Chapter 66 - Delirium

It was their second day on foot, and their detour had spat them out on a long, empty, dusty road, woods lining either side as far as the eye could see. Deciding that the road must lead somewhere, they kept moving forward, even though, at this point, somewhere seemed like an unattainable point in the distance.

Aside from a few of the undead here and there, they hadn't run into any trouble, nor had they seen any other signs of life. They had been walking most of the day, and with only a couple of hours of sunlight left, it was decided they'd carry on for a short while longer before finding a spot to camp up for the night.

The group had spread out - Rick and Michonne at the lead, and because Tahlia and Eugene were the slowest, they had naturally drifted to the back of the pack. Daryl suspected this also had something to do with the fact that they talked so damned much, but he was content to trail along next to them. He tuned in and out of their conversation – it was mostly Eugene informing Tahlia about various random topics and Tahlia asking a million questions in response. In Daryl's opinion, Eugene used far too many words to get to his point, but he had to hand it to him – that guy was a mine of information. Intermittently, Daryl would veer off into the woods to search for food or water, then pop back out further up the road and link up with them again.

After one of these detours, Daryl tapped Tahlia's elbow. "Just gonna shoot up and check in with Rick and see how much further he wants to get today, then I'ma try scope out a spot for the night."

Tahlia gave him a warm smile and a nod, then focused back on her conversation with Eugene who was attempting to explain the basics of quantum theory to her.

"Layman's terms!" she interrupted on more than one occasion, usually closely followed by, "More layman-y than that!"

They had moved on to quantum superpositions, and Eugene was trying to describe the theory behind the thought experiment of Schrodinger's cat, when he noticed his bootlace had come undone and he stopped to tie it.

"Wait, wait, wait!" exclaimed Tahlia as they stood on the roadside. "How the hell can a cat be alive and dead at the same time?!"

Eugene shook his head, his expression neutral. "It was never intended as a literal construct, but more to pose the question of when does a quantum system stop existing as a superposition of states and-"

"Stop!" Tahlia laughed as she held a hand up. "Back. It. Up. You lost me so long ago I don't think we're even in the same solar system anymore! Maybe… ok, try explaining it like you would to a five-year-old."

"That is exactly the terminology that I would employ if I were to impart this theory on a green elementary ankle biter." Eugene told her seriously.

By this time, a decent distance had stretched out between them and the rest of the group who had carried on unaware that Eugene and Tahlia had paused for a discussion on the side of the road.

Tahlia grinned as she pressed her hand to her forehead. "Ok, ok. I think we might have jumped the gun a little. Let's go back to-"

Just then, three walkers staggered out of the trees just yards from where they were standing, and instinctively, Eugene crouched down and covered his head in fear as Tahlia took a couple of steps back.

"Eugene! Get up! Run!" Tahlia urged, but he just whimpered and clutched his head tighter.

Without putting any further thought into it, Tahlia unsheathed her katana and strode towards the first of the undead to reach them, swinging and lopping off the top of its head.

The momentum of the movement spun Tahlia right around, and she ended up with the tip of her sword resting on the ground, slightly bent over to hold her balance. The second walker was a head taller than her and had to be somewhere in the vicinity of 200 pounds, and it was so close that she knew she'd only have the chance for one strike. So, with all the force she could muster, she heaved an almighty diagonal upwards swing to slice under its arm and then through its head. She managed to take it down, but also let out cry of shock as she did so, feeling her wound tear open, edges split, tear wider, and reflexively she clutched her side, her katana clattering to the ground.

The others had taken notice by this time - Sasha and Tara were the nearest and had started running, Daryl not far behind, shouting her name.

Eugene was still cowering in a ball on the ground, and the third walker had thrown itself at him, its gnashing teeth right next to his head. The adrenaline firing through Tahlia's body was enough to keep any pain at bay, so acting on instinct, she launched herself at the walker, grabbing it around the shoulders and dragging it off Eugene, then she crashed to the tarmac with the walker on its back on top of her. Tahlia kept her arms clenched tightly around the corpse as it whipped its head wildly from side to side, teeth clacking in an attempt to find purchase. She gave a grunt of desperation as she felt the decaying flesh of its arms dislodging from its bones under her grasp, its mouth getting closer to her face with every swing of its head.

