The Walking Dead

~Three~

"Disoriented." Rick says, explaining to the camp what it was like to wake up in such a strange way. "I guess that comes closest. Disoriented. Fear, confusion- all those things but... Disoriented comes closest.

"Words can be meager things." Dale says from where he sat, Cricket in his arms. "Sometimes they fall short." Dale puts his cup down and kisses Cricket's head.

"I felt like I've been ripped out of my life and put somewhere else." Rick says as he frowns. "For I while I thought I was trapped in some coma dream, something I might not wake up from ever." 

"Mom said you died." Carl says.

"She had every reason to believe that." Rick says as he smiles down at his son. "Don't you ever doubt it."

"When things started to get really bad, they told me at the hospital that they were gonna medevac you and the other patients to Atlanta, and it never happened." Lori says to Rick.

"Well, I'm not surprised after Atlanta fell."

"Yeah."

"And from the look of that hospital, it got overrun."

"Yeah, looks don't deceive. I barely got them out, you know?" Shane finally says.

"I can't tell you how grateful I am to you, Shane. I can't begin to express it."

"There goes those words falling short again." Dale says, causing Cricket to smile at her father. "Paltry things." Cricket looks over at the sound of a log hitting the fire and sees the drunk, Ed putting more logs onto the fire.

"Hey, Ed, you want to rethink that log?" Shane asks.

"It's cold, man." Ed says as he leans back, not even caring what Shane says. Cricket frown as she looks over at him.

"The cold doesn't change the rules, does it?" Shane asks. "Keep our fires low, just embers, so we can't be seen from a distance, right?"

"I said it's cold." Cricket looks up at her father worried. She didn't like Ed, he always gave her the creeps. "You should mind your own business for once." Shane gets up, causing the group to grow worried as they watch Shane walk over to the Peletier family.

"Hey Ed." Shane says as he walks over to Ed, standing in front of him. "Are you sure you want to have this conversation, man?"

"Go on. Pull the damn thing out. Go on!" Ed says to his wife. Cricket shakes her head, she hates how the man treats her. Carol was a kind older woman and Ed is just horrible.

"Christ." Shane says, pulling the log out for Carol in order for her not to herself. He puts the log out as Carol takes her seat again. "Hey, Carol, Sophia, how are y'all this evening?" He asks them.

"Fine. We're just fine." Carol says, not wanting to start anything with Ed.

"Okay." Shane says to them with a nod of his head.

"I'm sorry about the fire." Carol says.

"No no no no no." Shane says. "No apologies needed. Y'all have a good night, okay?"

"Thank you." Carol whispers with a nod.

"I appreciate the cooperation." Shane says as he stands and makes his way back to the main fire where everyone else sits.

"Have you given thought to Daryl Dixon? Or even Nate?" Dale asks. "He won't be happy to hear his brother was left behind, neither will Nathaniel."

"I'll tell him. I dropped the key. It's on me." T-Dog say.

"I cuffed him. That makes it mine." Rick speaks up.

"Guys, it's not a competition." Glenn pitches in. "I don't mean to bring race into it this, but it might sound better coming from a white guy."