“Hmmm..”

The sound of someone groaning inside the RV softly resonated.

“What time is it?”

Michael grumbled as he rolled on the bed and grabbed his watch to look at the time.

It was 4:07 in the afternoon. He glanced towards the window and could hear some people talking outside.

Michael crawled towards the window and slid shutters to look outside.

“What the? Why are we still here?”

Outside, there were people constantly on the move while talking. He was expecting another scenery, but unfortunately, it was still the same one from the last time he looked through this window.

They are still on Interstate 85.

Michael hurriedly got out of bed and was about to leave when the door to the RV suddenly opened up with Andrea by the door.

“You’re up? I got your share for dinner.” Andrea handed him a plate of food. It was just a sandwich stuffed with beans.

Michael took it and placed it down by the counter. “Why are we still here? Why hasn't the caravan left yet?”

“We’re low on food. The group decided to stay for one more day. They want to look for more additional supplies inside those abandoned cars.” Andrea and Michael came down the RV.

“What do you mean low on food? We just looted the motel yesterday and we probably got some more from the abandoned cars here.” Michael was a little frustrated. This wasn’t part of the plan.

“Yeah, but there’s a lot of us here.”

Michael looked around him, but only saw Dale, Glenn, Lori and a few others from the main group.

“Where’s Rick and the others?”

“They went out hunting with Daryl. Why?” Andrea is growing a little confused with the way Michael is behaving right now.

Listening to her words, it calmed him down somewhat. “For how long have they been gone?”

“Two hours ago? I’m not sure.” Andrea shrugged her shoulders, then stared at him. “What’s wrong with you? Are you okay?”

“I’m okay. I’m just confused about why we haven’t left yet.” Michael smiled at her.

“Hey, Michael.”

While Andrea and Michael were on a corner talking to each other. Carol, along with Sophia slowly approached them.

“Carol. How are you doing, kid?” Michael gave a nod to Carol and a smile to Sophia.

Sophia smiled at him and suddenly went over to hug him.

“Whoa, I’ve been getting a lot of hugs lately huh.” Michael chuckled and gently patted the girl’s head.

“Thank you. I don’t know any other way to thank you for saving Sophia other than my sincerity. Thank you so much. You don’t know how much it meant to me when you brought my baby back alive” Carol’s voice started to crack in between her words and even gave him a hug at the end of it.

“If you want, I can make you any food that you want later. You know, when things finally settle down around here and we have our own kitchen.”

Michael looked at her and smiled. “Yeah, that sounds nice.”

“Thank you, Michael!” Sophia looked up and smiled at him. She gave him one final hug before letting go.

Carol smiled once more before taking her daughter with her back to Lori and the others.

“It seems you’ve charmed another birdie.” Andrea let out a chuckle.

Michael turned to her and ignored her passing remark. “Wait, did Rick bring his kid with them?”

“I haven’t seen Carl since then. So yeah, I think they did actually. Why are you asking about them all of a sudden?” Though confused at Michael’s sudden curiosity to others, Andrea still answered him.

‘Going out hunting with Daryl, It would be different this time, right?’

“Nothing. I just think that we should have left this place shortly after I came back with the kid.” Michael just shook his head and smiled at her. Though he was sighing helplessly inside.

‘I should have mentioned it to them before I took a rest. I would still prefer the prison with its defenses still standing or resuming the journey to Fort Benning.’

While the two were talking, there was a familiar woman ascending the slope leading to the highway near their location. Though, she was quickly blocked by someone when she reached the highway.

“Hi, is Lori here?”

“W-who are you?” One of the women scavenging on one of the abandoned cars got startled by the voice behind her. She quickly turned around and pointed her spear at the newcomer while stuttering in her words.

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The other survivors noticed what was going on and quickly gathered towards them. The woman, seeing what was happening, gripped her wooden bat tightly.

“Who are you?” Alongside Glenn, Dale inquired the moment they arrived. The former seemed lovestruck while staring at her.

“I’m Maggie, but that’s not important. Rick sent me here to look for Lori Grimes, his wife. Is she here?” The woman calmly explained but with urgency in her voice.

Lori quickly moved past the crowd when she heard her name being mentioned; with Michael and Andrea just following behind her. “I’m Lori. What happened?”

“Your husband sent me here. You’ve got to come with me now!” With urgency in her tone, Maggie took a step towards Lori.

“What?” Lori was just as confused as the others.

Maggie released a frustrated sigh. “There’s been an accident. Carl’s been shot. Your son is still alive, but you’ve gotta come with me now.”

Frustrated and annoyed, Michael closed his eyes and massaged his temples.

‘It seems it still happened. This is what I was scared of. I was trying to prevent our encounter until much later.’

Lori stared at her, petrified at the news.

“Rick needs you. Just come with me!” Maggie raised her voice when she noticed the dazed look on Lori’s face.

Lori regained her senses and quickly walked towards her.

“Hold up, we don't know this gal!” Alan quickly cautioned but Lori just ignored him.

Maggie grabbed her and hastily led her over the guard rail.

“Backtrack to Fairburn Road. Two miles down is our farm. You’ll see the mailbox. The name is Greene. Come on, let’s go!” Maggie left them with directions where they could find them before taking Lori with her down the slope. The crowd can only watch as the two women rode away on a horse.

“Alright people, pack up. Let’s get to that farm before sundown! Glenn, you take charge with this.” Michael relayed a series of orders and the people immediately dispersed.

