SARAH

"She said that?" Glenn asked as he was helping Sarah packing up her things the next morning. After some discussion, Shane had said to them that what was important right now was for the group to stay together. Whatever happened. They couldn't remain at the quarry; they needed a safer place. At the end they decided to head towards the CDC as first thing in the morning.

Sarah was glad that they had chosen to go in that direction. She really hoped that they could find someone who could help Jim. She had watched over him for some time, switching places with Carol and Jacqui. The poor man was burning with fever and it was making him delirious. She hoped that he still got time.

As much her mind tried to focus on something else, the conversation she had with Nicki always came back; especially when they had to bury their dead. Andrea had pulled Amy in her grave by herself, sobbing and assuring that she could manage.

If it was me, I would rather be shot, than become one of them.

Her sister's voice repeating in her head. It was driving her crazy. Thinking about her little sister wishing her own death. What kind of world was that? Nicolette was just fourteen.

Glenn had offered to help her packing their things, so she decided that she really needed her friend's advice and support.

"She was dead serious, Glenn" Sarah said throwing one of her few shirts inside a bag "I really think she wanted Jim dead".

"She is probably just in shock" Glenn said kindly "We all are"

"But what if it's not like that?" Sarah asked.

"Then you'll help her" Glenn answered putting a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it lightly "Don't worry, ok?"

"Okay" she whispered nodding her head.

Once they had packed everything Shane asked for all of them to gather together, because he and Rick had to announce the last adjustments. As she arrived, Sarah noticed Nicki standing next to Andrea, silently observing the woman every once in a while, and for the first time Sarah really would have liked to read her sister mind, to understand her. It scared her that she was talking about death.

"Everybody listen up" Shane said making her turn her gaze towards him "Those of you with CBs, we're gonna be on channel 40. Let's keep the chatter down, okay?" Sarah nodded her head even if she then realized she didn't have a car "Now you got a problem, don't have a CB, can't get a signal or anything at all, you're gonna hit your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan" Shane kept say "Any questions?"

Sarah was quickly counting the people around her, and the vehicles that they had. She was suddenly curious about the arrangements. But before she could ask anything, Morales spoke up.

"We're not going" he announced making them all turn to him. Sarah glanced at Glenn that shook his head with wide eyes.

"We have family in Birmingham" said Morales' wife "We want to be with our people"

Sarah understood what they were feeling. She would have liked to find her parents again. But she really didn't want to risk travelling alone with Nicki. Being just two was highly risky.

"You go on your own, you won't have anyone to watch your back" said Shane surely trying to make them change their mind.

"We'll take the chance" Morales said confidently but with sadness in his voice "I got to do what's best for my family"

"You sure?" asked Rick with worry in his voice.

"We are sure"

Rick and Shane looked at each other before they opened the bag full of weapons that Rick and the others had took back from Atlanta. Rick took out a gun to hand it to Morales and after a moment Shane gave him a box of ammos.

"The box is half full" as Morales took the box from the cop, Sarah heard Daryl scoff from a few feet from her. She observed him, for once agreeing with the man. She really wasn't sure about their choice.

Soon she saw Lori stepping towards Morales' wife to embrace her, as the children hugged Sophia who was crying. Sarah even spotted Carl getting emotional when he said goodbye to his friends. Sarah got closer too, hugging the children and the woman and thanking Morales for everything he had done for them. She even saw Nicki walking closer nodding her head to the family whispering a law goodbye. Her sister was observing them with sadness, she probably didn't want for them to go away alone too.

"Channel 40, if you change your minds" said Shane making Morales nod his head.

As they walked towards their bags Sarah heard Rick call for her.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked making Sarah and Nicki turn to him.

"Sure" said Sarah "What is it?"

"We were... we were arranging the cars" Rick said a bit unsure "In my car there's no more room and in the RV...

"Yeah, I noticed" Sarah said looking the RV, it was going to be full of people "Are you really going to ask me what I think?" Rick nodded his head.

"Could you and Nicki maybe..." he said "Ride with Shane and Daryl?"

Sarah took a breath. She was afraid to hear those words.

"I take Shane" said Nicki putting her bag over her shoulder making Sarah's eyes wide.

"Oh wait!" she exclaimed "Why you?"

"I don't want to ride with Daryl" Nicki said simply make Sarah blink her eyes in confusion.

"Why me?" Sarah then asked.

"He only grunts at me" Nicki said keeping walking without turning back "At least he answers to you"

Yeah, once...when they had argued.

