CHEROKEE ROSE (D. DIXON)

14.

"What's with the Annie Oakley routine?" Dale questions Andrea good naturedly. The sun sinks lower in the sky, dusk impending. Light shines on the wild grasses, illuminating the field in a warm, sleepy glow.

"I don't want to wash clothes anymore, Dale." She replies, lying on the roof like a sniper. "I want to help keep the camp safe. "Is that all right with you?"

Dale puts up his hands in surrender, walking back into the RV. He worries for Andrea, despite her attitude. He wishes she could see it.

"Walker." Andrea focuses her binoculars."Walker!"

"Just the one?" Rick quickly walks toward the RV, shielding his eyes from the sun.

"I bet I can nail it from here." Andrea beams with excitement.

"No no, Andrea. Put the gun down." Rick says with annoyance.

"You'd best let us handle this." Shane sneers.

Andrea drops the weapon in annoyance.

"Shane, hold up. Hershel wants to deal with walkers." Rick begins.

"What for, man? We got it covered." Shane shuts him down.

"Damn it." Rick utters, snatching a pistol from inside the trailer before jogging to catch up with the others.

Rick, Shane, Glenn, and T-Dog all approach the figure in the distance, weapons in hand. Andrea lies down on the roof once more, smirking as she looks in the scope of the rifle.

"Andrea, don't." Dale warns.

"Back off, Dale." She snaps.

Back at the clearing, the four surround the bloodied man. "Is that Daryl?" Glenn asks incredulously.

"That's the third time you've pointed that thing at my head. You gonna pull the trigger or what?" Daryl rasps, stumbling.

The four men drop their weapons in relief, when a shot rings out and Daryl falls to the ground.

"No! No! No!" Rick screams in anguish, leaning over Daryl.

Hershel hobbles into the field. "Rick! What on earth's going on out here?"

Shane and Rick help Daryl up, slinging his arms over their shoulders.

"I was kidding." Daryl growls, blood dripping from the bullet graze on his head.

"Come on." Rick encourages him, helping him up. Daryl grunts before going slack.

"Oh my God. Oh my God, is he dead?" Andrea cries as she sprints the men.

"Unconscious. You just grazed him." Rick snarls.

"But look at him. What the hell happened? Where's Sonora? He's wearing ears!" Glenn exclaims nervously.

"Let's keep that to ourselves." Rick snatches the necklace off Daryl's neck and tucks it into his shirt. "As for Sonora..."

"Guys, isn't this Sophia's?" T-Dog interrupts as he picks up the doll. And the group stares at it wide eyed.

•••

"We found it washed up on the creek bed right there." Daryl points at a map as Hershel stitches up his side. "She must have dropped it crossing there somewhere."

"Cuts the grid almost in half." Rick says with wonder.

"Yeah, you're welcome." Daryl snorts.

"How's he looking?" Rick asks.

"I had no idea we'd be going through the antibiotics so quickly." Hershel remanences. "Any idea what happened to my horses?"

"The one who almost killed me? If it's smart, it left the country."

"We call that one Nelly, as in Nervous Nelly.
I could have told you she'd throw you if you'd bothered to ask." He pauses. "And Shadow?"

Daryl shrugs. "Sonora didn't have it?"

Rick and Shane look at one another, then back at Daryl. "Sonora hasn't come back."

"What do you mean, hasn't come back?" His voice rings with alarm. Daryl tries to sit up, but Hershel pushes him back onto the mattress. He throws the old man a glare.

"When did you last see her?" Rick asks, crossing his arms.

"We were walking along the creek, before the horse threw me. I fell... And that's the last I seen of her."

Shane rubs his head in agitation. "Well look, we might have to start to consider maybe she's gone..." He begins.

Daryl lurches up again and Hershel shoves him back to the bed. "Nuh-uh. You're just gonna give up on her? After all she's done?" Daryl is livid. How can they just leave her out there? She had only ever done things to help the group and now they were treating her like she was disposable. It was like Merle said. They didn't care about the outsiders.

Rick and Shane look down in shame.

"Well I'm lookin' for her, since none of you can get off your sorry asses and do something for once." Daryl snarls, shoving Hershel out of the way as he stands. He braces himself on the door when he feels a stitch tear, then storms outside.

"Daryl, wait." Rick pleads."You need rest."

"Cmon man." Shane puts a hand on Daryl's shoulder, but his slaps him off.

"You ain't got nothin' to say to me after the CDC, douchebag." Daryl growls, shoving Shane.

"What the hell are you talking about, man?" Shane demands, shoving Daryl back.

"You know, dumbass, don't play stupid." Daryl goes to throw a punch when Glenn's voice rings out.

"Guys!"

The black mare emerges from the tree line, bobbing her head as she slowly makes her way toward the farm.

Daryl jogs past Shane, carelessly knocking him in the shoulder. Rick sighs and follows close behind, pistol still in hand, Glenn beside him.

The two stop in their tracks when they see a bruised and bloodied Sonora draped across Shadow's back. Unconscious, only the saddle holds her in place, the upper half of her body resting on the horse's withers. Her black braid dangles from her head, swinging with ever step Shadow takes. Sonora's entire right side is covered in blood, and drips onto the grass around the two. Dried blood is caked onto Shadow's shoulder, an ugly, rusty red patch that stains her glossy black coat.

"No." Daryl whispers, running toward the horse. Rick grabs her reins, settling the exhausted mare.

Daryl pulls Sonora's limp body from Shadow's back, laying her on the ground. He gently slaps her uncharacteristically pale cheeks, pushing tangled raven hair from her clammy forehead. "Hey! Wake up! Cmon, Pocahontas."

Glenn's brow creases in concern as his eyes fall on the splintered sapling that protrudes from her abdomen. Rick looks down from the horse, swallowing.

Daryl growls in frustration, shaking her small frame. "Wake up, dammit!"

He nearly laughs out loud when her light brown eyes shoot open, and she sucks in a frightened breath.