the bag of guns in his hands down on a floral couch.

“What about the rest of your crew?” Rick asked Guillermo.
“The vatos trickle in to check on their parents, their grandparents. They see how things are and most decide to stay. It’s a good thing, too, we need the muscle.” Guillermo explained. “The people we’ve encountered since things fell apart, the worst kind. Plunderers. The kind that take by force.”

“That’s not who we are,” Rick spoke.
“How was I to know? My people got attacked and you show up with Miguel hostage,–” Guillermo hesitated. “Appearances.” He looked at T-Dog.

“Guess the world changed,” T-Dog spoke with a sigh as he leaned against the wall.
“No. It’s the same as it ever was. The weak get taken.” Guillermo looked at Rick and Rick sighed. Finley bit her lip.
“So we do what we can here,” Guillermo added. “The vatos work on those cars, talk about getting the old people out of the city– but most can’t even get to the bathroom by themselves, so that’s just a dream.” Finley frowned.
He continued. “Still, it keeps the crew busy. That’s worth somethin’.” Everyone paused. “So we barred all the windows, welded all the doors shut except for one entrance. The vatos, they go out, scavenge what they can to keep us going. We watch the perimeter night and day and we wait. The people here, they all look to me now.” He shrugged, looking slightly disappointed in himself. “I don’t even know why.”
Rick stared at him. “Because they can.”
Silence filled the room as everyone stared at each other. Rick looked at the large gun in his hand and held it out to Guillermo. Nobody complained. Daryl probably thought about it, but it wasn’t a good time.
Guillermo took the gun and admired it. Rick then reached into the sheriff’s bag and gave him about three or four more, along with a bunch of ammo.

There was a pause. “Thank you.” Said Guillermo, looking at Rick.
“I hope you guys can fulfill that dream of yours,” Rick spoke. Guillermo nodded in thanks.
Rick stared at Guillermo for one last second before looking at Glenn, T-Dog, Daryl, and Finley. Rick then nodded, and the five of them slowly began stepping out of the room.

✦

The five of them walked the path they had gone on when they had just gotten to Atlanta to find the truck.

“Admit it. You only came back for the hat.” Glenn said, referring to the large hat which Rick wore on his head.
“Don’t tell anybody.” Rick played along. Finley smiled.

“You’ve given away half our guns and ammo,” Daryl spoke. Finley, who was between Rick and Daryl, was forced to listen.
“Not nearly half,” Rick argued.
“For what? Bunch of old farts who are gonna die off momentarily anyhow? Seriously, how long you think they got?”
Finley butt in. “Those people needed them, too. Maybe even more than we do.”
Daryl shut his mouth.

They walked around the corner, onto the train tracks where they had left the van. Or where they thought they had left it.

Everyone stopped, staring at the spot where the van once was.

“Shit.” Finley sighed. The van was gone.
“Oh my god,” Glenn spoke.
“Where the hell’s our van?” Said Daryl next.
“We left it right there, who would take it?” Glenn panicked.

“Merle.” Rick said, a hint of anger in his voice. Finley threw her head back and squeezed her eyes shut in annoyance.

“Shit!” Finley exclaimed into the sky, taking a step back.

Fucking Merle.

Chapter Text

Charlie sat around a fire which many others sat around as well. She was in between Dale and Fisher, the people she mainly spoke to. The orange glow of the fire lit up the dark world around her and the others. Around the fire also sat Andrea, Amy, Carol, Sophia, Carl, Jacqui, Jim, etc. All of the people you'd guess would be there, too. Other than Ed. Shane had beaten the shit out of him earlier that day, and he was resting in his tent with a black and blue face.

They all passed around some cooked fish in a metal pot, each person taking a piece and tossing it into their mouth.

Dale passed it to Charlie who was next in line, and Charlie passed it to Fisher without taking a piece. Dale furrowed his eyebrows.

"I think you forgot to grab a piece." He spoke.

"Not hungry." She lied. She was extremely hungry, but didn't want to take food she didn't need. The others needed it more than her. She figured she'd gone longer without eating, thanks to her sweet ol' momma.

"C'mon. Don't do that." Dale tilted his head. He looked at Fisher who had been staring at the two of them with the pot in his hand. "Fisher, give 'er a piece."

Without hesitation, Fisher reached into the pot for a slice of fish, but Charlie interrupted before he could grab anything. "No. I'm fine, really." She spoke. Fisher stared at her, then Dale, waiting for an order.

"Fisher. Grab the damn fish." Dale said, getting slightly impatient. Fisher listened and grabbed a piece of fish, then held it out for Charlie. Charlie sighed and took the meat, shoving it into her mouth and chewing. She looked at Dale and gave him an obvious fake smile with her eyes widened. She then relaxed her face, annoyed. Dale chuckled.

Amy stood up from her chair, not saying a word. Andrea stared up at her.

"Where are you going?" Andrea asked. Amy paused, looking at her.

"I have to pee," Amy spoke in a loud-whisper voice. Fisher cracked a smile. "Jeez, you try to be discreet around here..." Everyone laughed at her words– especially Carl and Fisher, them basically having the same maturity level.

✦

Fisher was telling some story that had been making everyone laugh their butts off. It was a story about Fisher's brother that Charlie had heard a million times. She tuned him and the laughs around her out, zoning out on the fire. She became weirdly aware of the heat in front of her and the cold on her back from the night. The crickets in the forest were suddenly loud, along with the hoot of an owl.

Fisher's story must have ended a while ago because she felt a tap on the shoulder coming from his direction, and someone else was talking now. She looked to her right and saw Fisher looking right back at her.

"You okay?" He asked. Charlie nodded.

The sound of the R.V. door slamming open caught everyone's attention. Amy stood in the doorway, her arm extended to hold the door open.

"Seriously? No toilet paper?" She called from the R.V. Those were her last words, just before a walker came out of nowhere and blood began spilling from her arm. Charlie's eyes widened as Amy screamed.

Suddenly, walkers began pouring into the camp. Charlie stayed seated, staring at the sight in shock and the screaming began to spread. People scattered. Charlie stayed put.

Shane grabbed a shotgun and began shooting at the walkers' heads. Charlie couldn't move. All she did was stare at the sudden chaos in front of her and as well as behind her.

The feeling of something grabbing Charlie by the shoulder from behind woke her from her trance. Charlie screamed as she heard the moans of a dead one next to her ear.

Just before Charlie became something's dinner, the moaning from the walker suddenly stopped. Charlie looked up and saw Fisher pulling a knife out of the walker's skull, which now fell to the ground behind her. Fisher looked at the walker, then at Charlie.

Fisher helped Charlie up, feeling her hands shake. He put his hands on her upper arms, staring into her widened eyes. "Are you okay?"

Charlie couldn't answer.

"Charlie." Fisher shook her, in an attempt to make her say something– but she still couldn't move or speak.

✦

Finley hiked up the road behind the four men she'd been with the past day. Her legs hurt. She'd always hated hiking.

It was dark already. They'd been walking for hours and hours. It felt like days to Finley.

"We're gettin' close," Rick announced. Finley looked up and finally spotted the camp up the mountain, though it still seemed so far.

They walked and walked, and walked. Until...

Gunshots were fired from the camp. Finley furrowed her eyebrows. Rick stopped, along with the rest of them.

"Oh my god." He muttered before beginning to run without a thought. The others did too. Finley stopped, preparing herself.

She sighed and began to chase after them.

✦

The five of them walked into chaos. Screaming, shooting, and the dead. Rick, T-Dog, Glenn, and Daryl began to shoot immediately. Finley reached into her pocket and didn't feel anything. No knife, gun, anything. The old folks' home took her weapons.

Finley looked up in panic. "Hey! Give me a damn gun!" She tried to yell, but Rick, who had the sheriff's bag, was already shooting his own gun.

"Shit!" She exclaimed before running toward the R.V., looking to improvise.

She rushed inside the vehicle and began going through cabinets and drawers.

"Come on..." She muttered. She opened one of the bottom pantries and saw a pan. She picked it up. That'll have to do.

She raced out of the R.V. and looked around. Death, dead, and more death. She looked beside her and saw a dead girl walking up to her, looking for a meal.

"Not fucking today," Finley muttered. She walked up to the dead girl and used her very little arm strength to lift the pan into the air and swung it into the walker's skull. The walker fell to the ground, bleeding from the head and it moaned a bit more, not completely gone yet.

Finley stared at the walker and laughed. "I'm like fuckin' Rapunzel now." She took another swing at the walker's head

✦

"Charlie!" Fisher shook Charlie again, finally bringing her back to reality.

Charlie looked around, watching guns being fired and weapons being swung into the heads of the dead. Women and children screamed around her.

She exhaled sharply through her nose, noticing Rick come out of the bushes with a bag of guns around his shoulder.

She escaped Fisher's grasp and walked toward Rick, faintly hearing Fisher call her name behind her. She didn't even ask to grab a gun out of the bag Rick carried– she just grabbed the first one she saw.

Charlie positioned the gun up to her eye so she could aim, and then shot a walker who was about to take a bite out of one of the women of the camp.

✦

Finley was almost having fun. She liked the pan. It was honestly pretty surprising that it worked. Of course, it usually took a few hits to actually knock a dead one down, but it was still pretty effective.

Finley looked beside her and saw a woman get her flesh torn out of her neck. Finley froze as she watched the blood pour. She didn't know if the pause was from shock, or if she was confused, or what.

Too distracted to notice, a walker stumbled toward Finley from behind. The walker grabbed her arm and woke her up.

"Shit!" Finley screamed. Just before the walker could take a bite, an arrow went through the skull of the dead man. The body fell to the floor immediately, loosening its grip.

Finley looked in the direction the arrow came from. Daryl stood where she looked with a crossbow in his arms. He nodded to her just before running off.

✦

Fisher stabbed his knife into the head of another walker. He glanced at Charlie who had a gun in her hand, staring for a second before looking at what was in front of him. A walker screamed in his face.

He yelped, backing up and letting the walker trip over a rock. He kneeled down and stabbed it in the head. He swallowed a ball of air before standing up, on guard for any more of the dead.

Fisher looked to his side, seeing Finley who had just run off with a... Pan? Odd choice.

He looked in a separate direction. What he saw was Amy getting bit again, but this time in the shoulder. Andrea was tripping and screaming to get to her. Jim slammed a baseball bat into the walker which was biting Amy and Amy collapsed once it let go of her, blood spilling from her shoulder and arm.

Fisher watched in sorrow as Andrea finally made it to Amy, screaming and trying to cover Amy's wounds as Amy struggled to breathe. He didn't know if he should help or not. What would he do? There's nothing he can do. Amy was gone at that point.

✦

Finley heard Shane trying to gather people, then Charlie pushing people to him and shooting any walkers she could see. Finley ran toward the group in front of Charlie.

"You're all going to be fine. Just listen to me." Charlie announced through the screams, beginning to get impatient due to the people panicking instead of listening to her.

Finley stepped forward, in front of the group.

"Hey!" Finley yelled as loud as she could, drawing the group's attention. Charlie paused, staring at Finley, before taking the opportunity and beginning to gather them with Shane.

Finley backed away as she watched the group finally follow Charlie toward Shane.

She then began to look around yet again, hoping to see someone she could help out.

She didn't see anyone until she saw Fisher, who looked frozen. Finley furrowed her eyebrows and jogged over to him.

"You okay?" She asked before looking in the direction he seemed to be. She covered her mouth in shock to see Amy and Andrea. Amy was bleeding out on the ground, and Andrea sobbed above her.

"Oh my god," Finley muttered.

People began crowding around the R.V. off of Shane's orders, each one staring at Amy and Andrea.

Gunshots continued, and walkers kept coming out of the trees.

Finley looked at the walkers coming straight their way. "Fisher, come on," Finley spoke. He looked at her, then at the walkers, and backed away with her.

Finley and Fisher let the people with guns shoot the walkers. They both knew they couldn't help with a knife and a pan. Finley stared at the walking corpses as they each fell to the ground one by one.

Eventually, they were all down, and it was safe to walk again. Fisher went off to Charlie, saying words to her that Finley couldn't hear. Carl hugged his dad, sobbing, along with Lori, too.

Finley looked at all the bodies on the ground. Some had already been dead for a while, some had just died. It sucked. Finley felt a stab in her chest every time she saw one of their people on the ground.

Finley looked at Amy and Andrea. Amy was still gasping for air. Her own blood was spread over her entire neck. Amy took a few more short gasps for air, and let her last one out slowly. Her entire body relaxed. Andrea began to realize, shaking her head and sobbing. She then screamed her sister's name, realizing what had happened but not wanting to accept it.

✦

The early risen sun shone on the mountains. Finley hadn't slept last night, as well as probably most other people in the camp.

Finley sat against a tree, her head tilted upward against it. She stared at the blue sky, the night before replaying over and over in her head.

Andrea was still sitting next to Amy's bloody, pale body. Amy would wake up soon, but not as herself. Though Andrea knew this very well, she still refused to move. It worried everyone.

From afar, Finley spotted Lori squatting down next to Andrea, probably taking a shot at convincing Andrea to step away from her sister. Amy's body was the last one they hadn't dragged out of the open, and Andrea wouldn't let them as long as she was sitting right there.

Daryl stabbed each dead one in the head with a pickaxe. Everyone had a different job. The dead that hadn't been a part of the camp were tossed into a pile to burn, and the ones that were were buried where Jim had apparently dug a bunch of holes during the day yesterday.

Finley didn't want to help. She did, but she didn't. She didn't want to have to stab, burn, or bury any bodies. She knew it was what had to be done, but she didn't want to. The only thing she would be able to think about is that the bodies she tossed were all alive at one point– and it crushed her.

Finley looked back at Andrea. Rick began to walk toward her, presumably to try to talk her into letting them take care of Amy as Lori had done. But, as soon as he got close enough for Andrea to notice– she pulled a gun out on him. She muttered something to him, and Rick slowly walked away, nodding.

✦

Finley continued to stare at the sky, her hands resting on her knees which were curled up halfway to her chest.

Finley could hear fire burning, people talking, the sound of birds in the forest, and soon footsteps coming closer and closer toward her.

Finley adjusted her neck to look in front of her, and she saw Charlie with a blood-stained shirt on and a gray bandana around her neck. She stopped before her, and Finley had to look up to make eye contact.

There was silence between them as they stared at each other. It was almost as if Charlie wanted Finley to say something.

"You need something?" Finley spoke, her eyes finally getting a rest due to Charlie's figure covering up the sun.

"Why are you just sittin' here?" Charlie put her hands on her hips. Finley shrugged.

"I dunno," Finley said blankly.

"Shouldn't you be helping?"

"I mean, nobody has asked me to."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't."

Finley blinked. Was she arguing with her?

"Sorry?" Finley spoke, a confused tone in her voice.

"We've got probably dozens of dead ones that need to be stabbed then buried or burned. It's taking long enough as it is, might as well try to help speed it up." Charlie explained.

Finley paused. "Well, um– I don't really want to." She spoke slowly and hesitantly.

"Just get up and help, damn it." Charlie broke eye contact, squinting due to the sun as she looked to her left.

Finley paused, sighed, and stood, now towering over Charlie by at least a few inches and allowing the sun to shine into her eyes once again.

"I'm up. Happy?" Finley lifted her arms about three inches and let them fall to her sides and make a thumping noise.

"Extremely." Charlie smiled in a very passive-aggressive manner and walked away. Finley sighed and began to step after her.

✦

Finley dragged a dead one toward the fire and pushed it in. She shouldn't be dragging them. She didn't know everyone in the camp, and she'd probably burned a few of the ones that were meant to be buried.

She exhaled heavily as she released the body into the fire. It was heavy, and Finley wasn't very strong.

As Finley stood in place to catch her breath, Daryl and Glenn came by and threw another in. Glenn walked away and Daryl almost did too before he saw Finley panting.

"You alright?" He asked her. Finley looked at him.

"Yeah, I'm good." She waved her hand before putting it back on her hip. He nodded.

"You want some help?" Daryl offered. Finley stared at him for a moment.

"Yeah, sure." She said, astonished by the fact that he wanted to offer her any kind of help.

Before the two could even move, they heard Jacqui yelling to the group, her voice slightly trembling.

"A walker got 'im. A walker bit Jim!" Jacqui announced as she backed away from the bitten man, who looked disappointed yet also slightly afraid. Jim began to back away as well.

People who had been taking care of the mess from the night before began to gather, staring at Jim.

Finley walked up next to Morales, staring. Daryl soon walked past her.

"Show it to us," Daryl ordered, keeping his distance from Jim as he walked. "Show it to us."

Jim gripped his shovel, getting overwhelmed by the circle forming around him.

"Easy, Jim," Shane spoke.

"Grab 'im!" Daryl called.

T-Dog ran up behind Jim and held him back, allowing Daryl to come up and lift his shirt. Underneath it revealed deep, bloody teeth marks. Jim repeated that he was okay, despite the wound. Finley crossed her arms, her eyebrows furrowed in sympathy.

T-Dog let go of Jim after the confirmation that he was bitten, allowing him to stand free. Daryl backed up.

"I'm okay. I'm okay." Jim repeated for the millionth time.

Chapter Text

Jim sat on the end of the R.V., far away from where the rest of the group was talking. Finley noticed him staring, though she couldn't read his face. Maybe he was anxious. Probably.

Finley stood at the end of a circle formed by the people she met in Atlanta for the first time– Plus Lori. And Daryl, whom Carol separated Finley from.

Finley's back was facing Jim, which made it painfully obvious when she glanced at him over her shoulder. She knew how she'd feel if she was in his shoes, so she tried to stop staring and focused on the circle of people in front of her.

"I say we put a pickaxe in his head, and the dead girls and be done with it," Daryl spoke, his voice low but loud enough for the group of people around him to hear.

"Is that what you'd want if it were you?" Shane replied, his cap causing a shadow on his face as he stared at Daryl.

"Yeah, and I'd thank you while you did it." Daryl stared right back.

"I hate to say it– never thought I would, but maybe Daryl's right," Dale spoke up with hesitance in his voice. Finley frowned.

"Why don't we let Jim choose his own fate?" Finley offered with slight annoyance or anger hinted in her tone.

"He ain't just gonna choose to die. He was just trying to convince us he was fine with a bite mark clear on his rib." Daryl argued.

"You don't know that. I know I'd choose to get shot or somethin' rather than turning into one of those things." Finley argued back.

"Jim's not a monster or some rabid dog." Rick interrupted their argument. "He's a sick, sick man. We start down that road, where do we draw the line?" His voice got more and more aggressive as a few people's faces twisted in agreement with Daryl instead of Finley or Rick.

"The line's pretty clear. Zero tolerance for walkers, or them to be." Daryl's voice raised a bit louder.

"What if we can get him help?" Rick offered, desperation in his voice. Finley furrowed her eyebrows. "I heard the CDC's working on a cure."

"Heard that too. I heard a lot of things before the world went to hell." Shane added.

"What if the CDC is still up and running?" Rick looked at Shane for an opinion. Finley's face lifted in hope.