Sarah couldn't believe her little shit of a sister as she saw her talking to Shane and sitting on his jeep, ready to leave.

"Why me?" she asked again turning to Rick.

"You are the only one who doesn't seem scared of him" he said "Or at least that doesn't look at him like you want to kill him".

"I'm not sure about that" she answered.

It was true. It wasn't like she was scared of Daryl, she still remembered when he had saved her life just a few nights before. But he was just unpredictable and he recently had developed a special talent for getting under her skin.

"Does he know?" Sarah asked Rick before turning to Daryl who was tying his bike on his pick-up.

"Well..." Rick's answer made her close her eyes. Everything was getting better and better by the minute "I'll go, if you..."

"Don't worry, Rick" said Sarah looking at the man with a small smile "Go help Lori, I'll be fine".

Daryl won't leave me here, will he? She thought as she took a breath before walking towards the man.

"Hey, Daryl" she said putting her hands on her hips as she stopped next to his pick-up. Daryl looked up from what he was doing when he heard her with a frown.

"Whatcha wan'?" he asked with a not trusting tone.

"Dale doesn't have any more room in the RV" she said as he got down from the pick-up observing her.

"Ain't my problem" he said walking past her to go taking his crossbow.

"And that's true" she said nodding her head following his every move "But we are a team, right?" she said with a smile trying to be encouraging "We got each other's back" he observed her with a frown.

"Ar' ya crazy, girl?"

"Desperate is more like it" she said before getting closer to him making him flinch a little "Please, Daryl. Don't make me beg. I need a ride, just that. You won't even notice me there" she said.

"Doubt that" the muttered taking a step back.

"I swear" Sarah said "I'll be quiet. Totally. I won't say anything" Daryl was observing her with a suspicious look, before taking a breath.

"Righ' but shut up" he said grabbing her bag, making her smile in surprise.

"Really?" she said "Thank you! You won't regret that, I promise" he was about to put her bag in the back of the pick-up when he turned around with an annoyed glare making her nod her head.

"I'll shut my mouth, promise" she assured raising her hands. He glared at her once more, before throwing her hag in the pick-up. He then moved to the side to go and open the driver sit, but as he walked next to her, she could help but say:

"Thank you" Sarah heard the man growling as she ran to get on the passenger sit.

The caravan had been travelling for an hour now and Sarah had kept her promise of staying quiet, even if the silence wasn't exactly a comfortable one. She looked out of her window for most of the time, observing the landscape as they kept travelling. Sometime she would look at Nicki through the rear-view mirror; she seemed relaxed as the wind hit her face as she sat next to Shane. Sarah was glad her sister was travelling with the man; he had kept them safe for all that time, she was sure that if anything bad would happen, Shane would have looked after Nicki.

Then Sarah looked ahead of her, observing the RV. She wondered how Jim was doing, if his fever had gone worse or if he was going even more delirious.

"Would have you really done it?" she said before she could stop herself.

"Thought I said quiet" Daryl grunted as he was holding the steering wheel with one hand and the fingers of the other on his lips.

"Would have you really killed him?" Sarah said ignoring him "Jim?" Daryl looked for a second to her before turning again on the road.

"I need to know" she said while keeping looking at the man.

"Why?" he almost whispered.

"Because I think my sister would have done it too" Sarah said not able to hide her fear. He eyed her for a moment.

"She got chance of survivin' then" he said "Makin' hard choices" that made Sarah frown.

"You think deciding not to kill him is not a hard choice?" she asked.

"Yeah".

The girl turned her head towards the window.

"I am afraid that Jim will turn soon" she said after a moment of silence "I'm scared to think of him inside the RV with Glenn and the others and I hate it" Daryl didn't say anything, he didn't even make a sound "In this world, as it is now, killing will become easier and easier" she spoke again "It's inevitable. It will become inevitable, making hard choices".

"Why wait then?" he asked in a whisper surprising her. Sarah turned to look at him

"Jim is a person, but most of all he is a friend" she answered "Isn't that enough to feel a little bit of compassion?"

Daryl turned towards her for a few second, eyeing her up and down before focusing again on the road.

They didn't talk anymore. The ride was quiet, but Sarah felt a little more relaxed, she didn't even know why. They looked at each other when they noticed the caravan come to a stop.

They weren't at the CDC yet.

"I told you we'd never get far on that hose" she heard Dale say. Sarah and Daryl had got out from the pick-up, to see Dale checking on the engine of the RV. What she saw wasn't exactly promising since the engine was surrounded by white smoke.

