Chapter 12

My Father's Gun

As the days that followed dragged out, Mr. Grimes stayed in the same state. He lingered between being worse off and being better off, but no matter what Herhsel or Carol did, they couldn't improve his health. Emerson worried herself to the point of exhaustion as she sat by her fathers bed day in, and day out, even when her father begged her to get some rest. Things between Daryl and Emerson stayed quiet and awkward at best. When the seventh morning arrived and Daryl walked past the infirmary to find Emerson slumped over in her chair, fast asleep, with her father's color fading by the second, he decided he'd had enough.

"Hershel?" He called upon arriving in the kitchen.

"Daryl?" Hershel turned around in his seat, "What is it?"

"If you had the proper supplies do you think you could clear the infection in Mr. Grimes lungs?" Daryl asked quickly.

Hershel shrugged, "In theory I could. But where would we find what I need?"

"I don't know, I'll find something though," Daryl frowned, "Make a list. I'm going on a run to get something for him. I'm not going to sit back and watch Emerson suffer through losing her father all over again." He knew everyone in the room was staring at him, and it was the most in a week's time that Daryl had openly discussed caring about Emerson and her well being.

Hershel nodded slowly, "Okay."

"I'm going to go get ready," Daryl told him. He walked out of the room only for Sasha to catch up a moment later, "Daryl you can't go alone. I'll tag along," she said quickly.

Daryl turned to look at her as he walked, "Thank you." He packed up some things that he would need in case they were gone for more than a day, and then Daryl headed back to the infirmary. When he poked his head into Henry's room, Emerson was gone.

"Rick came and got her, made her go to her bed," Henry told Daryl.

"Right," Daryl entered the room fully, "I'ma go and find ya some medicine."

Henry quipped an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"Yeah 'cause I ain't gonna watch you die. If you die, ya might as well take Emerson with you because she won't survive it." Daryl spoke quickly and his voice shook with nerves, a feeling he had not encountered in a very long time.

"You care 'bout my little girl?" Henry asked.

Daryl nodded, "More than I'd like to admit."

"I don't want you blamin' yourself if I pass. I expect the Lord will be taking me home soon. I just want to know my little girl will always be cared for," Henry said in a quiet voice.

"I'll take care of her," Daryl said. "But, you're not goin' anywhere."

"Well you may want to talk to the Lord about that," Henry closed his eyes again, "Thank you Daryl. I would be proud if you were with my daughter."

The older man didn't speak to Daryl again, and Daryl knew that he was fast asleep. He sighed and turned around before heading back to the cell block. He climbed up the stairs, retrieved his crossbow, and then returned downstairs. He stopped right outside of Emerson's room and quietly entered the room. Daryl bent down on his knees and debated with himself for a moment if he should wake her up. At long last, he finally settled on gently brushing her long red hair out of her face, like he always did, kissed her on the forehead, and then he quickly left the room.

"You ready?" Sasha asked when Daryl made it outside.

He nodded and began to load his things into the car just as Rick appeared outside, "You're going for a cure?" Rick asked.

Daryl shrugged, "Gotta find something to help your Uncle."

Rick frowned, "I should go with you."

Daryl shook his head, "No you need to stay here and take care of everyone, Emerson especially."

"Why are you doing all this?" Rick asked, raising an eyebrow.

Daryl shrugged, "Because I care about that girl in there." He turned away from Rick then and climbed into the drivers seat, "We'll be back just as soon as we can."

"Alright," Rick's face was set into a hard line as he watched the car drive off and down the path. Glenn opened the fence and then the car was soon gone.

It wasn't long before Emerson was awake again. Her head felt like it was going to split open from the lack of sleep. She got to her feet and wandered to the kitchen in search of a glass of water.

"They shouldn't have gone by themselves," an angry voice, that sounded like Tyreese said.

"Well when Daryl gets an idea in his head, he's gonna do it. I would have rather someone went with him then him go on his own," Rick grumbled.

Emerson entered the room, "Why does everyone sound so angry?" She grumbled, "My head is killing me."

"Your damn boyfriend and my sister ran off to find medicine for your father," Tyreese said quickly.

Emerson had been reaching for the pitcher of water when she stopped, "Wait my what?"

Rick sighed, "Daryl and Sasha took off about two hours ago to try and find some medicine for your dad."

She turned and looked at her cousin, "Why would he do that?"

"Because he is concerned, and rightly so, about your dad slipping away," Hershel said from the doorway, "And unless he gets back by day break tomorrow, your dad won't last much longer."

Emerson looked at Hershel, "But daddy is getting better."

"Without proper medication, he is only going to get worse," Hershel said quietly.

Her face was pale, "And Daryl left?"

Rick nodded, "With Sasha, yeah."

Emerson looked around and saw Michonne giving her a concerned look. "I need some air," Emerson mumbled quietly before rushing out of the room and outside. She took in a deep and gulping breath and her eyes stared out to the highway, "Daryl," she whimpered, "What have you done?"

"Emmy?"

Emerson brushed a tear away quickly and turned to look at Rick, "Yeah?"

"You should be inside," Rick took her by the arm, "Go sit with your father."

"Yeah I know," Emerson turned to face Rick, "I know."

Rick held onto her arm as he lead her into the prison. When Emerson reached her father's room, he was still asleep, and while his chest continued to rise and fall, there was a certain wheeze to his breathing patterns now. "Daddy," she whispered, "Please don't leave me."

"I think in some ways Daryl was right," Michonne said to no one in particular.

Maggie looked up at Michonne, "What do you mean?"

