Heart of Dixon
Chapter 9: Promise
KaneCenaZombie12: Glad you loved the chapter. I love the sandman song too, I heard it and immediately thought of Daryl and thought I had to put it in a chapter. Pookie is a good choice of a nickname for him too. She'll start calling him a nickname in the next chapter.
Jshaffer: I'm going to start writing their walkerless story, I just have to think of how they'll meet and other details. :) I thought about Dare or Darey-poo.
Micky-Moo: I laughed at all the nickname choices. Robin will most likely call him an annoying one just to bug him since she's not a big fan of the nickname he gave her, but when the romance starts she'll call him one of those nicknames you thought of. I really like 'my hunter'. I was thinking about Daryl getting cold and joining her but I wasn't quite sure so you helped me make up my mind.
Thanks for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter as well!
I do not own the Walking Dead, only my OC.
Third POV
Daryl listened as Robin sang Mr. Sandman, a song his mother used to love when she was alive. Robin wasn't the best singer, but Daryl liked how soft it was. Her voice got quieter and quieter until Daryl knew she fell asleep. He sat on the couch listening to her breathe, waiting for a moment when she might give a sign that she was having a nightmare so he could wake her up. Thankfully she didn't make a noise and Daryl, who was very drunk at this point, was getting sleepy.
He laid down on the couch after removing his boots and tried to get comfortable but he kept shivering. He decided to ignore it, it wasn't the first time he went to bed cold, but when he heard Robin's teeth shattering he thought to hop into the bed so they both would be warm. Daryl lifted the cover and slid in next to her immediately feeling her warmth. He was drifting off to sleep when he felt her arm wide around him, but he was too tired to care.
Robin's POV
That was the best sleep I've had in so long, and I didn't dream about walkers or death. My dream was actually really naughty. I was being chased by Daryl in some woods where we wind up in the same tree house in my other dream. We kissed and had sex on the small bed in the tree house. It was such a wonderful dream that I didn't want to wake up, but I couldn't fall back to sleep.
When I opened my eyes, Daryl's face was right in mine. He was holding me close to him with both arms wrapped tight around me. I thought he was going to yell at me for being so close but he was still asleep. I took this time to really look at him; he looked so peaceful when he was asleep. His ever-present scowl was gone and replaced by a small smile. He must be having a good dream, I thought. I couldn't help but wonder though as of why he was in my bed.
I felt something strange pressed against me, against my thigh. I reached down to move whatever it was. Only when I reached down to move making Daryl groan loudly did I realize what it was. I was holding Daryl's hard on! And it was huge! I pulled my hand away quick in case he woke up to me touching it. Wouldn't that be a pleasant conversation? I could see it now, "Oh sorry, Daryl, I didn't know that large thing was your penis? Didn't mean to touch it, but could I do it again?" Yea, that would go over beautifully.
"Robin." Daryl moaned aloud. I looked up into his face, but he was still asleep. Was Daryl dreaming about me? And what the heck should I do? It would probably be best to wake him up, but he would be so embarrassed he would get mad. If he woke up on his own and saw it he would still be so embarrassed that he would get mad. What could I do?
The decision was made for me when Carol knocked at the door waking up Daryl, "Hey Robin, you awake?"
Daryl, now awake, was looking me right in the eyes. I hoped he couldn't tell that I knew about his dream but his hard on was pressed firm against my thigh.
"Yea." I called out.
"We're making breakfast." She said, "Do you know where Daryl is?" Daryl shook his head; he didn't want anyone to know how he slept in the same room-same bed as me.
"Yea, I'll tell him about breakfast, you go ahead and eat." I said.
"Are you sure?" She asked hesitantly. I knew she didn't like Daryl, he scared her. She had warned me several times already to avoid him as much as possible.
"Go ahead. It'll be fine." I called out. She said alright then walked away from the door.
Daryl and I stared at each other for another moment before he quickly jumped out of bed. He sat down on the couch and chewed on his thumb. He would look up every so often and look away quickly. I didn't know what to say or do but I tried anyway. Maybe figure out why he was in the bed with me or if maybe he did have feelings for me though I doubt he would just admit it.
"Daryl, why do you get into bed with me?" I asked.
"Got cold." He mumbled.
"OK." I sighed, "Did you…did you sleep well?"
"Sure." He mumbled again not wanting to meet my eyes. His hard on was gone now.
"I slept great." I smiled, "Didn't have any nightmares."
He nodded but said nothing well. God, this was so freaking awkward. What should I say to him to make it better? Hey Daryl, don't freak out about waking up stabbing me with your morning wood, I actually liked it. Yea, I didn't see that ending well either.
