AUTHOR'S NOTE - Want to relive when Dwight & Sherry first met? Their back stories before the apocalypse? How they got to Sanctuary in the first place? Or when Dwight got the burn mark on his face?
Be sure to check out the first two novels in this series if you haven't already! Book 1 (Many Hearts to Tread) and Book 2 (Nothing Else Matters). This is Book 3.
This chapter has DIRECT quotes from the comic books. Robert Kirkman deserves credit for those particular lines.
ALSO, whenever I write for Daryl Dixon, I tend to seek the help from my friend and fellow writer, apenny12. She writes Daryl so perfectly. So she helped with the Dixon area of expertise. Thanks, doll!
Chapter 10
"What is this? Buckingham Palace?" Hansen asked sardonically as they were ushered into the Kingdom.
"It may as well be," Dwight muttered under his breath while slowly losing patience with the older man's insipid questions. "Shut up."
They were each given a horse to ride the rest of the way to the high school. The school was surrounded by a city that was all under control of the Kingdom. The borders had been barricaded by various pieces of scrap metal or whatever else they could find. Even some school buses were used as a blockade from the outside world. It proved to work well against both the living and dead.
Yolanda and Kevin looked as if they were lost in amazement. They were fearful with plans going in motion as fast as they had been but faith was apparent as they glanced at all the new sights outside of Sanctuary's walls. Dwight could only imagine how they felt after years of being cooped in one spot. They had been in Sanctuary for so long.
"Hanging in there, Yolie?" Dwight asked looking over to her.
Yolanda nodded as she viewed all the tall vacant buildings on their way to the Kingdom's headquarters. "This is so surreal," she breathed, "The world is so much larger than I remember it being."
"You could see Jenna soon," Takuya commented hopefully.
She sighed at the thought with a grin creeping in place. "She's got to be thirteen years old now. I can't believe that."
"I can't wait to meet her," Kevin said with encouragement, "She sounds wonderful." Yolanda glanced at him and smiled wide. She couldn't wait for their reunion with her small family either.
Richard was leading the way but slowed his horse down to be next to Dwight. Dwight and Richard separated themselves from the rest of the group as they followed a couple of feet behind.
"I'm guess that your visit isn't just a coincidence," Richard addressed, "You know about our other guests that came from Alexandria, don't you?"
Dwight nodded. "I do."
"I don't know whether to trust you or not," Richard claimed as he viewed Dwight with an ounce of skepticism.
"You have every right to have reservations," Dwight mumbled, "I deserve it."
"Why now?" Richard thought to ask, "You've been Negan's right hand man for years. Why are you going against him now?"
Dwight could see the high school in front of him in the distance. More men that were armed looked towards them with mild curiosity. "Someone dealt me a new hand," Dwight muttered but decided to give a clearer answer, "I woke up this morning and discovered that the hold Negan had over me was gone. Now I feel like everyone else deserves to have that same feeling."
The sun was starting to set as they got to the high school. One by one, they each got off their horses as they all stood frozen at the sight of what was greeting them at the front door on top of the steps. A man with dark skin and gray dreadlocks stood in front of them beaming from ear to ear. Dwight was used to this introduction every time that he saw King Ezekiel. What surprised Yolanda and Kevin the most was not the near warm welcome they received from the Kingdom's leader but the animal that stood beside him.
"Is that a… tiger?" Yolanda asked. They stood transfixed at the creature while worried about it pouncing on them. They knew how to defend themselves against walkers but a tiger was something that could easily maul them and they would put up very little fight.
"Dwight, my friend!" Ezekiel greeted with praise, "Please tell Negan that we aren't ready for the supplies that he asked for. We send our deepest apologies."
"That's not why we're here," Dwight clarified as he motioned towards his friends behind him.
"Oh?" Ezekiel mused while visibly intrigued, "Enlighten me then. Why are you really here?"
"I want to speak with all the leaders that are here representing their communities," Dwight proposed as he took a step closer to Ezekiel. The tiger started growling at him as Dwight put his hands up in surrender and stayed in place. "Rick and Jesus are here. I want to speak with them."
"Shiva, hush!" Ezekiel said quietly to the tiger and patted its head, "And what do we owe the pleasure of this meeting?"
"I, and the people that I brought with me, don't want to be a part of Sanctuary anymore," Dwight replied, "We want to be on your side."
