The World After

Part Six - Drama in the workplace

   It'd been pretty uneventful all day which was a blessing in this new world. Once Katherine and the kids finished their chores there was nothing really left to do but relax. Kendall was off feeding the chickens with Lori and a newly mobile Carl. Jamie had been gifted the guitar since he was the only one who could play it and was now plucking at the strings carelessly in their tent.
   "Got some peaches," Glenn said in lieu of a greeting, lifting the bucket so the mounds of pink fruit were visible.
   Katherine took two and tossed one back to Jamie. The child startled briefly but flashed a thankful smile and set his instrument to the side.
   Katherine's teeth sank through the skin and a rivet of juice dribbled down her chin. She wiped it off precariously as Glenn lingered. His leg was bouncing thoughtlessly and his gaze kept going back behind him, "You okay, Glenn? You seem kind of twitchy."
   "Huh? Yeah, yeah I'm good. Why wouldn't I be good?" He stuttered out.
   "I don't know," Katherine replied with a smirk. "Why wouldn't you be good?"
   Glenn tried for a nonchalant shrug, but with his frayed nerves and heavy bucket it didn't come off nearly as smooth as he hoped, "No reason."
   Katherine hummed and took another bite as he scampered off with the cadence of a frightened deer. Something was definitely up with him, but Katherine would wait until he decided to entrust her with it.
   Once Katherine had finished her minimal breakfast, she tossed the peach pit away and drew her hair up in a ponytail. The sun was really beating down this morning with fall supposedly on its way.
   "Hey, Shane and I are teaching some of the folks how to shoot," Rick greeted, one hand on his holster as he approached. "You're welcome to come if you need the practice."
   Flashes of having to shoot for hours at the range until she made several vital spots in a row came to mind. She'd hated it then, how her father had leered over booth scrutinizing her work before telling her to reload and try again. "I'm good, thanks though."
   "What about your kids— Kendall and Jamie. They're welcome if they have your permission. Shane's taught younger than Kendall, and Carl is joining the lesson." Rick amended, his blue gaze flickering to the boy now plucking random cords as he ate.
   "Jamie knows how to shoot but could use pointers with his aim. He can go; not Kendall. She's ten— I'd rather she not become a soldier so soon."
   Jamie scurried out from tent flap, face alight with excitement. He obviously hadn't been expecting to be allowed to go and that only further resolved Katherine's decision. "I can go?"
   Katherine wiped his still sticky mouth with a maternal finger. "If you want to you can. I won't force you."
   "I want to!" He practically shouted which caused Rick to smile because it was the most emotive the young boy had been in his presence.
   "Alright, then, go find Shane and the others."
Jamie ran off toward the other cop leaving Rick and Katherine alone.
   "We're holding off the search for today," Rick explained. "Shane figures learning to shoot is more important."
   His tone was a little bitter as he talked about his partner. Shane and Rick had very different perspectives on how to deal with this new world. Rick was holding on to order and civility while Shane was embracing barbarity in full. Katherine sided fully with Rick, but it didn't mean she didn't understand Shane. He was a loose cannon and perhaps ready for this world before he ever even stepped foot in it.
   "Being able to shoot is valuable now-a-days..." Katherine trailed off and Rick gave her a look.
   "More valuable than a girl's life?"
   Katherine's brows rose at the snap, "I'm not saying that. Look, Rick, these people got lucky on this farm— if they were out there when this went down? Well you know how it was when it first started."
   "Actually... no I don't," Rick admitted, palming the back of his neck. He noticed the obvious question silently being posed and offered up the answer. Somehow he knew if he didn't supply it, she'd let it go. "I was in a coma at the beginning."
   Katherine's expression dropped. A coma? What were the odds he survived when the first outbreaks reportedly began at hospitals and branched outward from there.
   Katherine remembered so clearly the first time she'd interacted with the undead. Everyone, besides Rick apparently, would be able to recall it with alarming clarity.