12 Chapter 12

Daryl was leading the rest of you back to the highway.

"So this is it? This the whole plan?" Carol asked. "I guess the plan is to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups." Daryl said "Carrying knives and pointy sticks. I see you have a gun." Andrea said looking at Lori. "Oh my god!" You whispered under your breathe. "Why, you want it? Here, take it. Lori said handing the gun to Andrea. "I'm sick of the looks you're giving me. All of you. Honey, I can't imagine what you're going through. And I would do anything to stop it. But you have got to stop blaming Rick. It is in your face every time you look at him. When Sophia ran he didn't hesitate, did he? Not for a second. I don't know that any of us would have gone after her the way he did or made the hard decisions that he had to make or that anybody could have done it any differently. Anybody? Y'all look to him and then you blame him when he's not perfect. If you think you can do this without him, go right ahead. Nobody is stopping you." She continued. "We should keep moving." You said and started walking again.

After a while Lori stopped looking back the way we came. "You still worrying about it?" Andrea asked "It was a gunshot." Lori said "We all heard it." You said "Why one-- Why just one gunshot?" She asked "Maybe they took down a walker." Daryl told her "Please don't patronize me. You know Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to put down one walker, or Shane." Lori said you rolled your eyes getting antsy. "Shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" Carol asked "There's nothing we can do about it, anyway." You said "Can't run around these woods chasing echoes." Daryl pitched in. "So, what do we do?" "Same as we've been. Beat the bush for Sophia, work our way back to the highway." Daryl said "I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the RV." Andrea said "I'm sorry for what you're going through. I know how you feel." Andrea told Carol "I suppose you do-- Thank you." "The thought of her, out here by herself... It's the not knowing that's killin' me. I just keep hopin' and prayin' she doesn't wind up like Amy." "Oh, God! That's the worst thing I ever said." Carol said Andrea looked down you could see how she was still really hurting and felt bad for her. "We're all hoping and praying with you, for what it's worth." Andrea told Carol Daryl walked ove r to them and said "I'll tell ya what it's worth-- Not a damn thing. It's a waste of time, all this hopin' and prayin'." "We're gonna locate that little girl. She's gonna be just fine." Daryl told Carol "Am I the only one zen around here? Good lord." "A-fucking-men to that!" You said following Daryl.

"Where the hell are they? How much farther?" Andrea complained "Not much... Maybe a hundred yards as the crow flies." Daryl told her "Too bad we're not crows." You said "As the crow flies, my ass." Andrea said . You heard Andrea screaming and seen her on the ground trying to get away from a walker. "Dumb Bitch." You whispered. "Andrea?" Carol saod "No-no-- Oh, no!" Andrea screamed. Out of no where some girl on a horse appeared hitting the walker with a baseball bat. "Lori? Lori grimes? Whoa!" The girl said "I'm Lori." "Rick sent me-- You've got to come now. What? There's been an accident-- Carl's been shot. He's still alive but you've gotta come now. Rick needs you-- Just come!" She said "Whoa-whoa-whoa! We don't know this girl. You can't get on that horse." Daryl protested while Lori took of the backpack she had on. "Rick said you had others on the highway, that big traffic snarl?" The girl asked "Uh-huh." Glenn said still stunned. "Backtrack to Fairburn road. Two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mailbox-- Name's Greene--" "Hi-yah!" And she was riding off woth Lori. " the hell was that?" You said. You looked over to see the walker she hit sitting up. Daryl aimed his crossbow at it shooting s bolt into it's head. "Shut up." He said. "Omg!" You said laughing walking after him.

The time you got back to the highway the sun was just starting to set. You climbed over the railing when Dale asked "Was that screaming I heard?" "Yeah, Andrea tripped and got attacked by a walker." You said "Are you okay?" He asked Andre a but she just gave him a look and walked into the RV. "Where's Lori?" "Carl was shot." Glenn said. Daryl was climbing over the railing when Dale asked "Shot! What do you mean shot!" "I don't man man, climb up out of my asshole!" Daryl shot back. "Don't you like things in your asshole?" You said smirking. Daryl tried keeping a hard pissed off look on his face but you could see the donors of his mouth twitch into a smirk. "Shit up, smartass." He said to you bumping you with his shoulder.

"So apparently just down the road is these peoples driveway, where Carl is." You told Dale. "I'm not leaving, what if Sophia finds her way back and we're not here?" Carol said. "That would be awful." Andrea spoke. "Well stay til mornin. Give us time to gather supplies and rig a big sign for her just in case." Daryl said. "Well if the RV is staying so am I." Dale says. Andrea, Carol, Daryl and you decided to also stay. "I'm staying too." Glenn said. "No, you're not. You need to get T-dog to that place. He has a serious infection." You told him. "Take Carols Cherokee." Dale told him. Glenn helped T in the car and headed back down the highway. The rest of you went into the RV to rest Dale on top keeping watch.

You sat at the table helping Andrea load the clips for the guns. Daryl lay on the floor and Carol was in the back. Carol was crying and Daryl decided since he couldn't sleep he'd go walk the road see if he could see anything. "I'll need my clip no." He told Andrea who finished loading it and handed it to him. "I'll go with you." She said. Daryl looked at you silently asking if you were going too. "I think I'll stay here with Carol. Be safe." And they left. You walked out after them watching as they went down the road. You climbed the ladder up to the roof with Dale, Carol following shortly after. "You don't need to worry. She's with Daryl." You said "If something happens he can protect her. You hear what I'm saying?" Dale said "Sorry, all I heard was if something happens." Carol said.

"Could you keep watch?" Dale said handing you him gun. "Yeah sure." "I won't be long." He said. "I know you don't want to hear this but, if anyone can find her It's Daryl." You told Carol. She just looked at you nodding her head. "Thank you." You looked out at the road seeing Daryl and Andrea coming back out of the woods. Carol ran back down and into the RV clearly upset that Sophia wasn't with them. You climbed down meeting Daryl. "No luck?" You asked he just shook his head. "You'll find her I know you will." You headed back in the RV to see if Carol was alright.