"Man that is a stretch right there." Shane sighed.

"If there's any government left, any structure at all, I think they'd protect the CDC at all costs. It's our best shot." Rick spoke fast and determined, hoping to convince the rest of the group. "Shelter, protection–"

"Okay, Rick, you want those things, alright? I do too, okay? Now if they exist– they're at the army base, Fort Benning." Shane interrupted.

"That's one hundred miles in the other direction," Lori spoke, her face showing doubt all over.

"That is right. But it's away from the hot zone. Now listen to me. If that place is operational, it'll be heavily armed. We'll be safe there." Shane explained.

"The military were on the front lines of this thing. It got overrun, we've seen that. The CDC is our best chance, and Jim's only chance." Rick argued.

Though she said she wouldn't, Finley glanced back at Jim one last time, who was still anxiously staring especially after his name was mentioned.

"You go lookin' for aspirin, do what you need to do." Daryl slowly turned around toward Jim. "Someone needs to have some balls to take care of this damn problem!" He ran to Jim, his pickaxe ready to stab, before he froze.

Rick pointed his gun at Daryl's head, causing everyone to pause.

"We don't kill the living," Rick spoke through his teeth. Daryl narrowed his eyes at Rick, slowly putting his pickaxe down as Shane stood on the other side of him, covering Jim.

"That's funny comin' from a man who just put a gun to my head," Daryl spoke.

"We may disagree on some things. Not on this. You put it down." Shane looked at Daryl's pickaxe. "Go on."

Daryl slammed the pickaxe on the floor with a grunt, releasing his grunt and giving Rick a dirty look.

Daryl walked away, and Rick walked toward Jim and put a hand on his shoulder. They were speaking too quietly for Finley to hear, so she switched her gaze to the people scattering in different directions as she stood in place with her arms crossed.

She couldn't figure out what kind of person Daryl was. Was he a good person or a bad one? He showed both sides. She sighed, slightly annoyed with the guy.

✦

Charlie hadn't been allowed to join the circle that had formed not long ago. She wanted to, but Dale said it was "Adults only".

Once the people scattered, Charlie hurried over to Dale.

"What are we gonna do? About Jim? Amy?" She asked, her words flying out of her mouth. Dale ignored her, walking toward the R.V.

Charlie furrowed her eyebrows. "Where are you going?" She asked, catching up to him.

"I'm gonna talk to Andrea. Pay my respects." Dale answered. "You should too."

"There's not really any point in it..." Charlie spoke slowly, hesitant.

"Then don't come with me."

Charlie stopped, and he kept walking. She scoffed. "Jeez."

Charlie watched Dale sit down next to Andrea and Amy, and she could tell he was talking about something serious. Just by his face, and his body language.

He was probably talking about Irma. His wife, and the closest thing Charlie had to a mom. It sucked that she was gone, but at least she was gone before she would have to experience this new world. Charlie definitely wished that she was still here, but she wouldn't want to see her get torn up.

As soon as Dale stood up and walked away, Charlie did the same.

✦

Finley pushed her last dead one from the night before into the burning fire, then put her hands on her hips, panting like a dog in the hot sun.

She turned around to look at what everyone else was doing, and she saw something that was... Kind of sad.

Amy's hand was lifted, her fingers brisking Andrea's cheek.

"Oh no," Finley spoke under her breath, a sad tone in her voice. Her words caused other people to look and react exactly as she had.

Andrea's face was dangerously close to Amy's as she muttered words to her dead-alive corpse that Finley couldn't hear.

Amy's hand lifted to the back of Andrea's head and gripped her hair. Finley looked around and saw many, many other people watching. Some had their hands over their guns just in case.

Andrea leaned back with her hands on the back of Amy's head, holding her back as Amy weakly sat up, her mouth open for a bite of Andrea's flesh. Amy only got more and more aggressive as Andrea stared into her dead eyes, muttering things she wanted to tell her before she was completely gone.

Shane and Rick walked closer, ready to shoot if something went wrong, but Andrea did it for them. She put her forehead to Amy's and a gun next to her sister's ear, and shot. Amy fell back to the ground.

✦

After a whole lot of tears and a whole lot of covered-up bodies, the burial Finley and the rest of the camp had attended was finally finished.

Finley walked down the hill which led back to the camp. She couldn't with the dead and crying. She was very glad it was over.

Though she didn't want to be there for the burial, it doesn't mean she didn't feel horrible and sad for her people. She did, cause she was still human. She was heartbroken, but she didn't quite show it.

Finley looked to her left and in the corner of her eye saw Daryl Dixon. She sighed and walked up to him, getting in the way of his path so he'd pause his walking.

"You need somethin'?" Daryl asked, staring at her.

"Could you be any less disrespectful?" Finley spoke, her hands placed on her hips.

"What?" He blinked.

"You telling Rick and Shane to burn the bodies of our people. Saying that in front of their friends and families. Telling everyone to just kill Jim. Probably more."

"I said those things cause it's what shoulda' been done–"

"We didn't do it because those are our people. Our friends." Finley swore she could feel smoke beginning to blow out of her ears like a cartoon character. "I get that you're trying to help, but you aren't. You're hurting the people of our camp and acting like you're the only person in the world."

Daryl's face scrunched up. "Hey, listen here–" He slowly began to raise his voice before Finley interrupted.

"No! You don't get to tell me or Rick what to do because we are the people who make choices that are actually good for the camp. You're just making everything worse than it already is." Finley scowled. "You need to quit being such a dick for once. It'll be good for the rest of us." Finley added, her voice lowering.

Finley restricted herself from saying any more than she already had and walked on past him, leaving him standing there with a scrunched-up face.

✦

Finley wanted to bang her head against a wall. She couldn't, because there weren't any walls around her. Maybe a tree would work. Or the R.V.

Finley, leaning against the back of one of the cars. She dragged her finger down the flat thick part of a knife that had been given to her in replacement for the old one. It was a pocket knife that had evidently not been sharpened recently, but she'd make it work.

"Hey." Finley heard from a voice to her right. She looked up to see Lori walking toward her and then coming to a stop. Finley liked Lori. She was glad the voice was her instead of someone she didn't quite like as much.

"Hi," Finley replied blankly, folding up her knife.

"You alright?" Lori asked, putting her hands in her back jeans pockets. Finley shrugged with a head tilt.

"Been better."

"I get it. Everything that's been goin' on, I'm not sure how I feel either." Lori spoke.

Finley nodded in agreement. It was a bit overwhelming. The walkers, the dead, Jim getting bit, all this talk of going to a place that's probably gone– Finley just wanted some quiet time.

"You think the CDC or... Fort Benning, or something, would work? Be safer?" Finley caressed her folded knife in circles with her thumb, looking for something to distract her from any nervous feelings she was being forced to feel.

Lori sighed. "I don't know, hon. It might." She shrugged, squinting a bit to block out the sun. "I think we should give it a try. Knowing what we went through last night– the camp getting attacked..."

"Right. I guess you're right." Finley spoke softly, a weight she didn't know was there being lifted off of her shoulders. Lori gave her a soft smile.

"Come on. Let's head over to everyone else, alright?" Lori pointed in the direction of the campfire with a tilt of her head. Finley nodded and began to walk, Lori rubbing a circle on her back when she passed by.

✦

Finley sat by Lori in front of a campfire where a half circle of people sat along with them. The sun was beginning to set, though it wasn't quite dark yet.

Andrea was asleep on a chair next to Morales' family, and on the other side of her was Finley, Lori, and Lori's son, Carl. Next to Lori sat Carol and her daughter Sophia. Carol's husband had passed away the night before due to the dead, but Finley didn't feel too bad for him. She hadn't heard great things.

Lori sharpened a stick with a knife for reasons that were unknown to Finley. Lori and Carol were sitting on two seats which they had pulled out of a car long before Finley had gotten there.

Finley looked up to see that Shane and Rick had returned from sweeping the forest, hoping for food or maybe to kill a walker before it got to the camp. Rick sat down in between Finley and Lori.

Finley looked up at Carl who was on a stool beside her. She then realized she had accidentally separated him from his family.

Finley tapped on Carl's shoulder, causing him to look at her.

"Hey, you wanna switch spots so you can be by your dad? You can take the stool with you. I don't mind." Finley spoke in a gentle voice to him. As expected, Carl nodded with a smile on his face. Finley smiled back. "Okay."

As soon as Finley had settled in her new spot, Shane placed his gun down across from her and sat on a log.

"I've been uh- I've been thinkin' about Rick's plan," Shane announced in a quieter voice to match the silence that sat around the fire. "And look, there are no guarantees either way. I'll be the first one to admit that."

Shane looked up from the ground and right at Rick.

"I've known this man a long time." Shane continued. "I trust his instincts." He paused for a moment, thinking about how he could say what he wanted to say. "I say the most important thing here is we need to stay together."

He paused again. "So, those that agree, we leave first thing in the morning. Okay?"

Lori looked at Rick as if she expected him to say something, but he didn't.

Finley felt worry beginning to grow from within her. It's not that she thought the idea of leaving to the CDC was bad, but it wasn't exactly good either. What if it's overrun? Or abandoned, and they had just traveled all that way for absolutely nothing?

There was no point in worrying. That's what Finley told herself, 'cause there really wasn't. She was going anyway. So what if the CDC was gone? They'd keep going. Or she'd probably kill herself. That was an option, too.

✦

Finley sat in her tent, on top of her blue sleeping bag. It was probably around midnight, and she hadn't been able to sleep. Again. So, she decided the most fun thing to do was sit in the darkness. It was actually quite boring, but what else was there to do?

Finley felt a little embarrassed. That outburst she had with Daryl? Embarrassing. She regretted it. She wasn't gonna be able to look Daryl in the eye ever again. Not like she ever had before, but if she was ever going to, she wouldn't be able to now.

Just because she was embarrassed didn't mean that she didn't mean what she said. Daryl was being horrible. She just kinda wished she'd left it alone, 'cause now that was a new moment that's gonna be keepin' her up at night in the future.

✦

"Alright, everyone listen up! Those of you with C.B.s, we're gonna be on channel forty. Let's keep the chatter down, okay?" Shane announced, everyone scattered around him by the cars.

It was maybe six or seven in the morning. Finley had gotten about four or five hours of sleep last night, surprisingly. That was enough to get her through the day.

Finley yawned, rubbing her eyes. Lori had woken her up not long ago, telling her it was almost time to leave. It was a little cold. Like, the cold you feel in the morning. Though, most people were wearing tank tops because they knew it would heat up later in the day.

Finley was wearing a baggy gray sweatshirt with a blue t-shirt underneath it. She also had some blue jeans on,– which were basically the same pants as everyone else had chosen to wear,– and a pair of black and white Converse. The same ones she was wearing the day of the outbreak.

"Now you got a problem, don't have a C.B., can't get a signal– anything at all, you're gonna hit your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan." Shane explained. Finley didn't understand half of what he was saying, but she pretended she did. "Any questions?"

"We're, uh..." Morales began to say, pausing. "We're not going." He spoke for his wife and two kids. Everyone stared.

"We have family in Birmingham." His wife added. "We wanna be with our people."

"You go on your own, you won't have anyone to watch your back," Shane told them.

"We'll take the chance," Morales spoke. "I gotta do what's best for my family."

"You sure?" Rick asked.

"We talked about it," Morales stated. "We're sure."

"Alright." Rick looked at Shane. "Shane."

"Yeah," Shane spoke. Rick squatted and began to dig through the bag of guns.

Shane grabbed a pack of ammo and Rick grabbed a gun. The two walked up to Morales and held them out to him. Morales grabbed both gratefully.

Daryl seemed to scoff and turn around, walking away. Finley resisted a sigh.

Carl was already crying, as the two kids were obviously his friends. Lori stood from the car she was sitting on top of and walked over to properly say goodbye to them.

The kids hugged and said goodbye to each other, tears included. Finley finally let the sigh she had held in out, but this one was instead in a bit of sadness rather than annoyance. Having to watch people cry and say goodbye to each other was kind of sad, even if she didn't know the family too well.

When the goodbyes were over, the family walked in the other direction and piled into a car.

"Let's go! Let's move out." Shane called after muttering something to Rick.

Many people like the kids and their families got into separate cars due to space. Finley got into the R.V. with Glenn, Dale, Fisher, Jacqui, Jim, and Charlie. It was an okay group, other than Charlie. Finley didn't think Charlie seemed to like her too much, and Finley was a little scared of her. But at least Daryl wasn't there.

About three or four cars drove behind the R.V. Finley was in, and Morales' car drove in front of them. Morales stuck his arm out of the window and waved to the vehicles behind him just before they drove onto a street and went in two opposite directions.

Chapter Text

The trip in the R.V. didn't last too long. The engine gave up, and now everyone was standing outside waiting for a solution as Dale inspected it.

It may be cruel, but Finley was a bit glad to be out of the R.V., cause Jim was driving her crazy. He's got the fever and he's been moaning and groaning throughout the entire ride. It was a bumpy ride and he was probably sensitive to any kind of movement or whatever, but she didn't want to listen to him anymore.

Jacqui came running out of the R.V.

"Y'all, it's Jim. It's bad. I don't think he can take anymore." Said Jacqui, looking a bit panicked. She rushed back inside. Well, jeez. When Finley said she was tired of him, she didn't mean she wanted him to go die or whatever was happening to him.

T-Dog and Shane were going to see what they could find to keep going. Shane thought he saw a gas station up ahead, so maybe that was good in some way.

Rick sighed and climbed into the R.V., taking his hat off as he did so. He was probably gonna go talk to Jim.

✦

Finley felt a tad sad as Rick said what Jim wanted for himself. She knew this would come eventually. There wasn't a cure for his sickness, and the CDC was probably not going to make one. She knew that– even if everyone else may tell her she was wrong.

Shane and Rick dragged Jim out of the R.V. and propped him up against a nearby tree. Finley wasn't so sure how she felt about this. It was what Jim wanted, but who says the almost-dead man isn't just delirious or something? This felt so incredibly wrong.

Shane bent down and spoke softly to Jim. Jim was pale, and he was breathing quickly and heavily. He was horrible.

"Hey, Jim? You know it doesn't have to be this way?" Said Shane in a softer voice.

"No. It's good. Breeze feels nice." Jim's voice was weak and raspy. Finley sighed. It felt like five bricks were on her chest as she stared at the man.

Shane stood slowly, patting Jim on the shoulder as he did so. Many, many stared in sympathy from up close and afar. Finley felt she should get the kids into the R.V., but I guess that wasn't quite her call, was it?

Jacqui squatted to be at Jim's level.

"Just close your eyes, sweetie. Don't fight." Jacqui said in a voice so soft you could barely hear it. Jim did just that. Jacqui kissed him on the cheek, and Finley decided she couldn't watch anymore.

✦

Finley was already sitting in the R.V. when everyone was finished saying goodbye to Jim and began to pile back into the vehicle. She couldn't watch that... Funeral. People letting this man become dinner for the dead– it was just wrong.

Shane and T-Dog must've found something to get the R.V. started again, cause once everyone was in, the vehicle began to grumble and then finally move. They were just leaving Jim behind.

✦

"Charlie, grab my water for me. It's somewhere in the back." Dale called from the driver's seat. Finley watched Charlie stand up and begin searching for a bottle of water.

Finley sighed and switched her gaze to the window beside her, tuning out Charlie calling back to Dale saying there was no water bottle, then Dale insisting there was.

Finley's hair hung in front of her face. She didn't bother to move it. Her mind was racing. All she could think about was Jim, where Morales and his family were now, or if the CDC would do anything for her and her remaining group. She kind of doubted that the CDC was even still up and running. It's not like her to not look on the bright side of things, but there wasn't much of a bright side of anything anymore, is there? Not in her opinion, at least.

Finley looked back to Charlie who had finally found Dale his water bottle, and was now sitting back down next to Jacqui.

"We're here," Dale announced, the R.V. coming to a slow stop, along with all of the other cars behind it. Glenn stood, making his way to the door. Jacqui followed, and then so did everyone else.

Finley was the fourth one out of the vehicle, behind Dale, and when she saw what they had just driven all the way to– she kind of regretted agreeing to leave the camp. Flies buzzed over hundreds of dead bodies. Disgusting.
The entire group formed a blob. Almost all of them were coughing from the horrid smell that was created by the dead.

"Alright, everybody, keep moving. Go on." Shane whispered. "Stay quiet. Let's go."

"Oh god." Finley had to say to herself. She plugged her nose but the smell still somehow made it through. She could literally taste it.

Rick and Shane kept everyone together as they began to walk quicker to the main doors of the CDC, which were covered by metal shades.

As they made it to the doors, Rick began to speak to a camera above while ringing a doorbell and banging on the garage-looking door. No answer. Finley's heart collapsed.

"There's nobody here," T-Dog spoke, disappointment clear in his voice.

Finley had always been almost certain of the fact that nobody would be here, but it was still disappointing to find out that she was right. She really did want this to work out, but she knew it wouldn't all along.

"Then why are these shutters down?" Rick argued, desperate to be saved. Desperate for his family to be saved.

"Walkers!" Daryl yelled. Finley's heart beat a bit quicker as she looked behind her to see the living dead.

"Rick, there's nobody here. We have to go." Finley spoke. Rick refused to believe it. Carl yelled in fear. Panic began. Finley looked behind her to see little tough Charlie's face looking like a mix of fear, disappointment, and desperation. Finley hadn't seen her like that since Atlanta, and it was worse this time.

Daryl shot a walker in the head with his crossbow before looking at Rick, pushing through the crowd of people. "You led us into a graveyard!"

"He made a call!" Shane spoke.

"It was the wrong damn call!" Said Daryl.

Shane pushed Daryl away. "You hear me? Shut up. Shut up, just shut up!" Shane would exclaim. "Rick this is a dead end," Shane added, looking away from Daryl as people panicked behind him. "You hear me? No blame."

"Where are we gonna go?" Carol sobbed.

"She's right. We can't be here this close to the city after dark." Lori spoke, wide-eyed with her hand on her son.

"Fort Benning is still an option," Shane spoke.

"On what? No food, no fuel. That's one hundred miles." Lori added.

"One hundred twenty-five. I checked the map." Said Glenn.

"Forget Fort Benning. We need answers tonight, now!" Lori panicked, her voice rough and tense. Carl sobbed as people spoke, trying to convince Rick to just leave.

"Rick!" Fisher exclaimed, looking at the walkers catching up to them. "We have to leave! The CDC is gone!"

Shane guided everyone toward the cars, many sobbing or screaming. Rick stood his ground. The sound of an electronic occurred.

"The camera– It moved," Rick called, staring up at the piece of technology. Finley's heart ached for him.

"You imagined it." Said T-Dog.

"It moved."

"Rick, we'll die if we stay any longer! Come on!" Charlie yelled, her hands tight on her pistol. Shane muttered to Rick, trying to convince him to give up.

Shane tried to drag Rick away, but Rick escaped and went up and banged on the door yet again.

"Rick there's nobody here!" Lori screamed.

