NICOLETTE
"Nicolette." Sarah's voice pulled her attention from the woods just before her sister enveloped her in a tight hug.
"You okay?" Sarah asked, checking her over as Nicki nodded.
"I'm good, but Sophia..." she said, pointing toward the woods. Nicki heard her sister gasp as she turned to see Carol still sobbing in Lori's arms.
"Dad has gone to find her," Carl said from nearby, as Glenn and Shane rushed over, questioning Lori about what had happened.
"We should go check," Glenn suggested, but Shane shook his head.
"We need to wait for Rick and Sophia here," he said. "That's the best thing we can do right now."
He was right; they couldn't risk anyone else wandering into the woods at this moment. They needed to stay together. Nicki noticed that not everyone was present, so she glanced around. She saw Dale climbing down from the RV, breathing heavily, just before catching sight of Andrea emerging from the camper, covered in blood.
"Lori..." Nicki called, catching the attention of the woman, who gasped. "Carl, stay with Nicki," she instructed before running toward the visibly shaken woman.
"What the hell happened?" Nicki asked, her heart racing. Had Andrea fought off a walker? She hoped her friend was alright and hadn't been hurt or bitten.
"Hey!" a voice suddenly broke through the tension.
"Is that Daryl?" Sarah asked, looking around. Nicki stood on her tiptoes, straining to get a better look.
"Here!" Daryl shouted again. Nicki spotted an arm waving in the air with difficulty, and she watched as Sarah and Shane rushed in that direction. She glanced down at Carl, who nodded at her, and together they started to follow.
They hadn't gone far; they had to navigate around a few cars before they reached Daryl, who was lowering an almost unconscious T-Dog to the ground. Nicki's eyes widened at the sight; T-Dog's shirt was soaked in blood, and he looked pale, but she couldn't tell where the blood was coming from.
"Are you okay, man?" Shane knelt beside T-Dog, who moaned in pain.
"What happened?" Sarah asked, moving closer to Daryl.
"He got his arm opened up pretty bad," Daryl replied, pointing at T-Dog, who was pressing a rag against his forearm.
"You might have saved his life," Shane said, helping T-Dog sit up. "Come on, man."
"Are you hurt?" Sarah turned to Daryl, who bit his lip and shook his head. She nodded, starting to walk away, but paused when Daryl spoke again.
"You?" he asked.
Nicki watched her sister look at Daryl with surprise before shaking her head.
"I'm good," she replied. "But Sophia..."
Daryl frowned. "The girl?"
Sarah nodded. "Nicolette told me she ran into the woods. Rick went after her."
Daryl took a deep breath before moving toward the group gathered near the edge of the woods. Nicki nudged Carl with her shoulder, signaling him to follow Daryl.
Lori had told them that Andrea had fought off a walker that managed to get inside the RV. Though she was fine, she was shaken up and now changing out of her bloody clothes. Carol sat on the guardrail, trembling, while Lori and Sarah comforted her. Shane and Glenn were checking on T-Dog, and Daryl paced back and forth in front of the woods, keeping a vigilant eye on everything around him. Dale stood watch as Nicki and Carl sat on the hood of a car in silence. The air was thick with tension, and Nicki could see Lori growing increasingly anxious; her husband still hadn't returned from the woods.
Nicki glanced over at Carl, who was anxiously bouncing his leg. She took a deep breath, setting her bow down beside her and reaching for her bag.
"Here," she said, pulling out a red string of licorice and splitting it in half. Carl looked between her and the candy.
"I need to chew when I'm nervous," she explained, popping her piece into her mouth.
"We should save it," Carl replied, frowning slightly, but she handed him the candy anyway.
"No one's going to notice," she insisted, and he finally took the licorice, beginning to eat it. Nicki felt a little better, if only because she was focused on something other than waiting.
"What you did with the arrow," Carl said after a moment of silence, "you saved my dad. Thank you." She glanced at her bow, still in disbelief about how she managed to hit the target. Her hand had been sweaty and shaking as she nocked the arrow, and she knew she had been lucky, but at least she had helped Rick.