“Eh, why me?” Glenn was startled that his name was brought up to lead them.

Michael moved beside him and placed his hand on Glenn’s shoulder. “Well, you’re the one who’s been holding the map the entire time. You can do it.”

“How does that even make sense? Why can’t you do it?”

“I need to be somewhere else. You take charge of the caravan with Dale.” Michael’s words made everyone who heard him turn their heads.

“Are you leaving? I’m going with you.” Andrea was the most affected.

“No, I need to do this myself.” Michael didn’t want her to come.

“What? Why?”

Michael turned around and got his face as close as possible to hers. “Because it’s dangerous and I don’t know if I'd be as lucky as last time with Sophia. Now, go over and help your sister pack. I want you to assist Glenn and Dale in looking after our people. Understand?”

Andrea was a little intimidated and meekly nodded in response. “Alright. But be careful”

“I will, sugar.” Michael smiled and patted her head.

“Cole! Alan!”

“Yeah?”

“Can you two get one of these abandoned cars running for me?” Michael demanded.

The two men immediately dropped what they were doing and quickly went over to him.

Cole and Alan exchanged glances, before the latter pointed at a vehicle on the opposite lane. “Actually, you see that flatbed pickup truck over there?”

Michael turned to look and saw a modified red pickup truck. The sight made him smile at the two. “You two fixed it?”

“No, We found a spare key inside and found out that it still runs. Are you going somewhere? Can I come?” Cole implored, looking very eager. Alan, on the other hand, it's clear he didn’t wanna come. He already overheard earlier that Michael was going somewhere dangerous.

“Not this time. Anyway, you two heard of Cranwall High School before?”

“I do, but I don’t know where it is. Jill knows it though. She studied there.” Cole was quick to respond.

“Alright, bring her here with you. I need directions to that place.” Michael ordered. He looked around before he spotted the person he’s looking for.

“Glenn!”

“What?!”

“Do you have the map with you?” He asked while walking over.

Glenn quickly turned his head towards him. “Yeah~ why?”

“Bring it here. I want to find something.”

Glenn went inside the RV and brought the map with him. He laid it out on top of the hood of an abandoned car. Some people who had gotten curious, slowly gathered around them.

Just in time, Cole and his girlfriend, Jill, were just arriving. “I heard you’re looking for me?”

“Yeah, I want you to give me the location of Cranwall High School on the map.” Michael nodded and pointed at the map before them.

“The school is over here.” Glenn handed her a pen and Jill marked the location of the high school on the map. Michael immediately copied the location on a smaller map that someone gave him.

“Why are you going there?”

“Yeah~. Why are you going there, Michael?” Andrea seconded Jill.

Michael addressed the curious crowd. “The government had set up a FEMA shelter there. I’ve been there before. I just don't know the way there from here. Since Carl had been shot, then I’m sure that the farm doesn’t have the necessary things they need to operate on that kid.”

“Alone? Are you crazy?” Dale immediately voiced his dissatisfaction on this lone endeavor.

“You bastard must be crazy!”

“Do you have to do it alone? Why can’t you bring someone with you? Why don’t you bring Glenn with you?”

Andrea, alongside his sister Amy, also opposed it. Michael also noticed Jacqui, with her hands wrapped around Alan’s arm, silently shaking her head at him. Even this suicidal woman knows that what he’s trying to do is suicide.

The other people too opposed Michael’s decision on this. Carol just silently stood by and watched.

Michael raised his hand and the noisy chatter receded like a tide.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and addressed. “Look, I know it’s dangerous. That’s why I’m going there by myself. I can take care of myself, but can you when we’re in a situation where we are suddenly surrounded by walkers in every direction? I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but aside from Rick, Shane, Daryl and our supply runners. Most of you here have only killed what, one or two walkers so far? I’ve been doing supply runs by myself for almost a month before I joined you guys. I can do this. Besides, those on the farm would probably head there too, so I can meet up with them.”

His words silenced everyone even more. They were slightly hurt, but they don’t have anything to retort with when it's the truth.

“There's a hospital closer to that school. Wouldn’t they go there instead?” Among the crowd, someone who’s around the area voiced her thoughts.

“The hospital is a no go. We saw it burning when we were escaping the city.” Jill cleared that up.

“...”

“Alright, with that out of the way. Glenn will take temporary command over the group alongside Dale. Only until the caravan reaches the farm that is. Now, everyone move along and get ready to depart. We’ll move out in half an hour!”

Everyone slowly dispersed while the two sisters remained around him.

“Do you really need to go?" Andrea looks reluctant.

Amy had already given up trying to change his mind and instead offered her support. “Just take care out there and come back to us in one piece. Alive.”

“Don’t worry about me. Just get ready to leave.”

Michael smiled at them and went over to the other lane of the highway. Cole was already there waiting for him beside the pickup truck with the keys in his hand.

“Don’t die. Live.” Cole said as he handed over the keys to him before he reluctantly walked away. He really wanted to go with him.

Michael smiled and felt like he had heard those words from someone before.

Thirty minutes later.

[Is everyone aboard? Let’s go!]

Glenn’s voice came through the radio inside the bus. Alan was driving and carefully put it in reverse, with the RV and Cole riding on Daryl’s bike, trailing after them.

Soon, the caravan resumed their journey, but this time, with a new destination.

The caravan drove for another two miles and reached a junction and took a left there, while Michael on the pickup truck broke off from them and continued ahead. Andrea, along with some others watched him drive away from the back of the bus.