She couldn't hold it. She couldn't hold it. She couldn't fucking-

Suddenly the walker stilled, and Tahlia looked up to see Sasha crouching next to her, pulling her knife from its temple.

"Get the fuck off." muttered Sasha as she dragged the dead body off Tahlia, who let her arms fall out to the sides in relief.

Then, belatedly, she lifted one hand to her side.

"I think I…"

And only then did she see the pain coming, barreling towards her like a freight train. When it hit it was sharp and searing, the agony of already infected flesh exacerbated by further injury and it hurt so bad she wanted to bang her head on the ground just to feel something else, anything else, even just a different kind of pain.

Then Daryl skidded up, eyes flashing with fear as he dropped down to her side.

"You bit?! You bit?!" he asked frantically, seeing the bright red stain blooming fast and wide on her t-shirt.

With teeth gritted and eyes squeezed shut, Tahlia shook her head.

Breathe. She thought. Breathe. Use your breathing techniques.

But she couldn't remember them. Couldn't think. Couldn't hear anything over the sound of screaming pain.

Then she opened her eyes and Daryl was in her face and it looked like he was screaming at her too, but she couldn't make out any of his words because her pain was too loud.

"What the FUCK?!" exploded Daryl, seizing her shoulders as his terror-borne anger erupted. "What the FUCK were ya THINKIN'?! Ya coulda got damn well killed for THAT guy! Fuckin' STUPID! Threw yourself on top of a fuckin' walker like you don't give a DAMN 'bout yourself, like you don't give a-"

He was cut off as Michonne grabbed the collar of his shirt and yanked him roughly backwards, dislodging his hands from Tahlia.

"Back off!" she shouted fiercely as he got to his feet. "Back off right now!" She could see the remnants of panic still sparking in his eyes and knew that he was just reacting out of fear, but she wanted him away from Tahlia until he calmed down.

Daryl glared at her, then whirled around to face Eugene, pointing a finger savagely at him.

"Learn to fuckin' look after yourself! Fuckin' useless! If she-"

"Daryl!" Now Rick grabbed hold of him. "Take a walk."

Chest heaving, Daryl turned back to Tahlia, who was still lying on the hot tarmac, her eyes squeezed shut again, but Michonne held up a hand to him in warning.

"Take a walk." Rick repeated, shoving him gently in the direction of the woods.

Rubbing a hand over his face, Daryl shot one more anguished look at Tahlia, then strode into the trees.

"Alright." Carol knelt next to Tahlia. "Let's take a look."

Tahlia's side had opened right up and was pulsing out a steady stream of blood, and Carol swore under her breath at the gory sight. Tahlia's t-shirt was soaked now, so Carol cut it off and jammed it down over the wound in an attempt to stem the flow.

The pressure made Tahlia want to be sick, so she dry-retched which only intensified the pain and made her feel like some of her organs were trying escape from her side - and maybe they were, because Carol said, "Shit, don't do that, Tahly!" and Michonne muttered, "Oh my God." and Tahlia mumbled, "Sorry." as she gagged again.

Just then Daryl came running back out of the woods and held his hands up in submission at Michonne's narrowed eyes.

Dropping down next to Tahlia, first he drew his thumb gently across her cheek in apology, then he spat a large wad of chewed up leaves into his hand.

"Yarrow." he told Carol. "Helps stop bleedin'."

Carol nodded and lifted one of her hands so he could access the wound, but Daryl hesitated at the sight of ragged flesh, pus and blood.

"Do it." Tahlia's voice was firm and sure as she looked up at him. The initial shock of pain had subsided and although it was still coming in waves, she was functional again.

Daryl nodded and packed the wet leaves in the opening, and although her body tensed, she didn't make a sound. Quickly chewing up a handful more, he shoved those in the last section of the laceration as Carol took the long-sleeved top that was tied around her waist and cut it into strips, then together they wrapped the area up.

"Ok." said Carol, sitting back on her heels and wiping her hands on the least bloodied portion of Tahlia's t-shirt. "That will have to do."

Daryl lifted Tahlia's head and scooted under her so she could rest on his lap.

