Keeping Your Distance Is Never Easy

"Vrrrm... vrrrm..."

"Hummm..."

"Vrrrm..."

Three vehicles traveled down the road. They could not maintain highway speeds as they once had, but they still moved at a steady pace.

This was the end of the world, after all.

There were almost no impatient drivers left to honk and force traffic to move faster.

Miana sat in the passenger seat and tilted her head toward the fuel gauge. "We're running low."

"The Hummer is comfortable, but it burns through gas." Isaac nodded. Its engine had plenty of power and an equally large appetite.

Amy sat in the back seat reading a magazine whose cover featured a young blonde woman. Before the outbreak, she would never have bothered with such a dull men's magazine.

Now,

anything that eased the boredom was valuable. Having something to read at all made her fortunate.

"Miana, tell the others to get ready," Isaac said. "We need to find gas."

Miana picked up the radio and keyed the convoy channel. "We'll stop ahead and look for fuel."

"Understood," a voice answered through the speaker.

The RV followed behind the Hummer with Dale at the wheel and Glenn in the passenger seat. Lori, Carl, Andrea, Carol, Sophia, and T-Dog occupied the larger space in back. Dr. Jenner rode with them as well, though not by choice.

Even if I want to die, you force me to flee with you.

Are you devils?

Jenner sat apart from the others. He kept his face calm, but fear filled him as he watched the transformed world slide past the window and saw walkers wandering in the distance.

In the third vehicle, Merle replaced the radio and grinned. "Time to hunt for some gas."

Daryl sat silently in the front passenger seat, his expression as hard and unreadable as ever.

Rick and Shane sat in the rear seats, staring out opposite windows without speaking.

The four men were the convoy's primary fighting force,

so they had been placed together in the third vehicle. The RV in the middle carried the women, children, and Jenner, who was now equal parts prisoner and doctor.

Finding a gas station should not have been difficult.

In practice, it was not so simple.

They found no station they could use.

Instead, the convoy stopped beside an abandoned house near the road.

Everyone climbed out.

This time they kept their weapons on their bodies instead of storing them together. A weapon was a lifeline now, and each person felt safer with one in hand.

Miana followed Isaac with a small gas can.

Rick and Shane carried cans as well. Glenn and T-Dog were expected to help rather than stand idle.

Andrea met Isaac's eyes. "You always need help. I can't sit around doing nothing."

Doing nothing would be the greatest help you could offer.

Isaac kept the thought to himself. He turned to the others. "Let's move."

Even a small team made survival outside safer. By watching one another and working together, they could reduce the danger.

Someone still had to guard the vehicles. Merle and Daryl stayed behind to provide that protection.

Jenner remained inside the RV. His attempt to kill them all had left the group wary and hostile. Even though he had failed, the resentment would take time to fade--if it ever did.

Pistol in hand, Merle strolled to the RV and tapped the window beside Jenner's face with the grip. "Well, great doctor, how do you like the world now?"

Jenner frowned and turned away, refusing to look at Merle's repellent face.

Lori watched the exchange but said nothing.

Merle had, after all, assaulted her.

I'd love another round.

Merle gave Lori a sidelong glance but kept quiet. His fear of Isaac kept him from acting on the thought.

Dale entered the RV with a bottle of water and sat beside Jenner. "Want a drink?"

Jenner accepted it. "Thank you."

Dale paused before speaking. "It will take time for everyone to accept you again."

Jenner said nothing and drank his water.

Dale shook his head and stepped out of the RV.

The world was not quite as terrifying as Jenner had believed.

As he watched it pass beyond the window, he slowly began trying to accept it. Sometimes outside pressure forced a person's perspective to change.

It would be easier if that man behaved like a human being...

but Merle was unbearable to look at.

Jenner turned away again. He hated Merle's ugly sneer, especially when it was aimed directly at him.