{ don't let me down }

With a nice spot within camp, though still some distance away from the others, DJ laid there with a jacket being used as a pillow and his mother’s hair clip in hand. It had still been day, but DJ knew he needed to rest before he’d find himself collapsing and passing out out of nowhere. However, the troubles behind his lack of sleep still remained so instead DJ only examined the hair clip in hand. Thoughts of his mother roaming free in his mind as he thought about a life that could have been. A happy life? Or maybe even this same life and at least having her by his side.

He was lost in his own thoughts that he almost couldn’t hear someone walking towards his direction, unsure if they were actually approaching him or not. Regardless it was enough for him to react quick and shove the hair clip back into his pocket with his eyes glancing over to the side where the other was. “It’s kinda hard to some rest around here, isn’t it?” He asked as his body shifted around a bit. Unfortunately for him this was as comfortable as it would get.

Trying to think back to everyone’s “breakfast”, she noted a face that was missing. DJ. Turning to glance over her shoulder at the for the most part currently deserted camp, it didn’t take long for her eyes to fall on his form. The man was lying on the ground, his back was to her, but with the lack of it slowly and rising from sleep - she assumed he was just resting. Wiping her hands off as best she could on her fading jeans, Shaylee placed the wet clothes she had just soaked on a tree branch and approached DJ with the can of food in her palm. Immediately feeling like she was intruding after his comment, she felt her cheeks grow even warmer with a blush. “Oh my God, were you sleeping?” Feeling embarrased, Shaylee stuck a freshly clean plastic fork into the offering in her hand. “Sorry I just...I didn’t see you eat anything earlier, wanted to make sure you ate...” Setting the dented, half full can of beans on the dirt beside him, she kneeled at his side. Uncomfortable silence was the only thing she truly hated in the world, she shifted a little in her spot, clearing her throat. “Are you okay? Feeling okay? You aren’t feeling like sick are you?”

“Those things are unpredictable. If they travel like damn herds, you’re screwed.” He replied bluntly. Malcolm had to stop himself from laughing at Shaylee, the way that she was waving a knife as if it’d stop all of them. “Having a knife doesn’t mean shit if there’s multiple walkers.” 

 He didn’t know why, but he practically invited himself to sit with her, plopping himself down next to her. “What could you possibly be thinkin’ about right now?” 

“Nothin’...” She huffed, trying to keep her eyes anywhere but on his. Silence fell for a moment and it made her uncomfortable, she had always hated things being too quiet. Sighing, she rolled her eyes again. “I’m thinkin’ that we’re running low on resources. Thinkin’ that I’d probably kill to sleep on anything that isn’t the ground. Thinkin’ that I don’t want everyone to be suffering like this, there’s gotta be somethin’ out there that could help us...” Unable to catch herself from letting the next statement slip from her lips, she felt her chest tighten slightly. “Thinkin’ about my brother. Hoping he’s okay. Hoping he made it, somehow...he’s a lot stronger than I am, a lot braver. He deserves to be here, not me...”

Instead he approached her, without Hypno trailing behind for once, and lowered himself onto the ground beside her. He bent his legs in front of him, and heaved out a long sigh. “I didn’t realize I was required to need something before I came to talk to you.” Rhys said lightly, lifting his arm to wipe the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve. 

 Feeling bad now for her comment, she laughed a little. “Oh it’s a requirement, especially for you.” Offering him a half hearted smile, she shook her head and returned her gaze to the small knife in her lap. “Sorry, I guess I was waiting for someone else to come out here and yell at me. I should just have ‘liability’ tattooed on my forehead.”

“If I needed something, you’d know.” Malcolm had a tendency to act rather cold towards the younger woman, though it did seem as if he cared for her more than he wanted to admit. He feels as if it’s his responsibility to make sure that she stays alive. The man has a heart of gold along with a being rather forward about everything. It was an odd combination but it was to be expected from a man that had fought his whole life.

“Why are you out here? All alone?” He inquired, sounding as nonchalant as he could. Granted the camp was right within reach of her, it could only be a blink of an eye before everything turned to shit. “Ya know it’s pretty dangerous to even be this far from camp.” It wasn’t as dangerous for most, but for her, he sensed as if it was.

Regardless of their strange relationship, curiosity crept into her mind. He didn’t have to come see her. Then her momma’s voice rang through her subconscious like instinct, don’t be rude Shaylee Renee. “I was just thinkin’...” She mumbled, finally allowing herself to look over at the man who was at least a head taller than her. It made no sense and maybe, in that reasoning, it’s why she tried so hard to hate him. He was, like her, dirty, hungry, thirsty, tired. Yet, she found herself wanting to know what color his eyes were. 

The moment came and went just as fast as soon as he flatly reminded her what he thought. What they all thought. Innocent, little Shaylee. The word dangerous was enough to irk her and the eye roll she fought back, came to the surface. “You come over here to lecture me, Mr. Lancaster? We haven’t seen any of those things in days.” Grabbing for the small knife in her lap, she held it up to him, waving it around slightly before dropping it back into her lap. “I got my knife, I’m fine.”