roots | daryl dixon

1 | go fish

The distribution of chores around the camp had become atrocious in Lou's eyes. The women were handed over all the domestic chores, while the men sat around holding guns all day, claiming they were protecting everyone. Lou-Anne saw right through their bullshit and refused to do only as she was told. She contributed in many ways. She went on runs with Glenn, who she had bonded with on one of the first days in camp. She took care of the sick and the hurting, since she was the most qualified for the job, thanks to her past as a nurse. She cleaned and cooked like the women, but she also walked the perimeter of the camp every day with a knife in hand to look for walkers. 

Life at the quarry settled into a routine quickly. The children would work on schoolwork in the mornings, then play in the afternoons. The mothers would all work together to create meals for everyone, a majority of it is either canned or fresh meat, thanks to Glenn and Daryl. Lou could often be found on the top of the RV she shared with her father, Dale.

When she wasn't keeping watch or healing wounds, one would find her watching over the children. She felt a maternal instinct come out when she was around them, an instinct she hadn't known she could even have. 

Right now, she was playing cards with Carl and Sophia. They were playing Go Fish, as the two children still weren't sure how to play any other games. 

"Go fish." Carl declared, giving a mischevious grin from behind his cards. 

"I do not like that look you're giving me." Lou gave a nervous laugh as she reached for a card from the stack in the middle.

For the next half hour, Lou added more and more cards to her hand, yet somehow never got a matching pair. Carl and Sophia, on the other hand, got a matching pair nearly every time they took a turn. The kids eventually won the game of goldfish when they all ran out of cards and counted up their pairs. 

After that, Lou-Anne went in search of another way to distract herself from Glenn still being gone from camp for the run into the city. He'd taken a bigger group this time and it worried Lou, knowing that he wouldn't be able to just up and run if he needed to. She knew how many walkers were in the city, and having a large group meant a lot more danger and mistakes to be made.

She found herself walking to the edge of the camp, trapezing over a few strings littered with cans that acted as a security alarm for walkers. Further, in the woods, she came across a handful of walkers throughout an hour's walk, and Lou marked that as a small victory for the day. 

She soon returned to the RV, where she met her father on the roof. He was seated in his beach chair, the beach umbrella haphazardly strapped to the back for shade. He cast a glance her way, putting his binoculars in his lap as he sensed she needed to talk about something. He knew his daughter, and she always fidgeted with her ring when she was nervous or anxious. "C'mon, out with it. I know there's something on your mind." He said, giving her a knowing look when she tried to act surprised by his comment.

She huffed and sat on the edge of the camper's roof, dangling her legs over the side. "I'm worried about Glenn," she confessed, "He's never taken this many people on a run before, and I don't want anyone to get hurt." 

"Glenn has gone into the city so many times before, and he's smart; he'll come back soon. You know he can handle himself, and he'll watch the others too." 

Lou nodded, but her mind couldn't rest until she saw her friend return. "I think I'll stay up here, just until they all get back." She stated, knowing her father would appreciate the company at least. 

"You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like, Lou-Ann."