"It didn't hold out?" Sarah asked getting close to get a look at the motor.

"I said I needed the one from the cube van" explained Dale as Rick got closer too.

"Can you jury-rig it?" the cop asked.

"That's all it's been so far" Dale answered "It's more duct tape than hose"

"Do you still have it?" asked Sarah looking up at the man who shook his head.

"I'm out of duct tape".

Sarah tried to give another look as Shane and T-Dog suggested for the two of them to go a little ahead since they had seen a gas station, but they didn't have time to say anything as Jacqui ran out of the RV.

"Jim" she said "It's bad, I don't think he can take anymore".

Sarah closed her eyes taking a breath. She really hoped Jim could have hold on for a little longer. He had taught her some things about mechanics, he wasn't one that spoke a lot, but he was part of their group and she really cared about him.

Rick decided to go talking to Jim as they all waited outside. Sarah was standing next to Glenn, when she noticed Daryl looking over the RV. His gaze was very different from the one he had held for Jim the day before. It was softer and that surprised the girl.

"What's happening?" Nicki's voice made her turn.

"It's about Jim" Sarah said. Her sister looked over the RV, observing it.

"He can't hold on anymore?" she asked making Sarah nod her head.

"It's up to him now then" Nicki's words made her frown a little in surprise as she observed her walking back towards the jeep.

"It's what he says he wants" Rick said as he finished explaining them what it has been told between him and Jim.

"Really?" asked Sarah making Rick nod his head.

"And is he lucid?" asked Carol.

"He seems to be" answered the cop "I would say yes".

Apparently, Jim wanted for them to leave him there, in that place, sat down waiting for the end. Sarah bit her lips. She didn't want to leave him there alone. It would have been scary for him, but what could she do? What could they all do?

"Back in the camp when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood" said Dale with sadness "I would never go along with callously killing a man" when she looked towards Daryl, she noticed him observing her for a moment before focusing again on Dale.

"I was just gonna suggest that we ask Jim what he wants. And I think we have an answer"

Sarah turned to look at Nicki, wondering if that was what she was thinking when they had talked the other day.

"We just leave him here? We take off?" asked Shane "Man, I'm not sure I could live with that"

He was right, leaving him to turn alone. Was it possible to keep living knowing that they had left him?

"It's not your call" said Lori making everyone focusing on her "Either one of you"
It's up to him now then.

At that point they all knew that there was no point in arguing or trying to talk Jim out of it. The man was dying, it was his life. Maybe they couldn't understand but it was his call on how he wanted his end to be.

They were gathered there as Jim had been accompanied out of the RV by Rick and Shane that helped him set down under a tree. Jim was in pain, he groaned even with the sightless movement.

"Hey, another damn tree" he chuckled breathing heavily.

"Hey, Jim..." said Shane in a whisper "I mean, you know it doesn't need to be this" but Jim shook his head weakly.

"No. It's good" Jim said "The breeze feels nice"

As Shane moved over, Jacqui sat in front of Jim giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Just close your eyes, sweetie" she said "Don't fight" then she got up and walked away sobbing. Sarah took a breath trying to keep her tears under control before moving forward.

"Hey" she said kneeling in front of him.

"Now you are the only one who can help Dale with the RV" Jim chuckled tiredly making her smile sadly. She didn't have the strength to say anything, but she moved forward to envelope the man in a hug.

"It's fine" he said as he heard her sob.

"Thank you, Jim" she said "For everything" he nodded at her as she got up and started to walk away with Glenn next to her. Her friend's eyes were full of sadness as he rubbed her shoulders trying to be strong.

Sarah was really hoping for Jim to find peace before the end. She looked towards the man to see Rick talking to him, then Dale and at then she saw Daryl being the only one left nodding his head towards Jim's direction before walking down the hill.

Sarah glanced towards Jim every now and then as she and Dale managed to make the engine of the RV work again.

"We have to go" said Dale trying to hide his sadness.

"Hey" she turned when she heard Daryl's voice gesturing towards the pick-up. Sarah observed him for a moment surprised that he wanted for her to ride with him, but she really didn't focus on that as she followed the man to the car.

She looked at Jim all the time as they start to move until he was just a tiny point in the distance. It was there that tears left her eyes and sobs left her mouth. Now it was true, they had left him to die alone. He was their friend and there was nothing they could do to help him.

That was a hard world and they all couldn't help but have to make hard choices.