Daddy's Little Girl

Daddy - 10

Kat’s P.O.V 

My eyes began to open as the sun peaked through the small openings in the stitching of the tent. Yawning as I sit up and stretch out my muscles. As I sit there rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, realization hits me like a ton of bricks. It wasn’t a dream... I-We’re here, in this group, with both of our, pardon my French, f*****g families? What are the odds!? I can’t help the little bubble of laughter that escapes my mouth, finally some good luck. At the door zipper lies a stack of neatly folded clothes for me I presume. I quickly change, leaving my old clothes in a similar fashion before heading out. The first person I see is Reggie. We walk up to each other, hugging as we meet halfway. 

“Morning.” I greet. 

“Morning, how’d you sleep?” He asks genuinely as he stretches.  

“Like a rock, you?”  

“Guess that makes two of us.” He jokes as we walk up to the R.V. with the occasional ‘Morning’ from the others in this group. “You seem to be in a better mood.” Reggie points out.  

“I may have overreacted last night, but it wasn’t your fail, it wasn’t anyone’s fault really... Only Earles, and hey! Maybe this is the universe finally getting back at him from being a colossal asshole?” I try to explain.  

“I like your optimism, Kat!” Reggie jokes as we approach the R.V and find Billie, a middle-aged mother of one, doing some laundry. Her dusty curls poking out of her short ponytail,  

“Morning.” She says, “They're still a little damp. The sun'll have 'em dry in no time.” She smiles sweetly.  

“You washed our clothes?” I ask in confusion.  

“Well, best we could. Scrubbing on a washboard ain't half as good as my old Maytag back home.” She laughs lightly to herself.  

“That’s very kind.” Reggie says. 

“Thank you.” I smile. The two of us move on, finding David watching the other men dismantle our baby like vultures. 

“Look at 'em! Vultures!” David cries, sharing the same thought as me he lazily rests his arm around my shoulders. “Yeah, go on, strip it clean!” He jokes raising his voice a little causing me to giggle. 

“Generators need every drop of fuel they can get, got no power without it. Sorry, David, Kathryne.” Roy says while walking away, gas can in hand.  

“Thought we'd get to drive it at least one more time...” David sighs looking down at me.  

“Maybe we'll get to steal another one someday.” Reggie jokes, messing up David’s hair before finding his wife. 

“So, you and Clyde...” David says quietly as Reggie is no longer in hearing distance.  

“Me and Clyde? Since when was there a ‘me and Clyde’?” I ask not taking my eyes off the heap of a car.  

“Well, I did see him go into your tent last night. Came out a whileeeee later.” I look at him with a raised eyebrow. “Anything happen?” He asks wiggling his eyebrows at me. 

“If you’re gettin’ at what I think you’re gettin’ at David, and trust me that wouldn’t end well for you. But, no. He’s askin’ if I was okay and all, which I wasn’t, then I fell asleep and he must a left after.”  

“Do you like him?” 

“I just met him.” 

“Okay, whatever you say Kat!” He laughs obnoxiously before walking off. I let out a little laugh as I walk around camp. Even if I did like him, there’s no way in hell I’m telling David. In the distance, I hear a car driving up the hill, daddy?! I run over towards the car to find Derrick jump out. Great…  I feel somewhat disappointed, Roy said he would be coming back today, just don’t know when.  

“Water's here, y'all! Just a reminder to boil before use.” He states as he walks off. I’ve always loved jeeps, maybe Reggie could steal me one of those someday… I look over at Reggie and it looks like he and Irene are in a deep conversation, so I decided to walk deeper around the camp, kicking a rock as I walk. Everyone stopped in their place as a girl’s scream echo's through the forest. The bulk of us run towards the sound as she calls out for her mamma. A group member hands Reggie crowbar a and I a shovel.  

“Clyde? Baby?” Irene yells as we run towards the screams. We reach the screams and the mother runs to her children. I continue to follow the adults deeper into the woods, we find a Walker eating a buck that has been shot multiple times with arrows. Those arrows look strangely familiar. I think to myself as the Walker stands up and goes after Reg, only to be hit in the head with his crowbar, then with the butt of Derrick’s gun, then everyone else’s weapons. Until Roy chops its head off with an axe.  

“It's the first one we've had up here. They never come this far up the mountain.” Roy describes shocked and confused as he rests his axe on his shoulder.  

“Well, they're running out of food in the city, that's what.” Derrick explains. All of a sudden, a branch snaps and we all turn and lift our weapons, ready for the next one to come out except it’s a man with a crossbow, no its… it’s my daddy! 

“Oh, Jesus.” Derrick says under his breath.  

“Son of a b***h! That's my deer! Look at it. All gnawed on by this,” He grumbles while kicking the dead Walker with fury, his boot getting stuck inside the walker. “Filthy, disease-bearing, motherless poxy bastard!” He says trying to free his foot after each kick. 

