Radioactive Chapter Ten
Avery groaned as she stepped out of the shower in the bathroom of the tour bus. They had been at camp now for a week exactly and things still hadn't changed. The dead were still walking and every day their supplies were running low. Every other day now it seemed Glenn was making short trips into Atlanta for things.
Avery had to say she was surprised he even kept making it back. She'd be scared shitless to make the trip into Atlanta. She had heard him mention it was crawling with the dead and knowing her luck if she had went with him they'd get found and killed. They'd never come back to camp again.
Swallowing hard she picked up a towel and dried off quickly before changing into her clothes. What little clothes she had clean anyway. If she had known the world was ending she probably would have packed a lot more things but alias she had thought she was just packing for a week on the road with her brothers. How wrong she had been. How wrong her whole family had been.
"Hurry up in there would you," Mac's voice hollered from across the door. "I need to get in there next and I'd like some hot water left."
Rolling her eyes Avery finished getting dressed and she picked up her towels. Opening the door she left the bathroom and fake glared at Mac. Walking outside she threw her towels in the basket Kate left laying out there with their clothes. Clothes it seemed like she was washing every other day. Avery half felt bad knowing Kate was doing most of the washing especially in her condition. A condition the rest of the family now knew about.
The day after Zac had told the boys he had told her,Jessica, and Zoe but as it turned out she and Jessica both already knew. Apparently Glenn had a huge mouth and well Kate had told her the day in the RV bathroom. Zoe had taken it better than expected but she too was in agreement with a lot of the others. This pregnancy was a bad thing in a world like this. Even Avery had to admit as things progressed she too was losing hope that Kate's unborn baby had a chance at a good life.
Being knocked out of her thoughts literally as she fell to the ground Avery made a face as she looked up at the thing or well person she had run into. "Great," she muttered under breath as she saw Daryl standing over her. Ever since the night in Merle's tent when he had left she had done a good job in avoiding him just like she was doing a good job in trying to get to know Merle and what she did know she didn't like. She didn't like that he did drugs. He did them openly in front of Jessica. She didn't like that he was a racist and always calling T-Dog, Glenn or Morales names. She didn't like that he downed most of the women at camp.
In Avery's eyes Merle was just a step up from Carol's husband who she knew hit the woman. She had seen the bruises just yesterday when Kate had left to do laundry with Carol.
"Watch where you going will ya little girl," Daryl spat as he looked down at Avery. "Don't need ya getting hurt just because you can't pay fucking attention to where you go."
Avery sighed at Daryl's words, "I'm not a little girl. I'm almost twenty," she said as she stood up and cleaned off her pants. She knew it was crazy but ever since the start of this she had been keep track of the days in a notebook she had found stashed in the back of the bus. She knew next month was November and her birthday would come. She'd be twenty though she had always imagined her twentith birthday would look a little different.
"Whatever," Daryl muttered as he shook his head and walked away. "Just watch where you go next time," he hollered without even turning to look back at her.
Sighing to herself Avery finished walking to the RV where she grabbed a package of poptarts from the box that was on the table. She guessed the pop-tarts where some Glenn had brought back on his last run because they hadn't been there before.
"How is my favorite little sister doing today?" a voice asked from behind Avery and she turned around to face it a smile on her face as she saw Taylor. It was a surprise because he sounded so happy and hell he looked clean and liked he had showered finally.
Opening the pop-tarts Avery nodded, "I'm good and you?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow still feeling surprised by this sudden change in her brother.
"Feeling better," Taylor confessed as he looked at his sister. He knew he had checked out on everyone these past few days but last night he had dreamed of Natalie. She had told him things would get better and he woke up believing that. "I guess I just realized that I have to move on for myself and for Ezra."
Avery smiled more as she took a bite of her pop-tart, "I'm glad you realized that," she told Taylor after she swallowed the food in her mouth. "And I'm glad to see you looking so happy."
Taylor smiled some as well as he looked down, "I promise I will look happier from now on," he said as she nodded some. He knew he would try to at least even if at times this moving on process would be difficult but Natalie had told him things would get better. How could he not believe that?
At his promise Avery wanted to tell him not to make promises he couldn't keep. She knew this process would be hard and while he was having one good day she guessed he would have a thousand more worse ones. "Good," she said before giving him one last look and walking over to an empty chair. Sitting down she finished the rest of her pop-tart in silence.
