I wait outside with Carl and Carol, enjoying the fresh air "it's so quiet" I comment, leaning against the tower.
"It's easy to forget how loud the world used to be." Carol adds to my comment "I used to complain about it all the time."
"Traffic, construction" I list off things that use to be so annoying
"car alarms, noise pollution." Carol adds on "ohhh" she chuckles "what I wouldn't give for the sweet sound of a jumbo jet."
Carl doesn't laugh with us "it'd be even sweeter if we were all on it."
Carol looks to me and I shrug, not knowing what to say back "your mom was proud of you" she says to him, her motherly instinct kicking in.
"For what?" he spits back "being mean to her?"
Carol step closer to him "no, you can't think about that."
"It's all I think about." he responds, his eyes dropping.
"She didn't, not once.." I add on to try and assure him.
We hear the sound of rocks being kicked around and see a car from a distance getting closer "please be them." Carol hums out.
Carl notices first "It's them. Hurry." he says. I open the first gate as he goes to the next, Carol taking care of walkers getting closer.
Rick gets out "Drive 'em up. I'll meet you there" The car begins to pull out and we all look to see who's inside.
"Where's Daryl?" I ask, not seeing him inside.
"It's all right. He's alive." Rick comes over to me, Carl now at my side "we ran into his brother. They went off."
"He left?" Carol asks.
My heart sinks "Daryl left? He's gone?" I plead with him to be joking.
"Is he coming back?" Carol asks as I try to hold back my tears.
"Hey" Rick says grabbing a hold of me for a hug. We begin to walk back up to the jail when Carl's done locking the gate.
"Gone?" I ask through closed teeth, Rick just pulls me in closer to console me.
Carl asks "and Oscar?" But Rick responds with heavy no.
I work with Carol getting together a little make shift crib for Judith. We stand at top the perch where Daryl left the mailbox cart, working to clean it out "you got a knack for that." Carol comments to Beth as she comes up the steps with Judith.
" Carol comments to Beth as she comes up the steps with Judith
Beth replies "just trying to do my part."
Carl tells us about her daughter as a baby "Sophia used to wake the neighbors. 3:00 AM. Like clockwork. Ed stayed at a friend's most nights till she calmed down." she keeps her eyes trained in front of her, folding blankets.
"I always wanted a child." Beth says. "She wouldn't have made it if Daryl hadn't been here. He couldn't stand to lose anyone else."
"Sounds like him." I comment back with a smile.
"I don't see why he had to leave. Merle sounds like a jerk." Beth says.
"Men like Merle get into your head." Carol responds.
I add on "they make you feel like you deserve the abuse." and Carol nods along with me.
"Even for Daryl?" Beth asks.
"I'm hardly the woman I was a year ago, but if Ed walked through that door right now breathing and told me to go with him, I'd like to think I'd tell him to go to hell." Carol says, her eyes filled with wonder.
"You would." I assure, rubbing her back a little.
"We're weak without him." Beth says. I try not to show, but I agree with her. Daryl and Rick are the sole reasons we made it through the winter together.
"We'll get through this, too. Tyreese and his friends seem capable." Carol responds to her.
"I'm pissed at him for leaving." Beth snarls about it.
Carol says to her with a small smirk "Don't be. Daryl has his code."
"This world needs men like that." I add on to them both. We put Judith in the little make shift crib, happy it fits her perfectly for now.
"So what now?" I ask coming down the steps when Judith wakes up from her nap.
"You think the Governor will retaliate?" Carol asks them.
"Yes." Maggie says assured, looking tired and worn down.
Glenn responds "let him try." His face is bruised in yellows and purples, his arm wrapped tightly around Maggie's waist.
"Sounds like he's got a whole town. We're outnumbered and outgunned." Carol tells Rick, worried.
"We could use some reinforcements." Hershel says, referring to the group of people right next to us.
Rick leads us all into the room, we stand in a line as he and Hershel walk closer to them. "I'm Tyreese." the man extends his hand.
Rick doesn't extend and Hershel introduces the others "Sasha, Allen, Ben."
Rick asks "How'd you get in?"
"Fire damage to the administrative part of the prison. Wall's down." Tyreese explains.
Rick adjusts his stance "that side's completely overrun with walkers. How'd you get this far?"
Tyreese says "we didn't. We lost our friend Donna."
"They were lost in the tombs." Carl speaks up next to me.
"You brought them here?" Rick looks back to him with something in his eyes.
"He had no choice." Hershel informs our leader.
Rick addresses them again "I'm sorry about your friend. We know what that's like."
Tyreese speaks "Hershel said you could use some extra hands. We're no stranger to hard work. We'll go out and get our own food, stay out of your hair. You got a problem with another group, we'll help with that, too. Anything to contribute."
Rick doesn't answer right away, and I think he's actually thinking it over. His head drops and he gives them a simple "no."
"Please. It's like "10 Little Indians" out there. It's just us now." Sasha pleads back.
Rick confirms his choices, telling us all no again. "Let's talk about this. We can't just keep.." Hershel is the only one who speaks up now.
He gets interrupted " We've been through this. With Tomas, Andrew. Look what happened."
"Axel and Oscar weren't like them." Carol adds reminding him.
"And where's Oscar now? I can't be responsible." Rick says.
"You turn us out, you are responsible." Tyreese says back to him.
Hershel calls Rick over and talks to him quietly. I can't make out much of what they are saying..
Rick sighs out "yea" he adds on after. He puts his hand to his eyes, and glares up at something. "No, no, no, no, no. Why are you here?" he starts to say out loud. He moves the room, not looking at the group. "What do you want from me?"
"Dad? Why are you" Carl tries to talk to his dad.
Rick continues moving, now yelling "No. I can't help you. Get out!" He becomes irrational, looking up behind us all occasionally. "Get- get out!
"Whoa, it's all good." Tyreese and Sasha put their hands up, worried he will do something.
"Hey, easy, Rick. There's no need to.." I move closer to try and clam him.
"You don't belong here!" He yells towards me, pulling the gun out of his holster "Get out! Get out! Get out!"
"You don't belong here!" He yells towards me, pulling the gun out of his holster "Get out! Get out! Get out!"
Tyreese moves backwards with the others "We'll leave. We're going. Okay? Ain't nobody got to get shot here. We're going."
"What are you doing here?!" He yells now facing their small group.
"Okay, we're going." Tyreese says as they head out.
"Just go! Go! Go! Come on, come on." Glenn rushes them out of the room, for their safety.