After the Storm [1]

12 • Grudge

This chapter contains themes of suicide and self harm, please read cautiously.

Having been a hostage once herself, Maevys would promise you how Randall had been treated was anything but. Days went by, and the injured boy remained chained up in Hershel Greene's tool shed. Maevys had brought him food, attended to his wounds, and done her absolute best not to get attached. She regarded him like a wounded animal, destined to die, all the while making him as comfortable as possible. But when Randall asked her questions, she did not answer. When he begged for his life, she did not honor it with a response. His fate was not in her hands.

Maevys found her usual place at Daryl's side that morning as the main decision makers of their group gathered to discuss what was to come of their "hostage." Dale was insistent that they referred to Randall that way, and had seemingly fallen on the side of righteousness. He'd tried convincing Maevys that the treatment Randall was receiving was inhumane. But she had brushed the old man off, knowing there was no point in arguing. The way Maevys had been taking care of him was entirely humane, and for Dale to suggest otherwise grated her.

Daryl gave her a nod as Maevys joined his side, earning a sharp glare from Shane. Daryl hadn't broken his jaw, unfortunately, but Shane did sport a nice bruise along the side of his face. It served as a reminder to the entire group that he was in the dog house, and a reminder to himself keep his distance from Maevys. Daryl stood behind her like a guard dog most hours of the day, and it grinded Shane's gears to no end. Maevys could see it in his eyes that he truly had snapped, but he was doing a stand up job hiding it from everyone else.

Things had been easy between Maevys and Daryl since her nightmare. They hadn't opted to sharing a sleeping bag again but the two were noticeably closer than before. Lori had teased Maevys about it in private, pestering her sister about a "crush." Maevys had told Lori that to say "crush" at their age was ridiculous, but had blushed ferociously at the word. Did she have a crush on Daryl? She certainly noticed him in ways that were more than friendly. The way his shirt would fall and reveal his toned chest, the rumble of his deep voice that made her choke on her breath. She was incredibly attracted to him, and they'd shared many intimate moments, but what was a relationship worth in this world? Maggie and Glenn struggled with theirs enough already. Either way, it felt rewarding to be close to someone. Their circumstances were lonely enough.