Trying to Make It Right

Setting Up Camp

          Rick had admit that he'd been amused to see that Daryl had his own tent this time around, and he had chosen to put his close by it because Daryl had an eye for places that were less vulnerable to attack and he trusted him. Of course his decision made Shane narrow his eyes and glower at the other officer when he thought no one was looking, but Rick didn't really pay any attention to that. Shane had tried to get Rick to set up next to his tent instead, but that wasn't happening anytime soon. With Shane's actions right after his arrival Rick didn't need to appear to be sending his friend and past lover any kind of mixed signals. That had been something Lori had put the other version of his friend through, and Rick fully believed that had helped drive Shane insane.

        Rick needed to be careful about just how he interacted with Shane right now and he knew it. He had Daryl, and he wasn't about to encourage Shane's feelings because he was more then happy with his Hunter. If that happened then the future would repeat all over again, but with him starring in Lori's place, and Daryl in his. And there was no way in hell the time displaced Rick would ever let that happen. Shane was going to get the hint that he wasn't interested, and he would live. He had to.

         Morgan was camped out about 15 feet from his position, in an equally safe area. Rick wasn't about to let his friend, or the man's son die now that he was with his group so he wanted them close in case something happened in the middle of the night. The cop had to trust that the group had enough skill to help keep those two alive if something happened during the day and he wasn't there to help them though.

        Even so he made a note to somehow start a training schedule sometime soon. It had taken them far too long to come together as a cohesive unit before, and people had gotten killed during the process of that happening. Rick wasn't about to sit around and let that part of history repeat itself, even though he knew that with the current mindset that everyone minus Daryl had it would be a problem. The others were still hoping that this would blow over, still trying to hold onto the remains of who they had been before this.

         Carl had stuck next to him or Daryl the whole time that they were setting up their tents, in fact he had been obsessive in not leaving their side even if he had stubbornly remained silent. Both of the older men had tried talking with the eerily silent boy, but he hadn't said a word since he had clutched onto his father when he had seen him for the first time. His son's behavior was worrying Rick, because this hadn't happened last time.

        His son had been happy to see him and just plain talkative before- eager to talk about what had been happened since Shane had saved them, there hadn't been any sign of this bone deep relief that stank of guilt and remorse that Carl had no reason to be experiencing. Rick didn't know what was happening to his child and he didn't like it because this wasn't something that he could protect Carl from. Whatever was going on in the young boys mind was a complete mystery to the two worried men.

      Lori had retreated to her tent during her mad dash from Rick earlier that day and she hadn't shown her face since. Even though Rick knew she had to be pissed off with him, he was pissed that she hadn't even swallowed her pride enough to come check on their son at any point since her retreat. Shane had made it clear that something had been off with Carl for days now earlier, when he had tried to stop Carl from hugging Rick too tightly and in Rick's mind that meant Lori should be worried for the pre-teen and how he was taking his father's sudden return into their lives more than anything She should be acting like a mother right now instead of an overgrown child that was being denied the toy that she wanted, but she was doing just that in stubbornly staying in her tent and ignoring everyone around her. Like she was doing now.