Mean || Daryl Dixon -Hiatus-

|two|

  As soon as Lori was inside, she started asking questions. She wanted to know what was wrong with her son, how Hershel was going to fix it, and things we didn't even know yet.

  I had to admit, if it were my child, I'd be the same way. Honestly, if it were my child, I'd be doing it myself.

  "Lori, everything's going to be fine, but we can't do anything until Shane and Otis are back," I said to her.

  She nodded worriedly, clutching her son's hand for dear life. I felt bad for her. I knew how it felt to lose someone you love. I've felt that too many times.

  I went outside on the porch to get some fresh air. Maggie and the guy that defended me earlier were talking.

  "Hi," I said quietly, leaning on the white porch railing.

  "Hey," the guy said. "I'm Glenn. We met earlier... briefly."

  I smiled tightly at that, looking over my shoulder at him. "Natalie."

  "Glenn was just prayin'," Maggie told me. "before we interrupted him."

  "I, uh, yeah," he responded.

  "That's good," I told him, gazing out over the farm. The farm was too quiet these days, and the stars shined brighter than ever. It would've been beautiful if the world was back to normal. I sighed. "We all need to be praying a little these days."

  Maggie and Glenn didn't talk for a little bit after that. I don't know what they were doing. Maybe they were praying.

  I said a silent prayer myself, for God to watch over our farm and give us peace. I prayed for Him to let Hershel's hands work a miracle on the little boy, Carl. He sent these people here for a reason. Hopefully, that reason was to help them.

  I bit my nails as I wondered why this all happened. Maybe it was a coincidence and I was over thinking per usual. But maybe something bigger was planned.

  "I'm going in," I whispered to nobody in particular. As I shut the screen door behind me, I heard the conversation that spurred.

  "She's your sister?" Glenn asked.

  "Might as well be," Maggie replied. I could hear the smile in her voice. It made me a little happy.

  I'd never been really part of the Greene family. Sure, we were all related, but, for the first twelve years of my life, I only saw them on holidays or birthdays. My mom was Hershel's sister, and they were pretty close, but they never really had the time... They never really made the time.

  When my mom died, Hershel really stepped up. He treated me the same as Maggie and Beth. He treated me like I was his own. I'll forever be grateful to him for that.

  But I never felt like a Greene. Partially because my last name was Elliot, partially because I couldn't feel like anything after my parents died. I begged Hershel to change my last name.

  "Your mother was an Elliot, you should be proud you are, too," he would say.

  But when Maggie would find me crying in our shared bedroom, she'd hug me and say, "You're a Greene, too."

  When she started introducing me as her sister at school, I really felt like I belonged.

  When she tells me I'm her sister now, I already know I am. I remember my mom faintly, but one thing I do remember is that she looked a lot like Maggie.

  I tried to keep myself busy. I talked to Beth a little. I told Rick and Lori more about the surgery Carl was going to have. I talked to Hershel about it, too, discussing what we were going to do. I decided I'd go outside again, trying to find something.