▎SAFE HAVEN   ▎ 
»»————　act one. game of survival
CHAPTER SEVEN  ━━ GOODBYES

Josie didn't end up getting any sleep at all as and she was up all night, watching the perimeter. Rick insisted that she went to sleep but she wouldn't give in to him. He left her there but brought her, her blanket just to make sure she was warm. 

Her brother, tiff and glenn came to see if she was okay, but she insisted she was fine, but Tiffany wasn't having it as she stayed by josies side all night.

Andrea didn't move from her position by her sisters side either, she just stared at her lifeless sister making josie squeeze her eyes shut and look away.

Everyone started to get up and help with the bodies. Josie saw Lori walk over to Andrea and crouch next to her. She was to far away to hear the conversation but she just watched them talk.

The survivors of the attack started to clean up, burning the walker bodies and burying the dead from their group. Daryl swung at dead walkers' heads with a pickaxe as Glenn, Tiffany and T-Dog threw bodies in a fire. 

Dale stood next to josie, hand on her shoulder, as they all watched Andrea. She saw in the corner of her eye that Rick had come up to them all.  "She still won't move?" He asked, pointing his head to Andrea.

Everyone shook their heads at the man, not shifting their gazes away from her.  "She won't even talk to us. She's been there all night. What do we do?" Lori asked, turning to her husband, concerned.

"Can't just leave Amy like that. We need to deal with it same as the others." Shane spoke up making josie frown.

"Andreas smart, she loves her sister, she wouldn't want amy to become one of them things, give her time." Josie spoke up, calmly and quietly.

Lori agreed with Josie, putting a hand on hers. Rick shook his head, ignoring josies comment. "I'll tell her how it is." He said before walking up to Andrea.

As soon as he got there, Andrea pulled out a gun on him which made josies eyes widen in shock. She knew Andrea wouldn't shoot, deep down, Andrea was grieving and she needed time. 

Josie didn't move from her seat even though she offered to help with the bodies but T-dog insisted that she didn't. She took this as a opportunity to read to pass time. She was quick to run to her tent to get her book and she placed herself back in the seat she was in, wrapping her blanket over her body. Lori and Carol were both sat beside her, Carl sat down on the floor, turned away from the scene, so was Sophia, who had just lost her father.

Josie stared down at the words, biting her thumb as she read. She tried her best to block out the sounds of blood squelching and bones being broke. She felt sympathetic for the two kids at her feet, close to their mothers.

Glenn plopped down a dead walker as he started to look around around. His eyes landed on josie who was calmly sat in her seat which she hadn't move from. He watched as she concentrated on her book, sticking the end of her tongue out the side of her mouth as she read. Josie was a calm and peaceful person at times when she wasn't being her energetic, chaotic self.

When josie felt eyes on her, she closed her book, keeping her finger on the page she was and looked up to see glenn. She gave him a soft smile as she turned to speak to Lori, who had asked the girl something.

"Glenny, stop drooling over phinny and help me." Tiffs taunting voice made him snap out of his daze, a small glare being sent to the nineteen year old.

"Y'all can't be serious. Let that girl hamstring us? The dead girl's a time bomb." Daryl asked rick, his pickaxe over his shoulder.

"What do you suggest?" Rick asked, tilting his head at Daryl.

"Take the shot. Clean, in the brain from here. Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance." Daryl said, pointing to his eyes and then at Amy.

"No. For God's sakes, let her be." Lori piped up, sitting down next to josie. Daryl scoffed and walked to the bodies not before tapping Jim on the shoulder. "Wake up, Jimbo. We've got some work to do." 

Josie tilted her head at Jim-who was pale like he had just seen a ghost and he was uncontrollably sweating like a mad man.

She frowned and she got up from her seat, placing her blanket around carl and placed her book down and walked over to the man with a slight smile. "You okay Jim?" She asked him.

His gaze meets her eyes and he nods viscously. "Y-yeah, just tired, s'all." He replied to the woman. Josie hummed, examining him but she didn't press on it as she gently tapped his shoulder before walking back over to her seat. He could of just been tired.

"We don't burn them!" Glenn yelled, making josie turn around to the Korean, who was on the verge of tears as he looked Daryl dead on the eye.

"We bury them. Understand? Our people go in that row over there." Tiffany added, softly, stepping beside Glenn as she pointed to the pile of the dead, that were their group. 

