The next day.
Shawn woke up punctually at 5:30 AM.
It wasn't fully bright yet, but Shawn was already on the grassland.
It was still an hour of jogging, followed by 15 minutes of shuttle run endurance, and finally 1000 push-ups.
A small appetizer-style workout made Shawn feel warm all over.
"Is your body made of steel?"
"You just came out of the Prison yesterday, and today you're doing high-intensity training."
Daryl appeared halfway through, standing and watching for a long time.
Seeing Shawn get up to rest, he walked over with his crossbow on his back and sat down on the grass beside Shawn.
"Phew--" Shawn saw him, first catching his breath before speaking.
"Life in the apocalypse isn't easy. If I don't find something to do, I always feel like I'll be eaten by a Walker in my sleep."
What Shawn said was not false.
Especially on that last night of the trip to the Prison, Shawn fell into a brief coma and actually mistook a Walker for Sister Emily, almost doing something he would regret for the rest of his life.
Honestly, this left an indelible psychological trauma on Shawn.
'If I can't do it later, it's all those damn Walkers' fault!'
Shawn still felt a bit indignant in his heart; his little heart was almost scared to death at the time.
Daryl, hearing this, just nodded in agreement without speaking.
The two sat quietly together, looking at the end of the grassland... the end of the jungle... where the new sun was rising.
Another new day had begun.
They had survived another day.
No one in the Camp, including Shawn, was missing... that was good.
A few wisps of faint cooking smoke drifted from the Administrative Building behind them, and the two on the grassland caught a whiff of food.
"Time to eat." Daryl patted his butt and got up.
"After breakfast, call Merle, Shane, Glenn, T-Dog... and Carol. We'll gather on the left side of the Prison."
Shawn walked side by side with Daryl, speaking as they went.
"Carol?"
The moment he heard that name, Daryl looked at Shawn, his face full of confusion.
Calling them along was nothing more than to clear the remaining Walkers in the Prison.
Daryl agreed with the previous names, but wasn't calling Carol a bit too much?
As a key person in charge of the kitchen, Carol's contribution to the Camp was actually no less than that of their 'Walker-clearing team'.
So, in Daryl's current mind, Carol had no need to participate in Walker clearing.
Even calling Rick, Maggie, Otis... or at worst, the two prisoners Shawn rescued from the Prison would be fine. Why specifically Carol?
Shawn looked back at him, saying meaningfully,
"Carol's strength is beyond your imagination."
Leaving that remark, Shawn walked into the Administrative Building, leaving Daryl standing there somewhat bewildered.
"Carol?"
"What are you talking about?"
Daryl just felt a strange, indescribable feeling.
After breakfast.
They rested for about 15 minutes.
During this interval, Shawn discussed the day's specific schedule with Rick.
Just as Hershel said, by clearing a little bit each day, it wouldn't take long to clear out the Walkers and take over the Prison.
So on this first day, Shawn's target was the Walkers trapped in the outdoor recreation area outside the Prison.
It was precisely for this reason that Shawn called Carol; this was a good opportunity for her to train.
Before Carol's physical strength and condition significantly declined with age, Shawn wanted to help her grow as early as possible.
Of course, there was also a very important reason: Sophia was still alive at this moment.
Carol could fight to protect, fight for Sophia, and fight for the 'family' of the team.
Such a Carol would not grow into the Carol who went astray in the original plot.
Nor would she make the same extreme choice as Shane did back then to protect team members.
Simply put, Carol followed Shane's old path, but she was not Shane.
Carol had her own path, and Shawn wanted to set her on the right track.
To become stronger directly in the correct direction of growth.
"In short, don't do anything dangerous again. We all still need you."
Rick looked at Shawn, his tone somewhat solemn.
With Shawn around, a large part of the pressure that originally belonged to Rick could be shared.
With a wife and child, if it wasn't absolutely necessary, Rick really didn't want to bear such a heavy burden.
And as of now, Shawn was doing quite well, and Rick hoped he could continue like this.
Rick and Lori
"Of course." Shawn nodded, but there was one more thing Shawn didn't say.
'Of course, I will do this if nothing unexpected happens, but if an unexpected situation arises, then it will have to be handled on a case-by-case basis.'
Shawn got up and walked to the entrance of the Administrative Building.
Two tall men in prisoner uniforms had been waiting there for a while.
Although Shawn said they could be trusted.
But Shane also said that until Oscar and Big guy were recognized by the Camp, they could not step foot into the Administrative Building. The two were temporarily staying in Prison Block C.
With lights and metal railings, they were not only safe, but their living environment was also much better than outside.
"What's up?"
Shawn smiled at them.
Facing the light, he looked like a sunny and cheerful boy, making it difficult for anyone to feel malice towards him.
"What should we do?"
Oscar glanced at Big guy, who took a step forward and asked softly.
He was clearly half a head taller than Shawn, but his voice was even softer than Sophia's.
Shawn even suspected that he might actually be a little girl's heart hidden by a Big guy's exterior.
"Do what you're good at."
Shawn thought for a moment and gave them an answer.
"To survive in the Camp, to gain everyone's recognition, you need to demonstrate your value. The Camp doesn't support idlers."
The two nodded upon hearing this; Shawn had made it clear enough.
After Shawn left with the others, Oscar watched his retreating back, his eyes somewhat complex.
In the Prison, he once thought he was going to die and had prepared himself for it.
But Shawn, of all people, dealt with the others and only left him and Big guy.
He wasn't like Big guy, that honest fellow.
Since leaving the Prison, he had realized that Shawn's true identity might not be FBI.
He also knew that the places invaded by Walkers were not just the Prison, but the entire United States, the entire world.
To survive, the best way was to cling to someone powerful and play his part in this Camp.
But fortunately, this Camp didn't seem so bad.
At least... it was much better than those guys in the Prison once were.
If he had to choose between Thomas and Shawn, Oscar would lean more towards Shawn.
Oscar sighed deeply and turned to find Rick.
"I need a set of repair tools. Maybe I can help you check the cars, or the damaged parts in the Administrative Building... and some electrical appliances."
Oscar
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