"I know you're in there." Rick looked at the camera and Shane grabbed his arm. "I know you can hear me."

Shane yelled at Rick, along with everyone else, but he just wouldn't listen.

"Please, we're desperate. Please help us! We have women, children– no food, hardly any gas left." Rick spoke. Lori ran in front of him, trying to push him away. Rick ignored her. "We have nowhere else to go."

Rick ran back up to the door, pushing Lori out of the way and pounding. "If you don't let us in, you're killing us!" Rick yelled as Shane began to drag him away. "Please! Please help us! You're killing us! You're killing us!" Rick screamed.

Children, teenagers, and even adults sobbed and screamed. Rick finally began to run with the rest of the group with tears in his eyes, but then light shined, and the sound of doors opening silenced everyone.

✦

The group walked through the light with guns aimed, leading them into a very large, echoey room.

"Hello?" Rick called twice, his voice echoing.

Finley observed the area. It was clean. Clean, clean clean, and shiny. Everything was shiny from the floors, to the walls, to the ceiling. Blood didn't exist anymore. It was just clean, clean, clean.

"Hello?" A voice repeated back. It wasn't Rick's, or any voice familiar. Guns cocked.

Finley looked into a dark hallway, leading to a different part of the building. A blonde man in a blue shirt stood anxiously with a gun he didn't seem to know how to hold.

"Anybody infected?" The man called.

"One of our group was. He didn't make it." Rick told him. Finley didn't see why he had to mention that.

"Why are you here? What do you want?" The man asked.

"A chance."

"That's asking an awful lot these days."

Rick tilted his head to the side in agreement. "I know."

Everyone stared at the man intently, and the man stared back. Where was everyone else in this place? Was he the only one? He couldn't be. If he was here, there must be someone else.

"You all submit to a blood test. That's the price of admission." Said the man.

"We can do that." Rick agreed. The man put his gun down.

"You have stuff to bring in, you do it now. Once this door closes it stays closed." The man explained from the doorway he stood in. Rick nodded, and the people of his group rushed their many bags inside, and then the door closed.

The man went up to some kind of electronic attached to the wall beside the door.

"Vi, seal the main entrance." He said to it, his mouth close enough for his voice to go through. So he wasn't alone?

"Kill the power up here." He added before walking away from the device.

The shutters behind the doors shut, leaving them all trapped inside the building.

✦

People piled into an elevator behind the man. It was quite crowded, as it had to fit about fourteen people, including the strange doctor guy. It was a working elevator though, which was cool. Finley hadn't seen that in a while. Or, what felt like a while.

Breaking the silence, "Doctors always go around packin' heat like that?" Daryl looked at the man's gun. They had learned that his name was actually Dr. Edwin Jenner.

"There were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself." Said Jenner. "But you look harmless enough."

Dr. Jenner smiled slightly and then looked down at Carl, who was standing in front of his mom. "Except you. I'll have to keep my eye on you." Carl smiled.

There was a long, long hallway. It wasn't as clean as the first room Finley had entered, but It was still pretty clean.

"Are we underground?" Asked Carol.

"You claustrophobic?" Jenner looked at her.

"A little."

"Try not to think about it."

Finley thought that this place was cool. The electricity was nice, and so were the clean floors.

The hallway led to a ramp going down which led to a large room, almost the size of an entire stadium. There were many, many computers in the middle and an extremely large screen on the wall.

"Vi, bring up the lights in the big room," Jenner called into the echoey room. The lights turned on. Who's Vi? Finley wondered.

"Welcome to Zone Five," Jenner spoke, walking down the ramp that led to the computer-filled circle.

It was empty of people. Not a good sign, right? Finley looked up above the computers and saw a large timer hung up on the wall. It was counting down. She wondered what exactly it was supposed to be counting down to. Finley wondered a lot of things.

"Where is everyone? The other doctors? The staff?" Rick asked.

Jenner paused. "I'm it." He spoke. Rick stared at him. "It's just me here."

"What about the person you were speaking with? Vi?" Asked Lori. Finley stared for an answer, knowing she had been wondering the same thing.

"Vi. Say hello to our guests." Jenner called. "Tell them... Welcome."

A robotic female voice echoed from above, and Finley was a little disappointed. "Hello, guests. Welcome."

"I'm all that's left." Said Jenner with a tiny shake of his head. So, Finley was right. Or, almost right. The CDC didn't quite work out. "I'm sorry."

✦

Finley stared at the square, tiny band-aid on her lower arm. She hadn't had any kind of "shot" in a while. Finley had always hated needles and shots; ever since she was a kid. Though, when Jenner was drawing her blood, she didn't kick and scream like she would when she was five. She decided she should probably be an adult for once.

Andrea stood after her "shot", and Jacqui made sure she wouldn't fall. Finley frowned.

"You okay?" Jenner asked Andrea, slightly concerned– concerned more for himself than for her.

"She hasn't eaten in days." Said Jacqui, "None of us have."

Andrea had been the last one to get her blood drawn, so when Jenner heard that she and her group hadn't eaten, he paused and thought.

"What do you all say about having dinner?" Said Jenner, making everyone's heads turn in interest.

✦

Laughter filled the brightly lit room. Everyone had a seat around a round table, and most had a cup of wine, along with a very nice plate of food. Nicer than any of them had seen in a while.

"You know in Italy, children have a little bit of wine with dinner," Dale spoke, looking down at Carl who sat beside Lori. Finley raised her eyebrows with a smile, taking a sip of the red liquid. "And in France." He added.

"Well, when Carl is in Italy or France, he can have some then," Lori spoke.

Rick, on the other side of Carl, added, "What's it gonna hurt? Come on." He spoke with a chuckle. "Come on."

Lori stared at him with a smile, her mouth filled with wine as she looked down and laughed, swallowing the wine before it would spill out of her mouth. She looked up and raised her hand up in a way that said "Screw it.", and people cheered.

"Oh, so he gets to have wine and I don't?" Charlie joked, looking at Dale with a smile.

"That's right." Said Dale, causing more laughter.

Dale poured just a tiny bit of wine into a cup and handed it to Carl, "There you are, young lad."

Everyone stared at the young boy intently as he put the cup to his mouth and tilted it. As soon as the liquid touched his lips, he made a face in disgust.

"Eeew!" Carl exclaimed. Laughter erupted from everyone in the room. Finley laughed so hard she almost choked on her wine.

"That's my boy. That's my boy." Said Lori, taking the cup from her son and pouring what was left in it into her glass. Carl shook his head like a dog would shake off water.

"That tastes nasty." Said Carl.

"Maybe I'm glad I didn't drink it, now. Good enough warning for me." Said Charlie, causing Dale to laugh harder than he had been as he put a hand on her back.

"Well, just stick to soda pop there bud," Shane spoke, only slightly smiling, if he was at all.

Glenn picked up one of the wine bottles and inspected it.

"Not you, Glenn." Said Daryl. Glenn smiled nervously.

"What?" Glenn spoke with a chuckle.

"Keep drinkin' little man, I wanna see how red your face can get," Daryl said as he poured what was left of the second bottle of wine into Finley's empty cup. People laughed at Daryl's words and Glenn turned a light shade of pink as he forced a laugh.

The sound of a fork tapping on a glass caused the room to go silent. Rick stood from his seat.

"It seems to me we haven't thanked our host properly." Said Rick.

"He is more than just our host," T-Dog added, a little tipsy-sounding as he raised his glass. A chain began as most others raised their glass as well.

"Hear hear!" Some men asserted.

Daryl held up another bottle of wine. "Here's to you, doc. Booyah!" Announced Daryl. Finley held her glass up, laughing as she looked at Daryl who stood behind her.

"Booyah!" Many men repeated after Daryl.

Jenner took a sip of his wine, still looking a bit nervous about the group being in the building.

Shane looked at Jenner, "So when you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, doc?" The room went silent.

"All the uh, the other doctors– that were supposed to be figurin' out what happened– where are they?" Shane spoke. Finley's mood slowly crumbled up like paper as her smile faded.

"We're celebratin', Shane. Don't need to do this now." Rick spoke, his smile gone as he sat down. Everyone's mood was killed now. Smiles were gone, and there was no laughing anymore.

"Woah, wait a second. This is why we're here, right?" Said Shane. Charlie rolled her eyes like the teenage girl that she is. "This was your move. Y'know, supposed to find all of the answers. Instead we uh," Shane chuckled and shook his head. "We found him." Shane pointed to his left with his thumb toward Jenner, chuckling. Jenner's stare was blank.

"Found one man. Why?" Shane added. Rick stared at him, disappointed in his words.

"Well, when things got bad," Jenner began, ", a lot of people just– left. Went off to be with their families. Then, when things got worse– when the military cordon got overrun, the rest bolted."

"Every last one?' Shane asked, a look of disappointment on his face as if that wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"No. Many couldn't face walking out the door." Jenner paused, "They... Opted out." The air became uncomfortable. It was shown on everyone's faces that this wasn't what they wanted this night to end up being, including and especially Finley's.

"There was a rash of suicides." Said Jenner. Finley took a sip of her wine, wishing the world would just suck her up into the ground at this moment. "That was a bad time."

Andrea was the first to speak after the silence Shane had created, "You didn't leave. Why?"

"I just kept working," Jenner looked down. "Hoping to do some good."

Silence. Awkwardness, and silence.

"Dude you are such a buzzkill, man." Said Glenn, looking at Shane with a look of disappointment. Shane looked down in slight shame.

Chapter Text

Jenner babbled on about the dos and don'ts of staying at whatever you would call this place. The C.D.C.  The group, including Finley, who had recently joined Jenner followed him down a hall with yellow-tinted lights and many, many doors. Bedrooms, and a rec room for the kids. Maybe for the adults, too– who knows? It was all fascinating to Finley, really. This place was amazing. It was clean, had power, food, and—

"Go easy on the hot water," Jenner said before leaving this group of people standing in the yellow-tinted hall where many bedrooms awaited them. Glenn, who was behind the kids but leading the adults, looked back at his group with a big smile.

"Hot water," Glenn said slowly, so happy about the news that his voice shook. Finley grew a smile that stretched across her face.

And hot water. Was there anything that this place didn't have? Finley would probably start singing if she was in a musical right now.

People immediately scrambled into the different rooms, dying for a warm, soft bed and a hot shower as soon as they could get one.

Finley walked into the closest unclaimed room she could find and switched the lights on. It looked... Nice. Really nice. The bed was white with a blue flower pattern, and it seemed that pretty much everything was made of wood. The floors, the closet, the bed frame, the bedside table, everything. On the bedside table sat a lamp and some fake flowers, along with an alarm clock that wasn't plugged in; probably to save power. Jenner told the kids not to plug in anything that could use power. That rule probably applied to the adults, too.

The first thing Finley did, aside from shutting the door behind her, was fall face-first onto the bed. It was soft and smelled incredibly clean. She breathed in the floral pattern blanket, not wanting to allow the scent to leave her nostrils. God, you have no idea how much she missed the feeling of a clean, warm, bouncy bed. The back pain from constantly sleeping in a rock-hard air mattress or the seats in an R.V. was real. Still face-down on the bed, Finley kicked her Converse off, her white socks hanging on by a thread on her feet, about fifteen holes in either of them.

✦

Finley hadn't realized she had fallen asleep until she had woken up. Hair a mess, Finley sat up, criss-cross in the middle of her now unmade, soft bed. She lifted her wrist to check her watch. 9:02 PM. She had only slept about two hours. She could still hear footsteps outside of her room, most likely from the kids, due to the pace of the steps and the sound of high-pitched giggling. Finley looked to her left to see a door leading to a bathroom. Never too late at night for a shower. She needed it.

Finley put her hand under the water falling from the shower head. It slowly got warmer, and warmer, until the water was boiling level hot. The sides of Finley's mouth twitched. A hot shower. For the first time in absolutely forever.

With her dirty clothes piled on the floor, Finley slowly stepped under the steamy water. The heat bounced on her skin, and her hair slowly began to drip. Finley held her breath, allowing the water to wash over her face. It's been way too long since she's felt the feeling of a hot shower– the feeling of her body being washed with clean water, instead of water from a lake that fish piss in every single day. She never wanted to step out of this tiny, steamy glass box.

Finley rummaged through the drawers of the wooden dresser in her room, a white robe wrapped around her body and her brown hair dripping water onto the wooden floors. Men's clothes were in the top two drawers, and women's clothes were in the bottom two. It didn't take a lot of time for Finley to find a set of black and white polka-dot pajamas. Clean ones that were made of pure satin. Her dirty clothes were still on the bathroom floor, along with her watch. She'd pick those up later.

Finley walked back into the white bathroom, the mirror slowly recovering from the steam created by the temperature of her shower. On the bathroom counter sat Finley's watch. She picked it up and checked the time. 10:56 PM. Longest shower of her life.

Finley stepped out of the bathroom and to her bed, sitting down on the edge of it. She placed her watch down on the bedside table, whipped her feet up on the bed, then under the covers. She turned to her side and reached for the lamp. She clicked the switch underneath the lightbulb, and the room went dark and quiet. No crickets in the forests, no owls hooting under the moon, no fear for a dead man to come and take a bit out of her neck while she's asleep. Just a quiet, safe room that she could finally sleep peacefully in.

✦

It was about seven or eight in the morning. Finley was wearing a gray sweatshirt that was only a tad too big for her and some blue skinny jeans. She stuffed a piece of bacon into her mouth, then drank a whole cup of OJ.

Rick walked into the dining room, sat next to his family.

"Are you hungover?" Said Carl. Finley smiled, amused by the little boy's comment. "Mom said you'd be."

"Mom is right," Rick spoke.

"Mom has that annoying habit," Lori added. Finley stuffed her mouth with some more bacon.

"Eggs. Powdered, but I do 'em good." T-Dog announced, a plate in his hand as he walked out of the kitchen and toward the circle dining table.

Glenn interrupted with a painful groan. Jacqui had her hands on his shoulders as he leaned over his plate.

"More than one of you is hungover," Finley spoke, looking at Rick, then at Glenn.

T-Dog began handing out eggs onto plates, giving Glenn extra. "Protein helps the hangover."

Some kind of shaker in his hand, Rick asked, "Where'd all of this come from?"

"Jenner," Lori replied blankly. "He thought we could use it. Some of us, at least." She looked at Glenn.

"Don't ever, ever let me drink again." Glenn's words were slurred together. Finley laughed silently, patting him on the arm.

"Hey." Shane entered the room last after Rick.

"Hey," Rick replied..

Daryl, in the next seat beside her, leaned over to Finley. "Want some more?" He pointed to the carton of OJ. Finley nodded, allowing him to pour the orange juice into her empty cup.

Shane walked past T-Dog, which resulted in a word from T when he caught a close look at Shane's skin. "What the hell happened to you? Your neck?" T-Dog asked.

Finley looked at Shane from across the table. On his neck were three large scratches, all sitting on top of each other.

"Must've done it in my sleep." Said Shane.

Rick set down his cup, the OJ in it already halfway gone. "Never seen you do that before," Rick said, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Me neither," Shane spoke. "Not like me at all." He looked at Lori, and Lori looked away, stuffing some eggs in her face. Finley's eyebrows squished together at the detail.

Finally, Jenner walked in with a blue and white striped shirt and navy blue pants.

"Mornin'." Jenner spoke.

"Hey, doc." Said Shane.

Dale turned toward Jenner in his seat, ignoring Charlie and Fisher laughing at each other and rudely stuffing their faces with eggs and bacon.

"Doctor, I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing–" Dale said, getting cut off by Jenner.

"But you will anyways," Jenner said, annoyed and not making eye contact as he poured his coffee.

Andrea sighed. "We didn't come here for the eggs."

Jenner sighed, looking at the group of people surrounding the circle-shaped table, all eyes on him.

Everyone had finished up their food, and soon they were in the computer room with the big timer up on the wall. Jenner held a mug filled with coffee as he led the group into the large circle platform where more than two dozen computers lived.

Jenner walked up to a control panel and clicked a button, causing a small beep.

"Give me playback of TS-19," Jenner commanded to the panel. He was probably talking to the Vi speaker thing, whatever you would call it.

"Playback of TS-19." Said the robotic voice. Up in front of them was a theater-sized screen that loaded in brain scans and data of something, or someone. A subject.

"Few people ever got a chance to see this." Jenner asserted. "Very few."

The screen showed each part of the scan, one by one. The skull, the brain, you name it.

"Is that a brain?" Carl asked, his eyebrows raised.

"An extraordinary one," Jenner said, leaning down slightly, locking eyes with Carl. Carl smiled softly.

Jenner looked back up at the screen. "Not that it matters, in the end."

"Take us in for E.I.V." Jenner commanded the robot. Vi parroted him, and the screen turned to the side of the figure, giving them a better view of the brain. It zoomed inside the subject's brain where there were lines of neon lights.

"What're those lights?" Shane asked. Finley walked up beside Daryl to get a closer view of the screen. She crossed her arms, staring up at the projection.

"It's a person's life," Jenner responded. "Experiences, memories. It's everything."

He continued. "Somewhere, in all of that organic wiring– all those– ripples of light, is you." Jenner pointed at the people behind him. "The thing that makes you unique. And human."

"You don't make sense ever?" Daryl spoke, crossing his arms.

"Those are synapses. Electric impulses in the brain that carry all of the messages. They determine everything a person says, does or thinks from the moment of birth– to the moment of death." Jenner explained, staring up at the screen full of lights and connections as if he was just as fascinated by it as everyone else in the room was.

Rick walked a bit closer to Jenner. "Death? This is what this is, a vigil?"

"Yes." Said Jenner. "Or rather the playback of the vigil."

"Are you saying whoever this is... This subject– they died?" Finley kept her arms crossed, her eyebrows squished together in interest.

"Who was this?" Andrea asked before Jenner could answer Finley.

"Test subject nineteen," Jenner answered, keeping his eyes on the screen as if they were glued. "Someone who was bitten and infected... And volunteered to have us record the process."

Finley frowned. Sometimes she forgot that walkers were people at one point. It's sad to think about. They all had lives, names, friends, family, personalities– the world sucked ass now. Everyone was dying.

Jenner paused. "Vi, scan forward to the first event."

"Scanning to first event." The robotic voice spoke, causing the screen to fast forward into a new phase of the infection.

Suddenly, all of those neon lines were dead. Black. No colors or lights. Just dark and gloomy.

"What happened?" Fisher asked, looking at Jenner, then back up at the screen.

"It invades the brain like meningitis." Jenner looked at Fisher, pointed at the screen, then put his hand back down and set his eyes back to where they were, right up at the screen. "The adrenal glands hemorrhage," The subject began to move– the mouth roaring, and the head squirming. "The brain goes into shutdown, then the major organs."

The brain suddenly went dark. Not just the lines, the entire thing. The subject stopped moving.

"Then death." Jenner looked down at the ground. "Anything you ever were, or ever will be... Gone."

Finley could feel her chest aching. In the corner of her eye, she could see Fisher putting his arm around a sad, soft-eyed Charlie.

