Smalls POV:
Everyone, except for the Morales family, loads up to go to a place called the CDC. I'm not really sure what it is but it must be like some sort of hospital since Rick thinks they'll help Mr. Jim who got bitten by a walker.
Walkers is what Rick calls the geeks. I don't like Rick still but the term walker sounds better so I guess I'll use it.
Daryl, Romeo, SeraMay, and I all sit in Daryl's truck. He has Merle's motorcycle tied down in the truck bed.
Before the group leaves, Daryl pulls something out of his pocket and hands it to me.
"Got this f'r ye while I was in Atlanta," he says gruffly, though he's always fairly gruff.
I take it and look at it in my hands. It was a locket with the picture of old looking books on the front and a smooth gold colored backing.
I opened the locket and found crushed flowers and herbs glued into it, causing a minty and flowery aroma to reach my nose when I opened it.
"Thank yah, Daryl. I love it," I give him a quick side hug and he stiffens a little before chuckling.
"Glad ye like it, kiddo. I know it's not very masculine but I know ye like books and wild flowers."
I smiled softly and lay my head against his side as he drove, "It's perfect."
The ride there was quiet and relatively uneventful. We had to pull over once because the RV was having issues but I stayed beside the truck while Romeo ran around the grass nearby and relieved himself. Then we were back on the road for another hour or so.
The truck stopped and I looked up from my book, Percy Jackson Lightning Thief which I've read multiple times now, and seen piles of dead people. Some looked like they weren't even walkers before being killed.
I nervously followed Daryl, my yellow bag on my back and Sera in my arms, and Romeo stayed close to my side as well.
After a lot of yelling and panicking as a couple walkers showed up, the shutters finally opened and we all ran into the CDC, being met with the cool air of AC.
A man in a doctor's coat and a large gun in his arms meets our group as we herd together. Daryl shoves me gently behind him as he aims his crossbow wearily at the stranger. T-Dog stood behind me but he was aiming his gun outside incase walkers came.
What felt like seconds later, after the doctor and Rick talked, Daryl and the men ran outside and got everyone's stuff before the doors shut and locked behind us.
"These doors shut and they won't open again."
That seemed kinda ominous to me. If someone said that to Percy I'd be telling him to run. But nothing bad is gonna happen, right?
🐇
Daryl's POV:
Smalls stood frozen by my side when Jenner asks him to come over to get his blood drawn. Everyone else has already gotten their's drawn.
"It's yer turn, kiddo. Everyone else did it, it ain't gonna hurt ye none," I mumbled to the kid.
Smalls shakes his head and looks up at me all teary eyed. I sigh and pick him up, whispering calming words as he freaks out and I sit in the chair, holding him in my lap.
"Mama always had needles an' they made 'r act all weird and made Pa angry and mean…" He whimpered against my shoulder as Jenner finished getting some blood.
"This needle isn't gonna do nothin' to yeh other than take a little blood, kid."
"All done, kid. Why don't we all head to the kitchen now?" The doctor says, trying to lighten the mood.
Smalls seems to be enjoying the chicken salad sandwich he got me to make him after Jenner had gave everyone access to the kitchen (everyone else was eating pepperoni pizza and he can't cause he's allergic).
Kid got me wrapped around his finger though so even if they were eating something he could've ate and didn't want, I still woulda made him a damn sandwich just 'cause he asked.
I end up drinking with Glenn and we're talking about shit I probably won't even remember in the morning. Last I seen Smalls, Carol said she'd watch him and Sera for me.
Lori's POV:
Shane leaves the rec room after I scratch his face and a few moments later, Smalls comes out from behind a bookcase looking like he just woke up.
"Pa hurt me all the time, buh I wasn't able to stop him. I'm glad yah could fight Shane. I wanted te help but I was scared," Smalls says as he cries into my side.
"I'm-I'm okay, honey. Come on, let's get you to bed, sweetie," I picked him up and carried him to Daryl's room.
His pa hurt him? Like Shane was trying with me? The poor kid… no wonder he seems to get along with the Dixons, they're just as broken.
Smalls POV:
Daryl is being grumpy from the hangover I guess. Glenn cane in later then everyone else to breakfast and was holding his head and swearing off alcohol. Tdog made everyone eggs and found some apple juice for me since he gave Sophia and Carl milk with theirs but he remembered what happened the night at the Rock Quarry about my allergies. T-Dog is really nice. He's probably one of my favorite people in our group, besides Dale and the Dixons of course.
After we eat, Dale asks the doctor guy about some giant timer. All hell breaks loose and I end up trying to keep Sera calm while everyone is trying to beat the door down and some are yelling at Dr. Jenner.
I end up singing to Sera to calm her. I end up singing the song multiple times before Jenner finally relents to Rick and opens the door.
"You are my sunshine,
my only sunshine.
You make me happy,
when the skies are gray.
You'll never know, dear,
how much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away."
YOU ARE READING
Restoration Of Joy
FanfictionSmalls, as the Dixon's affectionately called the kid, wasn't a boy. But it's not like she even said much to them so how would they know? Aside from occasional remarks, small comments, and swears, they didn't know shit about the kid. Just that 'ma le...
