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MURPHY WAS TIRED OF RUNNING. Running away, running by, running towards. She could never settle. She could never stop and tell herself... this is it. This is where I'm supposed to be. It was never that simple. So as she, Michonne, Rick, Glenn, and the remaining Alexandrians bounded through the brush, she kicked herself for tagging along. The horn made her head ache, echoing between her ears as its relentless tone reverberated in the Virginian forest. Murphy leapt over a fallen tree and froze for a moment as Glenn came to a stop beside her.
"Try again," he spoke breathlessly.
Rick came between the two and raised the radio to his lips once more, praying that this communication attempt wasn't futile, "Tobin, it's not stopping. Light it up, you hear me? Tobin!"
Static crackled on the other end- no sign of help, let alone life. Murphy grimaced through her heaving breaths, setting her hands upon her waist in exhaustion. The strangled growls of a walker caught their attention, approaching from Murphy's side. She breathed a long tone of annoyance and unsheathed her knife. In three steady steps she had approached the monster. It cried with ravenous delight as its prey approached. She pushed away its emaciated arms and drove the weapon deep into the walker's skull. It fell limp to the ground- more dead than it had been before. They continued their trek speedily once more, trying to keep the herd as far behind as possible.
"Rick!"
A familiar voice called over the radio, catching Murphy's attention. She longed to have him by her side, as did he.
"I'm here," Rick assured, his voice breathy. He was beginning to grow weary after the relentless miles, but nothing would stop him.
"What's goin' on back there?" Daryl's voice had a tone of panic... which Murphy seldom heard. She approached Rick's side to better hear.
"Half of them broke off! They're goin' toward Alexandria."
"... 'S Murph there?"
Rick tossed the radio to Murphy without hesitation, sending her a shrug. Murphy rolled her eyes playfully and raised the walkie talkie to her lips, "I'm here."
Daryl could hear the tiredness in her voice and called over the revving of his bike, "You doin' okay?"
"I'm fine," Murphy assured breathlessly, ducking under a low branch. "We ran ahead. There's a horn or something loud coming from the east. It's not stopping."
"I'm gonna gas it up, turn back!"
"Keep going, Daryl," Murphy pressed, worry lacing her words. "We can handle it."
"They're gonna need our help. You-"
"You gotta keep the herd moving! If you don't, the bad back there gets worse. Listen to me."
