NICOLETTE
"Is he alright?" Nicki heard her sister ask urgently as Rick and Shane dragged a passed-out Daryl.
"Rick, is he alright?" Sarah asked again, making the man nod.
"Andrea just grazed him," Rick answered as they kept walking towards Hershel.
Nicki observed them as they all walked by, all of them having strange, uncomfortable faces, and she felt that it wasn't just for Andrea's brilliant performance since Daryl seemed to have had one hell of a day. He was bleeding; he was bruised and pale.
"Nice show you put out there," Nicki said, crossing her arms as Andrea walked by.
"Would you ever back off?" The blond woman roared in panic as she turned to Nicolette, who shrugged her shoulders coolly before following her sister towards the house.
As she was walking, she noticed T-Dog going towards Carol, showing her a doll. Nicki observed closely, stopping on her tracks. She knew that doll. It was Sophia's doll; Morales' daughter had given it to her when they had parted ways. Nicki's eyes went back towards the house. Daryl had found something. He had finally found something. Sophia never moved without that doll, so she must have been around. Nicolette just hoped that Daryl hadn't found it very far from them.
Entering the house, Nicki saw Lori and Maggie on the side of the living room, observing Rick and Shane, who were trying to bring Daryl towards the stairs, following Hershel. Behind them, there were Glenn, Sarah, and Andrea.
"Is he going to be alright?" her sister asked, as the blond woman was trying to take a closer look at Daryl.
"How can I help?" asked Andrea urgently.
"Don't worry," Rick answered as Beth and Jimmy entered the room
"What happened?" asked the girl.
"Andrea shot Daryl," Glenn answered as Andrea kept repeating, "What can I do? Let me help."
"You've done enough already!" Sarah snapped, making everyone look at her with wide eyes.
"I'm sorry," Andrea argued. "I thought-"
"Next time, try to listen instead," Sarah said before turning and running up the stairs. Nicki was frowning at seeing her sister behave that way. Sarah's angry side was shown more often lately, but Nicolette wasn't entirely sure that she didn't like it. Usually, Sarah tried to stay calm and polite, so it was nice to see her argue back. Or maybe Nicki was thinking that just because Sarah was angry at Andrea.
"I'll go with her," Lori said before following the others upstairs, as Dale looked at Andrea fondly like always.
Nicki looked at the stairs, wondering what could have happened to Daryl and if he was alright. She hoped that he was. He could be a douchebag, but he was quite a comforting presence now, and by Sarah's reaction, she must feel like that too.
"Was it bad?" asked Andrea to Glenn, who shook his head.
"No, just the side of his head," he said, taking a breath. "Actually, we thought he was a walker too at first. Then he spoke."
"I guess we'll just have to wait to find out how bad it is," Maggie said softly, turning to Patricia.
"Should we check the food?"
"Food?" asked Nicki as she saw the blond woman nod her head and move towards the kitchen.
"Lori and Carol were cooking for everyone," Beth said, getting closer to Nicki, who frowned. "For our hospitality."
"Oh," muttered Nicolette, "I didn't know."
"Of course not," Beth said, giggling with a small smile. "You've trained all day."
Indeed, she had. Nicolette had stopped just to have something to eat or drink. T-Dog had tried to make her stop, but she didn't. She felt so frustrated. She was good with things that weren't moving, but in so many hours, she had been able to score just two times. How the hell was she supposed to help the group find Sophia? Or not let anybody walk away from her sight?
"Yeah, right," Nicki muttered before turning to get out of the house, but her eyes landed on Carl, who was looking at them behind the door ajar.
"Shouldn't you be lying down, Shorty?" Nicolette asked, leaning her shoulder on the frame of the door. Carl rolled his eyes.
"Shouldn't you stop being annoying?" he answered, opening the door and letting her enter.
"Old habits never die, I guess." As she stepped inside the room, she noticed him wearing Rick's hat.