It was after she finished it and stood to throw the wrapper away that she talked again but that was only because she had too. The moment she had turned around from throwing her wrapper away Merle Dixon had been standing behind her which made her jump slightly.
"Karma must really hate me. Running into both Dixon brothers in one day," Avery laughed as she crossed her arms. "To be honest I am surprised your up this early Merle."
Merle chuckled some at Avery's words, "I wouldn't be if your pretty little sister was in the tent like she usually is. Figured you might know where ole sweet thang ran off too."
Grimacing when Merle called Jessica sweet thing Avery shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine about where Jessica is but if she has a brain maybe she decided to leave you high and dry."
"Funny," Merle muttered as he glared some. "Now tell me where she is."
Uncrossing her arms Avery shook her head, "I already told you I don't know where she is," she said as she pushed past Merle. "Now go back to your damn tent or better yet find your brother."
Reaching out to grab Avery's wrist Merle brought her in close to him as he tightened his grip, "You're probably lying to me because you don't want me near her," he whispered as he leaned in to her ear. "Now tell me where she's at darlin."
The whole time Merle had a hold of her wrist Avery zoned out her mind going to the numerous times her dad had held her wrist like this. The numerous times he had used her for his own needs.
Shaking her head as she came out of her thoughts she looked at Merle, "I said I don't know and I mean that," she muttered through gritted teeth before pulling her arm away from him. After she was free she took off running from him and the camp. She just wanted to be by herself. She just wanted to be left alone.
Running faster once she was in the woods Avery kept running until she felt herself again bump into someone and again she went flying to the ground. Looking up at the person she had run into she gulped some before cursing under her breath.
"Damn it to hell," Daryl grumbled as he looked down at Jessica's sister again. "You trying to be a pain in my ass or something?" he asked her as he raised an eyebrow.
Avery shook her head but stayed on the ground as she caught her breath, "No. I was just trying to get away from Merle," she spoke before making a face. She hated the way Merle had grabbed her and she hated the memories it had brought back for her.
Daryl chuckled some, "What did my brother do now?" he sighed before shaking his head. "Knowing you he probably just looked at you wrong. Fucking little rich bitch never had men like Merle and I around ya and now you're scared."
"It's not that," Avery defended as she shook her head. She wasn't surprised that Daryl thought Merle couldn't do any wrong. Daryl seemed like a lost puppy who would follow or defend his brother over anything. "He was being an asshole but it's not like you'll ever admit that your brother can be an asshole."
"Oh I know my brother can be a dick," Daryl spoke as he lowered his crossbow. "But he's my brother," he shrugged as if that explained everything.
Going silent at Daryl's words Avery just looked at him briefly before looking away. When he made the last comment she didn't know how to describe how he looked. Almost like a little boy. A little boy with a lot of trust in the wrong person.
Standing up and brushing her pants off for the second time that day Avery sighed and turned her back on Daryl as she headed back to camp. Hopefully Merle had found Jessica and even if he hadn't hopefully he'd leave her the hell alone.
Getting to camp she looked around spotting Merle sitting in his truck. He was by himself so she was guessing that meant there was still no sign of her sister. Spotting Zoe she walked over to her younger sister and sat down. "Where is Jess?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow.
Looking at her older sister Zoe sighed, "She decided to go on a run with Glenn to the city this morning," she said. "I think you were in the shower when they left."
Avery who heard Zoe felt her eyes go wide. She was surprised that Jessica would do such a thing. Jessica knew how things were. Jessica was still reeling from losing Joe. Her sister had lost her damn mind.
"And no one stopped her?" Avery asked as she shook her head. "No one said that was a horrible idea and stopped her?"
"Isaac tried too but you know Jessica," Zoe said as she laughed. "She's as stubborn as a mule as mom used to say. She went anyway and Isaac well he went down to the water with the kids pouting like a baby."
Avery nodded knowing Jessica was stubborn but she had hoped Jessica would have had some sense. "Does Merle know where she is now?"
"Yeah," Zoe answered as she nodded her as well. "He asked Nikki when Nikki brought Monroe up for his nap."
"And that would be why he is in his truck pouting like a baby now," Avery muttered under her breath. At those words she had to relax some when she heard Zoe laugh. Reaching out she pulled her sister to her, "I love you and don't you ever forget that."
Making a face Zoe pulled away, "I love you too but stop being a dork," she teased before sticking her tongue out slightly.
Laughing at that Avery just shook her head. It was times like this that she could forget what was going on for just a few seconds.That she could forget everything.