"How ya doin'?" he asked her softly, stroking her hair back from her face.

She nodded up at Daryl. "I'm fine." And then smiled when Carol smacked her on the leg.

"Sorry I yelled at ya. Just gave me a good scare seein' ya wrestlin' that damn walker. Thought it got ya."

Tahlia waved his apology away. "I wasn't thinking."

"Bet ya weren't." replied Daryl wryly. "Still as stupid and reckless as the day I met ya, ain't ya girl?" He ran his fingers across the top of her chest, then glanced up at the concerned faces staring down at them, then back to Tahlia. "Gonna get y'up now, 'kay? Gotta find a place to camp up for the night."

Once Daryl had Tahlia on her feet, Sasha offered the shirt she had been wearing over her t-shirt and helped to put it on Tahlia, wrinkling her nose in sympathy at the large oozing grazes on the back of her arms and shoulders from where she'd hit the tarmac.

"You really messed yourself up, Tahly!" Sasha told her with mock sternness. "You and Eugene are no longer allowed to walk at the back. You've gotta stay safely in the middle where we can all keep an eye on you."

Tahlia rolled her eyes and grinned. "Yes mom."

Taking it slow, they carried on for a short while longer, then veered off into the woods to find a spot to make camp.

Keeping a close eye on Tahlia, Daryl could tell that she was putting on a shiny version of herself, smiling and chatting and doing her best to deflect attention away from her, away from the events of that afternoon, successfully making most people forget about it and assume that she was doing just fine.

He knew better.

It had been six days since they'd abandoned the bus and taken to foot.

Six long, dragging, dismal days.

There were no cannibals; no attackers; no gunfire; no tanks; no imprisonment...

But there was also no food; no water; no shelter; no supplies; no respite from the heat.

And all that made this feel like the worst yet.

All they could do was keep plodding along this endless dusty road, exhausted, starving, dehydrated, despondent. Tensions were running high within the group. People were scratchy, snappy, on edge.

And that was in addition to the issue of Tahlia's steadily failing health.

With no fresh dressings or anything to aid in the healing process, the infection in Tahlia's wound had bloomed. Carol was the last person to look at it, and that had been two days back - the whole area was badly inflamed, angry colours of red, yellow and black shouting of raging infection, and Tahlia refused to let anyone else near it since then. Said there was no point – they couldn't do anything about it, so best to keep it out of goddamned sight. But she was declining on the daily at a frighteningly rapid rate.

That evening at their makeshift camp, Daryl made his way back to the fire and sank down next to Carol.

"She sleeping?"

"Sleepin' or passed out." he replied, moodily toeing at the dirt.

"Did she eat anything?"

"Won't even try no more. Ain't been able to hold nothin' down for couple days. And we're out of water. Not that she'd drink anyways. Her fever's worse. Sweatin' and shakin' and babblin' 'bout shit that don't make no sense."

"That can happen with high fever. Delirium, hallucinations." Carol told him. "Won't be helping that she's probably severely dehydrated."

"Think rest would help? Like if we just stop movin' for a couple days?"

Carol bit her bottom lip for a moment then shook her head. "Honestly, no I don't. It would be more comfortable for her, but I don't think she'd get any better. Her infection is bad – her other cuts and scrapes are infected too which means her body isn't capable of healing itself on its own."

"So what the fuck am I s'posed to do?!" demanded Daryl angrily as he threw a stick into the flames.

Carol laid a calming hand on his arm even though she was worried too. "Just keep doing what you're doing – being there for her. We'll push on and figure something out. She's strong, Daryl. She'll get through this."

Daryl's anger quickly faded into despair. "But what if…?"

"'What if' nothing." said Carol firmly. She couldn't even touch on the very idea of losing someone else she loved right now. "She will get through this. We're going to make sure of it."

The following day, Tahlia was noticeably weaker but still determined to carry on as usual, and protested indignantly when Daryl and Tara insisted on walking on either side of her, their arms linked through hers for support.

"I can fucking walk on my own!" she professed, but soon resigned herself to the fact that actually, she did need their help.

And that became more apparent with every minute that ticked by.