Faintly, Finley could hear Sophia ask Carol, "Is that what happened to Jim?" The little girl asked. Finley frowned.

"Yes," Carol replied to her daughter with a nod.

The room went silent for just a moment. Finley noticed Andrea blinking rapidly, trying to hold her tears back, keep them in her eyes.

Lori spoke for Andrea, "She lost somebody two days ago. Her sister."

Jenner walked up close to Andrea, looking into her eyes, even if she didn't look back.

"I lost somebody, too. I know how devastating it is." He spoke. Andrea didn't respond.

Jenner sighed quietly and walked back up to the big screen "Scan to the second event."

"Scanning to second event," Vi echoed. The screen loaded into the next stage of infection.

"The resurrection times vary wildly. We had reports of it happening in as little as three minutes. The longest we heard of was eight hours." Jenner explained. "In the case of this patient, it was... Two hours, one minute, seven seconds."

Just after Jenner's words, a tiny light began in the brain of the patient. Almost like a small campfire in the head.

"It restarts the brain?" Lori spoke, surprise clearly shown in her voice.

"No, just the brain stem," Jenner said.

"So... What does that mean?" Charlie spoke, stepping up only a tad closer to the screen.

"Basically, it gets them up and moving."

"But they're not alive?" Rick spoke.

Jenner stepped beside Rick, his hand out to the screen. "You tell me."

"It's nothing like before," Rick spoke. "Most of that brain is dark."

"Most of it is dead," Finley spoke. "Gone, like he said." She kept her eyes on the screen.

"Dark, lifeless, dead. The frontal lobe, the neocortex, the human part– that doesn't come back. The you part." Jenner spoke. The subject began to move softly, the mouth hanging open. The speakers played a faint noise of the undead. The moaning, groaning. "Just a... Shell, driven by mindless instinct." Jenner paused between words, trying to find the best way to use his vocabulary.

Suddenly, a bright light came from above the head on the screen and shot through the skull, creating a rough line through the head. The body went still.

"God, what was that?" Said Carol.

A pause.

"He shot his patient in the head," Andrea spoke, her voice raspy and weak. Finley bit her lip hard. "Didn't you?"

Jenner paused. "Vi, power down the main screen and the workstations."

"Powering down main screen and workstations." The robotic voice echoed. The screen went dark, and the sound of the machines began cooling as if an airplane were slowing down after a long flight.

"You have no idea what it is, do you?" Andrea spoke, looking in Jenner's direction. She crossed her arms and began to walk toward him.

Jenner paused. "It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, fungal..."

Jacqui, with her hand on her hip, "Or the wrath of god?"

"There is that."

"Somebody must know something." Said Andrea, a certain tone in her voice. "Somebody somewhere."

"There are others, right? Other facilities?" Said Carol. Jenner sighed.

"There may be some." He spoke. "People like me."

"But you don't know? How can you not know?" Rick spoke. Finley leaned on one of the many tall cubes that surrounded each computer. She picked at the skin by her fingernail, pulling off a strand and leaving a trickle of blood on her trigger finger. She put the finger up to her mouth, sucking the blood from it until the bleeding went away.

"Everything went down. Communications, directives– all of it." Jenner said. "I've been in the dark for almost a month."

"So, it's not just here." Andrea assumed. "There's nothing left anywhere? Nothing?"

Andrea continued, "That's what you're really saying, right?"

Jenner said nothing, which meant that Andrea was probably right. Rick looked at the ground, backing up from Jenner. Andrea scoffed in disbelief.

"Jesus." Said Jacqui, under her breath as she leaned on one of the workstations.

Daryl put a hand on his head. "Man, I'm gonna get shitfaced drunk again." He placed his elbows on one of the workstations, leaning with his head down.

Dale began to walk to his right, "Dr. Jenner, I know this has been taxing for you and I hate to ask one more question, but..." He pointed up at the large timer up on the wall. "That clock... It's counting down." Just as he said that, the clock went to fifty-nine minutes. "What happens at zero?"

Finley looked at Jenner, intrigued. She'd been wondering the same exact thing since they'd gotten here.

Jenner paused. "Uh, the basement generators– they run out of fuel." He turned around quickly as if to play it off. Finley's eyebrows squished together. He began to walk away, trying to avoid saying what actually happened at zero.

"And then?" Rick asked. Finley's heart rate picked up, reading Jenner's body language, afraid to see what he would say. Jenner said nothing.

Rick looked to the ceiling, his face showing panic, "Vi, what happens when the power runs out?"

The robotic voice began to speak, echoing through the room, "When the power runs out, facility-wide decontamination will occur." Finley's heart dropped to her feet.

"Holy shit." Said Fisher, his eyes wide.

Chapter Text

Finley on the edge of her bed. Rick, T-Dog, Glenn, and Shane left to check the generators. She knew what decontamination meant. She knew very well. The air conditioning had turned off, and the temperature was slowly going up. The timer was at fifty-seven minutes when they left that room. They didn't have much time.

Honestly, Finley was scared. She'd made it this far, she didn't want to go just yet. She made a promise that she needed to keep. Finley shut her eyes.

Breathe in, breathe out. In, out. In, out. In out. Inout. Inoutinoutinoutinout...

✦

Finley woke up to someone gently shaking her. She hadn't even realized that she'd fallen asleep.

"Hey." Said a raspy voice. Daryl.

"What's goin' on?" Finley asked tiredly, rubbing her eyes,

"Dunno. Everything is turned off. Thought you should be awake for this, just in case."

In the hall came footsteps and Jenner's voice. Daryl held out his hand to Finley to help her up, and she took it, sitting up and out of her bed. Daryl let go of Finley's hand and walked toward the entrance to her room, peeking out of it.

"What's goin' on? Why's everything turned off?" Daryl asked Jenner as he passed by Finley's room. Daryl looked at Finley and motioned for her to follow him. He followed after Jenner.

"Energy use is being prioritized." Said Jenner.

Dale, Andrea, Fisher, and Charlie poked out of the rooms ahead.

"Air isn't a priority? And lights?" Dale spoke, Charlie peeking out behind him.

The hallway lights went out. "It's not up to me. Zone five is shutting itself down." Jenner said.

"Well tell the damn thing to stop." Said Charlie.

"Language," Dale muttered. Charlie scoffed.

"I just said that it's not up to me," Jenner said sharply.

"What the hell does shuttin' itself down mean?" Daryl shouted into Jenner's ear, who seemed unbothered as he walked into a large, echoey room with about eight people following behind him.

"Hey man, I'm talkin' to you." Daryl walked up beside Jenner. "Whaddya mean it's shuttin' itself down? How can a building do anything?"

Out of a separate entrance came T-Dog, Rick, Shane, and Glenn.

Lori, hearing the voice of her husband from beneath her feet,  leaned over a balcony where the four men, including Rick, stood underneath.

"Rick?" Her voice echoed. Jenner walked down the steps to the balcony, and everyone followed.

Rick stepped in front of Jenner, who just kept walking, causing Rick to walk backward.

"Jenner, what's happening?" Rick asked.

"The system is dropping all the nonessential uses of power." Rick signed for his group to stay where they were as he and Jenner walked into the computer room. Of course, they didn't listen. Everyone followed anyway. "It's designed to keep the computers running to the last possible second. That started as we approached the half-hour mark." He pointed to the timer. Thirty-one minutes. "Right on schedule."

There was a long pause. "It was the French." Said Jenner.

"What?" Andrea spoke. Finley furrowed her eyebrows.

"They were the last ones to hold out, as far as I know," Jenner spoke. "While our people were bolting out the doors and committing suicide in the hallways, they stayed in the labs till the end."

He continued. "They thought they were close to a solution." He turned and began walking up the steps to the platform where all of the computers sat.

"Well, why didn't they find one? What the hell happened?" Finley followed him up the steps, standing beside Jenner.

"Same thing that's happening here. No power grid. Ran out of juice." Jenner continued to walk down the aisles. Finley leaned on one of the cubes, frowning. So, there's like, really nothing left.

"The world runs on fossil fuel. I mean, how stupid is that?" Jenner spoke. Shane mumbled something, stomping after Jenner as if he was about to kill 'im.

Rick grabbed Shane by the shoulder. "To hell with it, Shane! I don't even care." From up the stairs, Rick looked at Lori. "Lori, grab our things. Everybody get your stuff. We're gettin' out of here now." Rick spoke, yelling the last word out of panic.

People scrambled out of the room to get their stuff. Finley stayed where she was, staring at Jenner.

Finley jumped to the sound of an alarm blaring, and red lights flashing.

"What is that?" Shane spoke quickly.

Daryl ran up to Finley and grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the center of the platform, as if it was gonna explode. The alarm was loud and hurt Finley's ears. Everyone who was originally going to get their stuff stopped in their tracks, staring up at the platform.

Vi announced over the speakers, "Thirty minutes to decontamination."

"What the hell!?" Charlie shouted over the alarm. Dale didn't bother to check her language this time.

Daryl, next to Finley, "Doc, what's goin' on here!?" He stepped a few steps forward.

Jenner ignored everyones shouting– he placed a card up to a keypad and typed in a code.

Shane ran to the railing toward where the blob of people was, "Y'all heard Rick, get your stuff and let's go! Go now! Go!" He demanded.

People flooded toward, T-Dog and others guiding them.

Daryl looked at Finley, who was frozen staring at the timer. "What are you doin'? Go get your stuff! Go!" He spoke, his voice slightly panicked as he pushed Finley toward the steps. Before she could even put her foot on the first step, all of the doors shut.

"Did he just lock us in? He just locked us in!" Glenn cried. Finley swallowed a ball of air, gripping the railing beside her so hard that her knuckles turned white.

Finley looked at Jenner. He seemed to be speaking to a tiny camera, recording while people panicked in the background and screamed.

"You son of a bitch!" Daryl said, running toward Jenner. "You locked us in here!" Daryl repeated, grabbing Jenner until Rick and Shane pulled him away.

Finley walked over to one of the cubes on the platform and sat on the ground, leaning against it as she caught her breath. In, out, in, out, in...

Rick walked up to Jenner. "Hey, Jenner, open that door now."

"There's no point. Everything topside is locked down. The emergency exits are sealed."

All of the sounds around Finley were slightly muffled, and her brain felt foggy. In, out, in... She couldn't breathe. Just breathe. Finley squeezed her eyes shut. In, out, in, out in out inoutinoutinoutinout...

"I told you. Once that front door closed, it wouldn't open again. You heard me say that." Jenner argued. "It's better this way."

"What is?" Rick said. Finley looked at the timer. Twenty-eight minutes. Was she the only one who knew what decontamination meant?

"What happens in twenty-eight minutes?" Rick said.

Jenner stayed silent.

"What happens in twenty-eight minutes!?" Rick repeated, louder.

Jenner stood from his seat, raised his voice. "Do you know what this place is? We protected the public from. Very. Nasty. Stuff!" He shouted. "Weaponized Smallpox! Ebola strains that could wipe out half of the country! Stuff you don't want getting out! Ever!"

Silence.

"In the event of a catastrophic power failure– in a terrorist attack, for example–" Jenner began to explain.

"The damn place is gonna blow," Finley interrupted, softly, trying to catch her breath. Everyone went quiet, staring at her. "I read about it... Somewhere." She curled her knees up to her chest, wiping a single tear off of her cheek.

Jenner looked at Finley, sighed. "H.I.T.s are deployed to prevent any organisms from getting out."

"H.I.T.s?" Rick parroted.

Jenner paused. "Vi, define."

The robotic voice spoke throughout the room, "H.I.T.s– high-impulse thermobaric fuel-air explosives consist of a two-stage aerosol ignition that produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear."

The sound of crying children began– including Charlie, whom Dale put his arms around in an attempt to comfort her (as if he was feeling any comfort at the moment, either).

The robot continued. "The vacuum-pressure effect ignites the oxygen between five-thousand and six-thousand degrees and is useful when the greatest loss of life and damage to structures is desired."

Another tear fell from Finley's face. Then another. And another. Charlie sobbed into Dale's arms. Fisher put a hand on her back, rubbing it in circles as a tear fell from his eye, too.

Jenner spoke calmly. "It sets the air on fire. No pain. An end to sorrow, grief... Regret. Everything."

✦

Daryl threw a beer bottle at the door. They didn't have much longer.

Finley could hear her heartbeat in her ears, and her breathing wasn't getting any slower. Jacqui had sat next to her, allowing Finley to lean into her. Panic attacks were common throughout Finley's life, but this is the worst it's been in a while. She was dizzy. Tears fell from her eyes. She could barely breathe. She didn't want to die. Not yet, at least.

"Open the damn door!" Daryl yelled, beer dripping down the door.

Shane came running up the ramp that led to an exit, an axe in his arms. "Outta my way!" He called before hitting the door with a loud clanking noise, making Finley jump. Inoutinoutinout. More clanging began when Daryl got an axe, too.

"You should have left well enough alone. It would have been so much easier." Jenner stared at the two men, only scratching the door with an axe.

"Easier for who?" Said Lori, holding her crying son in her arms, sitting next to a sobbing Carol and Sophia.

"All of you. You know what's out there. A short, brutal life and an agonizing death." Jenner explained. Jacqui and Andrea stared at him in a way that seemed almost like they were a bit convinced by his words. Finley shut her eyes, trying to focus more on her breathing.

Jenner looked at Andrea, who sat on the ground beside him. "Your– Your sister. What was her name?"

"Amy."

"Amy." Jenner parroted, the sound of an axe against a steel door still repeating in the background. "You know what this does. You've seen it." He looked up at Rick, who looked horrified by Jenner. "Is that really what you want for your wife and son?"

Rick leaned down, looking at Jenner in the eyes. "I don't want this." Said Rick in a whisper-yell sort of voice level.

Shane walked own the ramp, next to Rick. Daryl stayed by the steel door. He had given up on the axe, but now he was just standing there as if it were gonna magically open.

Shane leaned down on one of the cubes, panting from the constant swinging of the tool. "Can't make a dent." He spoke.

"Those doors are designed to withdraw a rocket launcher," Jenner explained.

"Well, your head ain't!" Daryl ran up to Jenner, an axe in his arms, ready to swing.

"Daryl! Daryl!" Rick held Daryl back with the help of Dale and T-Dog. "Back up!" The three pushed Daryl away.

Finley, whose breath has progressively begun to slow, stared at the commotion. Her eyes were still teary and her face was still wet. Jacqui had gotten up when Finley began to calm down, and now all Finley had to lean on was a box.

Jenner stood. "You do want this. Last night. You said– you knew it was just a matter of time before everybody you loved was dead."

Lori's eyes were horrified as she stared at her husband. Finley could only imagine how Lori and Carl felt at that moment. Hearing those words.

Shane looked at Rick. "You really said that? After all yo' big talk?"

"I had to keep hope alive, didn't I?" Rick took a few steps closer to his wife and son who sat on the ground, both in disbelief of his words.

"There is no hope," Jenner spoke. Finley wished that he would just shut up. "There never was."

"There's always hope." Said Rick. "Maybe it won't be you– maybe not here, but somebody somewhere–"

Andrea, with her knees up to her chest on the ground, "What part of "Everything is gone" don't you understand?" She looked up at Rick, grimacing.

"Listen to your friend. She gets it." Said Jenner.

Finley buried her eyes into her knees. "Stop talking." She whispered, too quiet for anyone to hear.

"This is what takes us down. This is our extinction event." Jenner sat back down calmly, despite all of the crying that could be heard in the background.

Carol sobbed. "This isn't right. You can't just keep us here." She took big, sobby breaths in between words.

Jenner leaned down slightly, locking eyes with Carol. "One tiny moment– a- a millisecond. No pain."

"My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this!"

Dale came and helped Carol and Sophia up, leading them away from Jenner.

"Wouldn't it be kinder– more compassionate to hold your loved ones and wait for the clock to run down?" Jenner spoke. Suddenly, the sound of a gun cocking filled the air as Shane began to walk toward Jenner with a shotgun in his arms.

"Shane, no!" Rick yelled, trying to hold Shane back from Jenner.

"Get out of the way Rick." Said Shane. "Stay outta my way!"

Shane pushed through Rick and pointed a gun at Jenner's head. "Open that door," Shane demanded. His eyes were wide, and he looked like he'd already lost it."Or I'mma blow your head off, you hear me!?"

"The guy wants to die anyway, shooting 'im won't do any good. We'll just be stuck in here. We don't know how to get out." Finley asserted, finally standing up.

"Shane, you listen to her." Said a wide-eyed Lori.

"If he dies–" Rick spoke before getting cut off by the sound of Shane screaming in Jenner's face, pressing the gun up to the man's cheek. Jenner didn't even blink.

"-- We die! Shane!" Rick yelled just before Shane began shooting the computers. Finley ducked down. Her hands over her head as gunshots flew. Sparks flew from the air as the gun was fired

"Shit! Are you crazy!?" Yelled Charlie from far to the left of Shane.

Rick got ahold of the shotgun and hit Shane down with it. He stood above him, shotgun pointed. Not like he would actually shoot it. "Are you done now? Are you done?"

"Yeah, I guess we all are." Said Shane. Finley slowly stood back up, breathing heavily from the sudden scare. Rick walked over to T-Dog and handed him the shotgun, leaving Shane lying on the ground.

As of now, the only sound to be heard of in the room was breathing. Everything else was silent. Finley swallowed a ball of air, hoping her heart would slide down, out of her throat to where it should be.

Rick looked at Jenner, breaking the long pause, "I think you're lying." Rick spoke. Finley furrowed her eyebrows.

"What?" Jenner spoke.

"You're lying." Rick paused. "About no hope. If that were true, you'd have bolted with the rest, or taken the easy way out. You didn't. You chose the hard path. Why?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It does matter. It always matters." Rick spoke, breathing heavily as he leaned over to speak to Jenner, who was sitting calmly in a blue chair. "You stayed when the others ran. Why?"

"Not because I wanted to." Jenner stood. "I made a promise." He pointed up at the big screen. Finley immediately understood, and the corners of her mouth dropped into a frown. "To her. My wife."

Lori's eyes shifted. "Test subject nineteen was your wife?"

"She begged me to keep going as long as I could. How could I say no?" Jenner spoke just before Daryl began banging on the steel door with an axe again. Finley winced. Jenner ignored the sound. "She was dying. It should've been me on that table. I wouldn't have mattered to anybody- she was a loss to the world. Hell, she ran this place– I just- I just worked here. In our field, she was an Einstein. Me? I'm- I'm just... Edwin Jenner. She could've done something about this. Not me."

"Your wife didn't have a choice. You do. That's- That's all we want– A choice, a chance." Rick spoke. Jenner stared at Rick, his expression only slightly changing– changing in a way only Finley could notice. Consideration.

Lori held Carl in her arms, standing with him in front of her. "Let us keep trying as long as we can."

Finley stepped over to Jenner, causing him to switch his gaze from Rick to her. "I made a promise, too. To my mother. Right before she died. Right before she... Turned. She wanted me to live, too. I can't break that promise. Please." Finley spoke. Jenner looked at the ground. He sighed, looked at Rick on the other side of him.