Avery groaned as she stepped out of the shower in the bathroom of the tour bus. They had been at camp now for a week exactly and things still hadn't changed. The dead were still walking and every day their supplies were running low. Every other day now it seemed Glenn was making short trips into Atlanta for things.
Avery had to say she was surprised he even kept making it back. She'd be scared shitless to make the trip into Atlanta. She had heard him mention it was crawling with the dead and knowing her luck if she had went with him they'd get found and killed. They'd never come back to camp again.
Swallowing hard she picked up a towel and dried off quickly before changing into her clothes. What little clothes she had clean anyway. If she had known the world was ending she probably would have packed a lot more things but alias she had thought she was just packing for a week on the road with her brothers. How wrong she had been. How wrong her whole family had been.
"Hurry up in there would you," Mac's voice hollered from across the door. "I need to get in there next and I'd like some hot water left."
Rolling her eyes Avery finished getting dressed and she picked up her towels. Opening the door she left the bathroom and fake glared at Mac. Walking outside she threw her towels in the basket Kate left laying out there with their clothes. Clothes it seemed like she was washing every other day. Avery half felt bad knowing Kate was doing most of the washing especially in her condition. A condition the rest of the family now knew about.
The day after Zac had told the boys he had told her,Jessica, and Zoe but as it turned out she and Jessica both already knew. Apparently Glenn had a huge mouth and well Kate had told her the day in the RV bathroom. Zoe had taken it better than expected but she too was in agreement with a lot of the others. This pregnancy was a bad thing in a world like this. Even Avery had to admit as things progressed she too was losing hope that Kate's unborn baby had a chance at a good life.
Being knocked out of her thoughts literally as she fell to the ground Avery made a face as she looked up at the thing or well person she had run into. "Great," she muttered under breath as she saw Daryl standing over her. Ever since the night in Merle's tent when he had left she had done a good job in avoiding him just like she was doing a good job in trying to get to know Merle and what she did know she didn't like. She didn't like that he did drugs. He did them openly in front of Jessica. She didn't like that he was a racist and always calling T-Dog, Glenn or Morales names. She didn't like that he downed most of the women at camp.
In Avery's eyes Merle was just a step up from Carol's husband who she knew hit the woman. She had seen the bruises just yesterday when Kate had left to do laundry with Carol.
"Watch where you going will ya little girl," Daryl spat as he looked down at Avery. "Don't need ya getting hurt just because you can't pay fucking attention to where you go."
Avery sighed at Daryl's words, "I'm not a little girl. I'm almost twenty," she said as she stood up and cleaned off her pants. She knew it was crazy but ever since the start of this she had been keep track of the days in a notebook she had found stashed in the back of the bus. She knew next month was November and her birthday would come. She'd be twenty though she had always imagined her twentith birthday would look a little different.
"Whatever," Daryl muttered as he shook his head and walked away. "Just watch where you go next time," he hollered without even turning to look back at her.
Sighing to herself Avery finished walking to the RV where she grabbed a package of poptarts from the box that was on the table. She guessed the pop-tarts where some Glenn had brought back on his last run because they hadn't been there before.
"How is my favorite little sister doing today?" a voice asked from behind Avery and she turned around to face it a smile on her face as she saw Taylor. It was a surprise because he sounded so happy and hell he looked clean and liked he had showered finally.
Opening the pop-tarts Avery nodded, "I'm good and you?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow still feeling surprised by this sudden change in her brother.
"Feeling better," Taylor confessed as he looked at his sister. He knew he had checked out on everyone these past few days but last night he had dreamed of Natalie. She had told him things would get better and he woke up believing that. "I guess I just realized that I have to move on for myself and for Ezra."
Avery smiled more as she took a bite of her pop-tart, "I'm glad you realized that," she told Taylor after she swallowed the food in her mouth. "And I'm glad to see you looking so happy."
Taylor smiled some as well as he looked down, "I promise I will look happier from now on," he said as she nodded some. He knew he would try to at least even if at times this moving on process would be difficult but Natalie had told him things would get better. How could he not believe that?
At his promise Avery wanted to tell him not to make promises he couldn't keep. She knew this process would be hard and while he was having one good day she guessed he would have a thousand more worse ones. "Good," she said before giving him one last look and walking over to an empty chair. Sitting down she finished the rest of her pop-tart in silence.