Ezekiel raised his eyebrows in surprise as he looked to his men to see what they thought. Richard returned his gaze and nodded his approval. With that Ezekiel smiled and gestured to the school building behind him. "Follow me," he invited, "It seems that we have a lot to discuss. And I won't be the only one with questions."
…
"What's your name?" Rick asked Carson. When the Kingdom was alerted that Saviors were at the front gate, Rick and Daryl waited in the high school building just in case Negan had hard feelings about the night before when they attacked Sanctuary. They watched from the window as Dwight spoke to Ezekiel on the steps of the school building. Rick waited. He had been running into Dwight a lot as of late but assumed his appearance in the Kingdom wasn't a coincidence.
As the group of six Saviors were escorted into the building, Rick was soon alerted that they defected and chose to be on their side. Daryl scoffed at the idea and warned that it could be a trap. Rick stifled a grin forming. He had hoped members of Sanctuary would fall away from their leader. Dwight wasn't just a civilian and had worked close with Negan for years. Having him on their side was opportunistic. Doubts were still present in his mind before he could be on board with Dwight. After all, it was the same man who killed Abraham and threatened Father Gabriel. Those actions wouldn't be taken lightly.
Interrogations began. They started with Carson. Rick and Daryl were the only ones quizzing the fallen Saviors as they requested to review all six.
"Hector Carson," he replied. Sweat fell down his face and Rick could see his evident discomfort. "I go by my last name though."
"Why are you going against Negan?" Rick questioned.
Carson looked around the classroom as he sat down in a school chair connected to a desk. Rick stood in front of the room as Daryl made himself comfortable in the teacher's chair with his feet propped on the desk. Rick noticed his fresh wound on his hand but paid no attention to it.
"I didn't really have much of a choice," Carson admitted, "Dwight didn't give me a choice. I do see the benefits of going against Negan though. My brother is Hilltop's doctor. If I could make his life better, I would. Even though I was forced into this idea, I still have the chance to make things right."
"How many walkers have you killed?" Rick asked.
Carson scrunched his eyebrows at the question. "Way too many to keep track."
"How many people you kill?" Daryl asked.
"Twenty nine people," Carson said.
"Why?" Daryl asked.
Carson took his glasses off and wiped at his eyes noticeably melancholy about the subject. "I have never confessed this to anyone," he admitted, "It's easier to shut your mind off and not talk about it. I killed twenty nine people because Negan asked me to. You don't say no to him. No matter what the cost. Denying him will lead to an even bigger cost that you can't afford to lose."
"Can we trust Dwight?" Rick asked.
"Yes," Carson said without a doubt.
…
"What's your name?" Rick asked.
"Yolanda Cedillo," she answered.
"Why are you going against Negan?" Rick asked.
"I have never been with Negan in the first place," Yolanda responded candidly, "I was part of Jason and Terri's original group. Jenna… That's my daughter… I have wanted to see her again since we got separated. But I stayed in Sanctuary. The night that we tried to escape my ankle broke. I couldn't jeopardize the chance of the children getting away and being free of Negan. My opportunity left me as Negan dragged us back. My purpose in Sanctuary was to keep others in line. I don't want to be used like that anymore."
"What you mean by keepin' others in line?" Daryl questioned.
Yolanda appeared grievous at the question but Rick waited for her to take her time. "Negan would always threaten to kill me if others didn't obey him," she began as her voice shook, "He has made others in my group do unspeakable things only to keep me alive. And I did what he asked so they wouldn't suffer on my behalf."
Trapped in her own nightmare, Yolanda wiped away tears. "If you only knew what he has forced all of us to do, you would be so grateful that you never had to endure what we have for so long." Looking up to Rick through tears, she withheld a sob from escaping and continued with her reasons of leaving. "I'm so sorry. It's just so overwhelming to finally be free. We never thought we would get out of there."
"It's okay," Rick assured with understanding but still kept a professionalism about him to show he still needed answers from her. "How many walkers have you killed?"
"Maybe just above fifty?" Yolanda responded but was unsure of herself. "I haven't killed a walker in a long time though."
"How many people have you killed?" He asked again.
"I have been fortunate to have never been in a situation where I needed to kill someone," Yolanda said confidently, "Not yet at least."
Rick and Daryl made brief eye contact as they both agreed that Yolanda's character was genuine. "We are headed back to Alexandria tonight," Rick began, "Part of your old group is there along with Sherry. Would you like to come with us and see your daughter again?"
