Guts || TWD

2. Over The River & Through The Woods.

The I-89, late morning...

Elle Adams sprinted up the hills of the Georgia forest, following the young officer as they made their way back to the highway. Her heart was burning and she kept wiping blood off of her face without knowing the source.

"I see the highway just a little further." Rick called back to Elle, she was in shape for the most part but distance running was never her strong suit. When she had chased after Sophia she had been all hopped up in Adrenalin, now her stomach just churned with worry. Which almost made her feel like vomiting.

"I'm coming," She promised, chest heaving as they finally stepped over the rails. It was easy to locate their group in the mass of cars because of Carol's loud crying. The herd had passed several yards ahead but that didn't mean they couldn't turn around. Elle had worried about the noise they caused when they all ran into the forest but luckily the corpses seemed to keep going forward.

Rick and Elle weaved through cars until Glenn and Tucker spotted them. "Oh god, you're alright." Glenn breathed out, hands landing on Elle's shoulders and looking over the exposed skin on her arms and shoulders. No bites.

"You okay E? You're bleeding?" Tucker walked up to her, touching her forehead and looking at the fresh blood coating his hand.

"Rick! Ellie! Where's my baby? Where is she?!" Carol sobbed, clinging to Lori who practically held her up by now.

"She's not here?" Elle looked over, wiping the trail of blood off her face.

"No!" With that, Rick bit his cheek and looked at Elle. Once again they were thinking the same thing, though neither of them said it this time.

Fuck.

"We left her in the underbank of a creek while we drew the walkers away. Once we killed them we came back to the spot, she was gone. I'd hoped she'd made it back up to the road." Ellie explained.

"Well she ain't here, now if she's running around that forest we only have so long to track her." Daryl piped up, his crossbow slung over his shoulder.

"You're right," Rick nodded, "Let's go. Tucker, Shane, T-Dog, Glenn. Come on,"

"Huh-uh," Rory shook her head, "T's got a nasty cut on his arm. I'm bandaging it with what we've got but the last thing you guys need is to be hauling around the smell of fresh blood." The blonde explained, reaching into the RV and pulling her first aid kit from under the bench.

"Okay, then T will stay here, but we ought to get out there."

"I can track her, come on, take me to where you left her." Daryl mumbled, walking over to the guard rail and hopping the fence. Rick, Shane, Tucker, and Glenn followed right on his trail.

"Ellie, come here." Rory beckoned, instructing her daughter to kneel on the ground next to T-Dog. "Keep pressure on that while I get some sutures out, we can't clean it good yet. Short on water." Elle looked down at the large and deep laceration across T's forearm.