"Don't mention it," she replied just before they heard a rustling noise.
Both Nicki and Carl jumped down from the hood of the car as Shane and Daryl moved in front of everyone, rifles and crossbow at the ready. Nicki squinted at the leaves, straining to see what was causing the noise.
Nicki swore everyone let out a relieved breath when Rick emerged from the woods, running with labored breaths and clothes soaked through. It was hard to tell whether it was water or sweat.
However, the moment of relief quickly faded when Sophia didn't appear.
"Where's Sophia?" Rick asked, panting as he scanned the area, desperate to spot her. Carol let out a heart-wrenching cry, covering her mouth with trembling hands. Nicki's heart clenched at the sound. Carol's cheeks were streaked with tears as she sobbed against Lori's shoulder.
"She didn't come back?" Rick asked, his eyes filled with terror. Nicki struggled to look at his expression; it was agonizingly desperate.
"What happened?" Shane pressed, trying to coax the details out of Rick, who was still trying to catch his breath.
"I... I found her in the woods," he began, glancing anxiously over his shoulder. "There were two walkers behind us, and I... I had to lead them away. I made her hide." Carol sobbed again, and Rick turned to her, his eyes filled with sorrow.
"I told her," he said, his voice breaking. "I told her how to get back here."
Nicki's gaze returned to the woods, hoping against hope that Sophia would emerge. But the silence was deafening, and not even a faint rustle broke the stillness. Where could Sophia be?
She glanced at Carol, who was breaking down in front of them, while Sarah ran her hands through her hair, turning away next to Glenn. An unsettling silence enveloped the group, filled with unspoken fear.
"Was it far?" Daryl suddenly asked, drawing everyone's attention. Rick's eyes were still wide with anxiety.
"No..." he shook his head.
"I can follow her tracks," Daryl offered, as Carol sobbed again.
"Really?" Sarah stepped closer to Daryl, who nodded.
"It's like hunting," he said firmly.
"Alright," Rick said, determination flashing in his eyes.
"I'll come too," Shane added, stepping forward.
"Me too," Glenn chimed in, ready to support.
When Rick, Daryl, Glenn, and Shane ventured into the woods, the rest of them scrambled to find something to occupy their minds while they waited for news about Sophia. Lori stood by the guardrail, waiting with Carol, but Nicki couldn't bear the heaviness of the moment. She had heard Carl express confidence that his father would bring Sophia back, but Nicki didn't share that certainty. Rick had claimed they weren't far from where he had left her, and he had explained how to return, but she couldn't shake the nagging doubt. Sophia wasn't a stupid kid; so why hadn't she come back yet?
"Nicolette, please help me!" Sarah's voice broke through her thoughts. Nicki turned to see her sister kneeling beside T-Dog, who was moaning in pain, trying to treat his severe injury.
Without hesitation, Nicki rushed over to join her sister, who had just removed Daryl's rag from around T-Dog's forearm.
"Oh..." Sarah winced, taking a closer look.
"Is it bad?" T-Dog asked weakly, attempting to peek at the wound, but Sarah quickly covered it back up, forcing a smile.
"No," she replied, though her voice lacked conviction. "It's... it's actually okay."
"It hurts like a bitch, though," T-Dog groaned. Nicki glanced at her sister, who was assessing the injury.
"Yeah," Sarah said, looking at T-Dog sympathetically. "But don't worry, alright?" She turned to Nicki, gesturing for her to come closer.
"Go into the RV," Sarah instructed. "See if you can find some gauze... maybe Dale has something."
Nicki nodded, then opened the RV door and stepped inside.
Nicki began to search the RV for what Sarah had asked for. She moved to the sink, opening the drawers, but only found forks and knives. Even if those could be useful, it wasn't what she needed. On the table lay some rags that Andrea and Shane had used earlier to clean their guns. They weren't exactly clean, but if she found nothing else, they could serve a purpose. She grabbed one of the rags, then turned and noticed a large bloodstain on the floor.