It was after she finished it and stood to throw the wrapper away that she talked again but that was only because she had too. The moment she had turned around from throwing her wrapper away Merle Dixon had been standing behind her which made her jump slightly.
"Karma must really hate me. Running into both Dixon brothers in one day," Avery laughed as she crossed her arms. "To be honest I am surprised your up this early Merle."
Merle chuckled some at Avery's words, "I wouldn't be if your pretty little sister was in the tent like she usually is. Figured you might know where ole sweet thang ran off too."
Grimacing when Merle called Jessica sweet thing Avery shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine about where Jessica is but if she has a brain maybe she decided to leave you high and dry."
"Funny," Merle muttered as he glared some. "Now tell me where she is."
Uncrossing her arms Avery shook her head, "I already told you I don't know where she is," she said as she pushed past Merle. "Now go back to your damn tent or better yet find your brother."
Reaching out to grab Avery's wrist Merle brought her in close to him as he tightened his grip, "You're probably lying to me because you don't want me near her," he whispered as he leaned in to her ear. "Now tell me where she's at darlin."
The whole time Merle had a hold of her wrist Avery zoned out her mind going to the numerous times her dad had held her wrist like this. The numerous times he had used her for his own needs.
Shaking her head as she came out of her thoughts she looked at Merle, "I said I don't know and I mean that," she muttered through gritted teeth before pulling her arm away from him. After she was free she took off running from him and the camp. She just wanted to be by herself. She just wanted to be left alone.
Running faster once she was in the woods Avery kept running until she felt herself again bump into someone and again she went flying to the ground. Looking up at the person she had run into she gulped some before cursing under her breath.
"Damn it to hell," Daryl grumbled as he looked down at Jessica's sister again. "You trying to be a pain in my ass or something?" he asked her as he raised an eyebrow.
Avery shook her head but stayed on the ground as she caught her breath, "No. I was just trying to get away from Merle," she spoke before making a face. She hated the way Merle had grabbed her and she hated the memories it had brought back for her.
Daryl chuckled some, "What did my brother do now?" he sighed before shaking his head. "Knowing you he probably just looked at you wrong. Fucking little rich bitch never had men like Merle and I around ya and now you're scared."
"It's not that," Avery defended as she shook her head. She wasn't surprised that Daryl thought Merle couldn't do any wrong. Daryl seemed like a lost puppy who would follow or defend his brother over anything. "He was being an asshole but it's not like you'll ever admit that your brother can be an asshole."
"Oh I know my brother can be a dick," Daryl spoke as he lowered his crossbow. "But he's my brother," he shrugged as if that explained everything.
Going silent at Daryl's words Avery just looked at him briefly before looking away. When he made the last comment she didn't know how to describe how he looked. Almost like a little boy. A little boy with a lot of trust in the wrong person.
Standing up and brushing her pants off for the second time that day Avery sighed and turned her back on Daryl as she headed back to camp. Hopefully Merle had found Jessica and even if he hadn't hopefully he'd leave her the hell alone.
Getting to camp she looked around spotting Merle sitting in his truck. He was by himself so she was guessing that meant there was still no sign of her sister. Spotting Zoe she walked over to her younger sister and sat down. "Where is Jess?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow.
Looking at her older sister Zoe sighed, "She decided to go on a run with Glenn to the city this morning," she said. "I think you were in the shower when they left."
Avery who heard Zoe felt her eyes go wide. She was surprised that Jessica would do such a thing. Jessica knew how things were. Jessica was still reeling from losing Joe. Her sister had lost her damn mind.
"And no one stopped her?" Avery asked as she shook her head. "No one said that was a horrible idea and stopped her?"
"Isaac tried too but you know Jessica," Zoe said as she laughed. "She's as stubborn as a mule as mom used to say. She went anyway and Isaac well he went down to the water with the kids pouting like a baby."
Avery nodded knowing Jessica was stubborn but she had hoped Jessica would have had some sense. "Does Merle know where she is now?"
"Yeah," Zoe answered as she nodded her as well. "He asked Nikki when Nikki brought Monroe up for his nap."
"And that would be why he is in his truck pouting like a baby now," Avery muttered under her breath. At those words she had to relax some when she heard Zoe laugh. Reaching out she pulled her sister to her, "I love you and don't you ever forget that."
Making a face Zoe pulled away, "I love you too but stop being a dork," she teased before sticking her tongue out slightly.
Laughing at that Avery just shook her head. It was times like this that she could forget what was going on for just a few seconds.That she could forget everything.