Daryl grunted before him and Moraels picked up the body and dragged it to the burry pile. "You reap what you sow." Daryl addded, throwing the body and wiping his hands.  "Y'all left my brother for dead. You had this coming." He added, storming away. Josie let out a sigh as she watched the younger Dixon walk off.

Josie watched the Dixon with sad eyes, then turning back to Glenn as he tried to calm down. She bit her bottom lip as she rose out of her seat once again, ruffling up carls hair on the way, making the young boy smile at his aunt.

Josie walked towards Glenn, who was wiping the blood off of his hands. "You okay?" She asked softly as he looked up to her, his eyes softening.

"Yeah, what about you? You okay?" He asked her, making her nod.

"Do you guys need help? I feel useless just sitting arou-" She was cut off by screams of Jacqui. The both of them turned to see everyone surrounding Jim.

"I'm okay. I'm okay." Jim cried out. 

"Show it to us. Show it to us." Daryl spat at Jim. His grip tightened on his weapon. 

Jim panicked, walking away from them, picking up a pickaxe. "It's okay Jim, we aren't going to hurt you." Josie said calmly, holding her hand out, slowly walking up to him.

"I-I know you won't but they will." Jim stuttered, pointing to the men in the group. 

Josie shook her head. "I won't let them, trust me, just show it to us." She said gently, giving him a friendly smile. Jim slowly dropped the shovel on the floor which made josie sigh of relief. She continued to to walk to him until they were face to face. "Show me." She said gently. 

He nodded revealing the bite mark on his stomach which made josie bite her bottom lip, squeezing her eyes shut. "Shit." She muttered under her breath.

"I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay." Jim whispered to her and the group, reassuring them.

"I say we put a pickaxe in his head and the dead girl's and be done with it." Daryl suggested, gritting his teeth.

"Is that what you'd want if it were you?" Shane asked Daryl, his hands on his hips. 

"Yeah, and I'd thank you while you did it." Daryl snapped back.

Dale shoot his head at them. "I hate to say it... I never thought I would... but maybe Daryl's right." Dale said which surprised josie.

"Jim's not a monster, Dale, or some rabid dog." Rick was quick to stand up for the bitten man. Josie looked over to Jim who had his head in his hands

"I'm not suggesting-" Dale got interrupted by Rick.

"He's sick. A sick man. We start down that road, where do we draw the line?" Rick spat, Lori next to him, shushing the man. 

"The line's pretty clear. Zero tolerance for walkers, or them to be." Daryl snapped at Rick. 

"What if we can get him help? I heard the C.D.C. was working on a cure." Rick suggested.

"I heard that too. Heard a lot of things before the world went to hell." Shane piped up, looking at Rick, standing beside his sister.

"What if the C.D.C. is still up and running?" Rick questioned, tilting his head at Shane. 

"Man, that is a stretch right there." Shane told Rick. 

"Why? If there's any government left, any structure at all, they'd protect the C.D.C. at all costs, wouldn't they? I think it's our best shot. Shelter, protection-" rick started to name stuff until Shane interrupted him. 

"Okay, Rick, you want those things, all right? I do too, okay? Now if they exist, they're at the army base. Fort Benning." Shane suggested. 

"That's 100 miles in the opposite direction." Lori piped up, looking at Shane.

"That is right. But it's away from the hot zone. Now listen to me. If that place is operational, it'll be heavily armed. We'd be safe there." Shane finished.

"The military were on the front lines of this thing. They got overrun. We've all seen that. The C.D.C. is our best choice and Jim's only chance." Rick says firmly, wanting to cure the sick man. Josie bit her bottom lip, watching the two men argue back and forth. Her eyes landed on Daryl who shook his head, clutching onto his weapon. Josies eyes widen as he realised what he was going to do.

"You go looking for aspirin, do what you need to do. Someone needs to have some balls to take care of this damn problem!" Daryl spat, going towards Jim but lucky for jim, josie was quicker and stood in front of jim. "Get out of the way, woman." Daryl spat firmly.

Josie didn't move. "Are you insane? He is still a damn human being and yall are deciding his fate for him? Why can't he decide what happens to him?" Josie growled, looking at everyone in the group. "Jim is still one of us, bitten or not." Daryl looked at the woman, he shook his head but dropped his pickaxe and grunted as he looked away from the woman.