"One of them got in here," Andrea's voice broke the silence, making Nicki look up.
"So I've heard," Nicki replied, continuing her search for gauze. "You okay?"
"Define 'okay,'" Andrea shot back, and Nicki shrugged.
"Alive?" Nicki offered, but Andrea scoffed.
"Have I said something funny?" she retorted, opening another drawer.
"I think there's a big difference between being alive and being okay these days," Andrea said, leaning against the sink.
"People were depressed even before all of this," Nicki said, her tone matter-of-fact.
"I'm not depressed," Andrea exclaimed, and Nicki turned to her with a small frown.
"Sorry, then," she said, walking toward the bathroom and scanning the area. Andrea scoffed again.
"You think you're brave, don't you?" Andrea challenged, appearing in the doorway. Nicki met her gaze but didn't respond.
"How old are you?" Andrea pressed.
"Fourteen," Nicki replied. This prompted a fake chuckle from Andrea.
"You never talk much, but you're always watching, judging," she said, her tone accusatory. Nicki simply stared back.
Andrea's comments clearly stemmed from the time at the CDC, when she had chosen to stay with Jacqui and Jenner but had left thanks to Dale. Since then, everyone had been observing her closely. Nicki had watched too, but mostly out of pity.
"You wanted to die?" Nicki asked, making Andrea blink in surprise.
"Yes," she replied flatly. Nicki nodded, understanding.
"That's your choice," Nicki said, finally finding some gauze in the drawer beneath the bathroom sink.
"Yes, it is," Andrea reiterated as Nicki walked past her to exit.
"I respect that, but I find it stupid," Nicki stated simply, noticing the disbelief in Andrea's glare. If Andrea truly wanted to die, she wouldn't have fought against the walker. She could have found another way during their journey, but she hadn't. She wanted to survive, just like the rest of them had wanted to at the CDC. Forcing herself not to find something—anything—to cling to keep going just to excuse herself to blow herself up, Nicolette found it stupid.
"Where have you been?" Sarah asked as Nicki walked out of the RV, handing her the gauze.
"Sorry, had trouble finding it," Nicki replied, settling next to T-Dog.
"Your sister is an angel," T-Dog said weakly. "She cleaned my arm."
"With the water Shane just found," Sarah mumbled, carefully placing the gauze over T-Dog's injury. She tore a piece of black tape with her teeth and secured the gauze in place, repeating the process until it was firmly attached.
T-Dog chuckled. "Sweet, sweet."
"Yeah, T," Sarah said, patting his shoulder. "Thank you."
Suddenly, Carol's panicked voice made them turn. Glenn and Shane emerged from the woods, and Lori rushed forward.
"Where's Rick?" she asked, anxiety creeping into her voice.
"And Daryl?" Sarah added, both sisters moving closer.
"It's okay," Shane said in a calm tone. "They're looking for Sophia. Daryl found her tracks. They're going to find her." Nicki watched as Shane began to walk toward the RV, announcing they needed to move the abandoned cars to clear a path.
"Did Daryl really find the tracks?" Nicki heard Sarah ask Glenn.
"Yeah, he did," Glenn confirmed.
"Then what's with that look?" Sarah asked, her brow furrowing.
"What look?" Glenn replied nervously.
"Glenn, you're my best friend and I adore you," Sarah said, "but quite frankly, you are a terrible liar." Nicki couldn't help but snort; it was true—Glenn struggled with deception.
"Alright," he sighed, taking a breath. "Daryl found her tracks. She was doing well, but then she went in another direction." Nicki frowned slightly.
"A walker?" Sarah asked, her tone laced with worry, but Glenn shook his head.
"Daryl said there were just Sophia's footprints."
It was impressive how Daryl could track her movements, and knowing that a walker hadn't followed Sophia felt like good news.
"Glenn! Sarah!" Shane called to them. "Come here, we need help!"
