〰

Elodie wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, the bitter taste of bile still lingering. She clutched the edge of the kitchen sink, her knuckles white as she tried to steady herself. Her stomach churned violently, the image of Shane snapping Randall's neck replaying in her mind, each time more vivid and horrific than the last.

Her breath was ragged, her forehead pressed against the cool metal of the faucet. She felt weak, her legs shaking beneath her as she reached for a paper towel. Slowly, she wiped her mouth, the bitter taste still clinging to her throat.

Beth gently rubbed Elodie's back, holding her hair as she threw up. When Beth was sure she was done, she wrapped an arm around Elodie and guided her to the counter in the middle of the kitchen, leading her to a stool.

Elodie shakily climbed onto it, slumping forward to rest her head on her arms. The pouch with her hearing aid batteries hung limply around her shoulder, thudding softly against the counter. Her knife lay on the counter right in front of her, but Elodie didn't look at it. If she did, she'd only stare at Shane's blood coating the blade, and that would make her want to throw up again.

Beth opened a cupboard and pulled out a glass, filling it with water. Turning around, she smiled slightly at the sight of Elodie sprawled on the counter. Placing the glass in front of her, she made Elodie look up.

The girl took the glass with trembling hands, taking small sips as Beth watched with concern. Once the glass was empty, Beth took it from her and set it aside.

She then sat down next to Elodie, the worn wooden stool creaking softly beneath her weight. She gently rubbed Elodie's back in slow, soothing circles, offering comfort without words. Elodie leaned into the touch, her exhaustion evident in the droop of her shoulders and the heaviness of her eyelids. She was drained, both physically and emotionally, from the day.

Their peaceful moment was abruptly interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps approaching the kitchen. Patricia burst through the door, her face pale with fear as she gasped for breath.

"Beth, kill the lights," she ordered, closing the drapes hurriedly.

"What's goin' on?" Beth asked, standing up and quickly switching off the lights.

"Walkers." Patricia turned around, concern flickering in her eyes at the sight of Elodie, who had now sat up straighter, confusion drawn all over her face. "A whole herd of 'em."

Elodie twisted on the stool to look into the living room, seeing everyone running outside with guns. This confused her further—why did they need the guns? Randall was dead; he wasn't a threat anymore.

Had Shane returned? Had he completely lost it and was now attacking the rest of them?

"No, no, no," Elodie rambled, hiding her head in her arms as she shook it harshly. She didn't want Shane to come inside! She didn't know what he would do to her if he saw her here.

She didn't understand what was happening, why everyone was so frantic. All she knew was that she was scared and wanted to stay right here, where it felt safe, with Beth.

Suddenly, she felt a rough nudge against her side, causing her to flinch in surprise. She looked up to see Daryl standing beside her, his expression serious as he reached for her arm.

"Come on, kid," he grunted, pulling her up from the stool and snatching her knife off the counter before guiding her towards the door. Elodie stumbled slightly, her legs still shaky.

Daryl burst out the door, and once they had gone down the steps off the porch, he firmly gripped Elodie's shoulders to hold her still.

Though, Elodie's attention wasn't on him. Her eyes were glued to the hundreds of walkers stumbling over the farm's fields. They were everywhere.

She clutched at Daryl's sleeve in fear, her fingers digging into the fabric as she tried to steady herself. She had seen walkers before, of course, but never like this—never so many, so close, so terrifyingly relentless. Even the herd on the highway couldn't be compared to this.

Daryl's grip on her shoulders tightened, drawing her attention back to him. His eyes bore into hers, a silent command to focus. Elodie nodded quickly, her lip trembling in fear.

"Get to the—damn it," he cursed, closing his eyes in frustration before snatching Elodie's notepad out of his back pocket, hastily scribbling down instructions. He barely had any time, but Elodie needed to understand what she had to do. She couldn't run off or do anything stupid.

He showed her the note, holding it right up to her face.

RV. Now. Stay with Jimmy, don't come out.