She felt like she was on a rollercoaster - gradually dissociating from her body on the climb up high, high, soaring high and floating far above the world as she gazed down on herself, and then the descent would come, sickening and stomach-tipping as she crashed back into herself, the force of it dragging her down low all the way into her pain and weakness and hopelessness.

And then there were all the loop-de-loops of delirium in between.

"Look at us." she murmured with a giggle. "We're smelly little ants trekking along to the anthill of life."

Tara shot Daryl a wide-eyed stare across the top of Tahlia's head and mouthed, what the hell?

He shrugged apologetically. "She's been randomly talkin' shit. Don't usually last too long."

Tahlia gave a little grunt of displeasure and frowned. "The air is too cold up here. I want to come back down."

Daryl sighed and went along with it. "C'mon, girl. I'll take ya back down."

On one of her downhill journeys where her feet felt heavy and her body sluggish and she was fully aware of the whole dire situation, Tahlia stumbled and tripped for the third time in as many yards, and stopped suddenly, pulling her arms away from Tara and Daryl and pressing her hands to her face.

"I hate this! Fucking h-hate this!"

Daryl hated it too. Hated seeing her like this.

He felt like she was deteriorating by the hour. She was visibly shaking as the chills shook her body relentlessly, her skin waxy and colourless, her breath sharp, shallow gasps in her chest, her words stuttering and uneven.

Her vibrancy was gone - she looked shadowed, hollowed out.

"I'm slow-ing everyone d-down!"

"You ain't." Daryl told her gently. "Everyone's tired and slow. Ain't walkin' this speed for your benefit. This is all any of us got."

"That's not t-true! I'm making this so much harder for all of… of you!"

Michonne's heart wrenched as she stared at her distraught friend, then turned to Rick. "We can't just keep dragging her on like this!"

"What's the alternative?" Rick hissed, waving a hand at the expanse of woods around them and the growing pack of walkers stumbling after them half a mile down the road. "Sit in the trees and wait to die? We've got to keep moving, hope that we find somewhere to go! Look at the state of everyone here! After everything we've fucking been through we're reduced to this sorry mess and I should've been able to do better for us! I should have-"

"Ok, ok." Michonne soothed as she caught him in her arms and held him tight. "It's tough, so damn tough right now. But you are the reason we've survived this long, you're the reason we're still all here together. You're right, we do need to keep moving, and we're gonna do that." She drew back a little and pointed up ahead. "Look, the trees are thinning. That means houses, farmland, something. We're gonna find something."

Rick pursed his lips together as he nodded and threw an arm around her shoulders, squeezing her against him, endlessly grateful to have her by his side, his voice of reason and his rock.

They turned their attention back to Tahlia who was becoming increasingly upset.

"…stop pretending I'm not just dead fucking weight holding you back. You could cover so much more ground without me, you could-"

"Quit it with your crazy talk." interrupted Daryl as he hoisted her easily into his arms. "Ain't no one doin' nothin' without ya."

"Daryl!" she whined, struggling feebly against him. "Put me down, p-please, I can... please let me..."

But no more words came out, only sobs which were muffled against his neck as she pressed her face into him, and he pulled her close, trying not to let the cracks in his heart show on his face, then he caught Rick's eye and gave him a firm nod.

"Alright, let's keep moving!" commanded Rick, waving his hand at the others who were looking on a little shocked and shaken because they'd never seen Tahlia this broken before, didn't think it was possible. "Just a bit further today, let's go!"

Daryl didn't know if Tahlia felt so light in his arms because she was wasting away or because the thought of losing her fed him with the strength to carry her to the ends of the earth if he needed to. Even still, after a while his muscles were burning from the exertion, and eventually Abraham dropped into step beside him.

"Give you a hand, if you want."

"Naw." growled Daryl. "Don't need no help."

"Don't think you're gonna be much good to her if you run yourself into the ground." replied Abraham matter-of-factly.

"I'm fine."

"Dar. Do it for her." came Carol's voice at his shoulder. "Have a rest, then have her back again."

Finally, with a grimace, Daryl nodded, and reluctantly passed Tahlia over to the bigger man.