We were just standing on either sides of the rooms just staring at each other waiting for someone to say something. I had to hand it to him, I really thought he would just bolt out of the room but he remained standing there biting his thumb.
I cleared my throat, "Well, I'm going to change and go to breakfast. So…"
"Right." Daryl spoke quickly. He opened the door and flew out like a bat out of hell. I could not blame him. If it were in his room, as soon as Carol cleared away from the door.
Once Daryl was gone, I changed into some different clothes, a half sleeve white t-shirt, a pair of skinny jeans, and some black combat boots. I brushed my hair and put it up in a messy bun.
I took at my journal; well I didn't like to call it that. It sounded much too girly. I called him (yes, it's a him, don't judge) my Ink Companion or Inky. Whenever I had time or it was safe enough I would jot down anything that happened that day or just random thoughts. I haven't had the chance to write in it lately so I took the time now. I had to habit of writing to it like it was a letter to a person.
My dearest Ink Companion, forgive me since I haven't had the time to sit down and write to you. Since the last time we spoke, I have joined a group and made some friends. I really like Dale, Carol, Jacqui, Sophia, Carol, Glenn, T-Dog, and Rick. I liked another person named Jim, but he was bitten and we could not save him. I met some that I could certainly live without Shane (my brother's inadvertent murderer). But there is one who I like the most, his name is Daryl.
I do not understand why I like Daryl. Maybe it's how no one truly understands him or that he looks like everything I find in a man attractive put together. He has amazingly strong arms, no doubt from yielding his crossbow. He was beautiful blue eyes; I've always been a sucker for blue eyes. He's got a deep rough voice that sends chills to my core (if you get my meaning, Inky). I always want to kiss him or jump his bones when I hear him talk.
But he confuses me, Inky. One minute he's nice to me and the next he's being a total butt head. But I got the ultimate proof that he at least is attracted to me. I woke up this morning to find his large (I'm not exaggerating) wood pressing against me. Not only that, he moaned my name when I touched it. However as soon as he woke up things were really awkward.
Anyway…
We had a moment last night. I didn't want to sleep. I didn't want to see my brother as a walker or see him tear into Daryl. Daryl stayed with me until I fell asleep promising me he wouldn't leave. I hope he will still keep that promise. Daryl makes me feel strong. I don't think I could find the strength to fight on if he left. And that scares me…
I put my pen and Ink Companion back into my back and headed for the kitchen where the others were already eating powered eggs (gross) and bacon (there is a God). I sat down beside Carol and Sophia which was across from where Daryl sat on the counter who by the way could not look me in the eye.
"You got a hangover, Robin?" Shane asked.
"I don't really get hangovers, when I stop drinking I get a tiny headache then I'm better again." I said taking a piece of toast and covering it with strawberry jelly.
"I wish I was that way." Glenn groaned.
I petted Glenn's head carefully, "Don't worry bud, you'll be fine. Just eat your eggs." I took a bite out of my toast when I noticed Daryl staring at me again. Just to tease him a bit, I sent him a wink. The giant cutie looked away so fast I bet he got whiplash.
Jenner walked in then making his way to the coffee, we all said good morning except for Daryl. I was eating my eggs when Dale started questioning Jenner already. Andrea told Jenner that we didn't come to the CDC for the eggs.
"No, we came here for the bacon." I said earning a smile from Carl and Sophia. The others refused to acknowledge my humor, though Daryl some noise from his nose that could have been mistaken for a chuckle.
Jenner let us finishing eating before he took us back to the lab. Andrea rushed everyone who was still eating after she had finished, so just to piss her off I got a second helping of toast, eggs, and bacon. She had turned into a major bitch after the death of Amy which upset me. Back at the quarry we seemed to be good buddies, even stood side by side against Ed, but now I can barely stand being around her for long periods of time.
When he finished he led us to the lab again, and told VI to show us on a large screen the playback of TS-19. Jenner enhanced the brain; the image was full of beautiful blue lights.
"What are those lights?" Shane asked. He was sitting beside me, not by my choice. He set down beside me giving me a smile.
"It's a person's life-experiences, memories. It's everything. Somewhere in all that organic wiring, all those ripples of light, is you." He said pointing at Rick, "The thing makes you unique. And human."
"You don't make sense ever?" Daryl asked. I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Those are synapses, electric impulses in the brain that carry all the messages. They determine everything a person says, does, or thinks from the moment of birth to the moment of death." Jenner explained.
"Death? That's what this is, a vigil?" Rick asked coming closer to Jenner.
"Yes. Or a playback of a vigil." Jenner replied.
"This person died?" Andrea asked, "Who?"
