Detached [TWD Fanfiction]

Chapter 11

'I'm telling you, it looked just like her.'

'Eight months ago you said the exact same thing. You can only be right about one.' Rick and Daryl spoke quietly while keeping watch. The group had made it to the prison after months of circling around it and were settled in the yard, preparing for the days of clearing cells ahead of them.
Daryl had kept what he'd seen to himself for a while - both times. He told Rick discreetly after coming to terms with it himself and the two decided whether or not they should tell the rest of the group. When he'd found the walker, they'd told everyone, knowing they shouldn't keep anything from each other. Of course, Daryl had made it clear he wasn't sure if it was her or not but that it was best to assume she was gone either way. This time was different.

'No point telling them. We've got too much to focus on right now. We couldn't have anyone going looking, we need to stay together, in one place,' Rick said firmly. He knew full well it would only be Daryl who would actually go, and he couldn't afford to lose such a valuable member of the group at that time. He'd suspected something was up when Daryl and Glenn had returned from their run several days ago. Daryl had been quiet and contemplating, and the next day he'd explained everything he saw at that house and how he'd tried to find Lucy.

'Maybe after everything gets quiet. She's still on her own out there,' Daryl replied. Even though he knew she could more than look after herself, he felt anxious as the thought of her being alone somewhere.

'We don't know that. Not for sure.' The two held eye contact for a few moments. Of course she would be on her own. It had been hard enough getting her to stay for a meal let alone consider joining their group. On the other hand, she could have plenty of enemies by now. 'I'll wake Maggie and Glenn. Get some sleep.'

Lucy didn't stay in the house any longer. Seeing Daryl had made her restless and she felt the sudden need to be moving constantly. She didn't care which direction and barely knew if she was looking for the group or just wandering. As long as her legs were moving her head could be empty.
At least a week had passed when life got interesting again. She found herself scavenging around some old shops, mostly checking cars to see if they'd been packed with survival equipment, but only had luck in finding a damp map and empty bottles. She was running low on supplies and was heavily reliant on hunting as a source of food. Sooner or later, she needed to score big.
She backed out of the last car she had checked, closing the door behind her. The shops had all been locked up with chains and padlocks. She couldn't get through. It didn't look like there were any windows to climb into and judging by the age of the place the roof would be too risky. She stood, listening to the silence, contemplating what to do. She would have stayed longer too if a car hadn't begun to pull up. Quickly, she ducked behind the car she was stood at and positioned herself to be able to look through the windows.

'Clear outside!' A woman called. Lucy recognised that voice, but crouched down to avoid being seen as the woman continued scanning the area. There was a pause. 'It's a beautiful day.' Maggie. That's why she knew the voice. Looking up again, Lucy could see Maggie stood by their car holding a gun, and Glenn with bolt-cutters opening the door. They weren't looking for her, she knew that much. Maybe Daryl hadn't mentioned that he'd seen her. It seemed like they were simply on a supply run, just like her. She was pleased to know they were alive.
She flinched and ducked down again as a flock of pigeons flew out of the store, scaring Glenn and making Maggie laugh. They seemed like two kids messing around. If it hadn't been for the ever-lingering sense of danger this could have been a normal day. The two continued talking, gathering items. They mentioned baby food and formula a lot, confusing Lucy. She didn't remember anyone being pregnant, unless they'd found new people. Not that it would have been any of her business if somebody was, but she was curious.
As time passed she began to consider going and talking to them. She'd already missed the opportunity with Daryl and knew that she needed to find somewhere secure and have someone to talk to before she went insane.