Yolanda burst into tears of joy as she nodded in approval to the idea. Rick understood the separation of family, particularly his children, and how much it tore him apart before. He knew exactly the kind of emotion that Yolanda felt.
"I have one more question," Rick asked after several moments as Yolanda tried to collect herself.
She nodded again. "Anything."
"Can we trust Dwight?" He asked.
"Out of everyone in Sanctuary, there is no else that despises Negan more than he does," Yolanda said without skipping a beat, "When I say that I would trust him with my life, it's because he's already proven himself to do just that."
…
"What's yer name?" Daryl asked.
Hansen preferred to stand as he looked at Daryl straight in the eye. "My name is Hansen Williams," he responded then folded his arms trying to look as intimidating as his interrogator.
"Why you goin' against Negan?" Daryl pressed further.
"Well, it's not like I was really attached to the man," Hansen replied as a matter-of-factly, "I had a son who was supposed to pick me up from my assisted living residence. Never made it. A couple of weeks later, I ran into the community before it was called Sanctuary. And back then, it could have appropriately fit the term. I was with the group before they even called themselves the Saviors. There wasn't really anyone in charge back in that first month. Everyone was just trying to help each other and establish some organization. Then Negan started smooth talking the people around him. Soon walls started going up and more sketchy people were invited in our little paradise. He was really good at convincing everyone to see his vision for the future."
Rick leaned forward as Hansen relayed the origins of Sanctuary. It seemed that Hansen probably knew more than most. "Did he have any family with him? When it all began?"
Hansen shook his head. "No family except Lucille," he answered, "She didn't always have that barbed wire on her either."
"We're going to have a lot of questions for you in the future," Rick stated, "Would you be willing to come with us to Alexandria? Any information you have could help us. You can stay with us for however long you would like."
"I would," Hansen accepted.
"How many walkers have you killed?" Rick asked.
Hansen snorted. "Want me to be honest?" He asked.
"Yeah," Daryl grunted.
"I have killed two walkers," Hansen admitted with a grin, "On my way to find a safe zone from the assisted living. Once I was in Sanctuary, everyone else did the work. They said I was too old to rely on for nothing."
"How many people have you killed?" Rick asked.
"Before or after everything happened?" Hansen countered back.
Rick studied Hansen to see if he was joking but the man appeared to have been sincere rather than showing some dark sense of humor. "Both," he responded.
"I never killed anyone after everything went down," Hansen revealed, "Before I killed thirteen men." Rick and Daryl looked slightly wary of his answer after already inviting him to come to Alexandria.
"Didn't you guys forget?" Hansen inquired with a scoff. "Wars happened before this world too. I'm a veteran!"
…
"Takuya Hamasaki," he said as Rick considered Takuya in particular. He didn't look like a Savior. Similar to Carson, it seemed obvious that someone like Takuya had zero qualms breaking loyalty from Sanctuary.
"Why are you going against Negan?" Rick asked.
"He's not the leader I choose to follow," Takuya answered. "I have seen true leaders give everything they have for the people who follow them. Negan is not that person. He convinces his men that they cannot live without him. They follow him blindly for protection."
"How many walkers have you killed?" Rick questioned.
"I have probably killed at least one walker for every day it has been like this," Takuya said, "Give or take."
"How many people you kill?" Daryl asked.
"Seventy-eight," Takuya revealed.
"Why?" Daryl asked.
"I was in Negan's army," Takuya said, "I didn't have a choice."
"Can we trust Dwight?" Daryl asked.
Takuya nodded. "I trust him with my life. You can too."
…
"My name is Doctor Kevin Mitchell," Kevin said.
"What kind a' doctor?" Daryl asked.
"Only a psychologist," Kevin clarified, "But you would be surprised at how many people I have been able to help throughout this duration. Many people have demons of their past to discuss." Daryl immediately looked down to the floor almost afraid that Kevin could see right through him.
"Why are you going against Negan?" Rick asked.
"I have spoken to many people that are affected by Negan's rule in Sanctuary," Kevin answered, "These people, I am including as well, have been through so much. Many have committed suicide because they couldn't handle any more of Negan's demands he has made of them. Even with people confiding to me of their trials, I feel entirely helpless because they are stuck in that place. If I could do anything to help my patients be completely free of Negan, I will do so. It's a cause I can get behind."
"How many walkers you kill?" Daryl asked.