"What's with the hat?" she asked coolly as he slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, holding his right side.
"My dad gave it to me." At his answer, she nodded her head.
That little shit had survived when nobody thought he would; that was actually impressive. Not that Nicki would have ever told him; he would get too full of himself, first the hat and now a compliment.
"My mom told me you went to get her," Carl's voice made her look up. "So that she could be here." Nicki shrugged her shoulders dismissively.
"It seemed like the best thing to do," she answered as he observed her silently before nodding his head.
"Thank you," he said.
"There's no need," she said, turning her head so that her eyes fixed on the outside world. It was crazy how Hershel's farm felt like heaven on earth, and what once was normality now seemed something so unreal. They slept in tranquillity, they ate and took walks safely, it felt like a distant dream the last time Nicki had felt that safe. Even if the thought of Sophia was a constant reminder that the world was very different, it had been days since her disappearance, and Nicki didn't like the fact that no one had been able to find her, not even by chance. Was it possible? For them to search for most of the day and not find anything?
"Why are you hating on that tree?' Carl's voice made her turn with a frown.
"What?"
"You've been hitting it all day," he said with raised brows. Nicki rolled her eyes.
"I was aiming at the cans," she answered.
"Have you forgotten how to shoot, then?" he pushed, making her glare at him.
"Quit it, smartass," she said. "I'm still good at hitting slow targets, and you don't seem to be able to run very fast these days." Carl shook his head with a snort as she took a breath.
"Sarah said you are worried about Sophia," he said after a moment.
"You surely talk a lot for someone who has been shot in the stomach," she answered coolly, not looking at him.
"Why?" He asked, making her roll her eyes again.
"I'm asocial, not selfish," she answered. "I don't have to be friends with Sophia to worry about her."
"I already know that," he said, making her frown. "Just why are you so nervous?"
"And you care about this because?" she asked, making him groan.
"Can you not answer with a question?" he complained.
"Told you," she shrugged her shoulders. "I do that when the question is stupid."
Nicki took a breath, turning her head from him and landing her gaze on her 'training camp'. She needed to practice, learn, and be reliable in that group. She didn't want to be a burden or the reason someone else got lost.
The door opened slowly to reveal Lori, who seemed surprised to see Nicolette in the room. On her face, a small, tired smile appeared.
"How is Daryl?" Carl asked curiously, making his mother frown. "I saw you from the window," he justified himself, anticipating Lori's question.
"Always sneaking at people," Nicki scoffed, causing Carl to glare at her before turning to the woman, waiting for an answer.
"He regained consciousness again," Lori said. "Hershel is taking care of him."
Tough one, Daryl Dixon was.
"My sister?" Nicki asked.
"She is still upstairs," Lori pointed with her thumb behind her back.
Sarah got truly shaken up, then. Nicolette took a breath before moving away from the window to walk to the door.
"I'll go to her," she muttered before exiting the room.
Lori must have given the same information to the others because Patricia and Carol were cooking happily, while in the living room, a relaxed atmosphere could be felt all around the house.
Nicolette climbed up the stairs to find her sister sitting on the ground in front of what was probably Daryl's room. Sarah's legs bounced nervously up and down, and her hands clenched in one another.
"We are getting aggressive, aren't we?" asked Nicki, sliding her back against the wall until she was set next to her sister, who took a breath.
"I honestly need to apologize to Andrea." Her words made Nicki frown.
"Why?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders, not understanding.
"She was trying to defend us," Sarah explained. "She was stupid, very. But she was trying to keep us safe."
"She almost killed Daryl," Nicolette argued, not understanding.
"I'm not defending her," Sarah answered back, turning to her sister. "And if I'm going to apologize, it's only because Daryl is safe. This could have ended badly, but it didn't. I want to apologize for treating her badly," Sarah explained with an almost trembling voice. She was clearly still shaken up about what had happened.
