The Sharpest Lives

Chapter 19

AN: Updated 12/25/20

Ace walked passed some of the group starting to set up camp under some nearby trees as she went to get her bag from the RV. She felt a little bad that she wasn't helping, especially when she made eye contact with Glenn and he sent a grin, but she knew she could be more helpful elsewhere. Like searching with Daryl.

She's not even sure if she has a tent or anywhere to sleep, for that matter.

As she gets closer to the RV, she sees Dale struggling to pull down the awning from the top and quickly jogs over to help. She grabs onto the other side and levels out the pull, allowing it to slide down easily.

Dale laughs as they stick the screws in to hold it in place. "Thanks, that's the first time I've tried doing that on my own. Used to having my wife on that side telling me I'm doing it wrong," he points to where Ace was, walking over to toss a tool into his bag.

"Your wife?" Ace asks, still holding on to the awning pole, not knowing he had one.

"Irma," he says, smiling, putting his hand on the RV. "She was the only reason we ever got this piece of junk."

Ace sent a small smile. "Did you travel a lot?" She asked, enjoying the simple conversation about normal things for once.

"We didn't get very far, but she loved riding around in this before she passed. It gave her some peace," he smiled at the RV. "Me, on the other hand, not so much."

Ace watched as he went to go sit on the picnic bench they brought over, letting his hands rest in between his lap. "She died before all this?" Ace asked, hoping it was okay that she did.

Dale nodded. "Kind of a blessing, don't you think?"

Ace nodded just as a reflex, even though she was taken aback by what he said. Death is a blessing? That's how you know the world's gone to shit. Was it supposed to be a blessing that Ace was dying of something other than a walker bite?

"Are you feeling better?" Dale asks, catching Ace off guard with the new subject.

She looked over to him confused on how he knows. "From earlier? With the walkers?" He clarified.

Ace remembered that she lied to him about feeling bad from them when he caught her in the RV and she quickly nodded, trying to not get caught. "Yeah. Uh, yeah," she smiled nervously. "It was just a lot."

Dale gave her this look, almost knowing, but just nodded, not saying anything. "Are you going out again with Daryl?"

"Yeah, just came to get my stuff," she signaled to the RV.

"Your bags on the table," Dale smiled. Ace nodded and spun on her feet, hurrying into the RV to escape what could have just been her getting busted by the all-knowing Dale. It was weird, how comfortable they were getting with each other. Ace needed to figure out what she was doing soon.

She let out a breath and walked over to grab her pack, making sure everything was in it before slinging it over her back. She was about to walk out, but something caught her eye. One of the cabinets on the upper wall was open, showing off the scattered pill bottles inside.

Ace could see Dale still sitting on the picnic table through the window, so she quickly went over and looked inside.

A lot of it was random stuff. Stuff not even in the apocalypse would someone use, or at least know what it is. But she did spot something. She stood up on her toes to reach into the cabinet to grab two bottles. The names were familiar and she quickly recognized them as something on the list Jenner gave her.

She looked one more time and found another bottle of pills she needed, getting her hopes up slightly. She knew the group wouldn't need these for anything and the label read Irma Horvath, so she knew Dale wouldn't either.