After CDC

After a few hours of drive, the group stopped their vehicles on the side of a quite road, just after coming out of Atlanta. Everyone came down on road from their vehicles looking around carefully.

"CDC was a mistake. I told you; we should have gone directly to Fort Benning. If we had, we'd be there by today", Shane said. "Nobody knew, alright. Calm down, son", Dale looked at Shane and said. "No one blames you. You didn't know about the place", he said to Rick who was silent.

"What now? Where are we going?", Amy asked. "I'm telling you. Fort Benning. We should go there. Rick...", Shane looked at Rick to back him up this time.

"It's 150 miles. We don't have fuel and food is lacking. We can't just leave unprepared", Andrea said looking at Shane.

"We can travel tight. Use less vehicles. We'll find fuel and food on the way", Shane said.

"Guys. I think we have enough food to last for 2 days", Glenn said as he looked at Damian. Everyone looked at Glenn asking what he meant. Damian went back to the van, opened the back trunk and dragged out three boxes. 

"What are these?", Shane asked as he approached to look closer. "Food supplies", Glenn said, adding, "Damian had these when he arrived first". "What? You kept it away from the group", Dale said accusingly. "Hey, he said these were the last option. We did not lack food", Glenn said. "But still, the children were only eating a little", Carol said. "That's what everyone was having", Rick said. He looked at Damian and said, "You did right not telling us. It'll be useful in the journey now. We will just have to figure out fuel".

"I say we decrease the cars. Compromise a little till we reach Fort Benning. This way, we'd need less fuel", Shane advised. And everyone nodded with sad faces. "Okay how about this, Rick and I will drive the Van, and Lori, Carl, Carol and Sofia will come travel with us, everyone else will travel in RV". Shane recommended and looked at others. "I don't mind", Carol said holding Sophia, looking at Dale who was about to say something. "So, we all agree?", Rick asked everyone. "Alright, that's what we're gonna do. Let's stop and check for fuel in the roads. Now, let's go guys". Soon, the group began moving towards Fort Benning.

After 25 miles of driving they all got out and decided to put up there camp. While Rick, Shane and Andrea were putting up the tents, Carol and Lori started preparing dinner while Amy looked after Carl and Sophia. Dale and Damian kept watch and Daryl, Glenn and T-Dog went supply running. The supply runners returned with fuels, tools and medicines while Daryl found a motorcycle and decided to travel in that He clarified that he would be able to scan the area ahead and would be able to warn the group of danger.

The night went by without any walker attack. At night, Glenn and Damian remained to watch the surroundings. Next morning, everyone woke up, and prepared to leave, when Damian saw Rick talking to someone on his radio walkie.

"Who were you talking to?", he asked. Rick looked back and said,"No one, just trying to check if someone is out there". They soon ended the conversation and returned back to leave for the journey ahead.

In the RV, Damian was trying to sleep but due to occasional bumps and people chatting beside him, he could'nt sleep.

Seeing that he'd not be able to sleep and annoyed by the people talking, he turned on the Sony walkman and stated listening to the songs, while closing his eyes and soon, he fell asleep. Next, suddenly someone shook him. He opened his eyes and said, "huh? Are we already there?", He asked Amy who on a closer look looked distressed. "Come out. Sophia. She is gone", Amy said as she asked him to hurry and step out.

"What do you mean? Where-", Damian put the walkman away andwalked out while saying but stopped when he saw that they were in the middle of the highway which was blocked by cars. He looked around and saw Carol crying and was being consoled by Lori while Glenn and Shane just disappeared in the bushes leading inside the forest. He looked at Amy in confusion asking for answer.

"We got stuck here due to the blockade. We were out searching for gas and other supplies when a herd of walkers came from the front. Everyone hid themselves but Sophia got scared and ran towards the forest. Rick went after her and told her to hide while he took away the walkers, but she disappeared from there. Everyone is out looking for her right now", Amy explained the situation.

Damian looked at the people there and saw Dale up on the roof of his RV standing as lookout. He looked at Amy and handed his gun to her, "Take this. Always keep it with you from now on", he said as she took the gun and looked at it. "I don't know how to use it", Amy said as she tried to give it back.

"You will learn. You'll have to. Each one of us has to be able to defend at least ourselves from now on", Damian said. "Most of the manpower of our group is not here right now. What happens if walkers come right now?, Dale wouldn't be able to protect everyone. Everyone who lives now needs to learn how to defend themselves against the walkers".

She nodded. Damian then approached Carol and said, "Sorry, I wasn't here when the group needed. Carol, we'd find her okay?, Don't lose hope. We gotta have faith". Carol looked at him with a sad face and nodded.

He walked away and saw T-Dog with a bleeding hand. "Hey man, what happened to you?". "Bad luck. I got injured by a damn gate man". "It's looking bad, brother. Don't we have some bandages?",Damian asked.

"No, we don't. It got left back in Rick's car, I think", T-Dog replied. His condition was really not looking good as his hand kept bleeding. "Wait let me check my van. Maybe it has the first aid kit", Damian said and walked to where van was. "Damian, what do you need?", Lori asked him as she saw him approach the van. "Oh, I am looking for the first aid kit for T-Dog. Maybe the van has something we can use", Damian said.

"Glenn already looked here. He didn't find any kit", Lori replied. "Uh, okay, do you have some extra clean clothes? It'll stop the bleeding at least".

"Wait Carol found some clothes in the car". She went and looked into a car trunk and brought back a clean T-Shirt. "Carol was so happy when she found the clothes saying Sophia would look good wearing those", Lori said ad she handed the sirt to him. "Don't worry. We'll get her back", Damian assured as he went back. "Hey, let's clean the wound first. Remove that cloth. I brought other one", he said as he opened the cap of his bottle. "It'll burn a little. Don't make sound. Now...", he tore the shirt and put one part pressing on the wound while used long part to use as the bandage. "This will at least stop the bleeding , I hope", he said as T-Dog thanked him.

The night fell and the atmosphere around the group was grim as they were unable to find Sophia but Rick assured Carol that he would continue searching for her next morning. Damian got up on the roof of RV where Dale looked at him. "Is it your turn?", he asked. "You should go sleep, sir. I'll keep watch tonight", Damian said. "Oh, come here, let's talk a bit", Dale said as he waved at him.

"Our number keeps decreasing one by one, day by day", he said. "We'll find her, sir. Don't worry", Damian said. "I hope we do. Losing a child only a few days after her husband. I can't imagine how Carl is feeling right now", Dale said but Damian kept quiet. He actually didn't find Dale's company good. He would choose to stay alone over sitting and talking with Dale. Dale good and righteous but his conversations would always seemed to bore him. There was a silence for a few moment between them. Damian was thinking of ways to get him to leave when Dale suddenly said something he didn't think he'd hear from someone. " I noticed you talking to Amy earlier. You talk with her more than anyone here". Damian looked at him eith wide eyes as he looked straight in the dark. "Sir?", Damian said in questioning tone.

"I know you are a good man. You think of her as friend but Andrea doesn't feel good about it. She thinks you should maintain some distance from Amy. Now, I consider both of them to be my daughter and I've warned you. So, let's go and sleep. Good Night", Dale said as he stood up and started going down the RV while Damian was in the shock. 'What the hell did he mean just now?', Damian thought to himself as he couldn't get over this thought for hours.