"Hey there, sugar! Just gonna help you along for a little bit." Abraham told Tahlia cheerily, but she had her eyes closed and said nothing – hadn't made a sound since her tears subsided – she just wound her arms weakly around Abraham's neck and turned her face into his chest.

"I'll just carry her for a little stretch." he reassured Daryl. "Give your arms a rest."

Seeing Tahlia in the arms of another man cut at Daryl in ways he hadn't expected, deep and sharp and stinging. It didn't make a difference that it was to help her – his teeth and fists still clenched. So, to take himself away from the sight, he veered off into the woods to scout for food and water.

Black clouds began to crowd above, hanging heavily with rain which soon began to fall - big, fat renewing drops splashing all around, and everyone turned their faces to the heavens, welcoming the water on their parched skin as they wiped away the dirt and dust and attempted to fill long-dried containers.

Rick squinted up at the summer storm rolling in. "Shit. This isn't letting up any time soon. We need to find some shelter."

Emerging from the trees, Daryl pointed back to the way he'd just come from. "Saw a barn a little ways back. Take cover there for the night." Then he swung his gaze to Abraham, his dark look enough to convey his request.

Chuckling a little, Abraham dutifully brought Tahlia to Daryl and transferred her into his arms.

"All yours!"

"Thanks." managed Daryl, even though his head said, damn straight she is, as he clutched her possessively. Then he cast a glance around at the others. "C'mon, follow me."

Ducking and dodging through the woods, the group followed Daryl's lead until a large, old barn appeared in a clearing up ahead, and Rick, Michonne, Maggie and Glenn headed inside first to scope it out.

Turning to Carol, Daryl asked, "Think the rain will help bring her temperature down?"

Carol nodded. "It might help. And maybe she'll drink a little too."

"'Kay. Gonna stay out here with her for a bit."

"Ok." Carol patted his arm and gently pressed her knuckles against Tahlia's cheek, not that she registered it.

Everyone else headed inside to take refuge from the deluge, and Daryl sat just on the edge of the tree line, Tahlia cradled in his lap. Her face was tilted up to the sky, but she still hadn't opened her eyes and he wasn't sure if she was actually conscious.

"Tahly… ya still with me?"

Daryl was almost certain that she gave a tiny hum, although it was hard to tell over the sound of the rain, so he just let her be, and with one hand tried to wash some of the dirt from her skin.

At first, the patter of the rain on her skin was soothing, but it had grown more insistent and was now a hundred relentless beating drums driving her steadily down, down, submerging her under water and she was too weak to move, pull herself back to the surface.

She was drowning, disappearing.

"What did ya say?" Daryl asked as Tahlia mumbled something, her body sagging against him.

"Charlotte." Tahlia repeated. "Charlotte."

Daryl went rigid, his face a mask of panic.

"Open your eyes, Tahly!" he demanded in distress. "Open them right now!"

But Tahlia didn't want to open her eyes. She'd never liked opening her eyes under water.

"Tahly!" cried Daryl desperately as he pushed up to his feet still clutching her tightly in his arms. "Don't ya damn well go to her! Open your eyes and look at me!"

Running for the barn, he didn't slow down when he got to the door, just burst straight in and dropped to the ground, laying her on the floor.

Rick jumped up immediately, fearing the worst. "What is it?!"

"Tahly!" Daryl was on his knees next to her pushing her wet hair back from her face. "Fucksake, Tahly!" He shook her shoulders until Carol pulled him away.

"What's happened?"

Daryl stood up and ran a hand through his hair, distraught. "She ain't openin' her eyes and she's sayin' her goddamned dead sister's name!"

"Ok, ok." soothed Carol, gently pushing Daryl back to give Tahlia some space.

Michonne was at Tahlia's side now, checking her pulse, then she rolled her into the recovery position.

"Her pulse is racing and she's burning up."

"Charlotte." Tahlia mumbled, her eyes still closed.

Michonne leaned closer. "Tahly. Stay with me."

"Charlotte. Drowned."

Michonne nodded, even though Tahlia couldn't see that.

"Didn't want me to drown."

"What?" asked Michonne, confused.

"Rain."

"What the hell are you on about?"

"Mm. Too much. Better now."

Suddenly Michonne understood and let out a laugh of relief as she sat back on her heels.