"Thirty two. We usually ran when there were signs of trouble," Kevin responded.
"How many people you kill?" Daryl asked.
Kevin stayed silent as he looked to his lap waiting for words to escape his mouth. "I won't pretend that I haven't done things that I regret. I have killed five people."
"Why?" Daryl asked.
"They killed my wife and daughters," Kevin revealed with shame, "At the moment, I felt my family deserved justice."
Rick nodded as he pondered the psychologist's words. "Can we trust Dwight?" He asked.
"I haven't spoken to him personally about his problems but I know a lot about how he came to be Negan's right hand man from others who confided to me from their perspective," Kevin said. "His loyalty holds no bounds. He's the kind of man that you want on your side."
…
Kevin walked out of the classroom and into the hallway where the rest of his group was waiting. Everyone was individually questioned except for Dwight. All of them glanced towards Dwight periodically as they wondered what would happen next. Each side of the hallway was guarded by Ezekiel's men while they were all stripped of their weapons and at the Kingdom's mercy.
"What did they ask you?" Dwight whispered to Takuya who stood beside him. Leaning against the lockers, he folded his arms and glanced at both sides of the hallway clearly on edge. He could almost feel his burn heat up because of the betrayal. Dwight forced himself to forget the consequences that could happen because he went behind Negan's back. Above any punishment that he could receive, he knew it was the right thing to do.
"Backgrounds, kill count, reasons for leaving Sanctuary," Takuya muttered back, "They asked about you."
Dwight nodded as he gazed down at the floor deep in thought. He knew the risks they were taking when choosing to trust him. They weren't going to take his alliance lightly but knew they were looking for any kind of advantage over Negan and his army. Having someone who knew Negan as well as he did would prove useful for everyone.
Rick and Daryl stepped out of the classroom and considered everyone in the hallway. Once Rick spotted Dwight in the crowd, he nodded and started walking the other direction while gesturing for Dwight to follow. "Come with us."
Dwight stood up straight but glanced at Yolanda before following Rick's orders. "And my friends?"
"Just you," Rick settled and continued walking away. Daryl waited for Dwight as his worry for his group didn't subside.
"Don't worry, Dwight," Yolanda whispered, "We'll be okay."
With a sigh, Dwight nodded and started limping the direction that Rick was headed with Daryl guiding him throughout the hallways. Dwight knew that his group would be okay in the Kingdom. However, he still had trust issues. In Sanctuary, he could keep an eye on all of them or at least know their well-being. Away from Sanctuary was more of a mystery.
"You for real?" Daryl asked Dwight as they kept on walking.
Dwight looked up to see Rick opening doors under a sign that read auditorium. "Yeah, I'm serious."
They said nothing else the rest of the way. When they came towards the wide doors that brought them in the theatre, Dwight saw Ezekiel sitting on a throne at the center of the stage with his tiger, Shiva, sitting next to him on the floor. Jesus was already in a conversation with the Kingdom's leader when they stopped to see the first portion of interrogations had finished.
"What a change of events in the last several days," Ezekiel marveled as he studied Dwight, "We are all very interested in wondering why you have chosen to help us." They all made it to the base of the stage while everyone continued to eye Dwight carefully.
"I think I know why," Rick broke in but still looked at Dwight with slight skepticism. Whatever Dwight said in their meeting had to sell for Rick to be convinced instead of him thinking he was phoning it in. "Jason and Terri told us about your time in Sanctuary while they were still there."
Dwight raised an eyebrow and could feel his skin growing cold. "How much did they tell you?"
"I was able to piece some things together," Rick disclosed, "Jason told us that Negan's wife was someone of interest to you."
There it is, Dwight thought. As hard as it was to talk about Sherry in the last several years, he had to remember that she was safe and no longer in Negan's clutches. Yet it still stung to think about her. "The last I heard, they were separated, thanks to you guys."
"You need to tell us everything," Rick insisted, "I need to know why you are choosing to go against Negan. Everything in detail."
"Going against him wasn't a tough decision," Dwight started, "I hate him. This morning I found out that you guys took Sherry and my decision was made from there."
"How did you get to be in Sanctuary?" Rick inquired. Dwight was sure that he only asked for the sake of knowing if the other stories from his group aligned with his. It was a test.
