AT WORLDS END || Daryl Dixon [1]

four.

"Are these stitches set number two?" Dale asked her with a quiet chuckled.

Connie scrunched her face up mockingly, then grimaced in pain. "Something like that," she muttered. Lori stood behind her and gently set her hands on Connies shoulders and let the younger women rest her head on her chest. "My face hurts," she groaned, and Lori chuckled quietly along with Dale.

"I know it does, sweetie," she comforted while gently rubbing Connie's arm. "You took quite the beating there. Carol is checking to see if we have an ice pack for your head, but she hasn't come back with any news yet yet."

"I just want to sleep," Connie muttered, squinting at the sunlight.

"Jacqui said you've got a pretty nasty concussion," Dale commented as he sat next to her. "You can't go to sleep for a while."

Andrea and Amy had gone fishing in the lake, so he didn't have much else to to since Shane had taken watch.

"Is that why my head hurts?" she mumbled, and Lori chuckled while nodding.

"That would be exactly why."

Connie winced slightly as she stood up, stretching her arms out while being careful not to tear the stitches in her bicep. "Do either of you know where Shane is?" She asked as she brought her arms back down to her sides.

Lori's gaze snapped up, as if she hadn't been expecting the question, but she forced a smile. "No, I haven't seen him."

Connie shrugged and nodded. "I just wanted to say thanks. Is Holly with Jacqui?"

"She asked me if she could play with Sophia, Carl and the other kids," Dale chimed in. "I told her it was okay as long as they all stayed within shouting distance."

Connie shot him a thankful smile. "Thank you, Dale," she whispered, grimacing as light bounced off something and landed in her face.

Feet crunching through the dirt caught everyone's attention, and Carol looked at them with a sheepish smile. "I didn't find any ice packs, but I grabbed this from the cooler in the back of your truck," she whispered as she handed the plastic water bottle to Lori. Connie smiled thankfully at the woman, and let out another groan as that opened her split lip again.

"I'm off to keep watch," Dale smiled, tucking a book under his arm. Lori and Carol said their goodbyes, but Connie only waved. That was the only thing that didn't hurt.

The two older women conversed quietly, Connie still resting her head on Lori's side, until Carol off to grab another cool bottle of water from the back of Connie's truck.

"Why don't you get some rest, sweetheart," Lori chuckled when she noticed Connie's eyelids beginning to droop. "But you aren't allowed to sleep."

Connie grumbled quietly, staring down at the blood splatters on her tank top. Then she let out a sigh. "Alright, I'll go lay down in Glenn's tent," she mumbled, carefully rubbing her eyes. "The sun's too bright to lay in my truck."

Lori nodded and helped her walk down to the tents, then helped her get settled on the small sleeping bag. "Come find me if you need anything," the woman whispered. She brushed Connie's hair away from her face, then walked out, leaving Connie to her thoughts.

She laid there, spinning her engagement ring around in her fingers, and she thought about her home. She thought of her parents, her best friend, Amanda, and her two sons. But for the most part, she thought about Dustin.

Until her thoughts were interrupted.

"Momma!" Connie's attention snapped to the opening of the tent where Holly, Carl, and Sophia stood, full of excitement. "Amy and Andrea brought back fish!" With the help of the three kids, Connie found herself walking through the camp and towards a larger group of people.