Josie let out a sigh as she turned to jim, who had a thankful expression on his face. "We don't kill the living." Rick added from behind Daryl, Rick had his gun pointed to Daryl's head just in case.

"That's funny coming from a man who just put a gun to my head." Daryl bit back at Rick.

"We may disagree on some things, not on this. Jjs right." Shane stood next to josie.  Josie then turned around and crouched to Jim's level.

"You okay?" She asks, concerned for the man. 

Jim nodded at her. "Thank you." He said with a raspy voice. She gave him a little smile. A hand placed on her shoulder gently. She turned around to see Rick and she gave him a little smile which he returned.

Rick walked over to Jim, gently holding his forearm. "Come on." Rick said, gently. 

"Where are you taking me?" Jim asked, confused and frightened.

"Somewhere safe." Rick said, leading him to awards the rv. Josie sighed as he got in the RV and shook her head. She felt sorry for him, he didn't deserve this at all. She ran her hands though her hair as she stared out of the rv window. They were loosing everyone.

After the memorial, Andrea had fallen asleep in one of the Chairs. She was shivering which made Josie sigh as she walked into her tent and grabbed her blanket. She carefully placed it on Andrea, making sure she was okay. Her eyes softened at the blonde, due to the fact she had just lost her sister. She let out a deep sigh before leaving the Andrea to sleep.

Glenn watched sadly from beside dale as josie pulled the blanket over Andreas sleeping body. Josie really did care about these people, seen as though they are the only people she has left now.

She had no idea what was going to happen next. She was tired but she didn't want to sleep. "You hungry?" Josie looked up from her lap and towards Glenn, who held a can of fruits in his hand.

She sent him a soft smile, carefully taking the can out of his hands, inviting him to sit next to her on the other chair. "Thank you." She hummed quietly, not wanting to wake up the sleeping blonde beside them. "how you holding up?" She asked him, taking a spoon full of the canned fruits.

Glenn shrugged as he took off his hat, fiddling with it in his hands. "I'm holding up." Glenn breathed out as his eyes landed on tiff, who had just walked into the rv. "How about you?"

Josie turned to him, bringing her knees to her chest. "Trying to hold up. I just-I know it's bad to say or even think about but," she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop herself from crying. Glenn turned to her with worried eyes, grabbing a hold of her free hand, giving it a small squeeze. "I don't think Jim's gonna make it." She whispered the last words as she placed the can down on her lap, bringing her free hand to her eyes.

"We are all going to try." Glenn reassured her, his thumb stoking over the back of her hand.

"These last couple of days have been dreadful." Josie groaned, shaking her head. "We are losing everyone, I don't want to loose anyone else."

Glenn looked at the woman filled with grief and sadness. "We won't loose anyone else. We are all going to stick together, i promise." Josie looked up at him, tears brimming her eyelids.

Instinctively, he brought his free hand-that wasn't holding her hand, and cupped her cheek, wiping away the tears that had fallen.
If she wasn't an emotional state, she would of noticed how her breath got caught in her throat slightly. "We'll be fine." He promised her as she nodded her head.

They both turned turned when they saw josies brother climb up onto his car. The two sat up, josie placing the can on the floor, making their way over to the small crowd

"I've been, uh... I've been thinking about Rick's plan. Now look, there are no... There are no guarantees either way. I'll be the first one to admit that. I've known this man a long time. I trust his instincts. I say the most important thing here is we need to stay together. So those of you that agree, we leave first thing in the morning." Shane told them, talking about Rick. "Okay?" Shane asked and nobody said anything different.

When Andrea woke up, she frowned as she looked down at the blanket that covered her. She knew it was josies and she let out a breathily laugh as she slowly got up. Today was when everyone was leaving the camp. Andrea walked over to josie who was packing her things in her tent, tiff also doing the same. Andrea tapped on the flap as she walked in, handing josie her green and white blanket back.

"Thank you, I appreciate it." Andrea said, passing her the blanket back. Josie smiled softly as she shook her head.

"It's no problem, you looked cold. I wouldn't of let you freeze to death." Josie smiled at Andrea.

Andrea let out a chuckle and josie didn't know if it was a genuine one but she smiled, it was good to see Andrea okay. 

Andrea had walked out and josie continued to pack, placing her clothes and other stuff in her bags, tiff doing the same. "Phinny." Josie looked up from her bag, a flannel in her hands.

