Scraping By, Chapter 8: Gossip
Title: Scraping By
Fandom: The Walking Dead
Rating: M
Disclaimer: All rights for The Walking Dead go to Robert Kirkman and AMC. This story takes place strictly in the TV show 'verse.
Chapter 8: Gossip
Daryl spat a mouthful of gas on the pavement and jammed the end of the hose into the empty gas can by his feet. He'd siphoned two other tanks already and came close to vomiting once. Whitney, his lookout, flat out said "no" when he suggested she get the latest canister.
"So you'll eat boiled sheep guts, but a little gasoline gets you to make that face?" he said, gesturing at her grossed-out expression.
She laughed and shrugged. "Haggis is nothing. I've eaten Rocky Mountain oysters before the end of the world and raw grasshoppers after."
Daryl snickered and fished the hose out of the gas tank. "Grasshoppers are a damn sight better than haggis, woman," he looked up at her and she could see the smile starting at the corner of his eyes. "I'll give ya props fer the bull nuts, though."
Whitney helped him stand and squeezed his forearm. The action was so quick that Daryl felt like he might have imagined it.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Yeah. I'll carry if you take point."
Whitney agreed and hefted her machete. Together, with Zeke trotting after them, they walked back up the line of disused cars toward the caravan. She waved at Andrea on the top of the RV but was distracted by movement close to the tree line and Zeke's sudden growling.
An obviously starving female walker, jaw dislocated and shoestrings of drool dripping on her bare feet, staggered right for the two of them. Zeke started barking when Whitney rushed to meet the dead girl halfway. She swung her machete three times, hacking at neck tissue until the spine snapped and the head flew into the windshield of the car Daryl just siphoned.
As the body fell to the asphalt, Whitney glanced back at Daryl to make sure he was still following her.
He was standing in-between some rusted out cars and his crossbow was sliding off his shoulder. He quickly shook off his surprise and walked toward her offered up an impressed smirk when he caught up to her.
"Nice work," he said. He made himself push past her to avoid dealing with the blinding smile that was spreading across her face. He wasn't able to avoid the coy faces of Carol and Lori, however. In response, Daryl ground his molars and retreated to his truck.
The sun was drifting higher and the men moved as fast as they could to refuel the vehicles and stow the precious little gas they had left. The RV started with a lurch and Dale carefully worked his way into second gear. As they moved down the road, Andrea traded seats with Rick to give Carol the chance to talk about the newcomer.
"So? What'd she talk about with you?" Andrea asked.
Carol leaned forward and dropped her elbows on the small table in front of her. "She mentioned that she spoke with him on her first night in camp and said he seemed… 'Sweet.'"
Andrea raised her eyebrows and held back a laugh. "Sweet? She said that?"
Carol nodded. "Her exact word."
Lori, who was sitting across from them with Carl and Sophia napping on either side of her, chimed in. "Who are y'all talkin' about?" she asked.
"Daryl and Whitney," said Andrea.
From the front of the RV, Rick groaned. Lori ignored him.
"Did you see the look on his face when she killed the walker that came out of the woods?" she asked.
The other women mimed the impressed expression they caught Daryl making and started laughing.
Dale tried not to laugh when he heard Rick mutter something about "hens."
Chapter 7: Cab Confessions | Chapter 9: Urgent Care
Fandom: The Walking Dead
Rating: M
Disclaimer: All rights for The Walking Dead go to Robert Kirkman and AMC. This story takes place strictly in the TV show 'verse.
Chapter 8: Gossip
Daryl spat a mouthful of gas on the pavement and jammed the end of the hose into the empty gas can by his feet. He'd siphoned two other tanks already and came close to vomiting once. Whitney, his lookout, flat out said "no" when he suggested she get the latest canister.
"So you'll eat boiled sheep guts, but a little gasoline gets you to make that face?" he said, gesturing at her grossed-out expression.
She laughed and shrugged. "Haggis is nothing. I've eaten Rocky Mountain oysters before the end of the world and raw grasshoppers after."
Daryl snickered and fished the hose out of the gas tank. "Grasshoppers are a damn sight better than haggis, woman," he looked up at her and she could see the smile starting at the corner of his eyes. "I'll give ya props fer the bull nuts, though."
Whitney helped him stand and squeezed his forearm. The action was so quick that Daryl felt like he might have imagined it.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Yeah. I'll carry if you take point."
Whitney agreed and hefted her machete. Together, with Zeke trotting after them, they walked back up the line of disused cars toward the caravan. She waved at Andrea on the top of the RV but was distracted by movement close to the tree line and Zeke's sudden growling.
An obviously starving female walker, jaw dislocated and shoestrings of drool dripping on her bare feet, staggered right for the two of them. Zeke started barking when Whitney rushed to meet the dead girl halfway. She swung her machete three times, hacking at neck tissue until the spine snapped and the head flew into the windshield of the car Daryl just siphoned.
As the body fell to the asphalt, Whitney glanced back at Daryl to make sure he was still following her.
He was standing in-between some rusted out cars and his crossbow was sliding off his shoulder. He quickly shook off his surprise and walked toward her offered up an impressed smirk when he caught up to her.
"Nice work," he said. He made himself push past her to avoid dealing with the blinding smile that was spreading across her face. He wasn't able to avoid the coy faces of Carol and Lori, however. In response, Daryl ground his molars and retreated to his truck.
The sun was drifting higher and the men moved as fast as they could to refuel the vehicles and stow the precious little gas they had left. The RV started with a lurch and Dale carefully worked his way into second gear. As they moved down the road, Andrea traded seats with Rick to give Carol the chance to talk about the newcomer.
"So? What'd she talk about with you?" Andrea asked.
Carol leaned forward and dropped her elbows on the small table in front of her. "She mentioned that she spoke with him on her first night in camp and said he seemed… 'Sweet.'"
Andrea raised her eyebrows and held back a laugh. "Sweet? She said that?"
Carol nodded. "Her exact word."
Lori, who was sitting across from them with Carl and Sophia napping on either side of her, chimed in. "Who are y'all talkin' about?" she asked.
"Daryl and Whitney," said Andrea.
From the front of the RV, Rick groaned. Lori ignored him.
"Did you see the look on his face when she killed the walker that came out of the woods?" she asked.
The other women mimed the impressed expression they caught Daryl making and started laughing.
Dale tried not to laugh when he heard Rick mutter something about "hens."
Chapter 7: Cab Confessions | Chapter 9: Urgent Care