"This really scared you," Nicki stated, resting her head against the wall.
"Of course," answered Sarah with raised brows, "He really could have been dead by now, and if not for Andrea, it would have been for whatever must have happened to him out there," Nicki observed her sister; she had always worried about everyone.
"Is there someone with him?"
"Rick and Shane entered before to talk," Sarah explained. "But then they all left, even Hershel." Nicki nodded her head slowly before turning to Sarah.
"Why don't you enter then?" her words made her turn with a shocked expression that almost made Nicki snort.
"Nicolette!"
"What?" Nicki said, amused, "It is smarter than sitting on the ground looking at the door." Sarah's mouth was open, looking for an answer that never came, and that probably made Nicki giggle more.
"You're so silly," she continued. "If it were Glenn, you would have rushed in; what is stopping you this time?" Sarah observed her keeping her eyes wide before turning towards the window. Nicolette didn't get it at all. If she wanted to know how he was that badly, nothing would stop her. Nicki then took a breath before standing up and walking to the door.
"Nicki," Sarah whisper-yelled at her, but Nicki had already knocked on the door.
"Hey, old man," she said, trying not to be too loud. "Sarah wants to see you; can we enter?"
"Nicolette!" Sarah exclaimed, quickly getting up and trying to stop her from opening the wooden door. It was already too late as Nicolette entered the room. It was a cozy bedroom, with a soft orange light that made it seem very wormy. Daryl was lying on the bed under the thin sheet that he was holding closer to his chest. His blue eyes were wide, and his head was bandaged to cover the fresh stitches on the side of his forehead.
"Jeez, you really look like shit," Nicki said, crossing her arms as Sarah slapped her behind the back of her head.
"I'm sorry, Daryl," Sarah said, glaring at her sister. "She usually behaves."
But the man just shrugged his shoulders under the sheets. Nicki observed her sister, and her eyes softened when she looked at Daryl.
"How are you feeling?" she asked kindly. Nicki found herself frowning a bit as she observed how Daryl looked at them: startled, uneasy, and shy—a very different man from the one who had yelled at her that morning.
After a few moments of silence, he whispered, "I'm fine." Sarah smiled a little.
"We'll leave you now; you need rest," she said, pushing Nicki slightly towards the door. Before they could go out, Sarah turned once again. "Please don't go around alone again. You've made us all worried. But... I'm glad you're alright."
Nicolette observed her sister, with raised eyebrows, smiling at Daryl. She had seen them getting on each other's throats since the CDC, then getting along pretty well, then glaring from afar, but whatever was going on, Nicki could see Sarah's worry and Daryl's surprise hearing her say those words.
"What?" asked Sarah, not loudly, as she closed the door behind herself. Probably, Nicolette was staring at her, too caught up in her thoughts.
"Nothing," Nicolette said, shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe we're really growing fond of these people."
"It's comforting having all of them with us," Sarah said as they started to make their way downstairs.
"Is it wise, though?" asked Nicki, thinking about Amy, Jim, and Jaqui. She remembered them; every morning, her mind went to them for some moments. She still remembered how Jaqui would greet her in the morning, smiling motherly at her, or how Amy would sit down just to know if she was doing alright, always finding something to tell or talk about. Nicki remembered Jim too; he was silent and observant, he didn't talk much, but somehow whenever he said something it made her think. Nicolette hadn't known them for long, but she missed them sometimes.
Then, they had lost Sophia in just a few moments. It had been days now, and the more time passed, the more Nicolette became impatient. She had thought of going to find her, tired of staying back, tired of the guilt. But then she remembered how it took her five arrows to put down a walker. If she went out alone, she probably would get herself in more danger, putting everyone in danger. She didn't want to be the cause of anyone getting hurt, killed, or lost like it had happened with Sophia.
"I think it's important to rely on other people," Sarah said. "It's difficult to make it on your own, both in the old world and in this." Nicki thought about her sister's words.