Papá's Girl

Is There Any Hope Left?

     ©JRF2016

No one had noticed Andrea slip off after Rick left. They just went about business as usual except for the new fear of the monsters lurking around in the barn. She walked into the tent that he shared with his wife. She thought about that moment with Shane yesterday. As pleasurable as it was, she has had these feelings for Rick since Atlanta. Lori didn't deserve him. "Hey, Rick." She said slipping into the tent behind him, "I've been wanting to talk to you but we haven't had much chance." He turned to face her giving her the signal to continue. She didn't say anything. She sauntered up to him and grabbed his belt pulling him into her. She slid her hand down grabbing him and whispered against his lips, "I know how the safety works." She pressed her lips to his while she rubbed his stiffening member. He got lost in the moment for a brief second before he came to his senses. "Andrea, I'm married and Lori's pregnant." Her heart was breaking but she smiled at him and gave him a slight nod of understanding. Before walking out the door she turned, "If you ever change your mind you know where I'll be." She gave him a wink and then left. Rick sat down on the cot for a minute to allow his blood to begin circulating through the rest of his body again.

Rick knocked on the door and Hershel answered telling him to come in. Rick tried to discuss the barn issue but Hershel turned to him and told him he wanted us gone by the end of the week. He argued letting us stay but Hershel wasn't budging. Rick pleaded with Hershel finally ending with the argument that Lori's pregnant. He urged Hershel to think about it one last time before leaving. He went back out to the barn to talk to Shane. He argued leaving against Rick's saying we were staying. In frustration Shane finally asked him, "Why do you want to stay here when it's not safe?" Rick finally blurted out, "Lori's pregnant!" Shane's face fell and he swiped his hand across his face. He was trying hard to hide the excitement he felt thinking that Lori is having his baby. He couldn't say anything. "You good?" Rick asked before walking away. "Lori's pregnant man, congratulations." He swallowed hard. It was killing him giving that to Rick when he wanted it so bad.

Andrea was waiting for him by the Cherokee. They were going to go out and look for Sophia. Andrea was anxious for the opportunity to be alone with Rick again. They were looking at the map and deciding on a plan when Hershel came up asking for Rick's help with something. Rick went off with Hershel. Everyone was gathered in front of the farmhouse wondering where Rick was. "We were supposed to go look for Sophia hours ago but he took off with Hershel." Andrea told them. "Damn it, ain't anybody takin' this seriously. We got ourselves a damn trail! Oh here we go," He said pointing at Shane as he gave him a shotgun. "You with me?" Shane asked him and Daryl nodded, "Hell yeah." Shane started handing out guns to everybody while Maggie pleaded with him to stop. "If you do this my dad will make you leave tonight!"

"You gonna protect yours?" He asked Glenn as he handed him a shotgun and Glenn took it.

"What the hell is that?" T-Dog said pointing down the driveway as everyone ran down to Rick and Hershel who had two walkers on the ends of catch poles. Shane argued with Hershel about the walkers being dead pumping three rounds into the female walker's chest. "Shane enough!" Rick yelled. "Yeah man that is enough," he said as he fired another round into her forhead. He kept yelling and finally busted the barn open letting the walkers pour out. The farm was a shooting gallery for the next few minutes. Everyone stood there in front of that barn as the gun smoke cleared. For a minute no one said anything, we all stood there staring at the pile of rotting corpses. A small moan came from the barn and we all looked at the door. A tiny hand appeared pushing the door open and a little girl appeared. "Sophia!" Carol cried running toward the barn. Daryl grabbed her and they fell to the ground as Carol reached out for her daughter. Papa grabbed me and pulled me close as I cried into his chest, Lori held Carl close as they wept. Sophia lurked over toward the group. Rick's head dropped as he pulled his pistol from its holster and aimed it at that little girl and pulled the trigger. All hope in anything turning out right was lost now. It was thick in the air.

We buried Sophia, and Hershel's wife and stepson then the clean up from this fiasco started. Shane walked up to me and I stared at him. "Why would you do that?" I asked him.

"It had to be done. I was keeping the group safe."

"No you were getting us kicked off this farm. How is us being back out there safer? How Shane?" He rubbed the back of his neck and stared at the ground. "So you're pissed at me now, huh?"

"Everyone is pissed at you! Stronzo testa calda." {You hot headed asshole.} "Why couldn't you just listen to Rick this one time?" I walked away from him without looking back.

"Papá," I called, "What are we gonna do?" He hugged me. "I don't want to go back out there. We're safe here."

"We'll figure somethin' out baby girl," he said rubbing his hand up and down my back, "We'll figure it out."