traded my life [TWD]

『42』

"Ah, shit," I comment. "My main bitch."

Daryl scoffs and puts his crossbow around his back. "Ain't a bitch."

"You're not 'a bitch'. You're my bitch. The main bitch," I argue.

I straighten my legs out. I was sitting on the railing of the porch of Hershel's house. Carl was stable. I couldn't bear to be around Lori any longer than I had to and the group finally all got here earlier.

"No type of bitch," Daryl denies.

"You have a preconceived notion of what 'bitch' means. I mean 'bitch' with endearment."

"I'm goin' to look for Sophia. You coming or not?"

I hop off the porch. "Hell yeah, I'm in."

"You sure? You just got back from that run," he reminds.

"If you didn't want me to come with you, you wouldn't have asked, Ahjussi."

"The hell does that even mean?"

"Ahjussi?" I ask and he nods. "It means.. handsome guy."

"Uh-huh," he says, not at all believing me.

We walk off the farm and into the woods.

"Is this the same as a hunt? Be quiet?" I wonder.

"Always supposed to be quiet. Dead sons of bitches got ears, too. But, not really. Sophia needs to hear voices. She hears a voice she recognizes, even if we miss her, she'll come outta where she's at."

"You sure she won't run away from you?"

"Thought I was handsome?"

I snicker and put my hands in my jacket pocket. "Wow'd by your blinding beauty."

"Shut up," he scoffs.

"T-Dog said you fixed up a spot on the highway with a note for her?"

"Mhm. Some supplies, too. Just in case she finds her way back before we find her."

I nod in acknowledgment. "He also said thanks for the meds. You give him the stash?"

"He had that nasty cut from that window. Dumbass nearly died of infection," Daryl says, amazed at the thought. "All this and T almost bit it without getting bit."

"Damn."

"When was the first time you dealt to Merle?" he wonders.

"Didn't really 'deal' per se. He was hardcore detoxing. Shivering and shit in his tent. I thought a walker got in so I checked. Saw him there and put two and two together. I only gave him like a quarter to take the edge off. Told him that I would help him get clean safer. Detox and cold turkey on the heavy shit he was on? That would make him lose his shit or die trying."

"He was on heavy shit," Daryl agrees.

"So, I was helping him ween off it. Then, he brought back extra food and gave it to me in secret. Said he'd done it hoping to get an extra pill 'cause he had a shit day. When I saw that it was keeping Carl fed, I figured what the hell?"

Daryl shakes his head with a soft chuckle.

"I made it clear to Merle that I wasn't gonna let him take too much and lose his shit on people. I let him know that I only had a limited supply."

"What'd he say about that?"

"He said 'we all got limited time anyway'," I remember. "Wasn't nothing special."

"Anyone else would've let him detox and get over himself. Wouldn't get caught up in shit like that."

"Wasn't my first time dealing," I shrug it off. "Addiction is hard. The world we're in now is harder. Our deal wasn't hurting nobody, so why's it matter to anyone else?"