"No—" Elodie tried to protest, reaching for the notepad, but Daryl snatched it away, shaking his head firmly to show there was no arguing. He slid her knife into her holster, patting it to make sure Elodie saw what he had done, that she knew where her weapon was.

He then grabbed her arm and started to drag her toward the RV. Elodie's heart pounded as Daryl's grip tightened around her arm. She tried to dig her heels into the ground, panic rising with every step closer to the RV.

"No, I don't want to!" Elodie cried out, her voice trembling with fear. She struggled against Daryl's hold, but he was not letting go.

Daryl's jaw clenched with frustration as he dragged Elodie closer to the RV. He knew she didn't understand why she needed to go, why she couldn't stay with Beth and the others, but there was no time to explain.

As they reached the RV, Daryl pushed open the door and practically shoved Elodie inside before she could protest any further. The door slammed shut behind her with a thud, cutting off her cries of protest.

"No!" she yelled, hitting the door with her flat palm as tears streamed down her face. She didn't understand what was going on, and now Daryl was dumping her in the RV without a clear explanation.

She watched helplessly through the window as Daryl mounted his bike, his gaze lingering on the RV for a moment longer before he revved the engine and sped off. 

Through tear-blurred vision, she saw Jimmy start the RV's engine and realized throwing a tantrum was pointless now. Wiping her tears with the back of her hand, she sank onto a seat behind Jimmy. His eyes flicked back to her a few times, concern etched into his features as he glanced at her in the rearview mirror.

As the RV neared the outer fences of the farmhouse, Jimmy slowed to a stop, gripping the steering wheel tightly as he surveyed the scene. Elodie watched in wide-eyed terror as he leaned out the window, his gun raised and ready, taking aim at the oncoming walkers.

Twisting in her seat, she looked out the window, seeing a walker drop every time she blinked. Faintly, she could see the lights of Daryl's bike to the left—a comforting thought knowing he was close by.

Elodie's heart pounded in her chest as she watched Daryl's bike draw closer after a moment, his figure illuminated by the faint glow of the moon. She pressed her face against the window, her breath fogging up the glass as she strained to see him through the darkness.

"Yo!" he yelled at Jimmy, who turned his attention to him. "Must've been Rick or Shane who started that fire. Maybe they're tryin' to get out back—why don't ya circle 'round?"

"Got it!" Jimmy confirmed, lowering himself back into the driver's seat.

"Remember ya got a lil' girl in the back!" Daryl reminded him, his gaze flicking to Elodie's window, seeing the faint outlines of her curls and her hand plastered against the glass. "Don't let 'em get too close, be careful where you park this thing. Go!"

Jimmy nodded and sped off towards the barn, leaving Daryl behind. Elodie's eyes followed Daryl until she couldn't see him anymore. She stood up, leaning over the passenger seat, eager to know what was happening. Her tears had dried in the corners of her eyes, leaving only her panicked breaths.

As the barn came closer, she could see Rick and Carl standing on a wooden platform jutting out from the side of the barn. Rick was frantically waving his hand to get Jimmy's attention while Carl kept nervously glancing inside the barn—which was on fire.

Smoke billowed out from the cracks in the roof, the faint glow of the fire spilling out of the open doorway. Carl flinched every time Rick yelled, pointing down at the ground beneath them, shouting at Jimmy to park the RV there.

Elodie's heart leaped when she saw Carl and Rick, relieved to see they were okay. For now, at least. Jimmy parked the RV right below the wooden platform, and Elodie jumped when two walker hands slammed against the door, causing her to back away from the front seats with a slight whimper.

Through the side windows, she saw Rick's boots hit the wooden panels above, followed by Carl's. They both jumped on top of the RV, and that's when all hell broke loose.

With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Elodie turned her attention to Jimmy, who was now making his way toward her seat. But before he could reach her, the door of the RV burst open with a deafening crash.