"I told you, topside's locked down. I can't open those." Said Jenner, walking past Rick. Finley sighed heavily and looked down at the ground, allowing a tear to fall and splash on the marble floor below her.

She looked back up and watched Jenner return to that keypad he had pressed a code into before. He again swiped his card and put in a code. The doors opened. A sigh of relief escaped Finley's lungs.

"Come on!" Daryl called, first to step through the exit.

"Let's go! Come on, let's go!" Yelled Glenn, running up the ramp. Finley watched people race for the exit. Charlie and Fisher, hand in hand– Lori and Carl, Rick. Everyone else.

Finley looked at Jenner. He said something to Rick, and Rick spoke back. The only thing Finley heard...

"The day will come when you won't be." Said Dr. Edwin Jenner. Rick and Jenner shook hands, and Jenner whispered something in Rick's ear. Something that changed Rick's expression. Finley furrowed her eyebrows.

Lori ran down the ramp and grabbed Rick's hand, pulling him away from Jenner.

"Hey! We've got four minutes left, come on!" Glenn yelled. Finley stared at Jenner for a second more before finally running up that ramp.

"No, I'm stayin'!" Jacqui spoke. Finley turned around, eyebrows raised. "I'm stayin', sweetie."

"That's insane!" T-Dog spoke through his teeth.

"No, it's completely sane! For the first time in a long time." Jacqui spoke. "I'm not endin' up like Jim and Amy. There's no time to argue, and no point. Not if you wanna get out."

Charlie walked past Finley, toward Jacqui, "Jacqui..." Charlie said, a tear falling down her cheek.

"Oh sweetie, I'm sorry." Jacqui embraced Charlie, wiping the tear from her cheek. "I'm so sorry." Jacqui held Charlie's face in her hands before gently pushing her away. Jacqui backed up.

"Just get out. Get out." Jacqui said, pushing T-Dog away.

Shane walked down the ramp, "Hey, Dog, c'mon man." Shane pulled T-Dog away.

Charlie's face scrunched up into a sob as she walked into Dale's arms. Dale rubbed Charlie's arm and handed her off to Fisher, who pulled her through the exit as she watched Jacqui from over her shoulder.

Finley felt a tear fall down her cheek. Another. Jacqui walked away from Dale before he could get to her. Dale looked in another direction from Jacqui, and there was Andrea. Standing her ground.

"I'm staying, too," Andrea spoke. Finley felt the air get knocked out of her lungs right at that moment.

"Andrea, no," Dale spoke. Andrea sat down, leaning against the cubes.

Dale looked up the ramps and noticed everyone waiting for him. He waved his hand. "Just go! Go!" He called.

Lori ran down the ramp, grabbed Finley's arm, and gently pulled her so she'd run with them, "Come on, sweetie. Come on." Lori spoke softly.

Finley ran behind Lori, through the hallway, and to the main room. The first room they saw themselves in when they came here for the first time. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into.

"Get  them doors open!" Shane yelled to the men already at the front doors.

"It doesn't work!" Glenn yelled, repeatedly pressing the open button.

"Fucking press it!" Charlie shouted.

"I am pressing it!" Glenn shouted back in panic.

Daryl and Shane began trying to hit the windows with the axes, but it didn't work. The windows didn't even earn a scratch. T-Dog attempted to hit the window with a chair, but that obviously didn't work any better.

"These windows aren't gonna break! Quit hittin' them!" Finley barked. She was ignored.

"Dog, get down, get down!" Shane called, approaching the window with a shotgun. The bullet shot, and the window didn't even crack.

"Jesus," Shane muttered.

"The glass won't break?" Said Sophia in a small voice. Finley's heart ached when she heard the little girl. They needed to find a way out of here. Desperately.

Carol stuffed her hand into a bag, approaching Rick. "Rick, I have something that might help."

"Carol, ion' think a nail file's gon' do it," Shane spoke, resulting in a glare from Finley.

Carol ignored Shane. "Your first morning at camp, when I washed your uniform–" Carol pulled out a grenade. Finley's eyes widened. "I found this in your pocket."

Not something Finley'd ever expect to be in Carol's hand.

Rick slowly grabbed the grenade but quickly bounced to action.

"Look out!" T-Dog yelled.

"Oh shit," Finley muttered, running and tripping down the stairs, away from the grenade. Rick kneeled by the window, breathing heavily. Once Finley heard the sound of Rick pulling the chain from the grenade, she lay on the ground face-down with her hands over her head. Shit.

"Ohh shit–" Rick muttered as he ran away from the grenade. Before he could lay down, the grenade went off and he went flying. Finley yelped when she heard the sound, not expecting the volume.

Finley looked up, her ears ringing slightly. Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her up from the ground. It was Daryl. "Come on. Hurry," he spoke, pushing her forward.

She ran behind Rick, and Daryl ran behind her.

All Finley had was a knife. She had only realized that when they had just jumped out of the broken window. It didn't matter. Breathe In, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out.

The sound of walkers filled the air as they ran. Finley could see the R.V. and the cars from afar. They'd made it. They just really needed to run, cause they probably had about a minute and a half until the entire C.D.C. blew up behind them.

Shane, Rick, etc, etc; shot the walkers that got in their path, which only drew more attention. Finley tripped over a dead body but caught herself before she hit the ground. God, it smelt bad out here. Finley could hear the cries of Carl and Sophia behind her, which didn't help how quickly her heart was beating in her chest right now.

Finley climbed into the R.V. after Charlie, ducking down in the back.

Charlie and Fisher climbed under the table. She could hear Charlie mutter a few things to Fisher.

"Dale's still in there," Charlie whispered to Fisher. Finley squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out that conversation. She couldn't deal with hearing any more of that.

The keys shook in Rick's hand. Just as he was about to turn the R.V on–

"Wait, wait, wait!" Lori pointed. "They're coming."

"Dale and Andrea? Jacqui?" Charlie asked from under the table.

"Dale and Andrea," Lori spoke. Charlie frowned.

Dale and Andrea ran toward the cars. They had almost no time left. They needed to get behind something. Rick checked his watch and honked in panic.

Lori poked her out out of the R.V. window "Dale, get down! Down!" Lori yelled, quickly rushing back through the window

"Everybody get down! Get back!" Rick yelled to everyone in the R.V.

Finley crawled as far back as she could, and when she hit the mattress in the back of the R.V., she covered her head and prepared for an explosion.

Just in time, Dale and Andrea got behind a bunch of sacks of rocks, or sand, or something.

And suddenly, boom.

Chapter Text

They were gonna try for Fort Benning. That was their only option, now. One-hundred and twenty miles ahead lay possibly their entire future. Finley wasn’t sure about the idea. She wasn’t sure about the CDC, and she seemed to be right about that. Fort Benning was strong, but if the CDC fell, then Fort Benning probably did as well.
There weren’t as many of Finley and her group now as there were in the beginning. Jacqui was gone. Amy died, Jim, Morales’ family, and more. But the rest of them were going to make it. They were doing good so far. Finley knew that they would make it.

✦

Finley stared through the window of the R.V., her face resting in her palm and her elbow resting on the small platform below the window.
Outside of the window, you could hear a motorcycle that Daryl had recently found. Finley wasn’t surprised that Daryl rode a motorcycle. Sounded pretty close to his style.
Inside the R.V., you could hear the sound of Shane and Andrea talking over the mini-dining table– Charlie and Fisher laughing over something in the back of the R.V. on a tiny mattress, their feet dangling off of it as they sat on the edge. Dale sat in the driver’s seat, and Glenn sat in the passenger. Dale and Glenn didn’t do much talkin’. Neither did Finley. She just listened to the ones who did talk.

Finley eavesdropped on Charlie and Fisher’s conversation,
“Do you remember when um,” Charlie began, “I went to your house for the first time. We were like, eleven or ten– and you drew all over my arm. I went home and my dad saw all of the ink and he got real mad. He got so mad that he drove over to your house and started screamin’ at your mom.” Charlie giggled. “He was all like “Your son’s drawin’ tattoos on my little girl!” or whatever. God, he was an ass.”
Dale and his old ears seemed to be listening too, “Language!” Dale called from the front of the R.V.
Charlie and Fisher looked at each other and laughed harder than Finley had ever seen Charlie laugh. Fisher was a cheerful kid– he laughed a lot. But Charlie– not so much.

“Oh jeez, “ said Dale. At first, Finley thought he was annoyed by Charlie and Fisher. But then Glenn added on.
“Oh no,” Glenn muttered.
Finley only then noticed that they weren’t moving and peered out through the window. She saw cars. A lot of cars. It was almost like they were in traffic, but nobody was moving. Like, at all.

“Damn,” Finley said under her breath.
“So much for Fort Benning,” said Fisher with a disappointed tone, peering out through the window beside him and Charlie.
Glenn sighed. Finley stood from her spot and placed herself in between the two front seats, looking out through the windshield. There she saw Daryl riding beside the R.V. on his motorcycle. He stopped next to Dale’s window.

“See a way through?” Dale called over the sound of the motorcycle. Daryl tilted his head toward the way he came from, signaling for Dale to follow him.
Finley clicked her tongue, leaning on Glenn's seat from behind him.

Glenn, looking down at his map, said, “Uh, maybe we should just go back.” with a hint of concern in his voice. “There’s an interstate bypass–”
“We don’t have the fuel or the time. There’s gotta be a way out of here.” Finley spoke before biting her cheek in the same spot she always did, feeling the ragged skin.
Dale carefully turned the steering wheel, following Daryl around all of the abandoned vehicles. Finley exhaled through her nostrils sharply, anxiety stirring up in her. This spot seemed quiet, harmless enough– but nothing is ever what it seems
Some cars were flipped over. Finley could see the skinny, rotten dead bodies of the previous owners of the abandoned vehicles.
Suddenly, a loud screech came from the front of the car, followed by smoke. Finley jumped backward with a yelp, quickly covering her mouth afterward.
“Jesus…” Finley muttered, her hand transferring from her mouth to her heart as she caught her breath from the scare. As she looked around her, it looked like she was the only one who had been scared by the screech. She felt a hint of embarrassment in her stomach.

Dale stood from his seat and opened the R.V. door, stepping out and round to the front of the vehicle. Everyone followed behind him, including the five in the car that had been trailing behind them the whole trip. Everyone gathered in one spot to check out the smoke blowing out of the R.V.
“I said it. Didn’t I say it? A thousand times, dead in the water.” Dale kept his eyes trained on the smoke.
”Problem, Dale?” Asked Shane.
“No shit there’s a problem, Shane. We’re stranded.” Charlie spoke, resulting in a glare from both Dale and Shane, neither of which she cared for. Dale didn’t say it out loud, but he corrected Charlie’s language with his eyes.
“Just a small matter of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no hope of…” Dale spoke before getting distracted by Daryl, who had begun to dig into the back of a random abandoned car. “Okay, that was dumb.”
“Can’t find a radiator hose here,” Shane said.
“There’s a whole bunch a’ stuff we can find,” Daryl said, still digging through the car trunk.
“I can siphon more fuel from these cars for a start,” T-Dog suggested.
“Maybe some water?” said Carol, holding on to her daughter squeezed a stuffed doll in her arms.
“Or food,” Glenn added.
“Maybe we should all start searchin’ these cars. There’s gotta be something.” Finley spoke, placing her hands on her hips as she stared at the hundreds of cars in front of her with possible supplies remaining inside each.
“This is a graveyard,” said Lori. Every pair of eyes turned to her.
“Well, um… It’s a graveyard with a lot of supplies that might just keep us from dying, so.” Finley shrugged.
Lori sighed, “I don’t know how I feel about this.”
“If you don’t want to do it, that’s fine, but everyone who is up for it should start lookin’.” Finley clapped her hands together and began to separate herself from the group, toward one of the many cars to choose from.

Finley looked through the window of the car. The back seat had a backpack and a bag filled to the brim. In the front seat was a skeleton with a spider web across the eye of its skull. Finley made a face. She hated spiders.
Finley stepped back to the backseat door. She grasped the handle and pulled, but nothing happened. It was locked. Finley sighed and clicked her tongue, staring at the bags. How could she get in there?
As Finley looked through the tinted window, the reflection of Fisher came up behind her. His eyes widened. “Shit, that’s some good stuff.”
“Yeah. It sure is.” Finley spoke, trying to run ideas through her mind. None would come up.
Fisher stared into the window with her for a moment, then his gaze switched to her. “Well, are you gonna open the door or what?”
“Locked.”
“Oh.”
Fisher clicked his tongue the same as Finley had. “Could break the window.”
Finley tilted her head in consideration. “And get glass shards all up in your fist?”
“Just cover your hand with your sleeve. Or use your elbow.” Fisher shrugged. “Or a knife or something. You got yours?”
Finley reached into the pocket of her blue jeans and pulled out a pocket knife, flipping it open. She held it out to Fisher. Fisher smiled awkwardly in thanks as he took it from her.
Fisher tightened his grip around the knife. Finley stepped back from the window, preparing for glass to fly onto the ground. Fisher then slammed the knife into the window, creating a crack in the middle that spread throughout it. He hit the window again in the same spot, making it more fragile. With the other hand, he used his sleeve to push his fist into the window, causing the glass to fall from its perfect form and around the ground and into the car. Fisher reached into the vehicle and pulled the lock. He would then grab the door handle and pull it open easily. Finley smiled.
“Hell yeah!” Finley exclaimed, lightly hitting Fisher on the shoulder. Fisher smiled, unknowingly folding the knife up and putting it into his pocket. Neither of them noticed it. “Awesome, dude. Thanks.”
Finley reached into the car, careful not to touch the glass shards. She gathered the straps of the backpack and the handle of the plastic bag and lifted them onto the street, her face scrunching to keep them and herself from touching the glass.
Finley first began rummaging through the plastic bag. A lot of clothes. Some that may fit Carl or Sophia. A water bottle without any water, some cups of Instant Ramen, and a planner. Some good stuff. The Instant Ramen wouldn’t help much, as they didn’t have a microwave to cook it with, but it was something. She’d probably hand the bag over to Lori or Carol, as it was most useful to them.
Finley unzipped the light blue backpack. In the back pocket, it held a laptop, a notebook, and a book that Finley may keep for herself. In the second pocket, she found a makeup bag filled with feminine products, a wallet, a taser, and a knife. She’ll be keeping the weapons and the feminine products for herself and the other women.
As Finley was rummaging through the bag, Fisher picked up the wallet she’d pulled out from the bag.
“You think you might find some cash?” Finley joked with a chuckle.
“Annelie Jackson.” Said Fisher, reading the ID. “Thirty-six years old, born on February eighteenth.”
Fisher went on to pull something from another pocket of the wallet, “And a picture of her and her family. Maybe her husband, daughter, and son?” He handed the photo to Finley. Finley frowned as she gazed upon it. She looked at the little girl and boy, then looked at the clothing in the plastic bag.
“Damn,” Finley muttered before handing the photo back to Fisher.

The sound of laughter interrupted Finley. She looked in the direction it came from, standing up to see Shane showering in one of many buckets of water he’d found stored in an abandoned truck. Finley scoffed in surprise, looking at Fisher and raising her eyebrows. Fisher smiled.
”It’s like being baptized, man!” Said Shane. Finley laughed. Well, there goes one thing they have to worry about. All good on water.

Suddenly, Finley heard something strange. Familiar. The sound of the dead.
“You hear that?” Finley asked Fisher. According to his facial expression, he did.
Then out of the blue, Rick comes running as quietly as possible past Fisher and Finley.
”Get down. Get down!” Rick whisper-yelled. Finley looked in the direction he came from. She squinted to see, and then her eyes widened.
“Holy shit,” Finley said. She whipped around to find Fisher, but he was already running to Charlie. Finley watched from afar as he dragged Charlie under a car, Charlie’s face confused and concerned at the same time.
Finley followed Fisher’s idea and flopped onto the ground, crawling under the car she’d broken into. Broken glass grazed her exposed skin, making her wince. Could the dead smell blood? She hoped not.
She controlled her breath, though it was shaky and loud. The cuts on her skin from the glass made it worse. She put a hand on a cut over her stomach. She could feel tiny bits of glass in her fingers, but she didn’t care.
Finley didn’t have a gun with her. All she had was… Shit. Fisher had taken her knife, hadn’t he? She looked at the backpack beside the car. She’d left that knife she’d found in there.
Finley reached out for the bag, but it was too far, and now it was too late. She snatched her arm back to her as dead feet passed her by, trampling the bags. What if one of the dead tripped over the bags and saw her? She’d be done without any weapon with her. Finley took the best deep breaths she could, even if they weren’t much.
Finley kind of wished Fisher had stayed by her side. She was terrified. She would be even if Fisher was there with her, but knowing that she had someone who could potentially save her if something went wrong would be comforting. But she was alone, and she would have to save herself.
The feet just kept coming and coming. There were hundreds of them. When would this end? It had been only about three minutes, but it felt like it’d been hours.
Finley thought about Carl and Sophia. Were they with their parents? Were they alone? No matter how hard she tried, different kinds of horrible thoughts kept running through her head. What about Charlie and Fisher? Charlie was tough, but not tough enough. Finley had seen Charlie in stressful situations like this. She was usually on the verge of tears. What if Charlie began to cry and got her and Fisher killed? Finley shut her eyes, taking breaths in and out.
Finley looked down at her hand, which was covered in blood from her stomach. Had the glass cut her that badly? She’d barely even noticed. As she covered the wound with her hand again, she winced and made a noise from the stinging feeling. She used her other hand to cover her mouth. Had the dead heard that? No, they would have already gone after her if they did.
Finley’s heart stopped when suddenly, a walker tripped over one of the bags. She held her breath. She stared at the dead face of the walker as it face-planted onto the black, hot concrete. She’d never been religious and she had no idea how to pray, but she prayed to whoever was listening. She prayed that she and all of her group would make it out of this and that this walker would just get up and move on. The walker did just that. Finley let out a big, relieved breath when its face disappeared from her sight, though still trying to be as quiet as she could be.

