Maybe it was because the past two days had worn them down so badly. After fleeing the walker horde and staying on edge every second in the woods, the three of them ended up sleeping like the dead through the night.
The fatigue hadn't completely faded, but a relatively safe night's rest and a hot meal the day before had restored much of Calista's energy.
When she woke up, she stretched lazily, then nudged Leah and the loudly snoring Merle beside her.
"Up. We need to clean ourselves up. We smell awful," Calista said, wrinkling her nose as she caught a whiff of the mix of blood, sweat, and dirt on her body.
That's seriously strong.
The three of them stepped out of the tool shed. The morning air on the farm was fresh, but there was a strange tension hanging over everything.
From Rick's camp came the sound of a heated argument.
Calista immediately understood.
So Glenn did say it.
Keeping her expression neutral, she led Leah and Merle toward the farmhouse, where they happened to run into Maggie coming out.
Maggie looked pale, with faint dark circles under her eyes. She clearly hadn't slept well either.
"Good morning, Miss Maggie," Calista greeted politely. "Sorry to trouble you, but could we use the bathroom? We're really filthy and need to clean up a bit."
Maggie forced a small smile when she saw them.
"Of course. Just call me Maggie. The bathroom's inside, I'll show you. I also have some clean old clothes. They might not fit well, but they're better than what you're wearing now."
Her kindness caught Calista off guard and made her like her a little more.
"Thank you, Maggie," Calista said with a smile.
While Maggie went to get the clothes, Calista listened carefully to the argument nearby.
The voices carried clearly.
"We can't just pretend we didn't see it! There are dozens of walkers locked in there! Right next to where we sleep!" Shane's voice rang out, agitated as ever.
"Hershel took us in! This is his home, his family! He believes they're just sick. What right do we have to decide what to do with them?" Rick tried to reason with everyone, though it was obvious he was struggling himself.
"Right? The right to stay alive!" Shane practically shouted. "Rick, wake up! Those aren't his 'family,' they're monsters! They could break out at any time and tear us apart! Look at Carl, look at Sophia! You want them living next to a ticking bomb?"
"Shane, calm down," Dale tried to mediate. "Hershel must have his reasons. We need to talk to him, not take matters into our own hands."
"Talk? With some old fool who keeps the dead like they're alive?" Shane scoffed. "Glenn, you saw it yourself. Tell them. What's in there?"
Glenn's voice came out strained with guilt.
"I… I saw it. A lot of walkers. But Maggie told me not to say anything. I…"
He was caught between loyalty to the group and his promise to Maggie, clearly torn.
"Keep it secret? For what? So we can get bitten without even knowing?" Andrea spoke up, clearly siding with Shane. "Rick, I agree with him this time. This is too dangerous."
Lori held Carl close, worry written all over her face. Carol and Sophia stood nearby, just as uneasy, but none of them spoke.
T-Dog, Jacqui, and the others also looked conflicted. The group was clearly divided.
Calista listened quietly, letting out a faint sigh inwardly.
What was coming couldn't be avoided.
Hershel's secret was something Rick's group, who believed the dead were truly gone, could never accept.
This clash was inevitable.
At that moment, Maggie returned with a few sets of clean clothes. Her expression had grown even worse. She had clearly heard the argument.
"The bathroom's over there. Go wash up quickly. There might not be much hot water left," she said softly.
Her voice carried exhaustion, along with a trace of resentment, likely directed at some people in Rick's group.
Calista couldn't help but wonder if this would strain things between her and Glenn.
The three of them took turns washing up quickly and changed into the clean clothes Maggie provided. They didn't fit perfectly, but they felt much better.
When they stepped out of the farmhouse, refreshed, the argument had died down for now, but the tension in the air hadn't eased at all.
Rick frowned deeply. Shane stood with his arms crossed, still fuming. The others remained silent.
Nearby, Glenn and Maggie were preparing an old pickup truck, clearly getting ready to head out.
"We're running low on medicine," Maggie said to Glenn. "We didn't find much at the pharmacy yesterday. We need to go back to town and pick up more supplies while we're at it."
Her tone was firm, and she didn't even try to hide her displeasure toward Glenn, as if she just wanted to get away from the suffocating atmosphere.
Glenn nodded quickly and went to help load things.
He knew he had broken his promise to Maggie. She was definitely upset with him, and he would take any chance he could to make it right.
Calista immediately saw an opportunity.
This was the perfect excuse.
She had no intention of getting caught up in the conflict between Rick's group and Hershel. That would only make things more awkward for them as outsiders.
She stepped forward.
"Glenn, Maggie, are you heading out for supplies?"
Glenn paused, then nodded. "Yeah. We're going to the supermarket in town."
"Take us with you," Calista said sincerely. "We just got here, and it doesn't feel right to eat and stay without contributing. More people means more safety. Leah and I have experience, and Merle can handle himself too."
She subtly flexed her arm, showing the muscle definition, and gave Maggie a bright smile.
Maggie looked at her in surprise, her impression of Calista clearly improving.
Compared to some people in the camp, these newcomers were actually willing to take initiative and share the risk. That alone made them far more likable.
Maggie's gaze drifted toward Lori, who was comforting Carl.
It seemed Lori had quietly said something to Glenn again that morning. Probably another request for supplies. Yesterday it was a pregnancy test. Today, who knew what it was.
That thought clearly annoyed Maggie.
"Well… the town might be dangerous," Glenn said hesitantly. He didn't want to drag others into danger.
"Where isn't?" Calista replied with a small smile. "At least when we're out there, we have some control over our own fate."
At that moment, Daryl, who had been leaning silently against a nearby tree, straightened up, slung his crossbow over his shoulder, and said,
"I'm going too."
His eyes stayed lowered, not looking at anyone, but his intention was obvious. He was going with Merle.
Merle grinned and walked over, patting Daryl on the shoulder with his left hand.
"That's more like it, kid. Stick with your big brother, and you'll be living good."
Daryl shrugged him off with visible annoyance, but didn't argue.
Glenn and Maggie exchanged a glance. More people meant more safety, and these four looked capable. Having them along would only help.
"Alright," Maggie said with a nod. "Thanks. We should move fast. Hopefully we'll be back before noon."
Rick watched them, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just nodded at Calista.
"Be careful, Calista."
He had too much on his mind. Not just the walkers in the barn, but another issue that had left him both shocked and furious.
The farm also needed supplies. Someone had to go.
Shane watched from the side, his expression cold. He seemed somewhat dismissive of Calista and the others choosing to step away from the conflict, but he didn't stop them.
And just like that, Calista, Leah, Merle, and Daryl climbed into the old pickup with Glenn and Maggie and set off toward town.