She barely had time to react before a horde of walkers flooded into the RV, their rotting hands clawing at anything in their path. Elodie's heart pounded as she watched in horror, frozen in place as the undead creatures wrapped their hands around Jimmy's ankle and sunk their teeth into his calf, eliciting a gut-wrenching cry of pain from the boy.

"Jimmy!" she cried, her voice trembling with terror as she recoiled in horror.

She instinctively scrambled backward, hot tears streaming down her face. Her breathing came in quick gasps as multiple walkers climbed on top of Jimmy, sinking their teeth into any bit of flesh they could find. Blood pooled around him, staining the RV's floor a deep crimson as he cried out, his hand twitching in pure agony.

She watched in horror as some of the walkers on top of Jimmy began to shift, their attention turning towards her as if drawn by some unseen force. Their faces contorted with hunger as they clawed and gnashed, their moans filling the cramped space of the RV.

Terror seized Elodie's heart as she realized she was their next target. She could feel the cold grip of fear tightening around her chest, making it hard to breathe as she frantically searched for an escape route.

With trembling hands, she fumbled desperately with the window latch, her vision blurred by tears as she struggled to open it. The walkers were getting closer, their grasping hands reaching out for her. Their next meal.

"Please, please, please," Elodie whimpered, her voice barely a whisper as she fought against the stubborn window. Her fingers slipped on the latch, slick with sweat and tears. "Come on! Please!"

Finally, with a click, the window gave way, sliding open just enough. Elodie's heart raced as she realized the window was only barely wide enough for her to fit through. Adrenaline surged through her veins as she shoved herself through the opening anyway, her body scraping against the rough edges.

For a heart-stopping moment, she was stuck halfway, her body trapped awkwardly between the window and the outside world. Panic threatened to overwhelm her as she struggled to free herself, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

Halfway out, she felt cold hands seize her ankles and wrench her back into the RV, causing her to cry out in terror, "No! No! Let go!" she shrieked, kicking wildly to fend them off.

With a final burst of effort, she tumbled out of the window and crashed onto the hard ground below, the impact knocking the wind out of her lungs. She grunted, rolling over with a gasp of pain.

Agony shot through her as she staggered to her feet, every muscle screaming in protest. She spun around, eyes wide with terror, as the walker that had grabbed her flailed helplessly from the RV's window.

She stumbled back, away from the RV, eyes locked on the walker that was wriggling in the window. Tts mouth was wide open, showcasing its rotten and bloodied teeth, pieces of flesh stuck in the little gaps.

Movement caught the corner of her eye, and she whipped her head to the right, spotting Rick and Carl sprinting toward her. She bit down hard on her lip, trying to hold back her tears as they closed the distance in big strides.

Rick's hand landed firmly on her back, urging her forward with urgency. Carl seized her hand, pulling her along as they raced around the RV. Elodie stumbled beside them, her legs aching, breath coming in ragged gasps as they dodged the grasping hands of the walkers.

Jimmy's dead. Jimmy's dead. Jimmy's dead.

They rounded the barn, flames licking at their heels, heat washing over their faces. Elodie could feel the intense heat prickling her skin, but she pushed through it, her mind focused solely on having to keep running.

Walkers reached out for them, stumbling toward their prey. Elodie clung tightly to Carl, head low to avoid their grasp. Rick swiftly dispatched any that got too close, but her heart still hammered in her chest with fear.

"There," Rick murmured urgently to Carl, pointing ahead at the trees looming in the distance. "Head for the woods now, as fast as you can. Come on."

They darted towards the woods, their footsteps thundering on the forest floor as they raced away from the chaos behind them. Elodie's breath tore from her throat, chest heaving as she fought to match Carl's swift pace.

〰

With a single shot, Rick took down a walker that was mere moments away from sinking its teeth into Hershel's neck as he struggled with reloading his gun. Hershel spun around, finding Rick, Carl, and Elodie standing behind him, the children mirroring equal parts terror on their faces.

"Where's Lori? Did you see her?" Rick's voice was urgent, his eyes searching Hershel's.