"I mean Emerson is not going to be able to live through losing her father. It is going to destroy everything she has left in this world," she saw the look on Rick and Carl's face, "Look I'm not saying that y'all aren't important or anything. I just mean that her father has been her whole world since she was what, seven? When her momma died?" Michonne continued on when she saw the nod from Rick, confirming the facts, "And she's lived her life around her father's ministry and if he is gone, I don't think Emerson will know what else to do in this kind of world."

"If anything," Glenn began, realizing what Michonne was trying to say, "She might go the way you did for awhile there, Rick."

Rick ran a hand over his face and sighed, "I don't want her to suffer through what I did."

"So when he goes it is going to be up to-"

"Rick!" A voice shouted from outside.

Rick got to his feet and rushed outside to follow Tyreese's voice, "What is it?" He called back.

"Get up here!" Tyreese called from the guard tower.

Rick climbed the stairs quickly, "What?"

"Here," Tyreese passed off the binoculars, "Look."

Rick pressed the lenses up to his eyes and looked out of the grimy guard tower window and saw a group of vehicle approaching the prison. One of which was a military jeep with a loaded machine gun on the back, and manning the gun was The Governor. The four cars were loaded with people and speeding through the fields, but still a fair distance away. "Shit," Rick said. He dropped the binoculars and was down the stairs in a second.

"What is it?" Hershel asked, looking at Rick.

"The Governor is here," Rick said quickly, "Get your guns and get outside. Don't do anything."

"Someone has to go get Emerson, we'll need as many able bodied hands as possible," Carol said.

"Go get her, grab rifles as you go," Rick ordered.

Carol nodded and took off running to the infirmary, "Emerson?!" She called.

Emerson was speaking quietly to her father but she stopped mid-sentence when she heard Carol's voice, "What is it?" She replied. "Is it Daryl? Did he find the medicine?" Emerson got to her feet and ran out of the cell.

"No honey, you need to grab your rifle and get outside. We're being attacked," Carol said quickly.

"Wait," Emerson frowned, "What? By who?!"

"The Governor and whoever he has managed to turn against us now," Carol sighed, "But we're short two of our best shots. We need every able bodied hand."

"No no no," Emerson shook her head quickly, "I need to be with my daddy."

"Go," a voice from the cell whispered quietly.

Emerson spun around and rushed back to her fathers side, "Daddy?"

His hand moved feebly and he took Emerson's hand, "You need to help defend your home. I'll be fine, honey."

"Daddy someone needs to be with you," Emerson mumbled.

"I'm not going nowhere just yet," Mr. Grimes said in a quiet voice, "I'm right here. I'll be right here."

Emerson pressed her lips to her fathers hand, "I love you daddy. I'll be back."

"I love you too honey," his movements were loose and awkward, but his lips pressed to his daughters hand, "I'll see you."

Emerson got to her feet, brushed the tears off her face again , and she rushed out of the cell block. Carol was about to follow but she stopped when she heard Mr. Grimes call to her.

"What is it Henry?" she asked, kneeling at his bed side.

"I'll try to hold on so my girl can say goodbye," he mumbled, "But if I can't make it. You need to lock me in here."

Carol raised an eyebrow, "In case you turn?"

Henry nodded, "You can't risk me gettin' loose. Too much at stake."

"Okay," Carol sighed, "Just try and hold on, okay?"

Henry smiled, "I'll do what I can."

Carol got to her feet, "And if you have to go, don't worry about Emerson. We'll take care of her."

"I know you will," he closed his eyes, "I know."

Carol moved out of the cell and closed the door shut behind her. She pulled a latch over the door and put the padlock on the cell, but left it unlocked. She stared at the sick man in the bed and then took off running after Emerson and the others.

–

"I want you up in the guard tower," Glenn told Emerson when she made it outside. Rick was down in the field talking to the man outside the gates, that she could only assume was the Governor. "Keep your guns by your side so he doesn't see and be quiet about getting up there. Hershel is in the other tower with Beth. Maggie will be up there waiting for you."

"What about you?" Emerson asked Glenn, "And Tyreese?"

"We're covering Rick." Glenn looked as Carol appeared, her rifle shouldered behind her, "Go find Michonne. Carl already has Judith loaded in the car seat in case we have to go, but he is with Michonne in the other corner of the prison yard."

Carol nodded and she quietly took off to find the others. Emerson felt weak and the gun was her fathers and it was awkward in her hands, but she did as Glenn instructed her and she ran up to the tower.

"We have nowhere to go," Rick said to the governor.

"Not my problem," the man replied, "We want what you have and we don't want you. Now get your things and go."

Rick shook his head, "We're not leaving."

"So it's a war you want? Because," The Governor laughed as he looked around at his men, all armed and pointing assault rifles at the small prison group, "We'll win. I always do."

Rick's hand hung loosely over his gun, "Just leave us be. I'm going to protect what we have."

"I could get him from here," Emerson whispered to Maggie, she looked through the scope of her gun, "I could get him."

"Just wait," Maggie instructed, "Not when Rick is down there in open view."

Emerson turned her scope to find Rick and then she quickly moved the gun back to the Governor's head.

"Fine," the governor raised his gun and pointed it at Rick, "I'll give you one last chance Rick."

"I'm not risking the lives of my children out there!" Rick shouted.

"Alright." There was a loud bang as the Governor fired off his gun. Then everyone was shooting and moving, and Emerson lost sight of Rick in the scope. She fired off the rifle, aiming for whoever she could. Her crossbow training with Daryl came rushing back. Breathe. Aim. Exhale. Fire. Breathe. Aim. Exhale. Fire.

Breathe.

Aim.

Exhale.

Fire.

Xx

A/N- Well this is my birthday present for you...even though it is my birthday? You can give me a gift by reviewing! I'm going to go get ready now! Gotta make sure I look beautiful because my crush may show up tonight! AH! PLEASE REVIEW! :)