One last set of feet came by, then it was silent. Was it over? Finley still kept control of her breath, just in case. She wouldn’t get out of her spot unless she was sure she could.
Then, out of the silence, Finley heard the screams of a little girl. Sophia.
Finley didn’t even think before quickly grabbing the blue backpack, now a bit dirty from the blood of the walkers. She dug for the knife. She felt a cut on her finger and winced, but then found the handle and pulled out a hunting knife. Finley crawled out from under the car and stood, looking in all different directions for the little girl. Finally, she saw Sophia crawling down a hill, running from two of the dead. Finley acted quickly and began to move until she was stopped. Something had grabbed her from behind. She used her foot to kick what she was sure was a walker in the leg, causing the fragile, rotting bone to bend backward. It fell on its back, allowing Finley to break free from its grasp and stomp on the skull until she was sure that it was dead.
Finley, not allowing herself a distraction, ran toward the little girl who had now gone down into the forest. Before she could hop over the fence, someone came behind her and stopped her. She could tell that this time, it was a person.
“Let go of me!” Finley yelled. Shane shushed her, keeping hold of her arms. Finley watched Lori grab onto Carol who was sobbing and yelling for her daughter.
”Rick’s got ‘er. Rick’s got ‘er, okay?” Shane said to Finley as she squirmed, trying to escape his hands and go after the little girl.
”Let go!” Finley repeated, not paying attention to Shane’s words. Suddenly, Fisher came into her eyesight.
”Hey, hey, quit it. Rick’s after her. She’ll be fine.” Fisher reassured Finley. Finley gradually calmed, though Shane didn’t let go of her until Glenn told him to do so.
Finley looked beside Fisher and saw Charlie. As Finley had expected from Charlie; the girl had been crying. Her eyes were bloodshot, though she held her tough look. Finley could see right through her.
Finley looked aside from Fisher and Charlie and watched Lori hold back a sobbing Carol. If Finley was this worried about a little girl who wasn’t her own, she couldn’t imagine how Carol felt.

”Holy shit, are you okay?” said Charlie. Finley looked at Charlie and realized that she was talking to her. Finley followed Charlie’s gaze and looked down at her stomach. It was still dripping blood as it had been under the car. There was a deep cut that she surprisingly couldn’t even feel.
Finley then looked at her hands which had many, many cuts and scrapes from crawling on the rough, glass-sprinkled ground. They were sparkly from the mini glass shards stuck in her fingers. She looked back down at her stomach.
”Huh.” Finley puffed, watching as her stomach bled from the multiple cuts and scrapes she’d earned.

Chapter Text

Despite Finley's efforts, she had been refused the opportunity to help look for Sophia due to her condition. She had a deep cut to the stomach that hurt like a bitch, and some other cuts and scrapes that hurt just as bad. Dale luckily had a supply of bandages that he'd been saving and wrapped them around her stomach. The cut bled through the bandage. It probably hadn't stopped bleeding yet, and it'd been a good thirty minutes, maybe an hour.
Fisher had attempted to place Finley in the R.V. to rest, but Finley declined the offer. She didn't want to be the poor girl who got cut by some glass and had to take a break. As much as it hurt to walk or hold anything due to the glass in her fingers and the cuts on her body, she would not be that girl.

Finley leaned on the R.V., staring at Carol as she anxiously stood by the spot Sophia had been chased down. She'd been standing there, waiting for Daryl and Rick to return for their search for her daughter without moving for god knows how long. Finley felt horrible for her. She could never imagine what was going through her head right now.

Finley watched as Carol finally began to walk. She asked Dale, "Why aren't we all out there looking? Why are we all moving cars?" Carol acknowledged the efforts being made to move cars to create a path out of the highway.
"We have to clear enough room so I can get the R.V. turned around as soon as it's running," Dale explained with a motion of his hands. "Now that we have fuel, we can double back to a bypass that Glenn flagged on the map."
Shane would add himself to the conversation, walking up next to Carol.
"Going back's going to be easier than trying to get through this mess," Shane spoke, his fingers in his pockets.
That same worried expression from before appeared on Carol's face. "We're not going anywhere till my daughter gets back."
Lori came up behind Carol, putting a hand on her back to comfort her gently. "Hey, that goes without saying."
"Rick and Daryl, they're on it, okay?" said Shane, briefly putting a hand on Carol's shoulder and then removing it. "Just a matter of time."
Then, just adding to the pile of people; Andrea, Charlie, and Fisher came along as well. Finley kept her distance, still leaning on the R.V.
"Can't be soon enough for me," said Andrea, passing Glenn a bottle of warm water. "I'm still freaked out by that herd that passed by, or whatever you'd call it. Did you see what happened to Finley? All that glass." Andrea continued as if it weren't obvious that Finley was sitting there, listening.
Fisher frowned slightly at Andrea's words. He must think all the glass was because of him. He was the one who broke the glass, that is. Finley didn't understand why he would feel responsible. She was right there with him, planning how they would break the car window.
"Yeah, what was that? All of them just marching along like that." Glenn spoke.
"They're kind of like animals. A lot of animals like to travel in groups. Maybe they do, too?" Charlie suggested from behind Andrea.
"A herd. Yeah, that sounds about right," said Shane.
"We've seen it. It's like the night the camp got attacked." He continued. "Some wandering pack, only fewer."
Shane sighed shortly. "Okay. Come on, people. Still got a lot to do. Let's stay on it."

Finley bounced herself off of the R.V., deciding to contribute in some way.
Before she could even make it ten steps, she was stopped.
"Nuh-uh. Not you," said Dale, pointing at Finley and causing her to pause.
"And, why not?" Finley asked, scrunching her face up. Dale raised his eyebrows as if it were obvious.
Dale eyed the bloody bandages wrapped around Finley's waist. "You're injured, Finley."
"So what?"
"You could make the wound– or wounds worse by putting so much effort into moving a damn car."
"I could just search the cars, or something."
"Get into the R.V." Dale commanded. Finley raised her eyebrows and lifted her arms beside her head in surrender then dropped them, turning around and stepping into the R.V.

Finley sat at the table in the R.V., her leg bouncing. She was bored. She wanted to help in some way. You know what? Screw Dale. Finley stood, walking out of the R.V. and toward the cars. Dale looked at her.

"Hey, what did I say to you?" Dale called. Finley ignored him.
Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. The sound of an engine sputtering, then a radio. Finley scattered to the sound. Shane sat in a car where a radio played, Lori watching.

"The emergency alert system has been activated. The Office of Civil Defense has issued the following message:" The radio spoke. Shane got out of the car, leaning on the open door as people began to crowd around the area to listen. "Normal broadcasting will cease immediately. This is a civil emergency..."
"Is that from right now? Someone out there?" Charlie spoke, walking up to the car with Fisher trailing behind her, as he always is. "Like, a local signal?"
"It's got to be within fifty miles of here," Dale spoke.
The broadcast continued. It was glitchy, but you could understand it. "Avoid any infected at all costs. Remain calm. Help is on the way."
'That's gotta be old. If help were on the way, it'd be here by now." Finley spoke, her eyes squinted due to the sun.
The broadcast repeated. Shane reached into the car to turn it off.
"Asshole," said Shane. Finley sighed.
"What if that wasn't just like, on a full loop, or whatever? What if people are coming to help us?" Charlie spoke, hope in her voice.
"I doubt it," said Shane. Charlie frowned. "Like Finn said; if help were on the way, it woulda' been here by now."
Finley grimaced at the nickname he gave her. She'd been called Finn before, but she didn't like the idea of Shane calling her any kind of nickname.
"Okay. Let's get back to work." Shane spoke.

Finley walked off, trailing to a car to look through.
As Finley walked, looking through car windows in hopes of a jackpot, she came across the car she'd hidden under, and the bags she'd dragged out of the car. And the bloody glass that has stabbed her in the stomach, currently lying peacefully on the floor.
Finley bit her cheek and picked up the two bags. She swung the backpack over her shoulder and lifted the other bag, wincing at the heaviness of the bag. She began walking toward the R.V., hoping Dale could do something with the supplies that had been sitting inside of these bags for god knows how long.

Finley stood just behind the fence outlining the streets, about where Rick took after Sophia. Daryl and Rick weren't back yet. It'd been hours. What if something happened to Sophia? Finley couldn't even imagine how Carol would feel. She pushed the thoughts out of her head. Sophia was fine. She's just lost... She hoped.

The sun was setting. Carol still stood in the same spot, as well as Finley. Though, understandably, more people checked on Carol than they did on Finley.
The orange and pink sky sat on Finley's face. She listened carefully to the people speaking in the background of her mind. Andrea was arguing with Dale because he wouldn't hand over her gun. Man, Finley would be upset, too. Dale didn't have the right, even if he thought that it was best.
"Oh god." said Glenn, faintly behind Finley. "They're back."
Suddenly, Rick and Daryl came walking up the hill, toward Carol. No sight of a little girl trailing next to them. Finley placed herself next to Carol, and arm around the woman. This couldn't be good news.
"You didn't find her?" Carol said, a sob seeming to be held back in her throat.
"Her trail went cold." Rick spoke, stepping over the fence, followed by Daryl. "We'll pick it up again at first light."
Soon, the rest of the group came rushing behind Carol, all hoping to see Sophia. Carl seemed the most eager out of all of them. Finley frowned.
"You can't leave my daughter out there on her own to spend the night alone in the woods." Carol's voice trembled. Finley rubbed a hand on her back, trying to bring her to a calmer headspace. Though, that seemed impossible at this moment.
Daryl held his crossbow over his shoulder. He seemed to have some kind of sympathy for Carol, which was sure unusual for him.
"Out in the dark's no good." said Daryl. "We'd just be tripping over ourselves. More people get lost." Carol stuttered, her face scrunching in worry for her daughter.
"But she's twelve. She can't be out there on her own." Carol looked at Rick, "You didn't find anything?"
Rick tried to reassure Carol, but he was unsuccessful.
"I know this is hard," he spoke. "But I'm asking you to try not to panic. We know she was out there."
"And we tracked 'er for a while." Daryl added.
Filey scoffed. Try not to worry? Carol's daughter was somewhere lost in a world full of things trying to kill her. How could she not worry?
"We have to make this an organized effort." Rick began to announce, "Daryl knows the woods better than anybody. I've asked him to oversee this."
Finley looked over at Daryl, then at Rick. They had more blood on them than before. Carol glanced at Finley and turned her gaze to where she was staring. The color drained from her face.
"Is... Is that blood?" Carol stuttered, searching Dary's face for an answer. Her breathing became heavier, and Finley squeezed her shoulder. Finley attempted to whisper reassurance to her, but it didn't help too much.
"We took down a walker." Rick answered. Finley hated seeing Carol go through so many different emotions during this. It was horrible and unimaginable.
"Walker? Oh my god." Carol looked away, but Rick cased her face to find her gaze.
"There was no sign that it was anywhere near Sophia." Rick reassured.
Finley furrowed her eyebrows, "And how would you know that?"
Rick looked at Daryl in hesitation. Daryl paused, then looked at Finley.
"We cut the son of a bitch open, made sure." He explained. Finley grimaced.
Somehow, that brought comfort to Carol. She sat on the fence to catch her breath, causing Finley to lose grip on her. Lori sat down next to her, putting an arm around her and using strategies Finley didn't know to comfort her.
Carol's face showed a hint of anger. She looked up at Rick.
"How could you just leave her out there to begin with?" Carol spoke, catching her breath in between the words of the sentence. "How could you just leave her!?"
Rick hesitated, "Those two walkers were on us. I had to draw 'em off. It- It was her best chance."
"Sounds like he didn't have a choice, Carol." Shane added. Finley crossed her arms, pressing her lips together.
"How was she supposed to find her way back on her own?" Carol said softly, preventing tears from spilling out of her eyes. "She's just a child! She's just a child..."

Finley exhaled sharply, turning around and pushing through the people watching this like a movie. She didn't want to watch this anymore. It was horrible what Carol was going through. Finley stomped into the trailer, sitting down at the mini-dining table. She took shaky breaths, trying not to get emotional. This wasn't anything that Finley should cry over. This was Carol's daughter who was missing. This situation only deserved Carol's tears. Not Finley's, not Rick's, not Lori's— Carol's.

✦

The next morning, Rick laid out a set of weapons on a car. Many, many knives.

"Everybody takes a weapon." Rick announced, the people of his group standing around him.
"These aren't the kind of weapons we need." Andrea stated. "What about the guns?"
"We've been over that." Shane spoke. "Daryl, Rick, and I are carrying."
Lori came up and took a weapon from the selection, inspecting it and walking back to her place. Charlie did the same. She came up and chose carefully. She took the biggest knife she saw. Andrea argued for her gun, but Shane ended it quickly. Finley went ahead and took the first knife she saw.
Daryl began, "The idea is to take the creek up about five miles, turn around, come back down the other side." He explained. "Chances are, she'll be by the creek. It's her only landmark."
"Stay quiet, and stay sharp." Rick spoke, Daryl already beginning to make his way. "Keep space between you, but always stay within sight of each other."

Dale and T-Dog stayed back. T-Dog got his arm cut real deep during the herd, and Dale was there to watch over the R.V. Finley sort of envied them. She hated walking. Carl was meant to stay back, too, but he fought his way into coming along.
Finley held a blue bag over her shoulder; filled with some water, a few food cans, and the knife she took from the selection. Her feet hurt from walking, even though it hadn't been too long yet.
They all walked in a line, like follow the leader. The sounds of bugs and birds filled Finley's ears.
Suddenly, they came to a stop. Everyone in front of Finley was crouching. She didn't know why, but she took the hint and did the same. She looked at Daryl, then followed his gaze to a tent.

"She could be in there." said Shane.
"Could be a whole buncha' things in there." Daryl spoke, standing and slowly walking forward. Daryl and Shane followed but commanded everyone else to stay where they were.
Finley stared at them, eager to know what was in the tent. Hopefully an alive Sophia.
Daryl pulled his knife out, his crossbow still pointing as he walked toward the tent, leaving Shane and Rick behind. He peeked inside of the tent, though he couldn't see much. He looked at Shane and Rick and shrugged, signing that he couldn't make out what he was seeing within the tent.

"Carol." Rick whispered, waving his hand for her to come forward. Of course, everyone else followed behind her.
Rick inched toward the tent, Carol trailing behind him.
"Call out softly." Rick whispered to the woman. "If she's in there, your is the first voice she should hear."
Daryl stood in front of the tent door, his knife aimed just in case something unwanted came through the material.

Carol hesitated, "Sophia, sweetie?" She called out. "Are you in there? Sophia, it's mommy." No answer. Carol raised her voice only slightly. "Sophia, we're all here, baby. It's mommy." Tears welled up in her eyes. No answer.
Rick held up a hand, signing for Carol to stay back while he approached Daryl. Shane followed. Daryl slowly unzipped the tent, his knife still aimed and ready. Once he peeked in, he coughed from the smell. A bad sign. He crawled in, and Finley waited impatiently for him to come out with some kind of news.

"Daryl?" Carol called. The three men continued to cough from the stench.
Daryl stepped out. "Ain't her." A sigh of relief or disappointment escapes everyone's lungs. For Finley, it was sort of both.

"What's in there?" Andrea asked.
"Some guy. Did what Jenner said." Daryl spoke, "Opted out. Ain't that what he called it?"
Finley frowned. What a horrible world that they live in. Suddenly, there was a faint noise. A bell. A church bell.
"Are those bells?" Charlie spoke, looking in the direction she heard it. Then, out of the blue, everyone began to run in the direction the bells came from. God. The only thing worse than walking is running.

"If we hear those, maybe Sophia does, too." Carol hoped.
"Someone's ringing those bells. Maybe calling others." Glenn suggested.
"Or signaling that they found her." Andrea added.
"Or maybe it's Sophia ringing them herself." Fisher added.

They came to an open field, filled with gravestones and a church right in the middle. There wasn't a bell on top of it, but where else could the bells have come from? They ran to the entrance. A red door that Daryl and Rick opened quietly. Weirdly, the walkers within were all sitting, straight and forward, as if it were just another Sunday. The three walkers stood once the doors opened, and it was left to Shane, Rick, and Daryl to kill them. Where were the bells coming from? They'd stopped now. This couldn't be the right church.
Once the walkers were dead, the people of the group crept into the church.

"Sophia!" Rick yelled, making Finley cringe from the noise.
Then again, the bells. Louder than ever now. This was the right church, alright. Everyone flooded through the doors, running around to the side of the church to find where the bells were ringing from.
They didn't see a bell. What they did see was a horn. A speaker. Finley sighed. It was connected to a power box which Glenn quickly shut off.

"A timer. It's on a timer." Daryl spoke, catching his breath from running.
"No Sophia." Finley sighed.

"I'm gonna go back in for a bit." Carol spoke. A few people followed behind her, into the church.

Finley sat against the walls of the church, letting the sun hit her directly in the face. She wanted to believe that Sophia was okay... But after all of this? Man, it was difficult.
Hidden behind the walls of the stairs to the front door, Finley accidentally eavesdropped on a conversation she probably shouldn't have heard.

"You really leavin'?" Lori spoke. Finley furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
"Don't you think it's best for all of us?" Shane said, holding his shotgun.
"I think it is." Lori stated. "What made you decide?"
"Gotta back away. Just tryna' be the good guy here, Lori, even if you don't see it. None of this was intended. I hope you know that." Shane explained. "Don't matter as long as I said it."
"You're just gonna disappear? You're not even gonna tell Rick?"
"He'd only try to stop me. No, that's on you." Shane began, "You tell 'im what you want, or tell 'im nothing at all. You're his wife."
"And Carl? We dragged him into this."
"I love Carl."
"He thinks you hate him."
"I'm trying to put some distance. I'm trying to make this easier. This ain't easy on any of us, least of all me. I'm the one who loses you."
Lori walked inside of the church, where the rest of her family was. Finley couldn't quite catch what was going on. Shane was leaving? For what reason?

Everyone began collecting at a tree in the middle of the many, many gravestones. They were gonna start moving soon. Finley wasn't excited, but it was for the best. And also for Carol's sanity.

Shane cleared his throat, walking toward the group like a principal walks to the stage of a school assembly.
"Y'all gonna follow the creek bed back, okay? Daryl, you're in charge." Shane commanded, "Me and Rick, we're just gonna hang back, search this area another hour or so just to be thorough."
"You're splittin' us up? You sure?" Daryl spoke.
"Yeah. We'll catch up to you." Shane replied.
"No way. I'm not going back. I'm staying with you guys." Charlie spoke stepping away from Fisher for the first time that Finley'd seen today.
"I wanna stay, too." Carl spoke, stepping up next to Charlie. "I'm Sophia's friend."
Rick looked at Lori for an answer. She stepped up next to Carl.
"Just be careful, okay?" Lori spoke, looking down at Carl.
"I will," said Carl.
"When did you start growing up?" Lori hugged Carl, placing a kiss on his head.

Charlie stepped over to Fisher.
"Sorry." She spoke.
"It's whatever, Char. Don't worry." Fisher smiled at Charlie. "Just don't die."
Charlie let out a small laugh. "I won't."
Fisher pulled Charlie into a hug as if this were the last time they would see each other. Then finally, they said their goodbyes, and Charlie hopped over to Rick, Shane, and Carl. She put a hand on Carl's head, ruffling his hair. He looked up at her and laughed, giving Charlie a smile across her face.

Finley stepped next to Fisher, who stared at Charlie as his half of the group walked a different way from hers.
"She'll be fine, dude. That girl can take care of herself better than any of us." Finley said to Fisher. He nodded.
"I know." Fisher spoke, finally taking his gaze off of Charlie.

Rick walked up to Shane. The other group had already gone into the woods, which somehow made them behind time.
"Give me a minute?" Rick spoke, looking at the church. Shane nodded.
Rick began walking toward the church, gun in hand. Shane looked at Charlie and Carl, tilting his head as a sign to follow.
Charlie put a hand on Carl's back, "Come on."