The old man shook his head, hands tightening around his gun. "I don't know, Rick. They just keep coming," he muttered, meeting Rick's gaze dead-on. "It's like a plague. They're everywhere."

Impatience flickered across Rick's face. "Lori!" he shouted. "Did you see her?"

"No!" Hershel's response was firm, followed with a harsh shake of his head, teeth gritted as the walkers closed in.

Elodie stood frozen in place, her eyes darting anxiously between Rick, Hershel, and Carl. There was no one still in sight, except Hershel. Everyone else seemed to be gone. 

Her hands trembled at her side as she looked at the walkers coming closer and closer, and Carl seemed to notice her fear. He stepped forward, positioning himself in front of her—only slightly. He knew she would be too scared to draw her knife and kill a walker, but he wouldn't be.

"We have to go—find mom and the others," Rick said, adressing Carl. The boy nodded, his hand reaching for Elodie's arm, gently guiding her back.

"It's my farm!" Hershel yelled out, the anger in his voice masking his fear of losing his home.

Rick hauled the man by his arm, dragging him along. "Not anymore!" he retorted, leading the group towards the nearest vehicle.

Rick practically shoved Hershel into the backseat before sliding into the driver's seat. Carl ushered Elodie into the car, his hand firm yet gentle as he guided her into the seat beside him.

Rick's hands shook slightly as he fumbled with the keys. With a trembling hand, he jammed the key into the ignition and turned it, the engine roaring to life with a deafening roar.

The car jolted forward, tires kicking up dirt as they sped down the winding country road. Elodie's knuckles turned white as she gripped onto the seat, her eyes fixed on the road ahead, walkers whipping past the windows in a blur.

〰

Elodie idly kicked her feet against the passenger seat from her spot in the back of a random car on the deserted highway, humming softly to herself to keep her mind busy. Every now and then, she'd shiver and pull her now grimy and grey hoodie tighter around her—as if it would help against the chill. She made a mental note to find a proper sweater soon.

The highway, once overrun with walkers just weeks ago, now lay eerily silent. There wasn't a soul in sight except for her small group and the occasional passing walker.

Initially, she had been outside with Carl, Rick and Hershel, sneaking around the cars whenever walkers approached. But after having done this about five times already, she had opted to find a car nearby to settle in for the moment, positioning herself where she couldn't be seen, hidden behind the driver's seat and the door. So far, the walkers hadn't spotted her.

It was strange to be back on the highway, to see the message they had left for Sophia faded on a car's windshield, the white paint eerily drooping down the glass and now barely readable. They had returned to this spot daily at first, hoping against hope, but in the end, Sophia had been long gone.

Elodie had dozed off during the journey here, unable to fight off sleep any longer. She had tried not to, but her eyes weren't obeying her commands and had closed anyway. In a way, she was glad. She was still tired, but not exhausted.

Her fingers absently toyed with the small bag Glenn had given her, idly fiddling with the zipper. She opened it, then zipped it shut again. There was barely anything in it; only her hearing aid batteries.

She didn't know if Daryl was alive, and it was eating her up from the inside. Strangely, she had grown fond of his company, and it seemed he felt the same. He looked after her, ensuring she ate and comforting her when she was anxious—more attentive than her own mother had been.

It was odd to think back to their early days in the Atlanta camp when she used to be a little scared of him. To her, he was a tall red-neck who spewed out fire whenever his brother told him to. He had kept to himself, showing little regard for anyone in camp, including her.

Now, though, he was different. Yes, he could still flare up in anger, but Elodie sensed that beneath his rough exterior, he cared deeply for their group, more than he let on. He had tirelessly searched for Sophia, never giving up even when wounded. He looked out for Elodie, too. And when Sophia had finally been found, he took care of Carol.

Daryl Dixon cared, despite how much he didn't want to.

Zipping her bag open, she carefully took out the little batteries. Frowning, she turned them in her hand before returning them to their pouch. Going without her hearing aids for so long felt strange. The longest she had gone without them before was a single day when her mother forgot to buy new batteries. Now, she had been without hearing for weeks.