Dwight thought back on the night when they were ambushed by Negan's group. Immediately transported back to when everything changed, he could remember every detail. Where everyone slept on the forest floor, the braid in Sherry's hair, the sound of twigs being broken outside of their camp just before Negan made his appearance.
"Negan came into our camp acting as if he were a lone wanderer," Dwight began, "At that point, we didn't really have a reason to second guess anyone. We never encountered someone like him before. Once he was in our camp, I had this feeling in my gut that something was off with him. Everyone in our group was sleeping except Sherry and myself. Sherry could sense it before I could. She was always good at judging someone. Before we knew it, we were surrounded."
Dwight glanced up to Rick. "The other night? When he surprised you on the road? He killed one of your members, right? Just to prove a point?"
Rick nodded sadly while Daryl pretended that the kill didn't bother him more than it actually did.
"He did the same with us," Dwight related, "Just to establish that he was the boss. Her name was Hannah. We were taken to Sanctuary immediately after."
Dwight acknowledged everyone in the room before continuing on his story. "Negan likes to use people to get what he wants. Since day one, we were stuck doing everything that he wanted us to do only to keep each other alive."
"What did he want?" Daryl asked quietly.
Big brown eyes came to Dwight's mind. Someone who was terrified for her well-being asked him the same question years ago. "He wanted Sherry," he answered quietly, "He said that if she didn't comply with his every demand that he would kill the group. He told me that if I didn't do what was requested, then he would hurt her. For years, we had no choice but to play his game. We tried once to escape. Jason's family and Jenna were able to leave but we were dragged back almost immediately. Everyone was dealt with in their own way."
"That's when I met you," Jesus recalled. Dwight remembered meeting Jesus for the first time in Sanctuary where he was kept for spying on Sanctuary.
"I couldn't lose anyone else in my group," Dwight continued, "Negan made us all believe that if we made a wrong step, blood would be on our hands. But whether I did what Negan asked or not, I am not free of regret. I did that son of a bitch's bidding for two and a half years. I have killed hundreds of people. I'll admit, some were bad people and maybe deserved what they had coming. But others were good… Negan made me kill them anyways. I did what I could so Sherry didn't have to suffer."
Not holding anything back, Dwight pointed to his face where his scar rested. "I didn't always have this. After a while of living in Sanctuary, it started to drain me. For obvious reasons. Sherry and I… we were caught with each other. Just a moment of wanting to forget the hell that we were living in. The punishment was an iron to my face. Sherry's…" Dwight stopped but knew her part of the story was one of the main reasons he loathed Negan with every fiber of his being. "Sherry's punishment was…" A lump caught in his throat as he forced himself to move forward. "Negan brought me to his house that same night and raped her upstairs. I had to listen."
Taking a deep breath to recollect himself, Dwight tried not to get too caught up in one of the worst memories of his entire existence. His group of listeners gave him respect and waited for him to continue on when he was ready. There was slight anger that Dwight could feel in the room from the story that Dwight gave. They knew Negan was a bad man but to hear it from Dwight's intimate perspective was another ordeal that confirmed Negan didn't even have a soul. They were all visibly shocked with Dwight's account and its graphic nature.
"After that, I never did anything out of line," Dwight told, "I never disobeyed him. I was a good soldier and I did what I was told." He shook his head from his words. "I was also a coward. I did a lot of terrible things that I can't take back. But today I found out Sherry's gone. Now I am here. I no longer have to put up with Negan's fucking bullshit anymore. If I have a chance to finally kill that son of a bitch, I will."
Dwight stared down at his feet and thought of what else to say. He looked up to Rick in question. "Does that answer your question of why I want to turn my back on Negan?"
Rick sighed but nodded his approval while almost feeling sorry that Dwight had to mentally relive it. "How do you propose we go about this moving forward?"
"Whatever the best option is, I'll do it," Dwight volunteered, "I am at your disposal. Rick, you need to trust that I will do whatever it takes. I can help you end his reign of terror. Free all the people existing under his thrall. I can make things right. Just trust me."
He considered his audience again then looked back to Rick with conviction. "I can tell you his secrets...his weaknesses… I'll bring you that asshole's head on a silver platter. And then it won't matter if you trust me. Because that motherfucker will be dead. And this nightmare will, at long last, be over."
Ezekiel grinned from ear to ear at the speech. It seemed that at least one leader was enthusiastic that their joined army between Hilltop, Alexandria, and the Kingdom would finally have the upper hand.
