𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐎𝐍 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 | 𝐭𝐰𝐝 ¹

31.

   It would have been any other day if it wasn't the day that they were going to exile an injured 17-year-old. Nicole's average day hadn't changed all that much since the beginning of this monstrous outbreak. It still held the same morals; except now, she had more people to care for than just herself and her daughter.

   Wake up.
   Keep her family healthy and alive.
   Survive.
   Sleep.
   Repeat.

   Nicole seemed to value this daily grind every spare second. Before she met Daryl and the rest of the group, she only cared about Cheyanne's wellbeing. Now? She would rather die than put any of these people -- her family -- in danger.

   Nicole knew that she had made some mistakes. Hell, her entire life seemed to be consistent of mistakes but each one led her here -- to the one place she felt safe. She departed from the linen that resided overtop of her. The past few nights Nicole stayed in Daryl's tent, far from the vicinity of the rest. Cheyanne insisted they stay with him and Daryl didn't seem to argue with the insistent child, especially since she stayed with him while her mother was missing. The bright sun peered down through the trees in front of the dainty blue tent.

   Nicole acknowledged the barren campsite and the ashy fireplace. Daryl and Cheyanne were nowhere in the vicinity. Even though it was lonely, the serendipitous chirps of the birds allowed a gentle smile to cross Nicole's face. She loved how happy they seemed even in the worst of times.

   She turned her head toward the clopping of horse hooves against the decaying grass. Nadia trotted up the hill on a beautiful, ebony mare. Nicole gave the woman a toothless smile and limped closer to her friend. "Nadia, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

   Nadia rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "I am here to check on you," she said as she dismounted from the mare and quickly tied it off around a branch. "And to check your brace."

   "Per whose request?" Nicole questioned in a sarcastic tone. She turned and limped her way toward the fallen tree beside the fireplace.

   "Whose campsite are you in right now?" Nadia quipped as she walked over to her friend with a bag of supplies to patch up her injuries. Nicole sighed and raked her right hand through her blonde hair. Of course, it was Daryl. Nicole thought with a sigh.

   Nicole sat down onto the log and Nadia bent down in front of her. "He cares about you, you know," Nadia declared as she began unlacing Nicole's boot. She tugged it off with minimal grimace from Nicole.

   "I know. I care about him too," Nicole murmured as Nadia slowly unwrapped her ankle from the makeshift brace. Nadia glimpsed up to her friend with a quirked, cutesy brow. "It's not like that, Nadia," Nicole chuckled out.

   "You could've fooled me," Nadia playfully shot out as she finished unraveling the brace. "Okay," Nadia whispered, feeling the back of Nicole's ankle. Nicole could feel her nimble fingers press around the fracture site. "I'd say, you maybe have a week or two until it is fully healed." Nadia glanced up to the blonde woman with a smile. "You'll be back to kicking ass in no time."

   Nicole chuckled, raking back her hair. "Who's to say I stopped?" Nadia scoffed and began wrapping a new brace around Nicole's fractured ankle. "Hershel's been working you."

   Nadia shrugged. "I'm his assistant. It's my job," she nonchalantly replied as she continued wrapping the brace. "You doing okay? With everyone still recovering?"

   Nicole glanced to her nails. Was she? No one had truly spoken to her or truly asked about her well being since they got back from town. Everyone beat around the bush when it came to Sophia and that day. Most everyone stopped asking about it; well, except Carol and Shane. They liked to bully Nicole any chance they got. Nicole knew Carol was grieving, but Nicole wished that she would stop, even if it was her fault.