Charlie, Shane, and Carl were all sitting on the steps when Rick finally took a step out of the church. Charlie stood, hinting for Shane and Carl to do the same.
"Get what you needed?" Shane asked.
"Guess I'll find out." Rick replied.

Chapter Text

It was very... Green. Not a lot of sunlight peeked through the leaves and branches of the forest.
Charlie walked beside Carl, her hand on his shoulder. They walked behind Rick and in front of Shane. They hadn't been walking long, but it sure felt like it. Charlie had to keep reminding herself that she volunteered to keep looking.

"Charlie?" Carl looked up at Charlie, her arm kept around him as they walked. Charlie met his gaze with a smile, her high ponytail hanging down next to her face.
"What's up, bud?" Charlie spoke.
"Do you think Sophia's really okay?" Carl asked, his eyes dropping. Charlie pressed her lips together in thought. Rick looked at her and Carl over his shoulder, and forward again.
"I hope so." Charlie gave the best answer she could give to him. She really did hope that Sophia was okay, so that wasn't a lie. But if she were being completely honest, she had her doubts. They would have found Sophia by now if she were okay. A little girl can only go so far, and they've looked everywhere.
Carl's facial expression showed that he knew that Charlie wasn't telling him the full answer, but he nodded anyway and left it behind them. Charlie glanced over her shoulder and caught Shane's eyes. He had a look of disappointment in his eyes. He had the same said answer, and hidden answer as her. Charlie bit her lip and turned her head forward again.

Suddenly, Rick put his hand up, putting the three people behind him to a stop.
Snap. Snap.
The sound of rustling and branches snapping filled the silence of the forest. Charlie reached into her green bag and pulled out the knife she'd pulled from the selection Rick'd given her and the rest of the group. She took the cover off of the blade and gripped the handle so tight that her knuckles turned white. She pulled Carl closer to her as if she expected him to run toward the sound. He was smarter than that.
Rick pointed in the direction the sound came from, slowly and quietly stepping forward. Charlie did the same, along with Carl and Shane. Shane stepped in front of her and Carl. He had the shotgun, so that was fine with Charlie. All she had was a big ass knife.
Through the branches and bushes, Charlie expected to see a walker. But she didn't. What she saw was a deer. Charlie grew a very, very soft smile. How cool is that? A deer! Charlie stepped forward and looked down at Carl, who had a bright smile on his face.
The deer stepped out into the open where everyone could see it. Charlie loosened her grip on Carl, figuring it wasn't necessary now. Carl, now a bit more free, looked up at Charlie, asking with his facial expressions if he could go up to the deer. Charlie thought that it would be cool with Rick, so she smiled with a nod and took her hand off Carl's shoulder.
Shane aimed his gun, hoping to bring some food back to the group, or something. Rick stopped him gently as Carl walked past him, toward the deer. Charlie's smile grew larger.
"Awesome." Charlie spoke, under her breath. Rick looked at her with a silent laugh, then looked back at his son, getting only closer to the animal.
Carl looked back at the three of them, asking if he could go closer. Charlie looked at Rick. Rick nodded. Carl smiled brightly, turning his head and continuing to tip-toe toward the deer.

Carl stepped on a twig, causing the deer to look right at him. Charlie had only seen so many deers in her lifetime, but never this close. She was a little envious of Carl right now, getting to walk right up to it.

Suddenly, out ofthis quiet, beautiful moment— boom. Charlie yelped at the sudden loud sound, her eyes wide and her jaw hanging low. She looked up, and both the deer and Carl were down.

"Carl!" Charlie yelled, pushing past the two men who seemed to be processing this slower than she had. She kneeled next to the little boy, blood soaking through his shirt.
"Oh my god!" Charlie spoke, her hands up above Car's unconscious body, not knowing what to do with them. "Rick! Shane!"
Rick and Shane came running right behind her, Rick yelling a series of "no"s. Rick gently pushed Charlie out of the way, putting a hand on Carl's wound and attempting to talk to him, despite him being unconscious. Charlie stared in horror, not knowing what to do. Shane waved his gun around, looking for the shooter.
There came a fat man with a gun, his eyes wide and scared.

"Oh no." The fat man spoke, staring down at Carl.
"Did you do this? It was you!" Shane yelled, his words jumbled together.
"Oh, god." The fat man hadn't even seemed to notice Shane and his gun until just seconds after he'd been spoken to.
"I— I have a farm! We have a doctor that can help your boy. Oh, god. I am so sorry." The fat man rambled.
"A doctor?" Rick echoed, his eyes wide as he looked up at the man.
"Yes! Yes. I can take you to 'im." The man seemed to be pleading for his life.
"Go. Go!" Rick picked a bleeding Carl up, following after the running fat man before Charlie could even get up. Shane did the same, causing Charlie to scramble up onto her feet and run after them. Her legs felt like jello, and her hands felt like earthquakes.

The man led the three of them through the woods, panting. He was slow, and Shane kept pushing him to go quicker. Charlie couldn't take her eyes off of Carl in Rick's arms. Rick kept making these noises. He wasn't crying, but it sounded like he was. Charlie was surprised that she wasn't crying yet. Usually, as much as she hated it, she would be by now.
They reached the end of the woods and came to an open field of wheat, green grass, and yellow grass.
"There, there... That way." The fat man leaned on his knees, catching his breath. Rick was already halfway there when Shane pushed the man to start running again. Charlie ran just beside Shane.

The fat man stopped in the middle of the field to catch his breath, but Shane yelled for him to keep moving. Rick kept running.
"How far?" Rick asked the fat man, "How far!?"
"About a half mile that way." The fat man said between breaths. Rick began running again.
"Talk to Hershel! He'll help your boy!" The fat man called.
Charlie somehow caught up next to Rick and was running right beside him, staring at Carl. She shouldn't have let him approach that damn deer. She should have said no. She was the one who told him that he could— and now he might already be dead.
The three of them made it over a hill, and there it was. A house. Rick stopped to stare at it.
"What the hell are you doing? Go!" Charlie yelled at him. Rick grunted, running again with Charlie just behind him.
From the spot she was at, she could see a woman on the porch of the house. The fat man wasn't lying. There are people. Thank god.

They made it past all of the wheat and finally to the porch. Now it wasn't just the woman, it was a group of people. An old man, a boy with a bat, an older blonde woman, a blonde teenage girl, and a skinny girl with brown short hair.

"Was he bit?" The old man asked.
"He was shot!" Charlie shouted.
"By your man." said Rick, tears in his eyes as they walked toward the group.
"Otis?" The older blonde woman spoke, a heavy southern accent in her voice.
"He said find Hershel. Is that you?" Rick's voice trembled with Carl in his arms. "Help me. Help my boy!"
"Get him inside. Get him inside!" The old man said, rushing everyone including Rick inside. Charlie followed.
Charlie walked beside Rick, into the house. They walked into a nearby room and placed Carl on a bed which Hershel flipped the blankets off of. Hershel, the old man, commanded different people in his family to get supplies and do different things. Finally, the tears Charlie had been waiting for started in her eyes.
"Is he alive?" Rick asked, either sweat or tears on his face. Maybe both.
"Pillowcase, quick." Hershel spoke. Charlie backed up until she bumped into a wall, covering her mouth with her hand.
Charlie couldn't even hear what any of them were saying. She just stared, horrified. She couldn't get the thought that it was her fault out of her head. Carl getting shot was all her fault.
There were so many people with so many medical supplies. Rick was holding a folded pillowcase on Carl's gunshot wound. Charlie pressed herself against the wall. She wanted to do something, but she couldn't move her body. Tears spilled out of her eyes.

"I've got a heartbeat." Said Hershel, a stethoscope up to Carl's chest. Charlie shut her eyes, sighing in relief. However, that didn't help the tears stop. "It's faint."
The older blonde woman pulled Rick away.
"Your name?" Hershel asked Rick.
"Rick— I'm— I'm Rick."
"Rick, we're gonna do everything we can." Hershel reassured him. "You need to give us some room. Now."
Rick used everything in his power to pull himself out of that room, seeming to forget about Charlie. A blonde girl, who seemed to be Charlie's age, came up to her.

"We're doing all we can, but they need space. Come on." The girl had a Southern accent and a blonde low ponytail, unlike Charlie's light brown high ponytail. Charlie nodded briefly, allowing the girl to guide her out of the room and into one of the living room chairs. She smiled sympathetically at Charlie then rushed back into the room where they were treating Carl.

Rick walked outside to where the fat man and Shane had just arrived. Charlie's entire shook, her tears spilling on the living room couch. It was all her fault. It's all her fault.
Rick walked back inside, Shane with him now. The fat man, called Otis by the older blonde woman, trailed behind them. They walked through the door of the room Carl laid in. Charlie could hear some things being said, but she couldn't make them out. She wasn't sure if she wanted to. Soon, she could hear crying. It was Rick. He was saying something about Lori. Oh, god. Lori didn't know.

✦

Finley walked, and walked, and walked. She stood next to Fisher who was now Charlie-less. She figured she should walk with him. Charlie had walked with him the entire time. He needed some kind of replacement, right?

Finley looked over her shoulder to see Lori, turned around, and stopped, only a few steps away from the group.
"What's wrong?" Finley called, causing Lori to turn her head to them, the back in the direction it had been.
"You still worrying about it?" Andrea asked.
"It was a gunshot." Lori spoke.
"We all heard it." Rick walked up beside Finley.
"Why one? Why just one gunshot?" Lori worried.
"They probably just took a walker down, Lor." Finley tilted her head slightly.
"Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to put down one walker." Lori spoke. "Or Shane. They'd do it quietly."
"Shouldn't they have caught up with us now?" Carol added, only making Lori worry more. Fisher tapped his foot, the words getting to him as well.
"There's nothing we can do about it, anyway." said Daryl. "Can't run around these woods chasing echoes."
"So what do we do?" Lori asked.
"Same as we've been." Daryl began, "Beat the bush for Sophia, work our way back to the highway."
"I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the R.V." Andrea spoke. Lori sighed and kept moving, allowing everyone else to do the same. That was until Carol and Andrea stopped, too.

Andrea said a few things to Carol about Sophia, apologizing and everything that Carol had already heard. Finley just wanted to get back to the highway. Fisher definitely did, too. Worry for his friend was written all over his face.

"The thought of her out here by herself... It's the not knowing that's killing me." Carol's voice trembled. "I just keep hoping and praying she doesn't wind up like Amy."
The blood drained from Carol's face as Andrea stared at her blankly. Finley sucked air in sharply through her teeth.
"Oh god," Carol grabbed Andrea's hands. "That's the worst thing I've ever said."
"We're all hoping and praying with you, for what it's worth." Andrea spoke, pulling away from Carol.
Daryl stepped over to the two women, and Finley already knew that nothing he was about to say was going to be good.
"I'll tell you what it's worth," He began, "Not a damn thing. It's a waste a' time, all this hopin' and praying. Cause we're gonna locate that little girl, and she's gonna be just fine." Daryl spoke. "Am I the only one zen around here? Good lord."
Finley couldn't help but chuckle at Daryl's comment, turning around as everyone began to finally walk forward again.

✦

Charlie bounced her leg. Shane and Rick now sat across from her, too. She bit her nails. The tears had finally stopped, but her eyes were still a shade of pink and her face was all puffy.

"I'm sorry." Charlie muttered, not making eye contact with either of the men.
"What?" Said Rick, "What for?"
Charlie hesitated, holding back the tears she'd finally gotten to stop.
"I let him go out there. I said he could." Charlie explained. "It's my fault. I'm so sorry, Rick."
"It wasn't your fault, Char. We let it happen, too. Don't blame yourself." Shane spoke. Charlie looked up, making eye contact with him. Another tear fell down her cheek.
"Jeez. C'mere." Shane stood, rolling his eyes briefly. Charlie stood and fell into him, hugging him tightly as the tears she'd worked so hard to get rid of came right back. Shane rubbed her shoulder, telling her that it was okay and that it wasn't her fault repeatedly.
Suddenly, the door to Carl's room opened. Charlie pulled away from the hug. The woman with the short brown hair came through.
"Rick." She spoke. The color drained from Charlie's face. Was Carl okay? Did something happen?
Rick rushed into the room.
"He needs blood." The woman with the brown short hair said. Shane and Charlie came in behind Rick.
Carl was crying and squirming. Yells of pain escaped from him. Hershel looked at Shane.
"You, hold him down." Hershel commanded.
Charlie covered her mouth with her hand again, watching Hershel use a tool to get bullet fragments out of Carl's stomach as Carl screamed in pain.
"Dad!" Carl yelled, tears spilling out of his eyes. Another scream escaped from him and Hershel dug into his stomach.
"Stop! You're killing him!" Rick screamed as Carl yelled in pain.
"Rick! Do you want 'im to live!?" Hershel kept his eyes on the tool and Carl squirmed in pain.
"He needs blood!" The blonde older woman said.
"You guys don't have pain meds or anything!?" Charlie asked from the corner of the room.
"We've given him all that we can." Hershel told her. Charlie hated to see Carl in this much pain. He was such a sweet kid... He didn't deserve to go through this. Not at all.
"Do it now!" Shane yelled, causing the blonde older woman to rush to take blood from Rick's arm.
The crying and screaming stopped.
"What happened?" Charlie approached the bed to see an unconscious Carl. Her heart dropped.
"He just passed out." Hershel spoke, pulling a bullet fragment out from Carl's stomach. "One down... Five to go."
"Oh, god..." Charlie said under her breath, shutting her eyes.

The blonde woman pumped Rick's blood into Carl's arm. Shane and Charlie stood in the corner of the room, staring from a distance.
"Lori needs to be here. She doesn't even know what's going on." said Rick. "I've got to go find 'er, bring her back."
"You can't do that." Hershel spoke.
"She's his mother," Rick argued. "She needs to know what's happened. Her son's lying here shot."
"And he's going to need more blood." Hershel explained. "He can't go more than fifty feet from this bed." Hershel looked to Shane, then to Charlie.
Rick stood, struggling to keep his balance. Shane stepped over to him and put his hands on Rick's shoulders.
"Hey, hey." Shane spoke gently, his voice rough. "Come on."
"I'm alright." Rick walked past Shane and out of the door.
"I got him." Shane said to Hershel under his breath.
Charlie followed after Rick but just leaned on the wall next to the door. Rick sat down and the brunette woman sat forward, eager to hear any news about Carl.
"He's stable for now." Shane spoke, leaning on the other wall.

"Lori has to be here, Shane. She has to know." Rick spoke.
"Okay. I get that. I'm gonna handle it." Shane paused, "But you've gotta handle your end."
"My... My end?" Rick echoed.
"Your end is bein' here for your son." Shane crouched down beside Rick, "Even if he didn't need your blood to survive, there is no way I'd ever let you walk out that door. Man, I'd break your legs if you tried. I mean, you know that, right?"
Shane continued, "If somethin' happened to 'im and you weren't here..." He paused. "If— If he slipped away... While you were gone, you would never forgive yourself for that. And neither would Lori, man."
Rick cried silently into his hands, then looked back at Shane.
"You're right." Rick stated.
"When was I ever wrong?" Shane laughed, sitting against the wall now.

Charlie looked at the ceiling and shut her eyes. She wasn't religious. She never was. Man, her parents sure weren't. But she prayed. She prayed for Rick, for Lori, and especially for Carl. My god, she hoped Carl would push through this. That would be horrible, stacked on top of Sophia being missing.
Suddenly, the door opened next to Charlie. Charlie bounced off of the wall and everyone who was sitting stood up.

"He's out of danger for the moment." Said Hershel, looking at Rick. "But I need to remove those remaining fragments."
"How? You saw how he was." Charlie spoke. "He was screaming, moving as much as he could."
"I know, and that was the shallowest one. I need to go deeper to get the others." Hershel explained. Charlie sighed, falling back onto the wall.
"Oh, man." Shane spoke under his breath.
"There's more," said Hershel. Charlie didn't want to hear the rest.
"Tell me." Rick spoke.
"His belly's distended, his pressure's dropping, which means there's internal bleeding."
"Oh, god." Charlie spoke.
"A fragment must've nicked one of the blood vessels. I have to open him up, find the bleeder, and stitch it." Hershel explained, "And he can't move while I'm in there, I mean, at all. If he reacts the same as before— I'll sever an artery and he'll be dead in minutes."
Hershel paused. "To even try this, I have to put him under. But if I do, he won't be able to breathe on his own. Same bad results."
"So it's death or death?" Charlie asked. Maybe she shouldn't have asked.
"You need a respirator." Otis, the fat man stepped in. "What else?"
"The tube that goes with it, extra surgical supplies, drapes, sutures." Hershel listed.
"If you had all that, you could save him?" Rick asked.
"If I had all that, I could try." Hershel clarified.
"Nearest hospital went up in flames a month ago." Otis spoke. Hershel looked at him as if they were communicating telepathically. "The high school."
"That's what I was thinking. They set up a Fema shelter there. They would have everything we need." Hershel spoke.
"The place was overrun last time I saw it. You couldn't get near it. Maybe it's better now." Otis said, his face unsure.
"They're attracted to noise. You could get firecrackers or something to distract them." Charlie suggested. Dumb suggestion. Where would they even get firecrackers?
A pause.
"I said, leave the rest to me," said Shane. "Is it too late to take that back?"
"I hate you going alone." Rick spoke.
"I'll go with him." Charlie stepped forward.
"No. I'll take you there." said Otis, looking at Shane. "Ain't but five miles."
The older blonde woman leaned on the doorframe. "Otis, no." She said with a heavy southern accent.
"Honey, we don't have time for guesswork and I'm responsible." Otis spoke. "I ain't gonna sit here while this fella and a kid take this on alone. I'll be alright."
"Are you sure about this?" Shane spoke.
"Do you even know what any of the stuff he's talkin' about looks like?" Otis asked.
"Come to think, no."
"I've been a volunteer E.M.T. I do." Otis spoke, "We can talk about this 'til next Sunday, or we could just go do it real quick."
"I'll take right quick." said Shane.
"I should thank you." Rick spoke, his voice soft and raspy.
"Wait 'til that boy of yours is up and around. Then we'll talk." Otis spoke. "I'll gather some things." Otis walked away to pack what they needed for the trip.

The brunette woman with the short hair approached Rick, "Where is she, your wife?"

✦

The sound of a bird hooting, and the sight of the sun setting.
"We'll lose the light before too long." said Daryl, his crossbow hung over his shoulder. "I think we should call it."
"Let's head back." Lori said blankly.
"We'll pick it up again tomorrow?" Carol asked hopefully.
"Yeah, we'll find her tomorrow." Lori spoke, her knife on her shoulder with the cover stuck on the blade.
Daryl whistled and waved his hand for everyone to follow him in the opposite direction. Finley caught up next to him.

Finley looked over at Daryl, "Why do you think that gun was fired a few hours back? Just a walker?"
"We still worryin' about this?" Daryl grumbled.
Finley shrugged, looking down at her feet. "Yeah. Sort of."
Daryl paused, "I dunno. I hope it was a walker."
"What else could it be?"
"Beats me."
Finley bit her lip, deciding that she should probably get over it. It might've been nothing.

