Same Love

9: Fragmented

Carol ceased her useless sobbing. Andrea and Daryl had gone out to look for Sophia in the dark and Carol wondered why Sam didn't go with them. She sat with Dale on the RV roof and looked down at the sleeping Sam burrowed in the back of a car with a blanket and a jacket covering his bare chest. She never knew such an intimidating and no nonsense man could look so innocent in sleep, though he rolled around lots and mumbled to himself, a frown on his face. She thought back to their first meeting, him greeting her as she saw him and Nate exchange a sweet kiss by the lake. She liked that he was open and now she liked how he seemed to have eyes out for her and Sophia. In the beginning she was convinced he was another testosterone led man who saw fighting and violence as an answer to anything and was very brusque in the handling of the fairer sex but she saw compassion and a gentleness that was starting to impact the group as a whole. He had lost someone and now he was trying his hardest to save the group from more pain.

Daryl and Andrea returned, yielding nothing and Carol tearfully retired to bed, seeing their labour was fruitless. Morning broke soon and they were ready to leave. T-dog and Glenn had left for the farm before Sam had fallen asleep the previous evening and so Daryl surveyed Andrea, Carol and Dale, wanting Sam to sleep for as long as possible. Carol went to wake the sleeping brunette and was effective in being gentle with him, rousing him and the group set off. Sam's steps were silent once again but he still felt fatigued as they caught sight of the farm once more. The RV pootled along and he jumped out when they halted, jogging up to the house and Maggie stood at the porch, giving him a bright smile.

"Is Carl Ok?" Sam asked, hearing Daryl nearing the pair. His eyes were hope filled and Maggie nodded causing Sam to fall back onto Daryl who caught him just in time.

"Ya still woozy?" Daryl asked rhetorically as Sam tried to steady himself, ignoring Daryl's small smile. Maggie invited them inside but Daryl declined gruffly, Maggie leading Sam inside.

"Have some food, Patricia's been cookin'" She said as a plate of eggs were thrust in front of him and he was forced down into a seat. A glass of orange juice sat beside the breakfast and he glugged the sugary juice quickly as Glenn sat beside him. He paid the Asian no mind as he gobbled down the eggs, feeling stronger than last night definitely. The deep purple bags under Sam's eyes communicated his lack of sleep and he forgot his lack of a shirt as he'd given Daryl his vest back earlier in the morning. 

"Here, figured you'd want a clean t-shirt. It's yours" Maggie gave him the shirt which he slipped on gratefully. He noted how she seemed relaxed, even around strangers and how Glenn was undeniably enraptured by her mere presence. As she left he chuckled and T-dog began to fill him in, how Otis was dead and how Carl was ok thanks to Shane bringing back the proper equipment. That was suspicious, he thought, as they gathered for his funeral, the eulogy seeming false to Sam as he watched the clean-shaven bald Shane carefully. He was hiding something, he was involved with Otis's death. Sam almost smacked himself at how horrible he must think Shane to ever suggest he was a murderer but something in his mind told him that this was true, that Shane had killed the fat hunter when he could have saved him. The Funeral was short and Sam sat by Maggie and Glenn as they poured over a map, Daryl peered over his shoulder.

"I'm goin' out huntin' for her, Ya comin' Sam?"

Maggie stared at the darkly handsome man as he grinned at the other Hunter, sending her a sweet smile.

"We'll be back soon. Maggie, make sure Glenn doesn't get into trouble" Sam chuckled as they left, Glenn letting out a choked sound of shock at Sam's witty comment. Maggie dreamily watched them as they disappeared into the forest at a slow jog, ready to hunt.

"Maggie! Are you listening?" Glenn asked, pointing to a spot on the map as she was brought out of her daze as they saddled up the horses for the trip to town. 

"Is he always like that?" 

"Who? Sam?" Glenn asked, focused on the map of the area.

"Yeah, he seems so subconsciously sarcastic. and Daryl seems so......blunt" Maggie said, trying to shake the clingy Asian. It seemed he'd become very attached.

"Sam's still a bit down, Daryl's always been like that ever since I've known him. We were in a group in Atlanta." Glenn was so dim he didn't process Maggie's obvious interest in the tall dark witty musician.

"Why's he down, seems fine to me"

"Hadn' been the same since we left Atlanta but he's getting there. His boyfriend died the night we left, attacked by Walkers" Glenn solemnly said and Maggie let out a small 'oh' as she saddled up the second horse.

Meanwhile, Daryl and Sam sifted through an old house, finding signs someone had been there not too long ago and that it was maybe Sophia. A can of empty fresh Sardines lay near a mattress. Daryl called out, the girl's name reverberating around the small house and Sam padded outside, silently killing a stray walker with a swift arrow. While he was retrieving it he saw Daryl staring down at some white flowers in the grass, Cherokee roses. Daryl knelt down, picking a punch and stating they should head back. Sam shook his head.

"We still have light. You go ahead, I'll catch up" 

"Ya sure?" Daryl began to worry even before Sam nodded, not wanting the male to be out alone this close to nightfall. Hesitantly Daryl crossed to Sam, grabbing his shoulders.

"Be careful Arrows" He sighed, releasing the brunette.

"I will Red-neck. If I'm dead by morning I promise you can have my jacket" He quipped but Daryl didn't find it funny, reluctant to leave Sam alone out here. He sighed upon seeing the hesitance and stepped towards Daryl, wrapping his arms around the man's torso.

"I'll be fine, get back and give those to Carol" 

Sam had no idea what he had just done. He was certain he'd just creeped Daryl out thoroughly and his heart was beating loudly as the male disappeared into the trees, leaving him alone.

Daryl arrived back at the farm, relaying his findings to Carol in the RV whose eyes stayed downcast and whose face seemed to hollow out even more at hearing he yielded nothing. Daryl had returned with no new leads on Sophia, but he did return with a flower in a bottle, very close to a vase in his opinion. He gave it to Carol, who was busy cleaning out the RV to distract herself and proceeded to recall the story of the flower and why he brought it to her. 

  "I'm not fool enough to believe there's any flowers blooming for my brother, but I believe this one bloomed for your little girl."

"Where's Sam?" Carol then noticed his absence and Daryl heaved a small sigh.

"He stayed out, said he'd be ok for a bit longer"

Carol worried, it was growing darker and she didn't want to lose another one of the group.

Sam ventured further out, finding many walkers that he quickly dispatched with arrows, collecting them as he went. He pulled out a knife to gut the bird he'd just shot, not hearing the growling behind him over the sound of the blade and the wind rustling in the trees. It was only when the walker grabbed his arm that he spun and drove the knife through it's skull, pulling it out again quickly. He was shaken and dropped the knife, fumbling blindly for it in the foliage as he heard more approaching. The darkness had invaded and he couldn't see past ten metres though the moon was full. He grabbed the knife, stabbed the walkers and scaled a tree quickly, deciding it was too dangerous to travel back this late and cursing himself. Why didn't he just go back with Daryl? He did no regret it somehow as he secured himself to the tree with his belt, he only hoped Daryl wouldn't be too mad when he returned the next morning.