Never Can Say Goodbye
The next two days were busy as Rick and Daryl gathered supplies for this marathon run. They checked and rechecked their supplies trying to be prepared for whatever they might meet on the way. Tyreese went through every vehicle to look for any mechanical problem that might arise. Sam tried to think of everything he might need to get trucks started and working to get the supplies back. Jamela went through the specifications for the turbines over and over to make certain that they would gather the correct parts.
They were all aware that the endeavor was an immense gamble, but the rewards were incalculable. As a group they feared that civilization would slide into the abyss without a stable renewable source of electricity. If they could turn the lights on in Adair, then lights could go on in other towns and someday their children would have a better life.
Daryl thought about the run team. He would be traveling with Rick, Jamela, Allen, Sam, Michonne, Tyreese, and Patrick. They were all good fighters and knew what was at stake. Daryl wondered if there would be a power struggle between Rick and Patrick, Lots of alpha males and females in this group he thought. The team had met and elected him as the run leader; Daryl was surprised but he accepted it. He needed both Rick and Patrick and they seemed to listen to him better than each other.
Allen was going to be group medic; he and Carol were had preparing first aid equipment for the run. Allen was worried about clean water and had packed water purification kits and was taking some water with them. Joaquin had brought them MREs, vehicles, and fuel. They were traveling through in two Humvees and a truck. Daryl put Tyreese and Michonne in the truck. Patrick, Jamela, and Allen were in one Humvee. Rick, Daryl, and Sam were in the other.
Jamela and Allen had talked with Alyssa about why they were going. She understood the importance of what they were doing and told them that she was proud of them. She was moving back to the big house while they were away.
Rick spent his last evening at home with his family. They had gone to their new house and built a fire in the wood stove and ate dinner in the great room. Rick talked to Carl and Andrea that he loved them and needed to know that they would take care of each other and Judith while he was gone. They talked about the house and how much they were looking forward to living in this house as a family. Andrea had made Rick a pecan pie and they ate their dessert by the fire before they walked back to the house. Carl was moving back tomorrow morning to the house.
Daryl spent his last evening with Caleb and Carol. Carol had kept herself busy while Daryl had talked with Caleb. Daryl wanted Caleb to take care of Carol while he was gone. Daryl reminded him that they might be attacked while he was gone; he needed Caleb to remember that in this world there were plenty of roving bands that might think they this place was easy pickings. Caleb promised that he would protect Carol and this place. Carol came back in and sat with them by the fire; she entertained Caleb with stories about Daryl's exploits. Caleb had been glad to learn Daryl was his uncle and he had grown to love both Carol and Daryl. Caleb promised to move back in tomorrow.
Gradually the house quieted down after Rick and Andrea came back with Judith. Carl, Caleb, and Alyssa went back to the barn house to spend their last night there. Michonne and Tyreese had finished their last game of chess and had gone upstairs.
Daryl and Carol walked Canary and they locked the house up and went to bed. Daryl was grumbling that Canary was supposed to be a watch dog and he didn't want to come home and find out that Carol was letting the dog sleep in his bed. Carol said that he would just have to find out when he came home.
Carol was tired of being strong and supportive. She had been walking around for two days with a false good attitude so that Daryl wouldn't have to worry about anything but getting this job done. She wanted all of Daryl's attention for a while.
Daryl waited for Carol to come to bed. He suspected that she was in the bathroom getting herself geared up for another performance; she had been a trooper for the last two days. She had helped get things together and had been supportive of everything that they were doing.
Carol came in the room and slid into bed beside Daryl. He turned off the light and put his arms around her. He told her that he had once thought burying Merle was the hardest thing he had ever done. Then he thought that knowing that she was in the Nazi compound and that he had to wait to rescue her was the hardest thing he had ever had to do. Daryl said that the hardest thing was leaving her tomorrow. It was the hardest because he was leaving her of his own free will. He wasn't forced to do it and he was afraid that Carol would think that he didn't love and value her enough to stay here.
Carol said that she knew that he was going because it was the right thing to do. She loved him because he was an honorable man and if he stayed away too long then Canary was going to sleep on his pillow every night.
He pulled her close to him and whispered that she was his Caro mio and always would be but keep the damn dog off of my pillow. Carol told him that she needed all him for tonight. Tomorrow he could be run leader and save the world from darkness, but tonight she just wanted her husband with her. Daryl promised that he would let tomorrow take care of itself and just love her tonight.