“Daddy?” I call dropping my shovel. He slowly turns around and looks at me like he’s seen a ghost. I take small steps towards him, pushing my way through the group as he drops his bow and runs towards me, picking me up and hugging me.  

“Kitty Kat?” He says softly, more to himself than me I think as he hugs me tightly, burying his face in my hair as he breaths deeply. “I-I though… I thought you were dead...” 

“Well, here I am!” I say laughing and crying as I pull myself out of his iron grip to get a look at his face, cupping his recently shaven cheeks in my hands. “I thought you were dead.” I whisper to him as more tears fall. 

“You know the family motto.” He says almost mockingly as he wipes my tears away with his thumb. 

“Nothing kills a Dougherty but a Dougherty.” We both say laughing.  

“When’d you get here?” He asks finally while putting me down, “How’d you get here?” 

“Someone’s got a lot of questions?” I tease, wiggling my nose. 

“God, you’ve gotten so big now! You look just like your mamma.” He says in awe, backing away from me to get a good look, head to toe.  

“I got here yesterday, at the hospital I met this man,” I answer pointing at Reggie, noticing most have gone back to the camp which I’m glad for. “And the two of us went all the way to Atlanta to find our families. Found Uncle Earle, and now we’re here.” I explain briefly as we begin to walk back to the main area of the camp. 

“Earle’s back?” He questions, looking around the camp. “Earle! Earle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel! Let's stew 'em up.” He calls out, walking ahead and resting his crossbow near the RV.  I keep my distance from this disaster waiting to happen, staying silent as I glare at that b***h, Trinity and her annoying-ass sister.   

“Daryl, just slow up a bit. I need to talk to you…” Derrick says slowing my daddy down. 

“About what?” He asks confused and irate. 

“About Earle. There was a… There was a problem in Atlanta.” Derrick explains. 

“He dead?” Daddy asks a ping of sadness in his eyes.   

“We're not sure…” Derrick says. 

“He either is or he ain't!” Daddy declares raising his voice, that little ping is replaced quickly replaced with a fire of anger.   

“No easy way to say this, so I'll just say it.” Reggie says stepping up. 

“Who are you?” Daddy asks looking at Reggie.  

“Reginald Graves.” Reg answers, eyes shifting to mine before looking back.  

“Reginald Graves!” addy says mockingly, “you got something you want to tell me?” He questions, growing more livid by the minute. Like father like daughter, short fuse.  

“Your brother was a danger to us all, so I handcuffed him on a roof, hooked him to a piece of metal. He's still there.” Reggie explains plainly. 

“Hold on… Let me process this.” Daddy says, taking a deep breath and wiping his hands down his face before speaking again. “You're saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof, and you left him there?!” He yells in Reggie’s face.  

“Daddy.” I call, trying to grab his attention but fail as he ignores my call. In an instant, he throws the squirrels at Reggie and goes for his crossbow. Reggie easily dodges them and Derrick body checks my daddy to the gravel road. 

“Hey!” Tre yells coming out of nowhere, trying to break up the scuffle.  

“Derrick!” I yell. Daddy quickly gets up and pulls out a knife, keeping it low. I stand in shock, never seeing him this aggressive before.  

“Watch the knife!”  Tre calls out. Daddy takes a swing at Reggie but misses, then Reggie and Derrick grab a hold of him and disarm him of his knife, with their efficiency it's obvious they’ve done this before.  

“Okay. Okay.” Derrick says trying to calm Daddy down.  

“You'd best let me go!” Daddy yells.   

“Nah, I think it's better if I don't.” Derrick says putting him in a chokehold. I push my way through the cluster of people, yelling as I go.  

“Derrick! Derrick get off him!” I yell beating my fist against his back until Reggie comes up and pulls the two apart. I move closer to my daddy but not beside him, confused by his earlier actions.  

“Choke hold's illegal.” Daddy struggles to say, rubbing his neck.  

“You can file a complaint.” Derrick sasses, acting like a smartass. “Come on, man. We'll keep this up all day.” Derrick calls out. 

“Calm down.” Reggie snaps at Derrick. His jaw clenches but he doesn’t speak. “I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic. Do you think we can manage that?”  

“Yeah.” Daddy says shortly. Sitting on top of the picnic table in front of the RV.  

“What I did was not on a whim. Your brother does not work and play well with others.” Reggie says to my daddy. 

“It's not Reginald's fault,” Tre says from behind us causing all of us to face him. “I had the key… I dropped it.”  

“You couldn't pick it up?” Daddy asks raising his voice. 

“Well, I dropped it in a drain.” Tre clarifies.  

“If it's supposed to make me feel better, it don't.” Daddy says walking over to him.  

