Half of the people in the group did not sleep last night. The men, mostly, stayed up to keep gaurd to make sure no more herds came to attack us. Including Daryl. After my anxiety attack, Daryl asked me where I slept. "Where do you sleep, Bellefaire?" he asked. "Um… I-I sleep in your tent...Shane said I could…" I said quietly.
He raised his eyebrows, then carried me to his tent, putting me in Merle's sleeping bag, and zipped me in after he tucked me in tight with a super soft blanket of his. I rubbed my head into the blanket like a child. "I'm so sorry for earlier, Daryl…" I half sobbed. He looked over to me. "It's okay. …. How old are you?" he said, in his rusty low voice. "Seventeen…" "Where's your parents?" "Prolly dead…" I sobbed.
"Get some sleep now, Belle." I closed my eyes, and fell asleep. He sat at my feet all night long, not getting a blinks worth of sleep.
The next morning I woke up, Daryl was gone. I got up, and walked outside to find the men burnin' the walkers, and buryin' our dead. Andrea was hoverin' over Amy's dead body. Soon as Daryl seen me, he nodded to me. I went over to him. "Ya sleep okay?" he asked.
I nodded. "You should've woken me." "Nah, you needed it."
He then left me standin' and continued what he was doing. Dale, Shane and Lori were talkin' about how Andrea wouldn't leave us take care of Amy's body. Rick came over. "She still won't move?" he asked.
"Won't even talk to us." Lori replied. "Been there all night. What do we do?" "We can't just take it lightly. We need to deal with it." Shane commented. "Same as the others."
Rick nodded. "I'll her how it is. Bellefaire?"
I looked up. "Yea?"
"Mind bein' my backup?" "Sure."
We walked over to Andrea. "Andrea-" Rick started but Andrea pulled her gun out at held him at gun point. "I know how the saftey works." I gasped. "Woah woah woah! Andrea? Sweetie? You don't want to do this okay?" "Alright...Okay...I'm sorry...I'm sorry…" Rick whispered, and backed away. "Bellefaire, let's go, it's okay."
We backed up and went back to Shane. Daryl came over to see what happened. "Ya'll can't be serious." he said. "About that girl hamsterin' us?" I looked to him. "What do you mean?" "That dead girls a time bomb!" "What do you suggest?" Rick asked. Daryl looked at Rick like he was stupid. "Take the shot. Clean, in the brain, from here. Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance!" "NO. God's sakes, let her be." Lori chimed in. Sometimes' that woman pissed me off. Daryl was right to me. It needed to be taken care of. Nobody came up with anything else, and that pissed Daryl off. He walked off and went back to helpin' Morales.
I followed him. Jim was just standin' there, lookin' off in the distance. "Let's go Jimbo, we got some work to do." Daryl said, walkin' past him. Morales was havin' trouble carryin' one of the dead bodies, so Daryl helped him. But they were carryin' him to the burn pile. I looked to Glenn. Glenn started walkin' to them. "Hey, w-w-what are you guys doin? This is for geeks! Our people go over there!"
"He's infected man." Daryl said. "Our people go in that row over there." Glenn said finally, tearing up. "WE DON'T BURN THEM! … We bury them. Understand? People go in the row over there." Glenn said. I walked over to him and patted his chest. "Okay, sweetie, it's okay." I whispered. Daryl didn't like that. He and Morales grabbed the dead body and drug it back to the row.
"Reap what'chu sow!" He hollered.
"Y'know what, shut up man!" Morales said to him. "Ya'll left my brother for DEAD! YOU HAD THIS COMIN'!" he shouted. I walked after him. "Daryl wait!" I pleaded.
"Oh go to hell, Bellefaire!" he shouted. That stopped me in my tracks. I was already a broken girl… And I thought he cared for me. Truth was I was in love with Daryl Dixon, I was since I first laid eyes on'm. My heart crushed, but then I lit up. "After you, asswipe!" I called, tears about to form. He turned around and stomped right back into my face. "Y'know what, why don'chu just go sleep in Asian boy's tent tonight, huh!? Since you like HIM so damned much." I rolled my eyes and swallowed a lump in my throat. "Oh, REAL mature, Daryl! I don't LIKE him, Daryl. I just feel motherly to him okay!?" I said, walking away with tears slipping. "Wait." he said, more calmed down, and grabbed my arm. "Let me g-!" I started to say, struggling. "No, Bellefaire, now knock it the hell off!" "What do you WANT!?" I hollered. "I…. I'm sorry...Alright?"
