Today we had begun working on fixing the bridge. Rick was determined to keep the bridge from falling. People from all the communities, including the remaining people from the Saviors were working together on it. This was just asking for trouble and I don't know what Rick was thinking putting us all up there together.
Kinsley was currently helping me nail wood planks into the bridge when arguments started to break out. Henry was walking around and giving everyone water. We were only allowed a certain amount of water so that everyone working got some. When Henry gave the bottle to one of the Saviors, he drank more than he was supposed to.
"Hey, stop drinking. You've drank way more than you are supposed to" Henry said.
"What you gonna do about it kid?" the Savior asked sarcastically.
Henry reached for the bottle, but the Savior lifted it up where he couldn't reach it and then took another sip. Henry got mad and hit him in the knee with his stick. The Savior came down to the ground, dropping the bottle. Henry picked it up and the Savior got all in his face.
"You're gonna pay for that kid" he spat.
He started pushing Henry around so I got up and stood between them.
"Hey, calm down. He's just a kid. He was only trying to do his job. Give him a break" I said.
"Well I'm tired of being pushed around and treated like dirt compared to all you people who act like you're on a high horse" he said.
He proceeded to get in my face and he got closer and closer. I could feel my face start to burn. Kinsley got up from working when she saw my fists clench. She knew me. She knew there was about to be a fight.
"Backup" I said to him.
"What you gonna do about it?"
He pushed me and then I pushed him back. We fell to the ground and I landed on top of him. I threw about four punches, drawing blood from his nose and lip. Everyone started chanting and I guess Rick had heard. I felt someone pull on my arm so I let up.
"Daryl, that's enough" Rick said.
I stood up and so did the Savior. He leaped at me and we both fell to the ground again. He threw two punches and then threw sand in my eyes to prevent me from seeing. I screamed out in pain because it burnt my eyes. He threw another punch and all the sudden I tasted blood in my mouth. I tried to throw a punch back at him but I completely missed because I couldn't see.
Rick tried to grab the Savior's arm and pull him off, but the Savior just turned around and punched Rick in the jaw.
All the sudden, I felt the Savior's body collapse on mine and the punches had ceased. I rubbed my eyes trying to get the sand out and when I opened my eyes, I saw a knife in the back of his head. I looked up and saw Kinsley standing there. She had killed him. She had thrown a knife into this man's skull in order to protect me. Kinsley just winked at me and I couldn't help but grin a little. We always had each other's back. That's what Dixon's do.
"Kinsley, what the hell?" Rick yelled at her.
"Look, I get you want us all to live in peace and get along, but Rick, it just isn't going to happen for some people. He attacked my dad and was beating the crap out of him. I thought he might try to kill him, so I acted on it. I can't just stand back and watch like you do. Something has to be done. You need to remember to put your people first" Kinsley said.
I found myself with my mouth open in shock because she had just stood up to him. The look on his face was hilarious. He couldn't believe Kinsley was the one to put him in his place.
"Well, next time don't go around killing people, okay? That's just going to make things worse" Rick said.
"I only kill when it is necessary" she said as she turned around and walked off the bridge.
Kinsley reached the end and said, "You can finish this stupid bridge yourself. I'm done with helping you build it, especially since you have us working with the Saviors. Maybe one day you will get your head out of your ass and see what we all are seeing."
Everyone on the bridge just watched in awe. This was the first time in a long time anyone had stood up to Rick.
Rick looked at me, obviously wanting me to say something to Kinsley for the way she was talking to him.
I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "I agree with her" and followed her off the bridge.
I put my arm around her and we walked back to the camp.
A couple hours had passed since the incident on the bridge. Kinsley had fallen asleep in the tent because she was so exhausted from all the work she did on the bridge. I just sat outside of the tent waiting for her to wake up. I stayed out there just in case anyone from the Saviors tried to retaliate against her.
Carol came down and sat next to me. She handed me Kinsley's knife from the bridge. I guess someone gave it to her. She also gave me a cold rag to put on my bruising eye.
"So, Rick told me what happened at the bridge" she said.
"Yea."
I wasn't in the mood to hear a lecture from her about controlling Kinsley. I thought she did what was right.
"Daryl, Rick said she killed one of the Saviors. What happened?"