"Test Subject 19." Jenner replied with a small frown, "Someone who was bitten and infected…and volunteered to have us record the process. Vi scan to the first event."
"Scanning to first event." VI said over the loud speakers. The recording sped up and zoomed in on the subject's brain. Amongst the blue lights was a dark ominous red that spread throughout the brain from the brain stem. The blue lights began to fade away leaving the brain black, dead.
"What is that?" Glenn asked.
"It invades the brain like meningitis. The adrenal glands hemorrhage, the brain goes into shutdown, then the major organs. Then death…" Jenner looked so forlorn when he said the last sentence, but the worst was next, "Everything you ever were or ever will be…gone."
I couldn't help but let out a small sob. I knew deep down there wasn't a cure, it just seemed too impossible, but to find out that they was no hope of ever bringing them, my brother back hurt. He was gone, everything that made my brother him was gone. The little things that I loved and hated just disappeared. That mindless thing didn't remember what a man whore my brother was or how he was madly in love with anything caramel. He wouldn't remember me or all the things we went through and shared. My brother was truly gone, and it killed me.
I looked up to see Daryl, Jenner, and Shane looking at me in concern, "She lost her brother." Shane explained to Jenner.
"I'm sorry. I know how devastating it can be." Jenner said. I nodded to him then Daryl who still looked at me concerned even after our crazy awkward moment.
"Scan to the second event." Jenner ordered VI. She repeated the command and sped up the recording.
"We resurrection period varies. We have record that it can happen as quick as three minutes. The longest we've heard of was eight hours. In the case of this patient, it was two hours, one minutes, and seven seconds." He said.
The red lights returned filling the brain stem. The rest of the brain did not light up, but that was all was needed to walk around and eat.
"It restarts the brain." Lori asked.
"No, just the brain stem. Basically it gets them up and moving." Jenner explained.
"But they're not alive." Rick asked.
"You tell me?" Jenner pointed to the empty brain.
"Most of that brain is black." Rick stated the obvious.
"Dark, lifeless, dead. The frontal lobe, the you-part doesn't come back. Just a shell driven by mindless instinct."
Suddenly a bright light flashed on the screen that stopped the reanimated thing.
"God, what was that?" Carol asked.
"He shot his patient in the head. Didn't you?" Andrea said looking up at Jenner. He didn't have to answer. Jenner told VI to power down the computers and screen in the lab. She repeated the order back and turned everything but the lights off.
"Did you ever found out what it is? Or why they feed off of us?" I asked standing up, "The brain stem makes them hungry but technically they could be hungry for anything so why just flesh?"
"We don't know." Jenner answered.
"How does it get around? Is only the states affected?" I questioned.
"You have no idea what it is, do you?" Andrea started questioning too.
"It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, or fungal." He listed off possibilities.
"Or the wrath of God?" Jacqui asked.
"There's that too." He said.
"All of that could spread worldwide?" I asked shocked.
"Yes." He frowned. I sat down
"Somebody must know something." Andrea argued nearing him, "Somebody somewhere."
"There are other's right?" Carol asked, "Not everybody could be infected. Maybe some survivors like us."
"There maybe some." Jenner admitted but he didn't seem to believe it, "People like me."
"You don't know. How can you not know?" Rick asked.
"Everything went down." Jenner said, "I've been in the dark."
"So you're saying there's no hope. That's what you're really saying right?"
We all looked at Jenner hoping he would give us some ray of hope but nothing. He looked away with a sad frown. I let out a gasp and sat down beside Carl and Lori. Carl took my hand and squeezed it while his mother held on to him.
"Man, I'm going to get shit faced drunk again." Daryl groaned and leaned onto the computer right in front of me.
I let out a small laugh with a sob and smiled at him. He looked up at me with a glint in his eyes. It almost made me think he said that to make me laugh.
"Dr. Jenner, I know this has been taxing for you and I hate to ask one more question, but that clock is counting down. What happens at zero?" Dale asked looking at Jenner. Now I was curious too. I barely noticed the clock before.
"The basement generators run out of fuel." Jenner was hesitant to answer. His jaw tensed, he didn't want us to know about the clock. What was he trying to hide from us?
"And then…?" Rick was put off about how cryptic Jenner was being. He didn't get an answer from Jenner, the man kept walking away.
"VI, what happens when the power runs out?" Rick asked.
"When the power runs out, facility-wide decontamination will occur." VI answered.
Rick, T-Dog, Shane, and Glenn ran off saying something about the basement. Most likely to see if there really was any fuel left and if they could do anything to help.
I left a dark feeling in my stomach, decontamination wasn't good. We had to leave and soon. Looking up at the clock, we only had an hour left. We didn't need to be checking fuel, we needed to be gathering our stuff and hitting the road.
