rick’s kicked carol out of the group for KILLING karen, and david, she couldn’t be among them after burning two of their own alive out of a hunch. he didn’t REGRET it either, what if it had been carl or judith? or anyone else he cared deeply for? he stops on the side of the road to collect his thoughts, and calm himself down internally. he puts the car in park, and steps out to lean against the side. he pinches the bridge of his nose, lips curled in a deep frown.
rick spins around at the sound of a voice, gun already out of the HOLSTER on his hip, and aimed directly at her, the former deputy cocks his head to the side, staring her down with suspicious eyes, “water?” he repeats, surprised that was the question she’d ask him. he had expected her to lunge forward, and kill him right then, and there, but he was no monster, and he knew what it was like to be thirsty. he lowers his gun, “yeah, give me a second.” he slips into the holster on his hip, yanking the car door open, and yanking out a spare bottle of water. he handed it to her, stepping back soon after, evident he was still suspicious of her motives. “you alone?” he asks.
elena nodded her parched mouth making her move forward at the very thought of water just managing to stop herself as she sees the gun in his hand and the hard voice that follows. swallowing in a dry throat she nods rapidly her hands raising as if in order to show the shrug she’s to tired to perform. “i ran out.. awhile ago.” the rasp of her voice, the throatiness she’d once wanted the loudest thing in her ears. and then it’s sweet relief as he reaches for the water and elena can’t stop herself as she moves forward probably too quickly and snatching the bottle but opening it very carefully, oh so carefully because she didn’t want to spill any.
drinking the bottle down without a breath she gasped as she finished, her eyes closing in relief. “thank you,” the words are hardly enough but it’s all she has to offer at the moment. “.... yea.. yea i’m alone.” jeremy had died not even.. she doesn’t remember how long but she’d run after it had happened. it’s what landed her on this side of the highway by herself. “my brother didn’t make it.” just the words bring tears pricking into dark brown eyes that she HATES because she’s stronger than this. she’s the last one alive. it’s not.. well it is because he’s GONE and she can’t do anything about it, but it’s also because it was her job to look after him and now.. well now she didn’t have a job anymore.
“what about you? are you alone?” the word has an aching to it that she had never heard in her voice before. elena had always belonged somewhere; the cheerleading squad, the daughter of two doctors, the sister of a younger brother, the best friend to bonnie and caroline, the amazing girlfriend to matt. she’d always had PEOPLE around her that needed her, somewhere that she fit.