And she absolutely hated it.

She also knew that there was absolutely no chance she would ever get her hearing aids back, because she had lost them at the farm. And the farm was gone.

Shaking off her thoughts, she sat up straight, checking quickly for walkers outside the car windows. Dwelling on the negative wouldn't help. Since leaving the farm, she'd tried to distract herself, but she didn't have much to distract herself with.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear Daryl approach until he opened the car door.

Startled, she looked up, her eyes widening in surprise before breaking into a wide smile. Before she even realized what she was doing, she scrambled out of the car and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. He stiffened for a moment, clearly taken aback, but then his arms wrapped around her in return, a rare show of affection.

When he arrived at the highway and didn't see Elodie, he couldn't deny the chill that ran down his spine, his heart skipping a beat.

Then Rick, noticing the tension in his posture, reassured him that Elodie was safe, hidden away in a car.

He wasn't sure if he had ever felt such relief in his life.

"Elodie," he grumbled, clearing his throat as he gently tapped her back to get her attention. She sniffled and pulled back, settling back into the car seat, looking up at him expectantly. "Think I got somethin' ya would like."

"Huh?"

"Yeah," Daryl huffed, knowing she hadn't heard him—a bit ironic given what he had safely stashed in his inner pocket.

Elodie's eyes widened in surprise as Daryl reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a small, familiar object. It took her a moment to register what it was, but when she saw the familiar shape and color, her heart skipped a beat.

Her hearing aids.

For a moment, she was speechless, her heart pounding in her chest as she reached out to take them from him. She turned them over in her hands, feeling the familiar shape and weight, and tears welled up in her eyes. It had obviously been cleaned, because there wasn't a speck of dirt on it.

"What?" she breathed as she stared at the device in her hands, a smile tugging at her lips. 

She turned it in her hands again, seeing it was still switched on. A pang of disappointment shot through her, but then she remembered the spare batteries in her bag. Quickly, Elodie retrieved the spare batteries from her bag and replaced the dead ones in her hearing aids.

Kicking her legs against the car in excitement, she slipped her hearing aid behind her ear—properly this time. She pushed the tube into her ear canal and with another click, they were securely in place.

"Talk," she told Daryl, practically bouncing in her seat with excitement.

Daryl hesitated for a moment, caught off guard by Elodie's sudden enthusiasm. He glanced at the entire group, who were a few feet away, engrossed in their conversation about their next move. Then he turned back to Elodie, who was eagerly waiting for him to speak. He couldn't help but smile knowing Elodie didn't know almost all of them had made it back, but he'd entertain her for a moment anyway.

"Fine," he muttered, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. Clearing his throat, he looked directly at Elodie and spoke, "Can ya hear me now?"

With a squeel, Elodie clapped her hands, nodding wildly. "Yes! Yes, I can hear ya!"

Daryl's lips twitched into a small smile at her enthusiasm. He hadn't expected her to be so excited about something as simple as hearing him speak. But seeing the joy on her face, he couldn't help but feel the warmth of satisfaction.

"That's good," he replied gruffly, trying to hide his own pleasure at her happiness.

Elodie's excitement bubbled over as she realized she could hear Daryl's voice clearly again. With a wide grin, she nodded eagerly, her eyes shining with joy.

"Come on," Daryl said, gesturing for her to follow him. "The others are right over there."

"Others?" Elodie asked, her excitement giving way to confusion. Had they all made it?

Was Shane among them?

Hesitantly, Elodie slipped out of the car. Daryl closed the door behind her and nudged her forward. For some reason, her heart was loudly pounding in her chest. She didn't want Shane to be there, at all. Not at all.

Turning the corner, she spotted nearly the entire group standing there. Her eyes widened as she quickly counted each familiar face.

Glenn, Lori, Beth, Maggie, Carol, T-Dog.

No Shane.

