A Broken World

Thirty-Three

Nebraska Continued

Daryl

Daryl was sitting outside his tent by the fire when Lori showed up. “Moving to the suburbs?” She asked, but he didn't say anything. “Listen, Beth's in some kind of catatonic shock. We need Hershel.” Daryl continued to whittle the stick he had in his hand. “Yeah. So what?” He said. “So I need you to run into town real quick and bring him and Rick back.” Daryl wasn’t surprised she was up here telling him to go looking for them. “Daryl?”

“Your bitch went window-shopping. You want him? Fetch him yourself. I got better things to do,” He sput at her. She narrowed her eyes at him, “What's the matter with you? Why would you be so selfish?” She asked. That really got under his skin and he stood up. Selfish? Listen to me, Olive Oyl. I was out there looking for that little girl every single day. I took a bullet and an arrow in the process. Don't you tell me about me getting my hands dirty! You want those two idiots? Have a nice ride. I'm done looking for people!”

Lori shook her head in disbelief. What had she expected? He isn't he fucking dog. “Wrll, you should know it wasn't just Rick and Glenn. Yn went with them.” Lori turned around and started heading back towards the house.

YN

“Those your cars out front?” Dave asked. “Yeah. Why?” Glenn asked. I love Glenn but he's a little too friendly. “We're living in ours. Those look kind of empty, clean. Where's all your gear?” Dave asked. Rick narrowed his eyes at him and didnt say anything.  “We're with a larger group out scouting, thought we could use a drink,” Hesherl offers up.

“A drink? Hershel, I thought you quit. Well, we're thinking of setting up around here. Is it safe?” Dave asked. “It can be, although I have killed a couple of walkers around here,” Glenn told him. “Walkers? That what you call them?”

“Yeah.”

“That's good. I like that. I like that better than lamebrains,” Dave says, sitting back in the chair he was seated in. “More succinct,” Tony said. “Okay, Tony went to college,” Dave yells us. “Two years.”

“So what, you guys set up on the outskirts or something? That new development? Trailer park or something? A farm? Old McDonald had a farm.” Tony laughed at Dave's lame as fuck joke. “You got a farm? Is it safe? It's gotta be. You got food, water?” Dave asked. This motherfucker asks a lot of fucking questions. “You got cooze? Ain't had a piece of ass in weeks,” Tony days, looking at me and kicking his lips. “I will fucking cut your goddamn eyes and tongue out if you don't top looking at me.”

“Listen, pardon my friend. City kids, they got no tact. No disrespect. So listen, Glenn…” Rick cuts Dave off before he can ask Glenn anytjing more. “We've said enough.”

Dave stood up and went bwhind the counter. He set his gun down in the bar top. “Well, hang on a second. This farm, it sounds pretty sweet. Don't it sound sweet, Tony?” He says. “Yeah, real sweet.”

“How about a little southern hospitality? We got some buddies back at camp been having a real hard time. I don't see why you can't make room for a few more. We can pool our resources, our manpower.” Rick sniffs, narrowing his eyes at him. “Look, I'm sorry. That's not an option.”

“Doesn't sound like it'd be a problem.”

“I'm sorry. We can't. We can't take in any more in.”

Dave lets out a short laugh. “You guys are something else. I thought we were friends. We got people we gotta look out for, too,” Dave said. “We don't know anything about you,” I told him. He points a finger at me. “No, that's true,” he says. “You don't know anything about us,” I say. “You don't know what we've had to go through out there, the things we've had to do. I bet you've had to do some of those same things yourself. Am I right? 'Cause ain't nobody's hands clean in what's left of this world. We're all the same. So come on, let's take a nice friendly hayride to this farm and we'll get to know each other.”

“That's not gonna happen.”

“Rick…” Fave starts but Tony cuts in. “This is bullshit!” He yells. “Calm down,” Rick tells him. Don't tell me to calm down. Don't ever tell me to calm down. I'll shoot you four assholes in the head and take your damn farm!” I raised an eyebrow at his outburst, my hand going to the hilt of my gun that rest on my hip.

“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Relax. Take it easy. Nobody's killing anybody. Nobody's shooting anybody. Right, Rick? We're just friends having a drink. That's all. Now where's the good stuff, huh? Good stuff, good stuff, good stuff. Let's see. Hey, look at that. That'll work.” Dave holds up a bottle of whiskey.  “You gotta understand, we can't stay out there. You know what it's like.”

“Yeah, I do. But the farm is too crowded as is. I'm sorry. You'll have to keep looking.”

“Keep looking. Where do you suggest we do that?”

“I don't know. I hear Nebraska's nice.”

Dave laughs, “Nebraska. This guy.” Then he's raising his gun. I pulled my and pulled the trigger shooting him in the head. Rick stood up and took out Tony before he could even react.

Shit really hit the fan when we tried to leave. Other members of their group came looking for them or at least were close by because they heard the shots. We ended up having a shootout with them.

Daryl

About an hour later Carol had come up to his camp. His been sitting thwre thinking about the last thing Lori had told him. That yn was out there too. He shouldnt care. He doesn't care. At least he tries to tell himself he doesn't care.

“We can't find Lori. And the others aren't back yet either,” Carol said to him. “That dumb bitch must've gone off Iooking for 'em,” Daryl told her. “What?” She asked, looking confused and shocked. “Yeah, she asked me to go. I toId her I was done being an errand boy.”

“And you didn't say anything?” Carol asked. “Don't do this. Please. l've already lost my girl,” She begged him. He turned and looked at her. “That wasn't my problem neither.”

Carol looked at him and he started to get uncomfortable. “What are you doing?” He hssed. “Keeping an eye on you,” she said. Daryl scoffed and rolled his eyes, “Ain't you a peach?” He said sarcastically.  “I'm not gonna let you pull away. You've earned your place.” That set him off. He doesn't know why, but that was his last straw.

“If you spent half your time minding your daughter's business instead of sticking your nose in everybody else's, she'd still be alive!” He yelled at her. Carol just stood there, back straight and her head held high. “Go ahead,” she told him. “Go ahead and what?” He asked confused at forat but then he realized what she meant.

“I mean just go! I don't want you here! You're a real piece of work, lady. What, are you gonna make this about my daddy or some crap like that? Pfft! Man, you know Jack. You're afraid. You're afraid 'cause you're all alone. You got no husband, no daughter. You don't know what to do with yourself. You ain't my problem! Sophia wasn't mine! All you had to do was keep an eye on her!” He screamed. He had so much hope that Sophia was out there waiting to be found. That she was alive. He was doing it because he knew what It felt like to have a piece of ahit for a father. But when she came out of that barn–something broke inside him.