Daddy's Little Girl

Walkers - 2

Reginald’s P.O.V

I wake up for the second time that day in a strange room unaware of where I am, but this time with a rope tied tightly around my wrists and ankles, digging into my skin. There is a young boy standing in the doorway with a bat in hand watching me intensely. Kathryne is across the room tied to another bed, fully clothed but unconscious. I hear noise coming from my right, I turn as much as I’m able and see a man with his back towards me taking off rubber gloves before washing his hands.

“Got that bandage changed now, was pretty rank. What was it? The wound?” He asks, back still facing me.

“Gunshot.” I tell him looking over at Kathryne again, still unconscious. How long have we been out for? It’s pretty dark out. I think to myself trying to get a grip on the situation.

“Gunshot? What else, anything?” The man presses.

“Gunshot ain’t enough?” I ask in a snarky tone.

“Look. I ask and you answer, it’s common courtesy right?” He asks getting up in my face. “Did you get bit?”

“Bit?” I ask confused by his question. Bit by what?

“Bit, chewed, maybe scratched. Anythin’ like that?”

“No I got shot.” I say, “Just shot as far as I know.” He raises he hand and tries to put it over my face, what the hell is he doin’? I ask myself as I try to move away.

“Hey just let me.” Ok. I let him feel my head, he must be checking if I have a fever or something. He looks towards the boy who I assume is his son and tells him that I feel cooler now.

“Fever would a kill you by now.” He tells me.

“I don’t think I have one.”

“It’d be hard to miss.” He says as he looks at his son, then takes out a knife from his back pocket. “Take a moment... Look how sharp it is, if you or her try anythin’, I will kill both of you with it and don’t you think I won’t.” He says right before he cuts me loose and then walks over to Kathryne and cuts her loose as well. “Come on out when you’re able.” He says as he walks out of the room with his son. I get out of my bed and walk over to Kathryne just as she begins to wake up.

Kat’s P.O.V

I wake up to find myself lying on a strange bed in a strange room with Reginald sitting at my feet.

“Where are we? What happened?” I ask, sitting up in a shock as he gets up and wraps a blanket around himself.

“Kathryne it’s okay, we’re safe... A man and his son have taken us to their home. Come with me.”

“Reginald, you can call me Kat…. If you like…” I say as he hands me a blanket and smiles.

“You can call me Reggie.” I smile back as I follow him downstairs to join the man and his son. Only one other person calls me Kat... Daddy. I haven’t noticed until now how little I thought about him, and how much I miss him. I know he’s out there somewhere and I need to find him. My thoughts are interrupted with the sound of squeaking staircase as we head downstairs, each step louder than the last. I hear the sound of dishes and cutlery clanking, and when we reach the kitchen the father and son are setting up the table for what looks like dinner. As we walk in, they stop what they’re doing and look up at us. I walk into the kitchen as Reggie walks into the living room. I sit beside the boy and give him a friendly smile as he gives one in return.

“Hi. I’m Dwight.” He says holding his hand out.

“Kathryne.” I say shaking his hand.

“This place, it's Fred and Cindy Drake’s.” Reggie mentions as he walks around the room.

“Never met ‘em.” The man shrugs.

“I’ve been here. This is their place.” Reggie states.

“It was empty when we got here.” The man tells Reg. He walks up to the window, and just as he was about to look outside the man tells him not to because ‘they’ll’ see the light. Who will see the light?

“There’s more of ‘em out there than usual. I never should have fired that gun today. The sound draws them, now they’re all over the street.” He explains to Reggie.

“What is your dad talkin’ bout? Draws who?” I ask Dwight.

“The Walkers.” He says in a hushed whisper as the man and Reggie enter the kitchen. Walkers?

“You shot that man today.” Reggie remarks he sits down beside me.

“Man?” The man questions.

“That were no man,” Dwight says.

“What the hell was that out your mouth just now?” The man asks his son in a sharp tone.

“It ‘wasn’t’ a man.” Dwight corrects himself.

“You shot him, in this street, out front, a man.” Reggie says getting a little worked up, him being a Sherriff and all.

“For him, you need glasses, it was a Walker.” He tells Reginald as he starts to put food on everyone’s plates. Right when Reggie and I were about to chow down, Dwight tells his daddy to bless the food. Great, I wasn’t a Christian then and I ain’t gonna be a Christian now. And I can’t even remember the last time I had food… I think to myself as Dwight grabs one hand and Reggie grabs the other. “Father, we thank thee for this food. Thy blessings we ask you to watch over us in these, crazy days. Amen.” He prays quickly, right as he finishes Reggie and I plow into our food like there is no tomorrow, and how things are going tomorrow doesn’t look too bright.