Rick peered at Daryl as his second in command made eye contact with him. Daryl nodded as Rick looked back to Dwight with no more apprehension with their new ally. "How many walkers have you killed?"
"A lot," Dwight said in a low voice.
"How many people have you killed?" Rick asked.
Dwight breathed through his nose slowly. "Three hundred and seven people."
Rick's eyes widened at the response as Dwight knew it was lengthy number for anyone. "Why?"
"Because Negan demanded it," Dwight replied with disgrace, "The ratio between the good and bad people doesn't matter. It still doesn't atone for the ones that deserved to live."
Rick slowly advanced towards Dwight as they stood nose to nose. Dwight had several inches over Rick but Alexandria's leader could hold his own merely by the way that he carried himself.
"We are choosing to believe you," Rick concluded, "Don't make me regret it."
Dwight stuck his hand out. "I promise you," he said, "You won't." Rick shook his hand as Dwight gave the slightest smile in gratitude. Things were finally starting to go his way.
…
Commotion was in the high school as all the Kingdom residents gathered together within the cafeteria for dinner time. All of the members of Sanctuary sat in the corner at a table while others looked on. Many recognized Dwight's face. They remembered that he was someone to fear. Every so often, they would look from the corner of their eye and glance at him warily and then go back to eating their food. Dwight tried to pay them no attention. Since he told Rick officially that he was switching sides, he started to feel better about any past doings he did while working for Negan. However, he didn't feel that completely pardoned for his past misdeeds.
Dwight knew that war was headed their way. He would have to kill more people before that chapter in his life was finished. The only good thing that came out of knowing that detail was that his kills would derive of Saviors.
Someone patted his back as he glanced up and was pulled out of his train of thought. Ezekiel stared down at him with a smile still on his face. He looked at everyone sitting at Dwight's table with amazement. "Look at you all," he addressed, "Our allies grow everyday. It's nice to know there are more among us."
Yolanda looked up to him with gratitude. "Thank you for taking us in."
"I understand that you'll be leaving us in the morning for Alexandria," Ezekiel mentioned making small talk.
She nodded with a smile. "Rick is taking us to be with the rest of our people."
"Not all of you, I'm sure," Ezekiel remarked as he eyed Dwight.
Confused by the way he said it, Yolanda gazed at Dwight who avoided her altogether. "Oh?"
Hansen and Kevin leaned in at the table with question in their eyes. Dwight cleared his throat to speak but felt bad that the ideal picture Yolanda had in mind was going to be delayed. "Takuya, Carson, and I are going back to Sanctuary as soon as possible. We are all working as double agents until this whole thing is taken care of."
Ezekiel noticed everyone's change in demeanor from the announcement and patted Dwight's shoulder once more. "I will leave your group to sort some things through," he stated and began walking away to speak with members of his own group.
"You're joking," Yolanda said flatly, "You can't be serious. Dwight you have the opportunity to be rid of Sanctuary and you're going back? You could be with Sherry in Alexandria as early as tomorrow. Why are you putting that off?"
"I said if there was any way that I could help, I would," Dwight said as he picked at his food in front of him, "With the three communities combined, there is more than enough manpower. Their army would be unstoppable if they also had help from the inside, don't you think?"
"It would be less suspicious if all three of us returned as well," Carson defended for the sake of Dwight, "Ezekiel is giving us some supplies that we would have gotten from Hilltop so that will help cover our tracks."
Yolanda appeared as if she was going to cry. "I don't know if I could go to Alexandria without you guys," she muttered and looked up to both Takuya and Dwight.
"Yolanda, you need to go," Dwight encouraged, "You need to be with Jenna. We'll be okay. Plus, you could let me know how Sherry is doing from time to time."
"Why don't you check on her all by yourself?" Yolanda countered.
Dwight shook his head but didn't say anything.
Their table fell silent as Yolanda and Kevin exchanged looks while wondering what was going on in Dwight's head. After several moments, Yolanda spoke up, "What happened years ago wasn't your fault, Dwight. She doesn't blame you for what Negan did to her."
Dwight suddenly stood up from the table no longer having an appetite. I'm going to go have a smoke outside," he announced then looked to Takuya and Carson. "We'll leave in an hour." With that, he strapped his newly returned crossbow to his back and left the room.
…
Dwight stepped outside as he saw the some members of the Kingdom loading their truck with some food and other supplies. Earlier in the day, Richard drove the truck in front of the high school as they started stocking for Dwight's group so they would have an alibi when they returned back to Sanctuary.