Looking up at a still agitated Daryl, she pointed to the doors.

"It's raining too hard out there. She felt like she was drowning. She's ok."

All the tension in Daryl's body was expelled in one long sigh as he puffed out his cheeks, then he moved back to Tahlia's side and rolled her onto her back before lifting her into his arms once again.

"Don't fuckin' do that, girl! Scared the hell outta me! Thought ya were tryin' to cross to the other side or some shit!"

Tahlia managed to open one eye just for a second. "I'm trying not to. You're the one trying to drown me."

With a relieved smile, Daryl kissed her forehead. "Shit, ya really are still burnin' up. Gonna get ya comfortable so you can rest."

"You don't have to carry me everywhere, you know." Tahlia muttered wryly.

"Shuddup. Carry ya wherever I like."

Tara pushed some stray straw together into a pile and laid an old blanket she'd found on top, then Daryl placed Tahlia carefully down.

She was drenched and her wet clothes were making her shiver, but Daryl didn't want to remove them because he hoped they'd cool her down some.

"Goddamn, you're shaking like a leaf now." he frowned, then shrugged off his leather vest and laid it on top of her so it might trap some heat and balance her out.

"How's that?"

She tugged weakly on the hem of his shirt and managed a half smile. "I think you might need to take that shirt off too. That would really help me to keep my eyes open."

Daryl grinned and flicked her shoulder. "Fuck outta here, ya perve."

Night fell and the storm raged fiercely above them, flashes of lightning illuminating the space in snapshots, rolling thunder chasing close behind.

Tahlia drifted in and out of consciousness and knew there was something going on, but couldn't hold on to wakefulness long enough to make any sense of it. All she had were the shouted snippets around her.

"…coming right for us! So many…"

"…to the door! We need to…"

"…barricade! Bring the…"

"They're going to break through! They're…"

"Hold on! Just hold…"

When she finally woke (with startling lucidity, considering the state she had been in the previous day) all was calm and quiet in the soft light of morning.

Daryl was sitting cross-legged next to her, his brow creased in concern.

"Mornin'. How ya feelin'?" He asked the question despite the fact he knew she'd never tell him the truth. He could plainly see that she still looked hellish, so he knew the real answer.

Tahlia ignored the question and asked one of her own, her voice weak and scratchy. "What happened last night?"

Chewing his lip for a second, Daryl didn't want to lie to her. "Walkers. Whole bunch comin' for the barn, tryna push through the door. Had to hold 'em off."

"Oh my God!" croaked Tahlia. "I didn't even help!"

"Yeah," chuckled Daryl. "Maybe we shoulda propped you up 'gainst the door, help keep 'em out." Then he squeezed her hand. "Naw. We had it. Nothin' to worry 'bout." Moving his hand up to her forehead, his features morphed into a frown. "Shit, you're still so goddamn hot."

"Thank you." replied Tahlia with a sly smirk.

Rolling his eyes, Daryl nudged her affectionately, feeling heartened by the fact that she was making jokes.

"Yeah, yeah, that too. I need to go talk to Rick for a minute, ok?"

"About me?"

"Just… 'bout what we're gonna do. Need to decide if we stay here a bit or keep movin'."

A shadow of despair suddenly darkened Tahlia's pale face. "Sorry I'm like this, I'm so sorry, I'm-"

"Stop." Daryl pressed his thumb to her lips. It broke his heart that she felt guilty about the state she was in. He should be the one apologising because this all stemmed from the prison and if only he had…

No.

He wouldn't let himself go back there. He had promised to keep looking forward for her, for them, and that was what he was going to do.

"Ain't gotta apologise. All ya gotta do is lie there and think 'bout gettin' better and let me figure out the rest."

"Heads up!" Abraham's loud shout from outside the barn door had Daryl jumping to his feet just in time to see Abraham shoving a frightened looking man with short brown hair and kind eyes ahead of him, while Sasha was right behind with her gun trained on the man's head.

"Found this guy snooping around outside."

"I wasn't snooping." clarified the man. "I was coming to talk to you."

"Shut up."