“Well, maybe this will…. Look, I chained the door to the roof. So the geeks couldn't get at him. With a padlock.” 

“It's gotta count for something.” Reggie adds. My daddy looks in between them, with tears in his eyes.  

“Hell with all y'all! Just tell me where he so is we can go get him.” Daddy demands, standing in front of me.  

“He’ll show you.” Irene speaks up, looking straight at her husband. “Isn't that right?” She asks. 

“I’m gonin’ back.” Reggie says. My daddy walks off and I follow him. He picks up his crossbow and walks to my tent. Guess it was really his. 

“Who the hells was in my tent?!” He yells. 

“Me.” I say quietly behind him. I hate it when he’s mad, he always does stupid s**t. And I’ve never seen him this mad ever. Guess that what happens when Earle’s always in your ear.  

“Oh.. Okay.” I all he says before he starts tearing the place up looking for something.  

“I’m sorry,” I say fidgeting with my fingers as I stand in front of the door, not moving since we stepped in. “About Uncle Earle... When we left Atlanta yesterday, I was with David so I thought he was with the others, in the truck. And-and last night when I found out they left him there I threw a fit. And Reggie isn’t a bad guy Daddy. He means well, he’s good. You just got to get to know him is all… I-I don’t know what happened since we last saw each other but you’re-you’re different now, it’s almost like I don’t know who you are anymore. I-I I came looking for you Daddy, why weren’t you looking for me? Why did you leave me?” I ramble, tears spilling out of my eyes as he turns to face me, a sombre expression on his face as he drops all the things in his hands and steps towards me, and I step back. “Is Earle more important than me, your daughter?” I break after that, sobs racking my body as his two big, strong arms wrapped around me, pick me up and pull me closer to him.  

“I love you more than anyone or anything in the world, never, ever forget that.” He says with all seriousness as he pulls me down to look at him. “You are my flesh and blood, and I would kill and die for you, Kathrine. You mean everything to me and you know I'll never hurt you. You know that don’t you?” He questions, tears building in his eyes as he asks. I nod my head, unable to talk as I’m scared, I might start crying again. “Earle is... Earle is who he is, and no matter how hard I’ve tried that’ll never change, especially now. When-when all this happened, I went to get you but it was already overrun with the military, and then it got overrun and-and I tried. Then all I had was Earle, and I’d go weeks without sleeping, or eating, or living really. Days faded into days that faded into months before we wound up here, and this was better than just me and him but he’s still my brother at the end of it all.” He explains, looking down at the floor. “But look at you.” He looks up quickly, smiling slightly, a few tears rolling down his cheeks. “Look at the woman you’re becoming. More capable than any of those yahoos out there.” He jokes and I can’t help but laugh. “You’re so grown, even more beautiful than I remember.” I hug him as tight as I can, and he does the same, without hurting me.  

“I love you Daddy, I’m glad we found each other.”  

“I love you too Kitty Kat, I’ll never lose you again.” He says kissing my forehead. I haven’t heard that nickname in what seems like years. We stay like that for a few moments, my heart resting on his chest as I listen to his strong heartbeat. “Oh! I got somethin’ for you.” He says pulling away, turning and searing through one of many bags he has in the tent. My Crossbow!  

“I thought I had lost it!” I gasp, taking it on my hands and looking it over. Still in mint conditions. He’s been taking care of it for me.  

“Still remember how to use it right?” He asks jokingly. 

“Well, I did learn from the best.” I say nudging him as I fidget with it. “Daddy.” 

“Yes, Kat?”  

“How’d I end up in the hospital?” I ask. “Ever since I woke up I can’t seem to remember what happened.” I explain, putting my crossbow down.  

“Remember that day we was gonna go for our summer hunting/fishing trip?” 

“Yeah, why?” 

“Well Earle said he wanted to come, so I said yes. And before he got there you went inside you get your stuff and that’s when Earle show’d. Me and him got into a fight, beat my ass like always,  you came out, found me on the floor and tried to get me to the house… That’s when Earle came and hit you upside the head with a bat, knocked you out cold, I thought he killed you….” He said getting worked up, “took you to the hospital, doctors said you had head trauma, said you were gonna be in a coma for months. I never left your side while you were in there. Stopped talkin’ to Earle too! That was until the virus started, I went to the hospital but the military wouldn’t let me in or anyone out, and when I did go to get you I-I was too late and it was overrun and I thought they got you. After that I found Earle, he was all I had after I thought I lost you...”  

“It’s okay daddy, I’m here now... We’re together, and we’re never gonna get separated again. Now let's go find this son of a b***h, I got quite the bone to pick with him when we drag his sorry ass back here.” I explain, wiping our tears and make us look presentable. 

“Sounds like a plan to me darlin’.” He smiles, grabbing our matching bows before heading out.