"Yes tif." Josie hummed as she placed the flannel in her bag, zipping it up.

"Do you think this is the right call?" Tiff asked worriedly as she put her hair up into a pony tail, hair baby hairs sticking out.

"I don't know, but I want to get there for jim." Josie answered honestly as she grabbed Glenn's jacket and placing it on her, careful not to get her necklace caught.

"Yeah, I get what you mean." Tiffany nodded as josie picked up a old photograph and examined it. "What's that?"

"It's a photo of me and my friend. We took it on my 16th birthday, I've always had it on me, for good luck." Josie smiled slightly, placing it in her jacket pocket.

Tiffany smiled, zipping her own bag up and placing it on her back, josie doing the same and exiting the tent. After taking down the tent, The pair walked up to where everyone was standing. "Everybody listen up. Those of you with C.B.s, we're gonna be on channel 40. Let's keep the chatter down, okay? Now you got a problem, don't have a C.B., can't get a signal or anything at all, you're gonna hit your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan. Any questions?" Shake asked, looking around.

Josie turned around when Morales walked up. "We're, uh... We're... we're not going." He told Shane and Rick which made Josie frown.

"We have family in Birmingham. We want to be with our people." Morales wife finished off.

"You go on your own, you won't have anyone to watch your back." Shane reminded them, raising a eyebrow at the family.

"We'll take the chance. I got to do what's best for my family." He told them, looking at his wife and children.

"You sure?" Rick asked, tilting his head. He liked morales and his family and so did josie and the rest of the people. 

"We talked about it. We're sure." Morales insisted. He was sure and he wanted to find their family.

"All right. Shane." Rick said, crouching down to the gun bag. He pulled out a gun and some ammo. "The box is half full." Rick told them. Daryl scoffed as he watched the interaction which didn't go unnoticed by josie who frowned at his sudden scoff.

The families all started to hug each other and josie watched as the children said goodbye which melted her heart. Josie walked over to Morales and pulled him into a hug. "You be safe out there, and look after them." She chuckled, taking about his family.

Morales let out a chuckle. "You look out for these lunatics." He joked pointing his head towards Shane and Rick.

Rick raised an eyebrow as he saw Morales looking his way which made house chuckle.  "I'll try, I've been doing it for years now." She said, giving him one last smile.

But little did she know it definitely would not be the last time he saw Morales. The family walked away and josie sent one last glance and gave them a weak smile. "Come on lets go." Shane called.

Josie sent tiff and Glenn a smile as she threw her stuff into Shane's car, climbing into the passenger seat, her brother climbing into the drivers seat. "You okay?" He asked her as she hummed, staring as everyone got into their own cars.

Shane nodded his head, turning his car on and waited for the rv to go before following. Josie turned around and grabbed her smaller bag, pulling out the book she wanted to finish. She sighed as she placed the bag in front of her and pulling out the book, opening it onto the page she left on.

She was quiet and was in her own world as she read her book. She had the wind blowing in her dark locks as she bit her bottom lip, scanning over the words. Josie found it peaceful when she was left alone. 

From the side, Shane watched his sisters movements as he drove. She was in her own world half of the time, enjoying the time she had alone. She was observant of her surroundings and took in her situations - it was smart, especially in a time like now. He wouldn't think that josie could survive in a world like this, but she was proving him wrong everyday.

She seemed like a gentle, quiet girl from her tiny frame if anyone who didn't know her met her, but under all that he saw a wildfire that was ready to spread or just snap at any second. It was just that no one was sure when it would erupt into flames.   

He was pulled out of his thoughts as the RV stopped which made him stop his car. Josie looked up from her book and saw that the RV had stopped. She let out a sigh. "I bet on anything the van broke down or something." She muttered, folding the corner or the page she was on and closed her book, putting it on her seat as she climbed out, Shane doing the same

The pair walked up to everyone. Josie walked and told beside Glenn and Tiffany m as she had a look at the smoke coming from the RV.  "I told you we'd never get far on that hose. I said I needed the one from the cube van." Dale told Rick, looking at the radiator hose.

"Can you jury-rig it?" Rick asked the old man, hands on his hips.