"He attacked me and wouldn't get off of me. He threw sand in my eyes so I couldn't see and he tried to beat the living crap out of me. Kinsley threw a knife and killed him because he wouldn't get off."
"Are you not concerned that she was so quick to kill? I'm not saying I am, I'm just asking you your opinion" she said.
"No. She did it to save me. She would've done it for any one of our people. Plus, if she wouldn't had killed him and they were able to get him off of me, he would've tried to do it again another day."
"Yea I agree. Rick seemed pretty upset about the things she said to him. What did she say?"
"She just basically told him that he wasn't looking out for his people anymore and that he should be protecting us and stop being so concerned about everyone getting along. She told him he needed to get his head out of his ass. Not gonna lie, it took a lot for me not to laugh. He didn't know what to say to her."
"I would've loved to have seen that" Carol said while laughing.
"She definitely got her attitude from you" she added.
I just nudged her and we both laughed.
Kinsley finally woke up and we all walked to the fire to try to warm up. It was starting to get really cold outside.
We all sat down at the fire and a couple of Saviors came up and joined us. I could tell Kinsley had tensed up. She was worried they would try to cause something since she killed one of their men.
One of the guys stood up and came over to me.
"You need to learn to control your daughter dude. What she did was unacceptable and she is definitely going to pay for it in the future."
I couldn't control my anger at this point. No one threatened my family.
I jumped up and threw the Savior to the ground. I began punching him over and over. I had definitely broken his nose at this point.
I heard Kinsley say in the background, "Dad, stop. It's not worth it." I just ignored her and kept going.
I felt someone grab my fist as I came up to throw another punch and I just knew it was one of those Saviors trying to stop me. I turned around with my fist raised, ready to throw another punch when my eyes met Kinsley's. She was the one who tried to make me stop, not a Savior.
The fear in her eyes when I turned around with my fist raised is something I will never be able to shake. She crouched down and covered her face as if she actually thought I would hit her. It was like this had happened to her before.
I just knelt down and placed my hands on her cheeks. She wouldn't even look up at me. She was just staring at the ground.
"Kinsley I'm so sorry. I thought you were a Savior. You know I would never lay a hand on you."
"I know. It's fine" she said as she got up and headed back to the tent.
I looked at Carol as tears started to fill my eyes. Carol grabbed my arm and we walked into the woods to talk. We both found a log to sit on and I lost it. I am not normally a man to cry but this time I just couldn't.
"Daryl it's okay. You didn't know it was her. Don't beat yourself up."
"No, it's not okay. I am just like my dad now."
Carol grabbed my hands and my eyes met hers.
"Daryl don't you ever say that! You are nothing like your father. You have been an amazing father to her. You make me so proud. The way you are with Kinsley is beautiful to watch. You're her best friend. The way you guys can cut up together, but then also be serious with each other is amazing. She adores you."
"Carol, I almost hit her though."
"No, you didn't. You thought it was a Savior. Anyone would've turned around ready to fire a punch. You would've never hit her and it's not like you did baby. Don't beat yourself up about this. I think you need to go talk to her to make you feel better."
We walked together to the tent we were all three staying in and we found Kinsley curled up in a ball with tears coming down her face.
I came and knelt down beside her as she sat up. I wiped the tears from her face, but then I started to cry, too.
"Kinsley, I'm so sorry." That was all I could get out.
"Dad, I'm not mad at you or afraid of you or anything. It's just that moment brought back bad memories."
"What do you mean?"
Now she started to cry some more and I just grabbed her hands to try to provide some comfort.
"Mom's husband used to hit us kids when she wasn't there. He threatened us and told us that if we told her, he would hurt us again. He didn't hit me as much as the others because I wasn't his biological kid, but when he did, he would pull back his arm in a punch just the way you did. That's why I got so upset."
"Kinsley your step-dad hit you?"
"Yea. Mom never knew. Whenever I had bruises on my face, I would just tell her I fell at school or something. He was awful to us."
I just pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head.
"Kinsley, I'm so sorry. I know how awful it is to live with a parent who is abusive. I would never hit you I hope you know that. I would never ever lay a hand on you or Carol. You two are my world."
"I know dad, I know."