A sixth sense emerged as Dwight could feel someone's eyes on him. Staring in all directions, he saw nothing but darkness. He reached for his crossbow and even though he saw no one before, he was still unconvinced. With nightfall obscuring his vision, he walked further away from the high school building and towards a small playground that a stood close to the front entrance. Low and behold, he saw Daryl posed to attack with his crossbow drawn and aimed at Dwight.
They stared at each other and said nothing for a long period of time as they tried to size each other up. Dwight was first to put his weapon down. After several seconds, Daryl put his own crossbow down but still stared at Dwight warily. Putting his crossbow over his shoulder once more, they continued to stand awkwardly from their encounter of almost shooting each other in the face. Dwight had no idea what to say to make the tension less distinct.
Dwight searched his pockets for a cigarette and lighter but remembered that someone in Alexandria pocketed them days ago. He sighed in annoyance and started walking away. Dwight figured he would just go back inside instead of avoiding Yolanda like he was currently doing.
"Hey," Daryl grumbled behind him. When Dwight turned around, he saw Daryl holding out cigarettes and a lighter that looked eerily similar to the one that he had in Alexandria.
Dwight tried to act miffed that Daryl was the one who stole his cigarettes in the first place and took what the man offered instead. He nodded a thanks and grabbed a cigarette from the box and gave it back to Daryl who took one for himself as well. They each took turns lighting their smokes and stood in a comfortable silence as they watched the group of king's men who were loading the truck for the Saviors.
"It will be a sad day when I can no longer find cigarettes in stores," Dwight commented more to himself.
Daryl shrugged in response. "I gotta decent stash back at Alexandria. Ain't gonna last forever though."
Dwight couldn't help but notice every sentence that came out of Daryl's mouth almost sounded like a growl. The man walked around as if he had a chip on his shoulder.
"If you have such a decent stash, then why did you take mine?" Dwight asked sardonically.
"'Cause I didn' like ya," Daryl grumbled.
Dwight inhaled more nicotine and nodded. "Fair enough," he muttered under his breath.
Daryl pointed slightly at Dwight's crossbow. "How long you had that?"
"This particular crossbow I have had since I have lived in Sanctuary," Dwight answered, "I used to have a Barnett Jackal when everything happened but this baby is a lot more accurate. It would have been way out of my budget if currency was still a thing."
"What kind is it?" Daryl asked while seeming mildly intrigued with their conversation.
"Intercept Axon. What about yours?"
"Stryker."
"How long have you used a crossbow?" Dwight inquired.
"Can't remember a time I didn' use one," Daryl responded, "We used 'em for huntin' growin' up. What 'bout you?"
"College," Dwight said with a shrug, "You have me beat."
They stood in silence once more as they continued to watch more supplies load in the truck. Dwight knew Negan would be pleased with as much food that was being stocked.
"You really think all of this shit's gonna end soon?" Daryl questioned.
"For everyone's sake, I hope so," Dwight replied, "I'm sick of living the way I have been. It would be nice to imagine a world the way Alexandria is being ran. You guys have been lucky."
Glancing at Daryl, the redneck as already staring at him. Dwight hardly knew the guy but knew that he was trustworthy. He couldn't place it on any particular thing but something about his character seemed dependable.
"I don't mean to ask much of you and I hate to ask you any favors but do you mind doing something for me any chance you have?" Dwight requested.
Daryl finally nodded after several seconds. "Sure."
"Keep an eye on Sherry for me," Dwight nearly pleaded, "I know she's a lot safer in Alexandria than she was in Sanctuary but I'll feel weird with her being so far away all the same."
Daryl nodded again and considered Dwight's appeal. "No problem."
"Thanks," Dwight said.
AUTHOR'S NOTES, TRIVIA, & FACTS -
#1 - "Someone dealt me a new hand," is a term alluding to Dwight always referring to playing his cards well. The "someone" is Rick as he changed the game completely. "A new hand" is a play on words and was almost intended to be a pun because Rick only has one hand in the comic books...womp, womp, womp!
#2 - At this time, Maggie hasn't taken up the title of Hilltop leader. She's just getting her bearings after Glenn died and is seeing how terrible of a leader Gregory is. And since Gregory is refusing to go against Sanctuary in the comics, Jesus is kind of filling in until they find someone who fits their standards.