I half chuckled sarcastically. "Your bi-fuckin-polar you know that?" I said, my voice breaking. But then, before he could say somethin' back, we heard Jaqui yell. "A walker got'm! I walker bit'm! I walker bit Jim!" she said, paniced.
We all walked towards him. Daryl walked closer. "Show it to us! Show it to us!"
Jim grabbed a shovel as we all circled him.
"Easy Jim!" Shane hollered. T-Dog grabbed Jim from behind, and Daryl lifted up his shirt… Sure as shit. Jim was bitten on his stomach. I widened my eyes, and tears formed. "Oh, God…"
"I'm okay! I'm okay! I'm okay! I'm okay!" Jim pleased, like a child. Which brang more tears to my eyes.
Daryl and T-Dog backed away from him. "Everybody...We need to handle this calmly. Jim? Sweetie? S'down okay?" I pleaded. Everyone nodded, and Jim sat down. We all huddled. "I say we run a pick axe to his head, and the dead girls, and be done with it." Daryl said first.
I looked at Daryl. "Daryl." I scolded. "That what-chu want?" Shane asked, irriated. "For you?" "Yeah, and I'd thank you while you did it!"
"I hate to say it… I never thought I would, but maybe Daryl's right." Dale said. "Jim's not a monster, Dale. Or some rabbid dog." Rick commented. "I'm not suggestin-" he tried to defend himself but they all started arguing. "I'm sayin' it's pretty clear." Daryl stated firmly. "Zero tolerance for walkers, or the debate."
"What if we can get him help?" Rick suggested. "I heard the CDC was working on a cure." Shane shook his head. "I heard that too, heard a lot of things before the world went to hell." "What if the CDC's still up and running?" "Man, that is a stretch right now." "Why? If there's any government left or any structure at all, they'd protect the CDC at all costs. Wouldn't they? I think it's our best shot. Shelter, protection-" "Okay Rick, I know you want those things, I do too, okay? Now IF they exist, their at the army base, Fort Benning."
"That's a hundred miles the oppistite direction…" Lori said.
"That is right. It's away from the hotzone. Now listen to me, if that place is operational, it'd be heavely armed, we'd be safe there." Shane defended. "The military got run over man, we all seen it The CDC's our best choice and Jim's only chance!" Rick argued. Daryl looked back at Jim then back at Rick. "You go lookin' for aspirin. Do what'chu need to do. Somebody needs' some BALLS TO TAKE OF THIS DAMN PROBLEM!" he screamed, runnin' over to Jim with his axe, almost killing him. Rick pulled his gun out at him. "HEY HEY HEY!" he yelled.
"Daryl!" I yelled, runnin' after him. I grabbed his chest and pushed him back. "That is enough!" I hollered at him with tears in my eyes. He looked deep into them.
Rick held him at gunpoint. "We don't. Kill. The living." Daryl eased up and looked over to Rick. "That's funny. Espeically for a man that just put a gun to my head."
"We might agree on some things man, but not on this." Shane started. "You put it down. Go on."
Daryl slammed it down and took off. "Daryl, wait!" I hollered.
"Go away!" he told me, acting like a child. I rolled my eyes. "Darylllll…." I cooed, putting my hands on my hips waiting for him to turn around.
He turned around, as I suspected. "What." I smiled and walked towards him. "Hey… I know your tryin' to protect the group okay? But killin' Jim ain't the answer. We let him decide his final moments okay?" He nodded and we walked back to the camp. He continued putting bodies down. He was about to do Eds, but Carol came up. "I'll do it...He's my husband…" she said.
