Alone TWD

From A Friend.

The sun was beating down hard, the group had no water and they were struggling to find any.

The last bit of water Natalia had, she poured it into her palm so that her dog could drink it.

They were weak, slow and dehydrated.

The van had eventually ran out of gas.

"We're out, just like the other one." Abraham sighed.

"So we walk."

The group climbed out the vehicle.

Sully jumped off the van, as soon as he landed on the concrete ground, he whined, lifting his front left paw as he looked at his owner.

Natalia bent down, feeling the burning hot tarmac on her hand.

"Come here, baby." She muttered, lifting her dog into her arms, deciding that she'd have to carry him until the temperature decided to cool down.

The further they walked, the slower she was getting, and the heavier the dog was in her arms.

"Here." Daryl said in a quiet voice, taking the dog out of her arms.

"You don't have to." She shook her head, going to take him back.

He nodded, squinting in the sunlight as he looked down at her.

"I got him, you can barely keep yer self up."

They walked a bit more, Daryl looked over his shoulder, Sully panting in his hold, a group of walkers were beginning to build up behind them.

"We're not at our strongest." Rick said, looking over as well, Judith was in his arms. "We'll get 'em when it's best. High ground, something like that. They're not going anywhere."

No one answered him.

"It's been three weeks since Atlanta." He changed the subject. "I know you lost something back there, you both did." He looked past Daryl, at Natalia, who stared at the searing road.

"She's hungry." Daryl said, looking down at a fussing Judith.

"She's okay." Rick replied. "She's going to be okay."

"We need to find water, food." Daryl told him.

"We'll hit something in the road. It's gonna rain sooner or later."

"I'm gonna head out. See what I can find, let the dog get some shade in the trees." Daryl suggested.

"Don't be too long." Rick told him.

"Come on." Daryl tapped Natalia's arm with his spare hand, heading for the trees, setting Sully down.

"I'll come with you." Carol said.

"We got it." He refused.

"You're gonna stop me?" She teased.

"Course you can come." Natalia smiled at her, but she didn't sound too convincing.

They had headed through the trees finding some long grass.

Sully ran through it, glad to be on something soft that wasn't burning his paws.

At least he was happy about something.

"Anything?" Carol asked the tracker.

"No, it's too dry. There ain't nothing here."

"Maybe we should start back." She suggested. "Nat?" She called to the woman who had walked further along, watching her dog like a hawk.

"You go." Daryl told Carol, Natalia didn't even bother to acknowledge the woman calling her name.