Rick approached the man warily, his eyes narrowed. "Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Aaron. I'm a recruiter for a community based a couple of hours from here. I've been following you-"

"You've been following us?!" growled Rick, then glanced around. "Ty, Glenn, Maggie – check outside."

"I come in peace." said Aaron with a half-smile, although it wasn't well-received. "I'm here alone. Well, my partner is scouting too, but he's about fifteen minutes that way. So, it's just me here. Honest."

"What the hell do you want?" Rick's tone was dangerous.

"Like I said, I'm from a community and we're looking for others to join us. I spotted you people out here so I followed you for a bit, and now I want to ask you if you're interested in coming back with me."

"Yeah fucking right." snarled Rick and strode straight up to Aaron and punched him in the face.

"Rick!" Michonne exclaimed as Aaron's head snapped back, then he dropped to his knees, his hands flying to cover his bloodied nose.

"Guess I should have expected that." he said lightly from behind his hands. Then he gestured to his pack. "I have pictures. Please, can I just…?"

Jaw clenched and pacing staunchly back and forth, Rick waved a hand in assent, and Aaron opened his pack and produced a large brown envelope which he tossed at Rick's feet.

"Look at those. Photos of our place. It's a gated community. We want more people to come and join us, and I think you'd be a good fit for us."

"And how the fuck would you know that?" bit Rick as he leafed through the photos.

"I saw you out there, helping one another, helping your sick friend. You seem like good people. And you-" he pointed to Daryl, "-you led them all here, you worked together to hold off the walkers. You're resourceful, determined."

Rick finished flicking through the pictures and passed them on to Michonne. "These could be photos of anywhere."

"They could be," agreed Aaron, "But that's Alexandria. Where I'm from. I know it's hard to trust-"

"You don't know the fucking half of it." Rick cut in bitterly, folding his arms.

Aaron gave a helpless one-shouldered shrug. "Perhaps not. But I'm going out on a limb here and trusting you. I'm putting my faith in my gut feeling about you people. I want you to join us so we can help each other. I want to offer you a home."

Rick took a threatening step forward and pointed a finger towards Aaron. "We had a home and it was taken from us, and everyone we've met since then has tried to kill us-"

Eugene raised his hand. "For the record, I'd like to note that neither Abraham nor Rosita nor myself have ever once attempted to slay a single member of said 'us'."

"Ooh, neither have I!" chimed in Tara, and Rick pursed his lips then sent a slow, stern glare in their direction.

Turning back to Aaron, Rick shook his head. "No. We don't trust you. We don't believe in some 'gated community'. All we have to decide right now is what to do with you."

A shadow of uneasiness passed across Aaron's face.

"He looks pretty trustworthy to me!" Tahlia's voice, though quiet, rang out in the tense silence of the barn, and Daryl nudged her with his foot.

"Shh."

Then Tahlia pointed at Aaron. "Hey! Are you a trustworthy guy?"

Aaron nodded and chanced a small smile.

"See? He said he is. And he looks like he's showered recently which is more than I can say for any of us. I like him."

Daryl frowned down at her. "Hush. You like everyone, so your opinion don't count here."

Tahlia wrinkled her nose up at Daryl, then looked back to Aaron and gave him a thumbs up, which he promptly returned, then Aaron gave Daryl a beseeching look, sensing that the bowman held some heavy sway in this group.

"We also have a doctor, medical supplies, antibiotics. We could help your friend."

That turned the tables for Daryl. "A doctor? Antibiotics?" he repeated in disbelief.

"Yes. We could help her. We'd be happy to."

Considering this, Daryl looked down at Tahlia, then up at Aaron, and finally, over to Rick.

"I gotta take her there, man."

"No!" Rick snapped, holding his hand up. "We don't know the first thing about this guy or this bullshit he's feeding us! We don't know if it's safe!"

"It don't matter! Look at the fuckin' state of her! She ain't barely got 'nother day in her!"

"Um, I can hear you." Tahlia stated, attempting and failing to push herself up to sit.

Daryl ignored her. "I gotta take the chance, gotta find out. She's dead if we stay out here."

"I definitely heard that."

Rick squared off against Daryl. "It could be Terminus all over again!"

"Could be." Daryl shrugged. "And if it is, then I'll go down fightin' for her. But gotta take the chance."