Daryl gave her an apologetic look, and handed it over to her. She looked at the dead body a moment and then started to cry. But she did it, she put him down. But then she kept doing it over and over again, crying. Daryl looked at me with a "what should we do" face, feeling sorry for her. I walked behind her and stopped her before she could do it again, hugging her. "Enough, Carol. It's okay." I soothed. She stopped and cried for moment. "Thank you…" she whispered to me. I nodded, and she walked off. "Poor woman…" I commented. Daryl nodded. "Yeah…"
Just then, I heard Daryl murmur "Jesus…" I looked and saw what everyone was staring at. Amy had turned, and Andrea was talking to her. She then shot her. We left her alone. Daryl grabbed another truck load of our dead, and brought them over to the grave site. "I'll still think it's a mistake, not burning these bodies. It's what we said we'd do, right Burn'm all? Ain't that the idea?" he said to Rick and Shane, who were buring them.
"At first." Rick replied.
"A child gets all emotional? Dosen't know how to deal, we just follow along?" he said. I looked at him in shock. Shane, and everybody looked at him in disgust.
"People needs to know the hell's in charge here. That's what rules are." He continued. "Daryl there are no rules." Rick stated. Lori chimed in. "Well that's a problem. We haven't had a minute to hold on to our old selves. We need time to mourn, and we need to bury our dead. It's what people do." she said, walking off.
I looked to Daryl who looked at me with a sorry look. "I didn't me-" he started, but I stopped him. "Save it, Daryl. I guess I'm just a child that get's all emotional and dudn't know how to deal too, right? I mean hell, ya didn't have a problem carin' for me?! Why can't ya care for Andrea too!?" I said, walking off.
He followed me. "Bellefaire hold up. Okay I'm…" I turned around. "Sorry?" "Yeah." "Do you realize how many times we've said that to eachother today?" "I know." "Daryl… What are we doing here?" I asked seriously. He shook his head. "I'm trying to figure that out." Before he could say another word, Shane called him. "Daryl! Need your help over here!" "Be right there!" he called back. He looked at me for another moment before heading off.
We were all gathered around the unlit campfire, waiting for a call on whether or not we were going to the CDC or not. Shane and Rick and Dale came back. "Look ya'll, I've been thinkin' about Ricks plan. Now there are no uh, no gurantees either way, I'll be the first one to admit that. I've known this man a long time. I trust his instinct. I say the most important thing here, is we need, to stay together. Those of you that agree, we leave first thing in the morning. Okay?"
I looked over to Daryl to see if he agreed. He was looking at me already. He nodded, I nodded back. We headed back to our tent together to get to sleep. "Daryl? Do you want me to watch-" I started, but he interupted me. "No, Belle. Go to sleep." he said. "But Daryl, you've haven't-" "No, I said. Now go to sleep." he said firmly. I swallowed another hard lump in my throat and layed down. I couldn't stand it when he yelled at me. I heared him sigh heavly and he sat by my feet.
The next morning we all woke up early. "Listen up! Those of you that recieve these, we'll be on channel 40. Let's keep the chatter down okay?" Shane started. "Now you got a problem, don't gotta CB, can't get a signal, anything at all, your gonna hit chur' horn one time. That'll stop the caravan. Any questions?"
Morales stepped up. "Were uh…. Were not going." Morales' wife spoke up. "We have family in Birmingham. We wanna be with our people." "Your on your own, you won't have anyone to watch your back." Shane warned.
"We'll take the chance." Morales confirmed. "I gotta do what's best for my family." "You sure?" Rick asked. "We talked about it. Were sure." He confirmed again. "Alright. Shane." "Yeah." Rick and Shane gave Morales one gun and half a box of ammo. "Box is half full." Shane informed.
Daryl shook his head. I smacked his arm. "Stop." I whispered firmly.
"Thank you all for everything." Morales' wife said. Lori hugged her, and kissed the kids' heads. Shane shook Morales' hand. "Good luck man." Liza hugged Sophia. "Bye." They both cried. Liza gave Sophia a doll.
"Channel 40, if ya change your minds." Rick stated.
They left. Shane looked to Rick. "What makes ya think our odds are any better?... C'mon. Lets go! Let's move out!" Shane hurried us.
I left a note on Glenns sweet car for Morgan in case he came here, telling him it was safe here. Dale, Andrea, Jim, Jaqui, T-Dog and Glenn took the RV. Rick, Lori, Carol and Sophia took the car. "Hey Bellefaire!" I heard Daryl call me. I turned around. "Ever ride in a beat up chevy!?" he hollered, smiling. I grinned, and hollered back. "That's my favourite truck!" He grinned even wider. "Hop in." I hopped in the passenger seat and we took off. Just then, Dale's RV broke down. "I told you we'd never make it on that hose." He said to Rick.