It was almost sundown, and they had spent hours moving cars around. T-Dog was sitting down, still a bit delirious. Nicki had wandered among the vehicles, managing to scavenge a few useful items: three bottles of water, a couple of shirts, and a fever thermometer.
"What's the matter?" she asked when she noticed Carl leaning against a car. He looked up at her, then quickly looked down again.
"You're not answering, so it must be bad," she said, sitting beside him and placing her bow on the ground. She looked up at him, concerned.
"I think Shane is mad at me." Nicki frowned. Shane adored Carl. At first, everyone mistook Shane for Carl's father. There was literally nothing Carl could do to make Shane angry with him.
"He's just worried," Nicki replied, glancing over at Shane, who was moving another car out of the way. He was undoubtedly worried about Sophia. Shane had always looked out for all of them, acting as a kind of leader. Recently, he seemed quieter than usual, but they were in a tough situation. Even the quarry felt more like home compared to where they were now.
"It's getting dark," she heard Sarah say as she walked by with Glenn, carrying a plastic basket filled with cereal. Nicki's stomach grumbled just at the sight of it. Starving over cereal wasn't a good sign.
"They'll be back soon, don't worry," Glenn said, nudging Sarah's shoulder.
"You didn't find her?" As Carol's voice reached them, Nicki stood up and exchanged a worried glance with Carl.
"Dad..." he said, and they both took off running toward the gathering of their group. Daryl and Rick stood at the center, but Sophia was still missing.
"Her trail went cold," Rick explained, trying to calm Carol, who was visibly distraught. "We'll pick it up again at first light."
"You can't leave my daughter out there alone in the dark!" Carol cried, tears streaming down her face as Lori moved closer to comfort her.
"Out in the dark is no good," Daryl said softly. It was the first time Nicki had heard him speak with such a gentle tone. "We'd just be tripping over ourselves. More people get lost."
"But she's twelve! She can't survive out there on her own!" Carol countered. "Didn't you find anything?"
"I know this is hard," Rick said, maintaining a calm demeanor. "But I'm asking you not to panic. We know she was out there."
"And we tracked her for a while," Daryl added.
"We have to make this an organized effort," Rick continued. "Daryl knows the woods better than anyone. I've asked him to oversee this."
It wasn't an easy decision. They couldn't afford to lose more people, but the thought of Sophia alone in the woods at night sent a chill through Nicki.
"Is that blood?" Carol's panicked question made everyone turn to where she was pointing. Both Rick's and Daryl's pants were smeared with blood, with splatters even on their shirts.
"Are you both alright?" Sarah asked, concern etched on her face as she stepped closer to Glenn. Rick nodded but turned back to Carol, his expression serious.
"We took down a walker," he explained, but the revelation only seemed to heighten Carol's panic.
"There was no sign it was ever anywhere near Sophia," Rick reiterated. Nicki frowned, and just then Lori asked how they could be sure. Apparently, they had taken down a walker and cut it open for examination. Nicki and Carl exchanged a look; the image in her mind was unsettling. For all the efforts of the two men to reassure them, it did little to comfort Carol, who seemed on the verge of fainting as she sat on the guard rail.
"How could you just leave her out there to begin with?" Carol accused Rick, her voice trembling. "How could you just leave her?"
"Those two walkers were on us," Rick tried to explain. "I had to draw them off. It was her best chance."
"Rick..." Sarah said softly.
"How was she supposed to find her way back on her own?" Carol interrupted. "She's just a child. She's just a child!" Tears streamed down her face as Nicki watched her sister share a sorrowful glance with Glenn.
"It was my only option," Rick insisted. "The only choice I could make."
"I'm sure nobody doubts that," Shane added, making Nicki turn to him. Rick had helped them since he arrived; he had led and protected them. She was confident he had done everything he could.
"My little girl got left in the woods," Carol sobbed, the weight of her words hanging heavily in the air.
But still, Sophia was out there alone. They could only hope she had found some safe place for the night.