Complicated ✔

Ch. 13 - Sophia

KATHRYN

Well this was just perfect. Dale's hose for the RV busted and so now while they were scavenging for a new one in all these cars that were blocking our path, those who weren't looking for the hose were looking for any supplies we could scrounge up. I had Carl and Sophia with me as we walked through all the cars, looking for anything that we could possibly need, for instance food and water. Daryl, Dad, and T-Dog were out looking for any gas they could get out of these cars while Glenn and Shane were looking for a replacement hose as Dale kept watch for us all on top of his RV. I was basically playing babysitter with Carl and Sophia for Lori and Carol but it wasn't like I really mind doing so, I loved these kids. I watched as they walked around looking in some of the cars while I glanced back to where Lori and Carol were digging through suitcases for clothes for us.

Looking back to the kids for a moment, I smiled when they were both peering into one car together. When I looked back to Lori and Carol, they were gone and Dad was running up to me with a rifle in hand. "Kathryn get under the car," he whispered out hurriedly, "get Carl and Sophia under one too!" Knowing better than to question my dad right now, I nodded and quickly ran over to the two and pushed them each under a car and told them to keep still and quiet before climbing under my own car. Carl and Sophia were both facing towards me and me towards them as we laid there in silence as the sudden stench of all the rotting bodies and the sounds of their moans fill the air around us. Sophia looked so scared as the stumbling bodies walked past us at their slow pace and I had to hold my fingers up to my lips when she looked at me to remind her to keep quiet so they didn't know she was there. I could see Dad from here and he kept holding his hands up as a silent stay there.

I don't know how long we stayed under there until it seemed like they had all passed. I watched as Sophia began climbing out from under the car. "No," I whispered harshly as I began climbing out from under mine just as I heard her sobs and cries. I tried climbing out from under the car faster as I watched her crawl under the car and guardrail next to it before the sound of a snarl snapped my attention to what was in front of me. Screaming, I pulled away and crawled the other way to get out as the walker in front of me tried to grab me. I cried out in pain as I scrapped my cut leg against the pavement, even with Daryl's rag still around it, as I crawled under the rail just like Sophia had and slid on my butt down the small hill until I was able to get to my feet and limp away into the woods and watching over my shoulder as the walker seemed to get closer since I was injured still and couldn't run because of my leg.

RICK

"No," I shouted as I ran to the guard railing that both Sophia and Kathryn had crawled under to escape the walkers after them. I was worried about Sophia because she was just a little girl, there was no way she could fight them off. But I was also worried about Kathryn because she was injured and her leg would only carry her so far before she couldn't run anymore. Looking around frantically for someone who could help me, I spotted Daryl walking up with T-Dog leaning against his shoulder. "Daryl," I shouted grabbing his attention instantly, "walkers went after Sophia and Kathryn! I'm going for Sophia, go get Kathryn!" Watching him nod once before placing T-Dog to sit near a car, I hopped over the railing and ran down and over towards the direction Sophia had run as I pointed him in the direction I watched my own daughter go.

DARYL

With my crossbow loaded, I jumped over the railing and ran off the way Rick pointed me for his daughter. If it weren't for someone else running out away from those damn geeks I'm sure Rick would've went after her himself. Reaching the tree line, I looked at the ground and the brush, looking for signs of disturbance to show me exactly which way she went with that geek on her tail. I followed the trail, but damn I didn't think an injured girl could run so fast. When the trail looked like it was fading, I began to fear the worse, that I'd never find her. But then something caught my eye, a small thin trail of blood on the ground. Fearing that she could've been bitten, I picked up my pace and followed the new trail as I tried to find her faster. Off to the side of the trail, there was that rag I had wrapped around her leg in my truck after the CDC. Stopping for just a moment to pick up the rag, there was slightly more blood on it and the trail seemed to become a little more noticeable.

Before I had a chance to move, I heard a scream close by. Jerking my head in the direction of the scream, I took off running with my crossbow aimed and ready for anything that might be waiting for me near the scream. Coming to a small break in the trees, there was Kathryn lying on the ground with a stick in her hands trying to hold off the walker that had chased after her. I could see her leg from here and see that it was bleeding once again. "Hey dumbass," I shouted to get the geek's attention away from her, which it work. Its head turned to look at me, seemingly forgetting about the girl it was trying to sink its nasty teeth into just seconds ago. Standing up and stumbling its way towards me, I shot a bolt quickly through its forehead before making my way over to a breathing hard Kathryn. She was still lying back on the ground, using her elbows for support, when I knelt down beside her and grabbed her right leg.

"What are you doing," she asked watching me as I reached behind me where I had tucked the rag. "You're bleeding again," I mumbled, not lifting my eyes to look at her as I took one side of the rag and gently wiped away the blood on her leg before turning the rag over and tying it around her leg. "Thanks," I heard her whisper after I had finished and pulled back. "Think ya can stand," I asked as I stood to my feet and watched her. I held my hand out to her, when she seemed to be making no move to get up on her own. As I helped pull her to a stand, I watched as she winced when she placed any sort of pressure on her right leg. "Sorry," she muttered when she looked up at me apologetically. Holding on to her by her left arm so she wouldn't fall to the ground since she wasn't placing any weight on her leg, I placed my crossbow over my shoulders before I moved her arm I was holding to rest over my shoulders while I moved my right arm down to hold onto her waist, taking most over her weight.

KATHRYN

I couldn't look over at Daryl as we walked after he placed his arm around my waist to keep me upright. I knew a blush was burning my cheeks so I did everything I could to keep him from glancing over at me and seeing that blush. I limped while he walked, as we made our way back to the highway where the rest of our group was sitting and waiting. Daryl told me, as we drew closer, that my dad had went after Sophia and asked him to come get me. I groaned at the sight of the small incline, the very one I slid down to get away from that damn walker that chased me. "I'll go up first," Daryl said when we came to a stop at the base of the small hill.

He pulled my arm off his shoulder and I leaned forwards, towards the hill and placed my hands on it as I watched him climb up. When he was at the top, he turned to watch me as I looked around before taking a deep breath and crawled up the hill since climbing was out of the option with my leg the way it was for now. When I reached the top, Daryl held his hand out to me once again. Grabbing it, he pulled me to a standing position and once I was right in front of the guardrail, he placed both hands on my waist and lifted me up and over the railing before setting me on my feet. "Kathryn," I heard one of the voices of our group call out, pulling my attention away from Daryl to look over and see both Glenn and Carl running towards me. Glenn reached me first as he wrapped his arms around my midsection and pulled me into a hug, my feet coming off the ground for a second as my arms went around his neck and my head on his shoulder.

"Thank God you're okay," Glenn murmured into my hair as he hugged me tighter, like he didn't want to let go. I opened my eyes and looked around when I heard movement and spotted Daryl walking away from where me and Glenn were standing. He glanced back once before walking the rest of the way to the group that was watching the exchange between me and Glenn. "Kathryn," I heard Carl's voice call out and turned my head to look over at him. "Hey buddy," I said pulling out of Glenn's hug and pulling Carl into one. I felt Glenn's hand on my shoulder before I pulled back. "Let's go and wait for Dad with everyone else," I murmured before allowing Glenn to help me limp over towards the group. It was nearly sundown when we heard rustling down towards the trees and coming up the hill. I thought for sure Sophia would be with him, but when he appeared, smiling without her, my heart broke. "Where's Sophia," he asked looking around, his small falling as I nearly broke down.