This Is How We End It

Chapter Eleven

The RV was quiet, except for Chance's coughing. It echoed throughout the RV, as it was a deep cough. Carol was by Adam's side in taking care of Chance. Carol draped a cloth drenched in cool water above Chance's head as Adam helped Chance drink water. Chance laid against the pillows, still sweating through all the effort to keep him from overheating.

"He just seems dehydrated." Carol muttered as she looked him over.

Adam gave a small nod to her as he took the water away. "Small intakes, right?"

Carol nodded to him as she patted the cloth against Chance's head. He was awake by now, as he breathed heavily, still out of breath. Adam sighed as he looked at him. Chance was pale. Adam wasn't sure if it was shock because his father had just died, or just the dehydration. Carol looked back at Adam.

"You can go. I don't need anymore help." She smiled a little at Adam.

Adam gave another small nod before wiping the sweat off his face and walking out of the RV. Carol then wet the cloth again before looking back at Chance.

"Why don't you take your shirt off? That way we can get you cooled off more." Carol said as she patted the cloth.

Chance shook his head a little. "No.. please."

Carol looked at him with a questionable face. "Why not? It's all sweaty and you need to get cooled off."

"I'm f-fine.." Chance muttered.

Carol looked at the blanket below Chance. She sighed as she took a breath.

"At least let me take that blanket off so you can cool off. Just the blanket under you." Carol said, determined to cool him off.

He sighed as he thought about it before nodding. He lifted himself as Carol took the blanket from under him. Carol looked at the blanket, noticing red. Blood. Carol had a worried look on her face.

"Chance..." She said as she moved her eyes from the blood to him

Chance slowly lifted his shirt, showing a scratch that had been bleeding. It was small, but it was still there.

"H-How'd you get that?" Carol said, moving a hand to her mouth. 

Chance gulped as he dropped himself onto the bed once again. Carol moved to the bandages.

Chance looked up at her. "Last night... during the attack."

Carol shook her head in disbelief. She quickly tore open a bandage before putting it on his wound. Chance started to cough as he coughed up blood. Blood. Carol quickly shook her head. 

"I'll be right back.." Carol stumbled to her feet and walked out of the door as she ran into Brittany.

"Carol, are you okay?" Brittany asked as she'd ran by.

Carol turned around. "Just please, go watch Chance for me!" 

Brittany gave a small nod before stepping into the RV, and walking to the back bedroom. Chance looked up at Brittany. She saw the blood he coughed up.

"I'm done." He said, leaning his head back against the pillows.

Brittany sat down on the chair next to his bedside. "No, you're not."

Chance lifted his body to show her the wound. "Got scratched last night." 

Brittany's eyes widened as she looked at him. "Sc-scratched?" 

He nodded quickly as Carol walked back into the RV with Rick. They both walked to the back of the room.

"Brittany, sweetie? Can you please go so Rick can look him over?" Carol asked, scared.

Brittany nodded and made her way out of the RV. She looked over to see Anthony and Nick talking.

Nick crossed his arms. "He's gotta be sick. He had a fever."

Anthony watched Brittany walk out of the RV. "You think?" He watched her. "He only just about collapsed to the ground."

Nick nodded and watched Brittany walk over. "Hey, you got any idea on what's going on?"

Brittany stopped, and tried to think of what to do. Should she tell him the truth, or a cover-up? She paused. 

"He's just resting.." She figured she wasn't lying about that.

Anthony rose an eyebrow. "Just resting?"

She nodded quickly. "Yeah.. sleeping."

Nick looked at Anthony, then back to Brittany. "So, wait. Why did Carol run out of the RV, shouting for Rick?"

Brittany paused, trying to think. "Uh.. I don't know, really.."

Anthony walked past her, to the RV. Nick watched. "Are you lying?"

Brittany shook her head. "As far as I know.. he's uh, just resting."

"You stuttered." Nick said as he looked at Brittany.

She sighed. "Okay. FIne. He's.. infected. Scratched." She said quickly.

Nick looked at her, expression still the same. "Great. Just fucking great." Nick shook his head as he walked to the RV behind Anthony. 

Lori sat outside the RV as Shane walked over. She rolled her eyes and looked the other way. 

"What, you just gonna ignore me?" He asked, taking off his hat.

She sighed. "No."

"Sure seems like it."

Lori shook her head. "No. I'm not."

"Did you hear what Rick wants?" Shane asked, looking in the distance rather than to her.

She nodded a bit. "The CDC?"

He nodded at her again. "It's not safe, Lori."

"It's not your decision." Lori added.

Shane rose an eyebrow. "You think I'm gonna have Adam and Anthony go there? Or Ethan? Nick? Mikaela?"

"They're not yours." Lori said flatly.

"I know." Shane cleared up. "I'm looking out for him."

"He doesn't need that." Lori said, standing up and brushing some of the dirt off of herself.

Shane looked around. "You just gonna give me this shit talk? It's alright." 

"I'm not giving you anything."

"I know." He said as he looked back at her, now. 

She sighed a bit as she looked at Anthony and Nick talking. "Look. You want something different than what Rick wants? Take Adam and Anthony somewhere else."

Shane rose an eyebrow. "I ain't leavin'."

"Fine. Then you listen to Rick."

Shane glared at Lori. "I just don't think he should be the one givin' the decisions here, Lori."

"He's making calls. We can't just stay out here forever like you wanted to do." She said coldly to him. "We have to keep moving."

Shane glared at her once again. "So we move toward a city full of walkers? You're mad."

"I'm not mad, I haven't gone crazy yet. I know it's scary.. but he could be right." Lori shrugged.

"Could be." Shane said, emphasis on could.

"I don't like how you're treating me, right now. Or Rick." Lori stated, looking away.

Shane snapped. He didn't care about what she thought. "I don't like how you're treating me either, Lori. I've gotten the biggest fucking cold shoulder since he came back." He stammered to her. "And I don't think I deserve that. For getting you and Mikaela, Ethan, and Nick out, alive? I saved you all."

He said before walking off toward the tents, shaking his head as he ran a hand through his hair, mad.