“Hey, do you two even know what’s going on?” He asks looking at both of us.

“We woke up today.” Reginald answers, “In the hospital. Came home, that’s all we know.”

“But you know about the dead people, right?” He asks and I look at him with wide eyes.

“Yeah, we saw a lot of that. Out on the loading dock, hauling trucks.” Reggie says looking sorry.

“No, not the ones they put down. The ones they didn’t. The Walkers, like the one I shot today. ‘cause he’d a ripped into the both of yous. Try to eat you, take him some flesh at least.” Reggie looks over at me; confusion all over his face. A very world crushing feeling hit me as my appetite left, a sick uneasy feeling rooting deep in the pit of my stomach as the two men converse. “I guess this is the first you’re hearin’, I know how this must sound.” He says looking at me and Reggie very carefully.

“They’re out there now, in the street?” Reggie questions, still looking confused.

“Yeah... They’re more active after dark sometimes. Maybe it’s the cool are or hell, maybe it’s just me firing up that gun today... But we’ll be fine as long as we stay quiet. Probably wonder off by mornin’. Listen, one thing I do know, don’t you get bit. I saw your bandage and that’s why we were afraid of… Bites kill ya, the fever burns you out. But then after a while, you come back.” The man clarifies with equal pain and sadness in his eyes. After we all fell silent, sitting in our thoughts.

“Seen it happen...” Dwight discloses, breaking the silence. The only thing I can think of is my Daddy. What if he’s out there? What if he’s looking for me? What if he got bit? What if he’s one of Them? No! My Daddy wouldn’t get bit; hell he doesn’t even like it when people touch his things let alone him. He’s out there… I know it, I just gotta find him.

“I’m Geroge, Geroge Jones and this is my son, Dwight.” The man, Geroge intrudes.

“Reginald Graves and Kathryne Dougherty.” Reginald says for the both of us.

*** 

After dinner Geroge and Dwight sit on a makeshift bed at the center of the room, I lie on a couch across the bed staring at the ceiling, and Reginald is leaning up against the couch.

“Clyde, heya son?” Geroge asks, “Well you said his name today.”

“He’s about your boys' age.” Reggie explains.

“And he’s with his mother?”

“I hope so.” Reggie sighs looking at the boarded-up windows. Dwight calls for his father asking if he asked Reginald something. Asked him what? Reggie and I look at each other before looking at them.

“Your gunshot, we got a little bet goin’ on. My boy says you were a bank robber.” Geroge laughs. Reggie and I can’t help but let out a little laugh.

“Yeah, that’s me, Deadliest Dillinger. Kapow!” Reggie jokes, “Sheriff’s deputy.” Geroge just nods his head, until a car alarm goes off bring all of us to our feet.

“Hey, its okay Daddy’s here.” George says to Dwight, trying to keep him calm. “It’s nothing, one of ‘em must’ve bumped a car.”

“You sure?” I ask, trying to catch a glimpse of the outside through the crack in the boards.

“Happened once before, went off of a few minutes.” Reginald tells me to stay put as George tells Dwight to get the lights.

“It’s the blue one down the street, same one as last time, I think we’re ok.” He says Dwight goes towards them and looks out the window as well. I walk back to the couch and stare at them.

“She’s here...” Dwight says as he looks out the window. She who?

“Don’t look! Get away from the windows! I said go, come on!” Geroge says pulling his son away from the window. Dwight runs back to the bed and starts crying, his father is trying to calm him down as I watch Reggie walks towards the front door and looks out the peephole. What the hell is going on? I hear the doorknob being jiggled and walk over to Reggie and look out the peephole to see one of the Walkers trying to open the door. She looks normal to me, besides her sunken skin... Reggie takes my hand and leads me back to the couch.

“She uh, she died in the other room, on that bed... Nothin’, I can do about it. That fever man, her skin gave off heat like a furnace. Should have put her down, I should have put her down! I know that, but... You know what I just didn't have it in me. She's the mother of my child.” Geroge illustrates, trying not to breakdown. I don’t know what else to do, so I just went back towards the couch and fell asleep, because sleep is something I really need right now.