✦

Otis and Shane left just about five or ten minutes ago. Charlie didn't doubt that Shane would be fine, but Otis... He couldn't even run back to this farm without tripping and falling about a dozen times. She wasn't sure how well this trip would go for him.

The weight of the couch Charlie sat on changed. She looked beside her to see the blonde teenage girl who'd helped her out of that room earlier today.
"Hey." The girl spoke.
"Hi," Charlie said back.
"I'm Beth." She smiled. "Greene. Beth Greene."
Charlie blinked, "Um, Charlie. Well, Charlotte, but— Charlie."
"Nice to meet you, Charlie," Beth spoke. A pause. "Are you his sister?"
"Carl's? No, no." Charlie shook her head. "Just a friend."
"How'd y'all meet?"
"Um, some people from our group led me, my... uhm, dad, and my friend to him and his mom." Charlie explained. She cringed at calling Dale her dad, but he technically was. He'd adopted her. "I looked over him and his friend, Sophia, pretty often. We got close."
"That's nice." Beth nodded. "Sophia with the mom? Lori, Rick said it was?"
Charlie pressed her lips together, "No. Sophia, she's um— she's missing right now. We got ourselves into this whole thing looking for her."
"Oh." Beth spoke. "I'm sorry. I hope y'all find her."
"Yeah. I do too."

✦

"How much farther?" Lori asked. Finley's feet still hurt. She wasn't the walking type of gal.
"Not much. Maybe a hundred yards." Daryl spoke. "As the crow flies." Fisher grimaced.
"We're not exactly crows." said Fisher, stepping over a tree stump.
"As the crow flies, my ass." Andrea spoke. Just seconds later, the sound of Andrea's scream could be heard. Finley jumped at the sound.
Fisher came running toward the scream, along with everyone else. Somehow Andrea had trailed away from the group, and it took longer than it should have to get to her.
"Andrea!?" Lori called.

Just before anyone could get to her, a horse flashed by with a woman on top of it, smacking the walker in the head.
"What the hell?" Fisher spoke under his breath, running toward the woman with the rest of the group.

"Lori? Lori Grimes?" The female called from on top of the horse.
"I'm Lori!" Lori spoke, coming to a stop in front of the woman and her horse.
"Rick sent me, you've got to come now."
"What?"
"There's been an accident. Carl's been shot." The woman explained. The color drained from Lori's face. "He's still alive, but you've got to come now."
Lori stared in confusion, shock, horror, maybe all three.
"Rick needs you, just come!" The woman begged. Lori dropped her bag.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. We don't even know this girl!" Daryl spoke, his face scrunched. "You can't get on that horse!"
"Rick said you had others on the highway, that big traffic snarl?" The woman spoke.
"Uh-huh." Glenn clarified, staring in what seemed like either awe or shock.
"Backtrack to Fairburn Road. Two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mailbox. The name is Greene." The woman smacked the horse with the strap and it got moving with Lori on the back.
Fisher stared. "Wait, does that mean Charlie's there, too?"
"She's gotta be," Finley answered. "Shane, too."
"You think Charlie's okay? What even happened?" Fisher flooded the forest with his questions.
"She said Carl was shot, not Charlie, dumbass." Daryl grimaced. Fisher swallowed a lump in his throat, his face turning a shade of pink.

✦

"Shot? Whaddya mean shot?" Dale repeated.
"I don't know, man. All I know is this chick rode out of nowhere like Zorro on a horse and took Lori." Glenn explained as the group climbed over the highway fence.
"You let her?" Dale spoke
"Climb down outta my asshole, man. Rick sent 'er. She knew Lori's name, and Carl's." Daryl told him, walking off to wherever he needed to be.
Dale looked at Andrea, "I heard screams, was that you?" Andrea walked past him silently.
"She got attacked by a walker." Glenn spoke, "It was a close call."
Fisher and Finley walked past Dale, only for Dale to grab Fisher's arm.
"And where the hell is Charlie?" Dale asked. Fisher looked at Finley.
"Um, we split up. Charlie went with Shane, Rick, and Carl. She's probably where that horse girl took Lori." Finley explained.
"Is she alright?" Dale asked.
Finley shrugged and walked to the R.V., going inside in hopes of some rest.
Dale sighed, then looked to where Andrea was headed.
"Andrea, are you alright?" Dale called.
Andrea looked back at Dale, shook her head, and then went inside the R.V. after Finley. She slammed the door behind her.

Chapter Text

Within Carl's room stood Charlie, beside the window. The shine of the setting sun made the tall grass surrounding the farm look like it was on fire, burning but not falling. She kept hoping and praying to see a truck pull into the driveway with Shane and Otis inside— but she didn't. It'd been at least an hour or two now. Maybe longer. She hadn't kept track.
Charlie looked at the bed behind her, an unconscious Carl on top of it. He was pale. He looked almost dead, but his chest was moving up and down, so she knew that he wasn't. How long did he have? Days? Hours? Minutes? She looked through the window again, only this time, she saw a horse. On top of it was the short-haired woman, whom Charlie had learned was called Maggie, and someone sitting behind her. It was Lori. Her long brown hair flailing in with the bouncing of the horse gave it away.
Charlie frowned as she watched Rick walk up to the horse as Lori hopped off of it with this horrible expression. Lori was terrified. The tears now falling down her cheeks were inevitable as she pulled into a hug with Rick, knowing that whatever story Maggie told her about Carl was true.

Charlie sat in that same spot on the couch for god knows how long. She hadn't moved an inch. She watched people walk in and out of that room. In, and out. In, and out. Sometimes they'd go in with more medical supplies, sometimes they'd walk out with some.
Behind the couch Charlie sat on was an opening leading to the dining room. That was where Lori led a pale, unstable Rick to talk to Hershel with her. Charlie didn't mean to eavesdrop, but she was right there. How could she not?

"Okay," Lori began, "So I understand when Shane gets back with this other man—"
"Otis." Hershel clarified.
Lori paused. "Otis. The idiot who shot my son."
"Ma'am, it was an accident," Hershel spoke gently to her.
"I'll take that under advisement later. For now, he's the idiot who shot our son."
"Lori, they're doing everything they can to make it right," Rick explained, putting his hand on Lori's, which supported her skinny body on the head of a chair.
"Okay- as soon as they get back, you can perform this surgery?" Lori asked hopefully.
"I'll certainly do my best," Hershel said, a blank expression on his face.
"Okay. You've done this procedure before?" Lori looked at Hershel, at the table, then back at Hershel, then back at the table as if she couldn't quite figure out where to set her gaze.
"Well, yes, in a sense," Hershel spoke.
"In a sense?"
"Honey, we don't have the luxury of shopping for a surgeon," said Rick, still pale as ever from giving his blood over to his son.
"I understand that. But I mean, you're a doctor, right?" Lori asked, any sense of doubt that she might be hiding flooding out of her face.
"Yes, ma'am. Of course." Hershel nodded. "A vet."
"A veteran? A combat medic?" Lori grew hope on her face.
"A veterinarian."
All sense of hope on Lori's face was washed away. Her jaw was slightly open and her eyes were wide. He looked at Rick, then back at Hershel, at a loss of words.
"And you've done this surgery before on what? Cows? Pigs?" Lori spoke. Rick looked just as shocked as she did.
"I have- I have to sit," Rick spoke, pulling a chair out and immediately falling over, knocking a cup of orange juice down with it. Lori rushed to catch him, flipping the cup back up on its feet.
"Completely in over your head, aren't you?" Lori spoke softly.
"Ma'am, aren't we all?"

✦

"I can't do it. I won't just leave." Carol spoke, her eyes soft and worried.
"Carol, the group is split. We're scattered and weak." Dale explained.
"What if she comes back and we're not here?" Carol argued. "It could happen."
"If Sophia found her way back and we were gone," Andrea began, "That would be awful."
"Half of our people have gone to that place. Dale's right, we're weaker. Especially without Rick and Shane." Finley added, a hint of desperation in her voice. As much as she wanted to find Sophia, she believed that the smarter choice was to find the rest of their group first. They were vulnerable with even one less member in their group.
Daryl nodded, "Okay. We got to plan for this." he said. "I say tomorrow morning is soon enough to pull up stakes. Give us a chance to rig a big sign. Leave 'er some supplies. I'll hold it here tonight. Stay with the R.V."
"If the R.V. is staying, I am too," Dale spoke.
"Thank you." Carol nodded. "Thank you both."
Daryl nodded, acknknowleging Carol's thanks without any words.
"I'm in." Andrea raised her hand and then let it fall. Finley smiled and nodded to show that she agreed.
"Well, if you're all staying then I'm—" Glenn spoke.
"Not you, too, Glenn. You're going. Take Carol's Cherokee." Dale pointed to the car. Glenn scoffed.
"Me? Why is it always me?" Glenn argued.
"You have to find this farm, reconnect with our people, and see what's going on. But most importantly, you have to get T-Dog there. This is not an option." Dale commanded as if Glenn was his teenage child. "That cut has gone from bad to worse. He has a very serious blood infection. Get 'im to that farm. See if they have any antibiotics because if not, T-Dog will die. No joke."
Daryl stepped over to his motorcycle, grabbing a tiny beige bag, and a clear bag out of the pocket on the front of the vehicle. The bags both had a shit load of antibiotics in them.
Daryl tossed the tiny beige bag to Dale. "Keep your oily rags off of my brother's motorcycle."
He slammed the clear bag onto the car, reaching into it and digging through little orange containers of antibiotics.
"Why didn't you tell us you had all of this?" Finley spoke, staring in disbelief.
"It's my brother's stash." Daryl listed a few things he found, then pulled out a container. "Got some kickass painkillers." He tossed them to Glenn, reached into the bag, and tossed another to Dale.
Dale smiled, then looked over to T-Dog at the end of the R.V., wrapped up in a brown blanket.

✦

Carl's pressure was dropping. Shane and Otis have been gone for hours. Way longer than they should've been. The high school was only five miles away. Rick tried to convince Lori and Hershel to let him look for them, but the two denied it harshly.

Charlie hoped that Maggie had told the group's other half where to find them. Charlie needed someone. Fisher, or Dale, or anyone. She needed someone to sit here with her. She was tough, but not tough enough to watch the Grimes family go through this on her own. Though, I guess she's made it this far. She could probably make it a couple more hours. Or days. However long it would take for Fisher or Dale to make their way to her.

The sound of a car accompanied the sounds of the night outside. Shane and Otis? Charlie shot out of her seat for the first time in god knows how long, pushing through the front door. It was a lot darker outside than she remembered it being when she had last looked through the window.
The car outside wasn't the truck that Sheane and Otis left in, though it looked familiar.
Click.
Out came some people from the front seat. Glenn and T-Dog. T-Dog didn't look so good. Then, the back seat door slammed open. The person who'd opened it rushed out, not thinking to shut it. It was Fisher. Oh, thank god, it was Fisher. He dashed toward Charlie. Before she could blink, Fisher collided with her, his arms around her. Charlie returned the hug, the both of them squeezing the other so hard neither of them could breathe. Charlie was so, so grateful that he was here. She wouldn't have been able to function if he'd come any later.
Once Fisher and Charlie had finally pulled away from each other's grasp, the other three who had been in that car were being welcomed into the Greene house. Glenn, T-Dog, and Finley. Charlie dragged Fisher inside behind them, blabbering on and on about how nice the people were and what had gone down before Fisher had arrived.

"Charlie," a voice said, pausing Charlie's rambles with Fisher just as they sat on the couch. Charlie spun her head around to see Beth walking straight toward her and Fisher.
"Hey," said Charlie, bringing her legs up to a crisscross on the couch.
Beth sat down on a chair across from the couch, taking a look at Fisher.
"We haven't met, right? I'm Beth." Beth spoke, a smile on her mouth as she held her hand out to shake Fisher's.
Shaking Beth's hand briefly, Fisher introduced himself, "Fisher."
"Nice to meet you, Fisher." Beth gave him a nod, a soft, kind smile on her face. "Y'all are what? Friends? Partners?"
Charlie was quick to correct her, "Friends. Fisher's been my best friend for... A while." She struggled to think of a specific amount of time. It's been since they were in kindergarten. Charlie glanced at Fisher to see the slightest of a frown on his mouth at the word "friends". Though, he quickly shook it off.
"Ah." Beth nodded again. "That must be nice. You guys seem close."
"Yeah. We are." Charlie smiled briefly.

Finley had seen Carl when she arrived. He looked horrible. He was pale, unconscious, and had a square bandage on his wound. Finley's heart ached for him and his parents. She couldn't imagine how it felt for Rick and Lori to see their baby like this, especially in an unfamiliar household with unfamiliar people.
Finley had been filled in on what happened by a woman named Maggie, the same one who came and snatched Lori up on a horse. Shane and a man named Otis had left a few hours ago to get medical supplies for Carl from an overrun high school, though they haven't gotten back yet. She was informed that if they weren't back soon, they would have to do the procedure to get bullet fragments out of his side without those medical supplies. He would likely die in the process.
Those sentences filled Finley's thoughts, blocking out any others. She could only think about Carl and how this night would turn out for him. Had Shane and Otis died at the high school, and that's why they weren't back by now? Or are they just taking their sweet time? Maybe they're on their way back right now. God, she hoped so. She couldn't possibly picture Rick losing both his son and his best friend on the same night.

"Hey, Finley?" Charlie called, making Finley's head snap over her shoulder. From the doorframe she leaned on, she could see Charlie, Fisher, and a girl she was unfamiliar with.
"What's up?" Finley gave Charlie the most reassuring smile she could slap on.
"D'ya know if Dale is gonna be here anytime soon?" Charlie stuffed her hands in the gap in her crisscrossed legs. Spoons in a bowl.
Finley sighed with a shrug of her shoulders, and Charlie frowned.
"Sorry," said Finley.
"Don't worry about it." Charlie gave her a quick nod, a painfully obvious fake smile on her face.
Fisher leaned toward Charlie, "You could have asked me that." he muttered with a frown. Charlie chuckled and pushed him away from her.

Finley had been served food better than she'd had in months. It was just a simple sandwich, but it was still amazing compared to canned beans. She could have fallen asleep right in that dining room chair. It was so peaceful in this house, which was a nice change. That was until it wasn't.
Just moments later, the loud yet wise voice of Hershel was commanding his family to bring him different supplies, and a woman named Patricia was rushing a large metal table into Carl's room. Were Shane and Otis back? No, Finley definitely would have noticed. Oh, god. They were gonna do the procedure without the supplies, weren't they? Shane and Otis' supply run must have gone wrong. Finley pushed herself out of her seat, standing in the living room as she peered through Carl's door. They lifted his small, pale body onto the metal table Patricia had slid in, getting different kinds of sharp surgical supplies ready. Didn't Maggie say that if they risked this, it would be almost certain death? They couldn't just kill him.
"Rick, Lori," Hershel began, holding a surgical tool as Patricia squeezed an IV bag, "You may want to step out." horror struck their faces.
Then suddenly, just before Carl could be cut into like a pig in science class, something happened that almost made Finley believe in miracles. The sound of a truck approaching. It was Hershel and Otis, arriving with the equipment that would be used to save Rick and Lori's little boy.
Rick, Lori, and Hershel rushed out of the room, pushing past Finley without care for an apology, which Finley understood just fine.
Finley followed behind the trio, a few others walking behind her. By the time they had all made it down the steps, Shane was out of the truck with sweat dripping from his forehead. Just Shane. Where was Otis?
Soon, tears had started down the face of Maggie Greene in realization.

✦

The morning had struck. Carl was alive and resting, with thick bandages around his waist. Otis hadn't been the one to come back and make that happen for Carl. So, here they were, preparing a funeral the way the Greenes did it. They collected rocks and placed them into a rusty wheelbarrow. Finley wasn't quite sure what the rocks were meant to represent, but she did it anyways.
Finley had been observing a lot. As usual, Fisher was trailing behind Charlie like a lost puppy as Charlie interacted with a blonde girl her age: Beth. Beth seemed like a sweet soul. Gentle, sweet, sensitive... In a way, she and Charlie had quite a lot in common. When Charlie wasn't trying to act all tough, she was just like Beth.

In the distance, a rumble could be heard.  The sound of a motorcycle. Finley stopped what she was doing, the stone in her hands adding a pound to her weight and making it hard for her arms not to droop. Around the corner came three vehicles; an R.V., a small car, and a motorcycle, all of which Finley recognized from different people in her group. Dale, Andrea, Carol, and Daryl have arrived at last.
Finley set the rock in her hand down, preparing to approach the obnoxiously loud set of vehicles.
Before she could even get a step in, Charlie waved pasted her like the flash. She was going so fast that Finley swore she could have felt a gust of wind on her cheek as she went by.
As soon as Dale stepped out of the vehicle, Charlie crashed into him, squeezing him so tight that it looked like he might as well burst. Finley couldn't help but smile.
Finley approached the motorcycle that Daryl carefully climbed off of, shoving the kickstand down once his feet met the ground. He looked at her, seeming to only have noticed her after he'd made sure the vehicle wouldn't fall.
"Carl alright?" Daryl questioned. His face showed a thousand layers of worry, despite an attempt to conceal them. Finley wondered why he had that habit: concealing his emotions with a blank expression. Perhaps the idea that it would make him seem weak or vulnerable was etched into his brain. Finley nodded.
"He's good. He's recovering, thanks to Shane and Otis." Finley explained, placing her hands on her hips.
"Otis?"
"One of the members of this family. He didn't make it back."
Daryl nodded sympathetically.
"We're setting up a funeral. I know you didn't meet the guy, but you should be there in respect." Finley squinted her eyes, the morning sun blinding her.
"I ain't a monster, Finn. I'll be there." Daryl spoke, looking almost offended that she assumed he would skip it. Finley formed a small smile, nodding.
"Okay. Good." she looked down at her feet, her heart aching ever so slightly as it carried the thought of a funeral. She felt terrible for the Greene family.

✦

Clank.
The sound of yet another rock being stacked onto a mountain of stones. Finley stood at the end of a half circle they had formed, both her group and the Greenes creating it in honor of Otis. Next to Finley was Daryl with his arms crossed over his chest. He didn't look like he felt personally hurt by the loss of Otis, but like he was sympathizing with how the Greenes must feel, as if he were wishing he could take the pain from them and feeling all of it so they don't have to. He doesn't seem like that type of person, but deep down, Finley could tell he was.
Hershel read out loud from a book, standing within the circle as he recited how loved Otis was and how the lord would take care of him. Finley had connected the dots from this to the crosses in their home that they must be Christian. Finley didn't have anything against it— she just didn't understand it. How could you believe in something like that when you live in a world like this one? The dead are coming back to life and feeding on their kind, children are getting shot, good men are getting devoured trying to help those children, people are blowing themselves up— How could you believe that the Lord is just doing what's best for them and that he has a plan? Finley didn't think she would ever understand it, to be honest, no matter how many times it would be explained to her.