Make it Till You Don't

Unexpected Dilemma

I sat against the RV, resting my head in my hands as T-Dog came and sat next to me. I was about to ask if he found anything, when Dale came around the corner. "Found some more batteries, a bottle of very trendy pink water, an excellent new machete, and I thought Glenn might like this guitar." Dale listed, as he sat down with us. "Maybe he plays."

"Well I didn't find anything useful." I spoke up, leaning my head against the RV.

"Still no drugs. You?" Dale asked T-Dog.

"Yeah, Ibuprofen and these." T-Dog replied, motioning to the cigarette between his fingers.

"Imma go back out and search some more." I groaned, getting up off the ground. "Ibuprofen is good and all, but we need something stronger." I began walking off towards the scramble of cars once more, looking for one I haven't searched yet. I walked over to an SUV, glancing through the window to see a lone corpse.

Hesitantly, I brought my knife from my waistband, grabbed the door handle, and threw it open with my knife ready to strike. When a few seconds went by and it didn't move, I relaxed, putting my knife away. I pulled the corpse out of the car and began rummaging through the front seats. When I didn't find anything, I brought my search to the back seat and trunk space.

Though I didn't find any sort of medicine, I did find a couple of handguns, a little bit of ammo, an ax, and a knife sheath. Smiling to myself with the goods found, I gathered everything up and made my way back.

"I found some things that might come in handy" I announced as I came closer to the RV.

"We could always use more of that stuff, good find." Dale nodded, smiling as he looked at everything I found. "There's a bag inside the RV you can throw that stuff in."

Nodding my head, I made my way inside, finding a Sheriff's duffle bag. I put everything inside, aside from the knife sheath, and instead wrapped it around my thigh and placed my knife inside it.

I rested the palms of my hands against the table, gritting my teeth from the throbbing in my side. Timidly, I grabbed the hem of my shirt and brought it up, unraveling the gauze. I grimaced once the gaze came off, revealing my wound had started to form pus. "Shit..."

"Shot?! What do you mean shot?" Hearing Dale's voice, I dropped my shirt down and turned my gaze to look outside the window, seeing the others coming out of the woods.

I walked out the RV, glancing at the others when I noticed a few were not among them. "Andrea, are you alright?" Dale asked her, causing the blonde woman to stop for a moment before shaking her head and continue in my direction.

I stepped out of her way as she made her way into the RV, turning my gaze back to the others. "What happened?"

"Rick's son Carl was shot." Glenn explained, looking at me. "He and Shane were with him, then some woman came and got Lori, told us they were at some farm a couple miles back and to head over."

"I won't do it. We can't just leave." Carol voiced out, not wanting to discuss the option.

"Carol, the group is split. We're scattered and weak." Dale stated, trying to make a point.

"What if she comes back and we're not here?" Carol asked, glancing at everyone. "It could happen.

"If Sophia found her way back and we were gone, that would be awful." Andrea, who had joined us back outside, agreed with Carol.

"Okat, we gotta plan for this. I say tomorrow morning is soon enough to pull up stakes." I glanced over to the other guy Rick was with yesterday as he spoke up. "Give us a chance to riff a big sign, leave her some supplies. I'll hold here tonight, stay with the RV."

"If the RV is staying, I am too." Dale told him, to which Carol thanked them both.

"I'm in." Andrea agreed.

"Well, if you're all staying then I'm-"

"Not you Glenn. You're going." Dale cut him off. Poor guy seems to never finish what he wants to say before someone interrupts. "Take Carol's Cherokee."

"Me? Why is it always me?" Glenn asked in disbelief.

Dale looked to Glenn. "You have to find this farm, reconnect with our people and see what's going on. But most importantly, you have to get T-Dog and (Y/N) there. This is not an option."

I glanced up at the mention of my name. "I'm fine, I'll stay and help you guys." Shaking my head at Dale's proposition.

"You can't be serious? That wound of yours is infected." Dale motioned to my side. "Did you even get the bullet out yet? There is no exit wound."

I looked down at my feet, nodding my head. "Yeah... I did." I took my knife out, bringing it up beside my head, waving it. "I dug it out." I glanced to the right of me, where T-Dog sat. "I'll be fine, worry about T-Dog."

Dale let out a sigh. "Fine but, that cut has gone from bad to worse, he has a serious blood infection." Dale pointed to T-Dog. "Get him to that farm, see if they have any antibiotics. Because if not, T-Dog will die, no joke."

"Keep your oily rags off my brother's motorcycle." I glanced back to the others, seeing a bag in the man's hand as he set it down on a car. "Why'd you wait till now to say anything. Got my brother's stash."

"I glanced at the bag, seeing several pill bottles and a lot of blue stuff piled in the bottom of the bag. "Crystal, X. Don't need that. Got some kick ass painkillers." He dug through the bottles, throwing one to Glenn and another to Dale. "Oxycycline. Not the generic stuff neither, it's first class. Merle got the Clap on occasion."

"Here." I Moved my gaze away towards Glenn. "If you're staying, at least take one of these. He held out the bottle of painkillers. I nodded my head, taking one as he and T-Dog prepared to leave.

—

I climbed up on top of the RV, joining Dale seeing as how I couldn't sleep. "Hey."

"You should be resting." He told me, looking out toward the road.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Couldn't sleep." I replied shortly.

I glanced down, seeing the man and Andrea walking out from the RV. "Going for a walk., shine some light in the forest. If she's out there, give her something to look at."

"You think that's a good idea?" Dale questioned him, uncertain.

"Dale." Andrea stopped him.

I stood up, making my way to the ladder. "Wait, I'll come too."

"Don't bother." The man replied shortly.

"What?" I asked, confused. "If she's out there, wouldn't more people looking be better?"

"You ain't comin', just be holdin' us back." He shut down, walking off with Andrea following a few seconds later.

I watched as they walked into the woods, mumbling to myself as I sat back down. "What the hell? I just wanted to help out..."

"Don't let him get to you." Dale spoke up, sitting down in his chair. I turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Daryl is always like that, has been since he joined the group."

"Yeah, well he didn't have to be an ass about it." I retorted, swinging my legs back and forth. "Just didn't want to sit around and do nothing while everyone else looked for that girl."

"He'll come around." Dale stated as if he knew. "Just takes time."

"Tch. We'll see about that." I sighed, leaning back against my arms. Sure is a hell of an interesting group they got, that's for sure.

———
Published: 02/14/2024