Before Elodie could process it, Maggie enveloped her in a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're okay, sweetheart," she murmured, squeezing Elodie gently before pulling back.

She grinned, nodding her head. "I'm glad you're okay, too."

Maggie's eyes lit up after realizing Elodie was actually answering her, meaning she had heard her. "You got 'em back?" she asked, gently tucking Elodie's hair behind her ear in an attempt to bring her hearing aids into view.

"Uh-huh," Elodie confirmed excitedly.

After Maggie had let her go, there were more rounds of hugs. Glenn was next, ruffling her hair before releasing her. Beth hugged her tightly, Elodie's cheeks puffing from the squeeze. Carol embraced her warmly, and T-Dog gave her a high-five.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the affection, Elodie decided she'd had enough hugs and sidled back until she bumped into Daryl. She shyly smiled up at him, shuffling her feet, feeling a touch awkward.

"Where's the rest of us?" Daryl asked.

"We're the only ones who made it this far," Rick replied, turning to acknowledge Daryl with a nod.

Oh.

Lori stood up from where she had been hugging Carl, a flicker of realization crossing her face. "Shane?"

Rick took a deep breath and shook his head. Lori's expression fell, as did everyone else's. Shane was gone.

"Andrea?" Glenn asked.

"She saved me, then we lost her," Carol spoke up, concern furrowing her brow.

"We saw her go down," T-Dog added from where he was leaning over a car door.

Hershel cleared his throat. "Patricia?"

"They got her, too," Beth said quietly, clutching Maggie's hand tighter as she fought back her tears. "Took her out right in front of me. I was—I was holdin' on to her, daddy. She just—"

Tears started to stream down her face, and Hershel pulled her into his side while Maggie held onto her sister's shoulder, tears brimming in her own eyes.

Elodie stared down at her shoes, noticing how they were no longer as pink as they used to be, now stained with mud, blood, and who knows what else. She wondered if she'd have a chance to clean them soon—anything to keep herself occupied and distracted from her racing thoughts.

"What about Jimmy?" Beth asked, and Elodie immediately tensed up, her breath hitching in her throat. "Did you see Jimmy?"

Rick glanced briefly at Elodie, observing her tight grip on her hands, barely moving—barely even breathing. He sighed, meeting Beth's gaze. "He was in the RV. It got overrun."

As Beth let out a little sob, burying her face into Hershel's chest, Carol spoke up, "You definitely saw Andrea?"

"There were walkers everywhere," Lori murmured.

"Did you see her?" Carol pressed on.

No one responded, and Elodie felt Daryl shift behind her. He stepped forward, reaching for his bike. "I'm gonna go back."

"No—" Elodie murmured, already reaching out to grasp his sleeve.

"No," Rick said at the same time, not moving a muscle.

"We can't just leave her," Daryl scoffed, trying to free his arm from Elodie's grip, but she didn't let go. She only looked at him with an angry frown.

"We don't even know if she's there," Lori reasoned.

Rick was quick to butt in again. "She isn't there. She isn't. She's somewhere else, or she's dead. There's no way to find her."

Elodie thought that was kind of a harsh way to put it. But all she wanted was for no one else to leave, especially not to return to the walker-infested farm. She didn't want anyone else to die.

"So we're not even gonna look for her?" Glenn questioned, disbelief evident in his raised eyebrows.

"We gotta keep moving," Rick asserted. "There have been walkers crawling all over here."

"I say head east," T-Dog suggested firmly.

Daryl finally managed to pry Elodie's fingers off his sleeve as he moved to the other side of his bike, nodding in agreement with T-Dog as he reached for his crossbow. "Stay off the main roads. The bigger the road, the more walkers, more assholes like this one—I got him."

Raising his crossbow, he took a small breath before releasing a bolt that struck a walker squarely in the skull behind Glenn, the twang of the crossbow making Elodie flinch. She wasn't accustomed to such loud sounds anymore, but she knew she'd have to get used to it again.

"Alright," Rick said, nodding. "Let's go."