"That's all it's been so far. It's more duct tape than hose. And I'm out of duct tape." Dale said. Josie knew that the man was running out of tape due to the fact she was always asked to find some as she went on runs with Glenn. "Josephine's been trying to find a hose ever since I told her about it. She's tried to best to fix it, even Tiffany but it's no use without a new hose."

Shane put down his binoculars. "I see something up ahead. A gas station if we're lucky." He told the group.

Josie turned around when she heard Jacqui. "Y'all, Jim... It's bad. I don't think he can take anymore." She told them before walking back into the RV to Jim.

"Hey, Rick, you want to hold down the fort? I'll drive ahead, see what I can bring back." Shane suggested, looking at Rick, whilst T-dog looked through the binoculars.

"Yeah, I'll come along too and I'll back you up." T-dog added, not looking away from the binoculars.

"Y'all keep your eyes open now. We'll be right back." Shane told everyone. While Shane and T-Dog drive ahead to find a replacement, Rick checks on Jim, who was in agony.

Josie bit her bottom lip nervously. "I think this is Jim's last spot." Tiffany commented sadly, looking down at the floor. "He was telling me that he wasn't going to last the trip."

Josie sadly looked at the rv, fiddling with Glenn's jacket, trying to calm her nerves. Glenn, who had noticed her anxious behaviour, placed a comforting hand on the girls shoulder. Shane and t-dog had come back now, finding a hose from a abandoned car.

They all turned around as Rick walked out of the RV. The three walked over to Rick as he already started to talk. "It's what he says he wants." He told them, talking about Jim. 

"And he's lucid?" Carol asked Rick, not wanting to leave Jim behind.

"He seems to be. I would say yes." Rick informed Carol.

"Back in the camp when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood. I would never go along with callously killing a man. I was just gonna suggest that we ask Jim what he wants, like what josie said. And I think we have an answer." Dale added. Josie knew that Dale was a peaceful man which in a way, she looked up to the wise old man.

"We just leave him here? We take off? Man, I'm not sure I could live with that." Shane shakes his head.

"It's not your call, either one of you." Lori said firmly. 

Josie nodded. "Like I said from the start, if that's what he wants, let the man go out the way he wants to." Josie told them gently and quietly.

Rick nodded as him and Shane walked in the RV and came back out with a sick Jim in their hands which made Josie continue to bite her lip as she watched as they dragged him over to a tree.  "Hey, another damn tree." Jim joked as he lets out a chuckle, looking up. 

Shane crouched in front of him. "Hey, Jim... I mean, you know it doesn't need to be this." Shane suggested gently. Jim shook his head, he wanted to die this way.

"No. It's good. The breeze feels nice." Jim said, closing his eyes and taking in the breeze.

"Okay. All right." Shane said, backing away from Jim. Josie watched painfully as Jacqui walked over to Jim and crouching down. 

"Just close your eyes, sweetie. Don't fight." She says, kissing him on the cheek. Rick took a gun and held it out for him.  "Jim, do you want this?" Rick asked, looking toward the gun in his hands.

"No. You'll need it. I'm okay. I'm okay." Jim insisted and Rick walked away, keeping the Gun.

Dale walked up to the man and gave him a smile. "Oh. Hey. Thanks for, uh, for fighting for us." He nodded before walking away.  Everyone started to walk back to their vehicles and josie walked over to Jim, tiff by her side.

He gave the two a smile, it was the best he could. "You are strong, you know that right?" Josie asked with a chuckle, tears blurring her vision.

He nodded. "I know, but you are, I can see you, surviving this madness, both of you." He let out a dry chuckle which turns into coughs. "You both look after yourself, okay."

Josie nodded. "Goodbye, Jim." Josie whispered patting his shoulder before standing back up, legs letting out a crack as she did so. Tiffany also said her goodbyes, wiping her tears away as she followed Glenn into the rv.

- MADDIES WORDS
4TH SEPT 2023

a long sad chapter, I know guys a im sorry :(
josie makes my heart ache. I love her and treasure her so much. She has my heart, my baby :(

But I can't wait for the next chapter, gonna be a heartfelt one and the group bonding and more Glenn and jo bonding my lads.
Also I'm trying to write that josie has like anxiety. So I hope people pick up on her fidgeting and her biting her lip whenever she anxious, traits that I do, lmao.

Also, I have bloody school tomorrow... KILL ME NOE. I ain't ready. It's like 2 am and my sleep schedule is fucked up. Send help asap <33

4570 words