Daryl stalked out to the garden, a growing feeling of apprehension quickening his pace. Why hadn't Hershel simply told him where Carol was? "You'll have to talk to Rick." What the hell did that mean? Hershel had assured him that Carol was okay, but the look on Rick's face as Daryl closed the distance between them told another story.
"Where the hell is Carol?" Daryl asked, already knowing that he wasn't going to like the answer.
"Calm down," Rick responded, in that artificially intimate yet insistent tone Carol laughingly referred to as his "Ricktator" voice.
"I'll calm down when you tell me what the hell happened to Carol." Instinctively his hand hovered over the knife in his belt.
"She's gone, Daryl."
"What do you mean gone? Did the walkers-"
"No, not the walkers…she, she killed them Daryl," Rick said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Carol killed Karen and David."
"What have you done to her?" Daryl shouted he slipped his hand down the grip of his hunting knife. Rick obviously saw the move, he backed away and his eyes darted anxiously around the deserted field.
"She's fine," Rick responded, though his voice lacked conviction. "I couldn't let her come back here—not after something like that. I didn't have a choice, Daryl. I gave her a car and supplies and sent her away."
"You put her out for the walkers, you fuckin' douchbag?" With a quick, fluid movement Daryl closed the distance between them and punched him in the face. There was a soft snapping sound as Rick tumbled backward, falling face down into a row of green beans.
"Where did you leave her?"
Rick dazed, struggled to his feet, a bright rush of cherry red blood gushing from his nose.
"Where the fuck did you leave her?"
"The highway"—he stopped and spit out what appeared to be a large blood clot and two of his front teeth-"right outside of the town. I…I think she was headed west."
Daryl turned and moved quickly toward his bike.
"Wait," Rick called after him. "You can't bring her back here, Daryl. I can't allow it. I won't have her here with my children."
"If I find her, we're not coming back. And if I don't find her, I'll be coming back here for you."
Daryl stormed across the field then abruptly stopped in his tracks and turned back to face Rick. He knew he shouldn't do it. Even after all of this, he knew Carol wouldn't approve. She'd made him promise never to tell. But he didn't always share Carol's protective nature, and sometimes secrets were not meant for keeping.
He saw Rick shrink back as he approached, and there was fear in his eyes.
"Carol didn't kill them."
"She confessed, Daryl. She told me she was the one."
"She was protecting someone."
Rick's eyes narrowed. "Who, Daryl? Who was Carol protecting?"
A part of Daryl said to walk away. Do the noble thing and keep Carol's secret. But he wasn't feeling particularly zen today. It was time for the truth.
"You, Rick, she was protecting you."
"What do you mean, she was protecting me? I didn't kill them."
Daryl stared at Rick and shook his head. How could one man be so fucking stupid?
"It was Carl, you dumb asshole. It was Carl," Daryl said, surprised by the unexpected pleasure he took in the stricken look on Rick's face.
He turned and ran toward his bike, and this time he didn't look back.
