FADED SCARS | the walking dead

[ 05 ] graves

[ season one, episode five ]

The next morning came quick, JJ was sitting in a chair near Dale, Shane and Lori. She had her head rested on her knees, pushed against her chest. Anyone could see that the girl hadn't slept that night, not even for a minute. Instead she laid awake in the tent she shared with Glenn, her thoughts stuck on everything that had gone down just a few hours ago.

The girl couldn't possibly sleep, she couldn't even close her eyes without seeing Amy's face, hearing her screams. She couldn't just forget that and move on.

JJ considered this her punishment. Forced to remember she couldn't get to Amy fast enough, for being too paralyzed by her fear to save the blondes life.

Guilt. That's all the brunette felt when she looked up and saw Andrea still sitting beside her sister's dead body. The blonde hadn't slept either, did she share the heavy guilt JJ felt? Or was it anger?

JJ was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she looked up to see Lori crouched down in front of her. The woman looked at JJ in a way only a mother could. She smiled sadly, "Why don't you have something to drink, Hun." Lori suggested, holding out a bottle of water to the saddened girl.

JJ just shook her head lightly, "I'm okay. You should ask Andrea."

"She won't talk to anyone right now. I need you to drink this, okay? Even just a few sips." The Grimes woman responded, looking pleadingly at the brunette.

JJ didn't say anything in response but slowly took the bottle from Lori. The girl didn't want everyone to worry about her, so even if she was ridden with guilt, she could pretend she was okay for a little longer.

"Thank you." Lori responded just as her husband came over.

"She still won't move?" Rick asks the group as JJ finally takes a sip of the water, almost sighing as the liquid rehydrates her dry throat.

"She won't even talk to us. She's been there all night." Lori responds to her husband, looking at Andrea before asking, "What do we do?"

"Can't just leave Amy like that. We need to deal with it same as the others." Shane replies firmly. Rick nods and walks forward. "I'll tell her how it is." JJ watches as the man approaches Andrea, bending down to talk to her but before he can she pulls a gun on him.

"I know how the safety works." She whispers, still holding him at gun point.

JJ doesn't blame the woman for getting frustrated. She thinks the group should back off a bit, let Andrea mourn in the way she wants to. Although the logical part of her brain knows it's only a matter of time before Amy comes back as something that is no long the girl she knew, she only hopes that when the time does come Andrea will be safe.