"Can'tchu rig it?" "That's all i've been doing so far! It's more duct tape than hose, and I'm out of duct tape." "I see somethin' up ahead." Shane commented. "Gas station if were lucky." Just then Jaqui came runnin' out the RV. "Ya'll! Jim…. It's bad…. I don't think he can take it anymore." "Hey Rick ya wanna hold down the fort?" Shane asked. "I'll drive ahead, see what I can bring back." "Yeah, I'll come along too, I'll back ya up." T-dog said. "Ya'll keep your eyes open now, we'll be right back." Shane commented before leaving.
Rick went inside to see how Jim was doing. About ten minutes later, he told us that Jim wanted us leave him here. "It's what he says he wants." "And he's with it?" Carol asked. "He seems to be… I would say yes." "Back in the camp, when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down… You misunderstood." Dale commented. "I would never. Go along with cordially killing a man. I was just gonna suggest that we ask Jim, what he would want. And I think we have an answer…"
"We just leave him here?" Shane asked. "We take off? Man, I'm not sure I could live with that." I hugged Shanes shoulder. Daryl grimaced.
"It's not your call." Lori stated. "either one of you."
Shane and Rick helped carry Jim out, and sit him by a tree. We all gathered around him. Jim looked up. "hey… Another damn tree." he smiled at Shane and me. I laughed with tears. "Hey Jim?" Shane asked. "Man, you know it dudn't have to be this... " "I know… It's good… Breeze feels nice... " Shane put his head down. "Okay… Alright…" Jaqui got on her knees and kissed Jim's cheek. "Just close your eyes sweetie. Don't fight."
Rick walked up to him. "Jim? Do you want this?" He asked, showing him a gun. "No… You'll need it. I'm okay… Okay…" Rick walked away, crying.
"Thank for uh… For fightin' for us." Dale commented. "Okay…" Daryl and I were the last to stand by him. Jim smiled at me, and then smiled at Daryl and said. "Daryl… Don't let her get away." Daryl nodded his head and walked away. It was then I knew that the old Daryl was gone for good.
About two and a half hours later we reached the CDC. We all got out the vehicles… The place looked dead. There were bodies everywhere. Daryl grabbed my arm tightly and kept me close behind him as we walked up the doors. Rick tried to open the door. "Nothing?" Shane asked. It was locked. Shane knocked on the doors. "There's nobody here." T-dog commented.
"Then why are these shards down?" Rick asked. Daryl pushed me behind him. "WALKERS!" he hollered, and shot it in the head. "THIS WAS THE WRONG DAMN CALL!" Daryl yelled. "SHUT UP! YOU HERE ME SHUT UP!" Shane said, shoving him. "Hey!" I hollered.
"Rick this is a dead end." Shane said. "Where are we gonna go?" Carol cried.
"Do you hear me?" Shane asked again. "She's right, we can't even see after dark!" Lori said. "Fort Benning, Rick. Still an option." Shane commented. "On what? No food, no fuel, it's a hundred miles!" Andrea complained. "Forget Fort Benning we need answers tonight, now!" Lori demanded. "We'll think of something!" Rick shouted hopelessly.
Everyone started shouting and complaining. My head started spinning. I felt the anxiety start to crawl up my chest.
"The camera! It moved!" Rick hollered.
"You imagined it." Dale commented.
"It moved… It moved... " "Rick man, it's an automated device man it's designed to do that man okay? It's just winding down okay? Now come on!" Shane pleaded.
Rick stuggled and slammed on the door. "I know your in there!" "RICK THERE'S NOBODY HERE!" Lori screamed. "I KNOW you can hear me! Please, were desperate! Please help us! We have women, and children! No food, hardly any gas left. We have no where else to go! PLEASE!" He screamed at the camera.
Shane and Lori grabbed Rick and drug him back as he struggled. Daryl looked at me and tried to get me to move as walkers were closing in on us. "Bellefaire? Bellefaire? Shit! Come on Belle!" he pleaded, noticing another attack was coming. He picked me and started carrying me. Just as we were about ready to walk away, a bright ass light appeared. The door had opened. Someone was here.