A simple supply hunt for a source of water in the middle of Atlanta turns sour quickly for Erin as she come fist to face with a fuming, handless Merle Dixon.
Alone in the middle of the apocalypse with only a racist guy who doesn't know the differen...
"It's like the whole world is jumping off the bridge and you don't wanna be the one standing on dry land." - Love, Selfish Love, Patrick Stump
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Rick posed the idea to the rest of the group after they explained it in private to Merle, obviously leaving out the part about following Erin, Shane and Carol. They all seemed fine with it, Dale agreeing that they needed some decent food soon and Lori wanting something nutritious for Carl after days of tinned soup. When she saw their supplies, Erin figured it was best to keep her protein bars hidden...
"Can I come with?" another woman, who Merle told her was named Andrea, asked, "It'd be nice to get some freedom away from everyone." She glared towards Dale as she said it and Erin guessed something had gone on between them when she wasn't around.
She tensed up at the question, knowing that Andrea tagging along would jeopardise their plan - she would no doubt notice they weren't looking for food and start asking even more questions, perhaps even threatening their cover. Thankfully, Rick stepped in to prevent that happening, "There's already three of us going as it is, any more would put us at risk of being ambushed by walkers - I don't want any more people going missing..."
Erin felt more than three pairs of eyes flicker to her as he said it, suddenly getting very self-conscious and staring down at the scuffed toes of her boots.
"We're gonna head out now," Shane announced from beside the barrier nearest the woods, also looking pointedly at her as Carol grabbed her bag and pulled it onto her back, "Best get out looking while we've got plenty of light."
He clambered over the heated and warped metal, landing less-than-gracefully on the other side and beckoning for the two women to follow him. Erin shot a look over her shoulder at Rick and Merle, hoping no one saw the worry in her eyes before turning back and following Shane, her head ducked to avoid meeting anyone's gaze. Despite her being the tracker out of the three of them, it appeared that Shane was taking the lead, checking behind him every few seconds as they delved into the woodland to make sure she wasn't going to slip off elsewhere.
Even she knew that would be a pretty stupid move, the rifle and crowbar in his hands told her she wouldn't get far if she tried. She may be a decent hunter, but running was certainly not her forte...
She'd had enough near-misses in the past few months to know it was best to avoid situations which included running to get away; her lungs had never been too strong after she'd battled with pneumonia throughout her childhood, collapsing into asthma-like attacks if she had to run anything more than twenty metres - going to the truck back in Atlanta had very nearly set her off. Then, where would they be?
It was the freaking apocalypse and she was cursed with weak lungs.
She kept it to herself around the group, knowing that if she mentioned it they would see her as a weakling, maybe even leave her and drive off so she wouldn't drag them down in desperate times. As much as she was scared to admit it, there was something about them that she admired; they'd taken her in, if reluctantly, and although most of them were uneasy about her, there were some that actually cared if she died or not.
Just recalling how selflessly Rick and Daryl had put themselves forward to follow them in case Shane tried anything showed that. People actually cared about her... It was a foreign concept after spending so much time looking out for herself. After Todd, she had thought alone was the best way to go, but these people were challenging that. They were showing her a new, possibly better, way...
...and she wasn't too sure if she was comfortable with it. At least, not just yet...
Up ahead, Shane stopped in his tracks, pulling her away from her thoughts. They'd ventured around three hundred metres from the road now and she could no longer see the vehicles parked on it. The thought sent fear prickling down her spine until she reminded herself they would still hear her if she screamed.
"Better start tracking her now," he instructed, more as an order than a suggestion, "Don't try anything funny 'cause I'm right behind you and I've got a gun."
Carol looked between them with uncertainty, probably realising she'd missed something, but Erin tried her best to give her a smile as she walked past them both and began scanning the undergrowth. She decided not to give Shane the pleasure of a snarky remark, keeping her mouth shut as she found the trail she and Daryl had followed the day before and led the way.
It was easy to track for the first hour or so and she timed it exactly in her head to know the exact point when the others set off. If they kept to their word, she figured they would be around a mile behind by now and she'd ensured she trod heavily in the muddy regions to make it easier for Daryl to track, though he probably would have been able to without.
Then, just as the tracks grew weaker once again, a loud gun shot sounded through the trees from the direction she'd worked out Rick and Daryl would be in. The three of them turned at the noise, her heart racing in her chest - there was no way someone as cautious as Daryl would let Rick or Merle fire a gun...
The silence that followed was unbearable and eventually her head won in the battle with her heart, "Come on, we need to keep tracking Sophia. Daryl is with them, I'm sure whatever it is, he can handle it..."
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Daryl knew he shouldn't have let Carl come with them.
The little guy had insisted he wanted to go hunting with his dad and, despite both Daryl and Merle's protests at the idea - both of them knowing how much more dangerous it would make it - Rick softened and let the boy tag along. The look in his eyes now said he regretted that decision...
He found himself rooted to the spot as he saw Carl go down, the bullet hitting his abdomen before he'd even had chance to pull the kid out of the way. Rick rushed forward, crying out in shock and despair as it all seemed to go in slow motion from there.
Merle stormed into the trees past the deer corpse where the shot had originally come from as the Sheriff broke down before Daryl's eyes, cradling his injured son in his arms before his brother reappeared, dragging an overweight man holding a rifle behind him, "Ya mind tellin' us why ya shot this lil kid?!"
The man's eyes widened at the sight of blood pooling around Carl's t-shirt, "I-I... it was an a-accident, I swear! I'll take you to Hershel- H-he'll know what to do...!"
"You shot my son!" Rick found his voice, tears running down his face as Daryl considered shooting Fatso on the spot. What sort of monster shoots a kid?
"I-I'm sorry... Just let me take you to Hershel! His farm is up there!" The man grew more frantic as Merle tightened his grip on his arm with the stump while reaching for the knife in his belt Daryl had seen him steal from Erin's truck before they left. Erin would be pissed when she found out...
Seeing this was going to end badly if his brother got knives involved, Daryl decided to take charge since Rick wasn't really in a state to. He pointed his crossbow at Fatso's head, "Lead the way."
The man didn't think twice as Merle reluctantly let go of him, ambling off into the trees he'd come from as Daryl motioned for Rick to pick up Carl and follow after him. Merle went to do the same, but he caught his upper arm, causing his older brother to turn to him, "What? Lemme go after 'em. That guy deserves to meet ma knife once the kid is fixed up-"
"I know he does. And we both know that ain't your knife so how's about you catch up with Erin and give it back? Tell her to get Lori. I'll send someone from this farm place to lead 'em to Carl, alright?" Merle didn't seem too happy about the idea, but he nodded anyway, "Go."
And with that, Daryl watched him head off in the other direction before turning and running after Rick, hoping to God that Carl would be okay...
