Chapter 18
“This ain’t right,” Daryl says darkly at dinner a good while after the group leaves. “Somethin’s happened. They should be back by now, s’been a few days. This thing was simple, in, out, done, back in no time safe n’ sound.” Daryl wrings his hands and cracks his knuckles over and over, and he ain’t touched a thing on his plate. He looks scared and nervous.
I get ta’ thinkin’ about how long they’ve really been gone and my stomach plummets. Daryl’s right- they have been gone a real long time, two whole days, ta’ be exact. I immediately think a’ Rick out there without the protection a’ the fences and possibly nobody ta’ back him up. Judith suddenly feels heavy in my lap and I’m suddenly keenly aware a’ the fact that Carl’s nearby.
“Should we talk ta’ Hershel?” I ask Daryl, keepin’ my voice low so nobody can hear what I’m sayin’.
Daryl glances around, lookin’ from Tyreese farther down the table and then Hershel and Maggie over my shoulder. He shakes his head. “Hershel’ll bring it up when he notices they’ve been gone. Won’t be long now. Man’s sharp, not much get’s past him.”
I nod at Daryl and settle Judith in my lap nervously, not at all OK with this situation. I don’t like one bit and I hope ta’ God the group just comes back alive, even if they are a little banged up from whatever’s keepin’ ‘em. I can handle that, I can fix that- I can’t fix it if one of ‘em don’t come back.
{~~~}
Night falls. Hershel corners Daryl and I just after dusk and pulls us aside. I already know what he’s gonna say before he says it.
“The group isn’t back from the run yet, and I’m startin’ ta’ worry. Maggie brought it up with me today, asked me where we sent ‘em too. It broke my heart ta’ watch her get nervous when I said that they shoulda’ been back by now.” Daryl and I just stare at Hershel, studyin’ his sad expression fer a beat. He goes on. “If they ain’t back after tomorra’, I want the two a’ ya’ll ta’ head out and look fer ‘em in the area. Daryl knows the woods and you know medical care.” Hershel looks at each of us in turn and Daryl and I give a nod.
“What ‘bout Tyreese?” Daryl asks. “Sasha’s out there too. S’his baby sister.” Daryl nods pointedly at Hershel and Hershel sighs.
“I know that, and if I thought it were a good idea, I would send him along with ya’ll. But the fact a’ the matter is, I need him here and Tyreese can get quite emotional, as you and I both know, Daryl. Ya’ll should do fine together without him. You’ve both got a good head on your shoulders, ya’ll stay calm under pressure, and you’ve both got a good skillset. If ya’ll have ta’ go out, God forbid, I want ya’ll home after two days.” Hershel looks at us kind of sadly and he doesn’t have ta’ say what’s on his mind ‘cause we both already know what he’s thinkin’: if ya’ can’t find ‘em after two days, they’re dead or long gone, and it ain’t worth it anymore.
“Alright man,” Daryl says. “Glad you’re just as worried as we is.” Daryl gives Hershel a good-natured slap on the arm and Hershel nods at him. The conversation is over.
{~~~}
I’m wired and I can’t sleep. My mind’s racin’ at a mile a minute, and all I can think about is Rick and the others out there out there. I wonder what he’s doin’, if they ate today and had some clean water. Where are they? Are they sleepin’? Is everybody OK?
I throw myself back and forth ta’ either side a’ the bed, distressed by the fact that I can’t go ta’ sleep even though I desperately want to. I’ve never worried like this before, not even about my brother when I got wind that he’d started partyin’ hard again right before all this shit happened. I’ve never felt this panic, this ache ta’ be out there lookin’ fer somebody like this. It’s not just Rick I wanna go find, it’s all of ‘em. I’m gonna be devastated if even one of ‘em doesn’t make it back.
I stay laid up in bed and watch the night outside the curtains go from starry, moonlit black, ta’ navy, ta’ blue, ta’ gray. The sun starts pokin’ up at the edge a’ the sky, tingin’ it orange. I haul myself outta bed and get dressed, tired to the bone and wired at the same time.
Carl looks like a wreck when I find him at breakfast with the baby. He’s slumped on the picnic bench, a bowl a’ untouched food sittin’ in front of him with somethin’ fer Judith beside it. I take the baby from him immediately and then pull him into a hug on impulse. He wraps his wiry arms around me and I feel a little bit a’ tension release in his shoulders. I know he’s scared and worried about his daddy. I can’t imagine what this is for him, this not knowin’. He already lost one parent, poor thing. And Judith. Oh God, Judith. S’bad enough she can’t know her mama, but her daddy too? I hate this. I hate this so much.
Others straggle into breakfast slowly. They look at me, some sorry and some apologetic. I just nod at them and give little smiles, determined not ta’ let it look like I’m as worried as I really am. I think that if I at least look calm the others will stay calm.
I pick over some lukewarm oatmeal that Carol gives me, not hungry at all. Maggie looks like she’s been cryin’ when she plops down beside me, and Beth meekly tries ta’ talk to her in a weak attempt ta’ cheer her up. Tyreese bites the hell out of the skin around his nails and doesn’t talk. Daryl is the worst though; Daryl is a wreck. He looks like he didn’t sleep at all last night and his hair looks dirty, like he’s long overdue for a bath. Daryl eats nothin’ and talks ta’ no one, completely trapped in his own thoughts. He’s always been quiet, but I’ve never seen Daryl so withdrawn into himself, so scared. He normally hides all his true feelin’s, but now the fear is written all over his face.
“I’m sure they’ll come back today,” Carol offers quietly. “They’re strong. I’m sure the highway’s just clogged or somethin’. Maybe they cleared some extra stores. Maybe they found some people they wanna take back.”
It’s sweet how she’s tryin’ ta’ make this better.
Nobody says anything and Carol sighs sadly, eyebrows knitted together. She gives up on talkin’ and goes back over ta’ the cookin’ area ta’ wash dishes. Carl quietly says he’s gonna go help her and gets up before I can say anything else. Maggie makes a half-assed excuse about havin’ clothes ta’ do, and Beth follows her when she gets up. Tyreese says he’s got somethin’ he’s gotta get too and leaves as well. Daryl mumbles somethin’ about a watch shift and walks off, leavin’ me and the baby completely alone.
{~~~}
It’s midday when Tyreese runs into they infirmary, frantic and pale and out a’ breath. “They’re back,” he huffs, eyes wide. “Th-They’re back and Michonne is hurt.”
I feel myself get pale and I drop the bottle a’ baby formula I have in my hands.
***
Author's Note-
Wait?? What's that??? An UPDATE???????!! WHAT!?!?!?!??!?!
Dear God, I know it's been a long time and I'm so, so sorry ya'll!!! I feel so mean when I leave ya'll hanging like that!!
But alas! Here it is! The update! Michonne is hurt! Daryl is on the verge of a breakdown! Why is Michonne hurt?!?! SO MANY FEELS.
I promise I'll update again before the end of time, seriously. I think I can write this next chapter pretty fast and it should be a good one.
Comment! Vote!
Love, Madison <3
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Scarlett (Rick Grimes/OC)
FanfictionScarlett Bradford, a twenty-three-year-old ex-nurse, roams what's left of the world alone. After a narrow brush with death in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, Scarlett has taken on a "never say die" mentality and spends her days trying to survive on he...
