3rd person POV

Daryl swerved suddenly, just barely missing the walker that stumbled out from behind a car but Rick in the red truck behind him, slammed on the brakes; watching the walker he recognized collapse.

Daryl's bike screeched to a vicious halt that nearly led to his chest hitting the handles.

He glanced back and before he could even take a breathe, his heart stopped.

Daryl swung his leg off the bike, not even putting up the kickstand and forgot about the running machine, even when metal scraped the pavement as it tipped over without him to keep it up.

A mass of dark tangles splayed over the road consumed his attention like paper tissue in a bonfire.

He didn't even realize he was going towards the body until Glenn and Rick got out of the cars just after he passed.

Daryl's POV

"Eve!" Glenn called from somewhere behind me, hesitant and probing.

I half expected 'er to just roll over and flash a cheeky smile like a little shit; like it's a goddamn joke but she/it didn't move.

Not so much as a muscle twitch.

My lungs are tryna suffocate me as I edged closer.

Part of me wants to run straight for her no holds bars and just flip 'er over but the more cautious voice in ma head is screamin' Hell no.

My heart is battering my ribcage like a one man band as I got close enough to grab an arm off the road (never thought I'd say that).

The smell of rotting human flesh is practically vaping off whatever the Hell this gut-poncho is. All I can say is I'm glad I ain't touchin' that shit with my hands as I nudged the body on the back.

It didn't move.

My but burned and I tossed the arm, finally giving in to ripping off the bandage. Just get it over with.

I grabbed it with my hands, ready to jump back just in case and dragged it onto it's back.

No.

My kneecaps cracked against the asphalt but I barely noticed.

I heard a shout as I reached forward but it sounds like it's underwater.

I pushed piles of dark hair out of her face, clumps of it still clinging to her grimy sweat glimmering skin.

I vaguely noticed my eyes stinging from not blinking, my lungs burning from not breathing, my knees aching, but I can't feel anything except my hand.

The side of her head under my palm, holding her hair out of her face. I searched — hoping for any sign anything on her face, the slightest muscle twitch, but there's nothing.

"Eve!" Glenn gasped over my shoulder, right behind me.

It can't— She's too smart — too fast — too Eve to just—

I looked down at her shoes and the whole world faded to white noise.

9 muddy lines.

I didn't even realize I wasn't breathing until all the air rushed my lungs like a popped balloon at a scratchy raw sound.

"Boo"

My eyes shot over, locking on the thinest slivers of Baltic amber.

A hoarse cough split clicked lips and I lunged forward without even thinking.

"Eve!— She's alive!" Glenn shouted like he had a bull horn but I ignored him.

"Get water!" I snapped at him and he took off like a jack rabbit without a word.

I grabbed her shoulders — carefully — and lifted her up, slipping my hand behind her neck to hold her head and moved my knee behind her back to lean 'er against and wrapped my arm behind her shoulders to keep her up.

Her head lulled against my shoulder, absolutely no strength in her neck. Even her eyes are just barely open.

"Don't ever do nothin' like that again, do you hear me? Ain't nothin' allowed to kill you 'cept me. You got that?" I didn't speak loud enough for anyone else to hear me but the faintest hint of a smile ghosted over her lips.

Glenn came back with a water bottle almost sliding on his knees in front of me and unscrewed the cap, handin' me the bottle like it's a time bomb.

"Ey, don't fall asleep yet." I put the rim to her lips but she just groaned, not even lookin' at it. Her eyes almost rolling back into 'er head.

I looked at Glenn and jerked my head and he already knew to help me hold 'er up. I leaned her back a little and pushed her chin down with my finger, opening her mouth.

I carefully poured a trickle of the clear liquid into 'er mouth and she almost choked swallowing but it's amazing what anything edible does to her attention span, even if she's half dead.

Her eyes opened a little wider and I almost smiled.

I put the bottle to her lips again, pouring some more into her mouth and in less than 10 seconds she topped off the whole bottle.

I handed the empty plastic back to Glenn and wiped some of it off 'er chin, before wrinkling my nose and looking down.

"Help me get this shit off 'er." I shifted her a little, the stench of this gut-coat finally gettin' to me.

T-Dog crouched to help and it was harder than it should've been, but two minutes of struggling later and Glenn tossed it to the wind.

"Is she gon' be ok?"

Eve's eyes turned to the side, trying to turn her head at Randall's voice and I shifted her so she could look.

I forgot she helped the kid to be honest but seeing him here, a noticeable relief flickered through her eyes.

'She was still worryin' about the kid even like this?' I glanced at him before shifting her head back so her neck isn't turned awkwardly.

"Bring 'er over here, let me look at 'er." Hershel motioned to the cars and I nodded, grabbing her wrist and pulling her arm across her stomach so it won't just hang.

I looped my arm under 'er knees and around her back. "You good?"

She hummed, which is all I'm gonna get cause her eyes are closin' again. She ain't gonna be awake much longer.

It was a little awkward tryna get to my feet from the ground like this but I managed, without jostling 'er too much.

"Mmm..inn" Eve groaned something not even the wind could'a heard.

"What?" my face screwed into confusion. "Muffin?"

She exhaled and if I didn't know any better I'd say it was a huff before a torn ragged voice wheezed "I," almost 3 octaves deeper and a whole lot rougher than normal.

"...win."

Goodbye 2018 Hellllloooooo 2019!~

I hope you're all having a splendid new year wherever you are and however you're celebrating. Be it with junk food & movies, watching the ball drop, seeing who can stay up the longest, partying hard, making new year's resolutions, or knocking out before the fireworks start.

I wish you all the good vibes and best of luck going into a new dawn, especially if you've got mountains to climb or are still working at the one you're on right now.

I for one can't wait to say goodbye to this shitty 2018 but hey, at least it's not as bad as the year the entire internet has agreed to pretend never happened ?

I almost didn't get this chapter out today but I love you guys too much to do that to you on New years of all days. I am thoroughly impressed with myself for almost hitting my word count though. Anyways,

Party like you mean it and stay safe,

Happy New Years everyone!