traded my life [TWD]

『27』

Daryl holds his hand out to me. I grasp it and he tugs me up over the fallen tree. Just when I went to step down, he let go and I nearly fall.

"Bitch," I deadpan.

"You got it," he says, shrugging me off. "We gotta catch up to the deer 'fore it gets away."

I pull my hood over my head to avoid getting slapped by limbs and leaves as we hike through the dense part of the woods.

"You hear that?" I ask.

"What?"

"Screams," I note.

We pause our steps and just when we hear a scream, it goes quiet.

"Camp?" I wonder.

"Only one way to find out."

We finally make it out of the clearing. I hold my arms outstretched to my waist when I come face to face with Shane's gun.

"Damn, okay.. Love you, too," I scoff.

"Jesus," Shane sighs in relief, lowering the gun and tugging me in for a hug.

"Son of a bitch!" Daryl curses.

I pull back from Shane enough to look over. I catch sight of a geek on the ground, clearly having eaten part of the deer we were after.

"Hyejin?" someone asks.

I look at Glenn, but he didn't call me. Neither did Dale, Morales, or Jim.

I peer past Shane and my body goes stiff. My blood runs cold.

"Holy shit," escapes my lips.

Rick Grimes laughs and makes his way over. Shane steps back with a pat to my back. I could only stare at Rick for a minute or so.

Daryl, Dale, and Shane start talking about the deer, but I couldn't hear much over the heartbeat in my ears.

"I.." I struggle to find words.

Rick chuckles and wraps me in a big hug. I gently pat his back like he'd fall apart. Like if I touch him too much he'll disappear- a figment of my imagination.

"Hey, Rick," Morales calls.

Rick sighs. He rubs my back gently. "We'll catch up later.. I got something I need to do."

I blink a few times. My head spins as I try to comprehend what the hell is happening.

"Come on," Shane calls, resting a hand between my shoulders.

I follow along with the group. Daryl begins calling for Merle. Once to the rest of camp, Shane sighs and leaves my side.

"Hey, Daryl.. slow up a bit," Shane calls. "I need to talk to you."

Shit.

My stomach drops as I look around the camp. Merle was nowhere in sight.

While I didn't care much for Merle, Daryl was someone I hung around a lot for the sole purpose of annoying him. Merle was colder. Racist. Invasive. Daryl was chill and kept to himself. He reminded me of me, so I hung around him.

"About what?" Daryl asks.

I cross one arm around my waist, bringing the other to pick at my bottom lip nervously. I was getting good at reading the room.. and I didn't like the way this one was going.

"About Merle.. There was a problem in Atlanta," Shane answers shortly.

I catch Lori's eyes. She was standing by the door of the RV with Andrea and Amy. I walk backward to them, trying to keep out of the way in case things go south.

"Carl saw the thing," Lori whispers in my ear. "That was him and Sophia screaming."

I wince involuntarily.

"How many other things can go wrong," I whisper to myself and go into the RV where Carl and Sophia are with Jacqui.

"Hyejin!" Carl cries and rushes into my arms.

I hold him close and try to walk over to the table where Sophia and Carol already are.

"Merle-"

"Yeah," I cut Carol off. "I figured."

"Daryl needs someone on his side," she offers.

"Not yet. And I kinda don't want to see police manhandling a grieving person right now."

"Hyejin, my dad.. he's back," Carl says, looking up at me.

The knots in my stomach tighten.

How was Rick back exactly? How did he survive? Since he's alive, what did Shane see that made him think Rick was dead, to begin with? Now with Shane and Lori..

I smile tightly and push aside the nerves and questions in favor of wrapping Carl in another hug, rubbing his back.