"You're not going!"

Tahlia held a hand up. "Why don't I go with-" she pointed at Aaron, "- that stand-up guy on my own, go check it out, then if it looks good, I'll send you guys a text and you can all get the next bus on over."

Tara laughed, but everyone else was too tense to be amused.

"Would ya just shut up?!" Daryl exclaimed even though he was attempting to bite back a smile. Her being a pain in the ass was infinitely preferable to her fading away. But even now he could see that she was struggling, her breathing laboured and her forehead beading with sweat. She smiled at him, then tipping her head back, her eyes fluttered shut again.

Daryl looked back over to Rick. There was no real choice to make.

"We're goin'. Me and her. Gotta take the chance. Don't care what y'all decide to do, but I'm takin' her."

"I'll go with you." Carol stepped forward.

"Me too." offered Tara, and Daryl nodded in appreciation at them.

"No!" protested Rick. "No one is going anywhere!"

Everyone was surprised when Carl stepped forward. "I think we should do it, dad." he said quietly.

Rick fixed him with a wild look. "Carl! No, we are not doing this!"

Michonne put a hand on his arm. "Rick," she said gently, "We've already been out here too long. We need to trust. We need to try."

Aaron spoke up again. "I've got an RV parked about a 15-minute walk away, and my partner will be meeting me there in his car in half an hour."

And the decision was made.

They would go with this stranger to his community.

Daryl carried Tahlia all the way to the RV and she wandered back up high into the clouds.

Soon enough, they heard the hum of an engine, and Aaron's partner, Eric, pulled up in his station wagon. It was decided that Daryl, Tahlia, Carol and Sasha would go in the car with Eric – he was a bit weedy-looking and Daryl had no doubts that he could take him if need be – and the others would go in the RV.

The drive took well over two hours, and it was a sombre one.

Eric tried his best to initiate conversation, but the others were too tense to engage - except Tahlia who kept making random comments before passing out again.

Halfway through the journey, Tahlia fell eerily silent and unresponsive, and Daryl held her tightly against his chest and murmured quietly to her for the rest of the way, praying that was enough to keep her anchored.

Eventually, the dusty road gave way to looming corrugated iron walls, the tips of rooftops just visible beyond.

"Here we are!" Eric announced, attempting to sound cheerful, but driving with a carload of brooding, thuggish-looking strangers for the past hours had his nerves shot.

He stopped the car next to a few other vehicles that were parked just outside the gates, then he gestured to the others. "Ready to go?"

Leaving Tahlia on the backseat for the time being, they climbed out of the car and glanced around warily, although save the guard standing at the top of the high walls, there was no one and nothing else to see.

"Rick said to wait for them." remarked Sasha as she checked behind the other cars.

Daryl exhaled sharply. "Well, if it's a trap, it's a trap, whether Rick and them are here or not. And better that we find out first and maybe save 'em from walkin' into it."

Sasha and Carol exchanged a nervous glance, then gave a shrug of agreement.

"Maybe we should leave Tahly here, go in first and check it out – just in case." Carol suggested.

Daryl chewed his lip. That was the sensible thing to do. Scope the place out first just in case they needed to fight.

But to leave her...

He couldn't. He couldn't. No matter what lay on the other side of these walls, he just couldn't separate from her.

Registering the unease scudding across Daryl's face, Carol guessed his dilemma, and quickly spoke again.

"Actually, I think it's best that we all stick together. No matter what."

Daryl nodded gratefully at her for making the call.

Carol managed a tight smile of acknowledgement. "You take her, Dar, and we'll cover you."

As Daryl gently pulled Tahlia out of the car, she attempted to sit up.

"This it? We here?" she murmured in an increasingly rare moment of lucidity.

"Hush, babygirl." Daryl soothed as he scooped her into his arms. "I got ya. Gonna get ya some help."

"Help." she breathed, then her body went limp.

Eric looked at them expectantly. "Are you ready?"

Exchanging a glance with Daryl and Sasha, Carol then turned back to him and nodded. "Yes. Let's go."

Eric gave them an optimistic smile, then lifted a hand to the guard on the wall.

"Open the gate!"