A plan started to form in my head, and before I knew it I was walking out of the lab. I stopped when I heard Andrea call out to me, "Hey, where are you going?" Looking back, everyone was looking at me for answers.
"Shush, my common sense is tingling." I replied and walked off. I heard them murmuring a bit but I didn't pay attention. I didn't want to get distracted.
I went inside the CDC's food storage; there was enough food to last Jenner three years. So he shouldn't mind if I took some. I grabbed an empty duffel back; I opened large family size boxes of protein bars, cereal bars, and nature's valley bars and threw them in the bag. Next I grabbed handfuls on MREs and tossed them into the back as well. I grabbed packets of cookies, crackers, jerky, and chocolate bars to the almost full bag. Lastly I grabbed a few cans and zipped up the bag.
I placed the bag next to the elevator. I knew we would be leaving soon so I could grab it on the way out. I set my things next to it as well. I was going to get more food when the lights suddenly went out. If you remember from my first chapter, I'm afraid of the dark, so I let out a tiny squeal that could have been mistaken for a small little girl's. I wasn't in the dark too long before the emergency lights came on, giving the hallways a glow but not that much.
I made it inside the labs where everyone was asking Jenner a million questions. I joined the group right when Jenner looked at Andrea then me, "It was the French." He said.
"I'm sorry, what?" I asked confused and out of breath. Running all this much piled on with the stress was making me light headed. I could only imagine how my anemia was going. I should have checked for iron tabs and vitamins.
"They were the last ones to hold out as far as I know. While our people were bolting out the doors and commenting suicides in the hallways, they stayed in the labs working." He explained, "They thought they were close to a solution."
"What happened?" Jacqui asked.
"The same thing that's happening here, the power grid failed." Jenner smiled but it didn't reach his eyes, "The world still runs on fossil fuels, can you believe that?"
"Let me tell you something." Shane growled running up the steps after him.
Rick was on his heels after Shane, "To hell with it, Shane! I don't even care."
He turned to the rest of us, "Lori, grab our things we're leaving. Everybody we're getting out of here. Now!" Rick ordered. Just as we turned to leave, a loud alarm went off. On the big screen a countdown timer appeared. Only thirty minutes to decontamination left.
"Doc, what's going on here!?" Daryl asked he pulled me closer to his chest.
"Everybody, you heard Rick. Let's go. Get ya stuff." Shane yelled. Daryl and I took off running towards the door. Just as we reached it, a metal door came down blocking our way.
"Did he just lock us in?" Glenn asked.
I felt a panic attack coming on. I gripped tighter onto Daryl breathing too fast, my heart felt like it was about to explode out of my chest. I went for so long, surviving on my own only to die now.
Jenner sat down at a computer and started talking to it. We yelled at him to let us out but he wouldn't even acknowledge us. My panic attack was getting worse; I didn't want to die here. Daryl led me over to Jenner; he left me to one side and ran over to Jenner knocking him away from the computer with Shane and the others trying to keep him from killing Jenner.
I slid down onto the floor trying to breathe. I felt dizzy and weak all the sudden. Stress wasn't at all good for my anemia. I needed to take my iron tabs but they were with my stuff, sitting next to the elevators. I tried not to focus on the blaring alarm or everyone's yells, but it was so hard.
"Jenner, open that door now." Rick said all serious. He looked pretty fearsome then.
"There's no point. Everything top side is locked down." Jenner said straightening his white lab coat, "The emergency exits are sealed."
"Well open the damn things." Daryl yelled. I didn't notice he was beside me again.
"That's not something I control. The computers do." Jenner snapped, "I told you, once that door closes, it stays closed."
"You could have fucking mentioned that we would be locked in and decontaminated!" I yelled loudly from my spot, "Must have slipped your mind?"
"It's better this way." He told me not even phased that I yelled.
"What is?" Rick asked, "What happens in 28 minutes."
"We all die." I mumbled. Some looked at me panicked while others ignored me and continued to wait for Jenner to reply.
"What happens in 28 minutes!?" Shane smacked Jenner upside the head.
Jenner stood up and yelled at the top of his lungs, "You know what this place is?! We protected the public from very nasty stuff!" He yelled in Shane's face, "Weaponized smallpox! Ebola strains that could wipe out half the country! Stuff you don't want getting out! Ever!"
Daryl paced in front of me like a wolf watching Jenner. He was waiting-hoping for him to come over to us and yell. Daryl felt like he needed to protect me.
Jenner sat down, "In the event of a catastrophic power failure-in a terrorist attack, for example-HITS are deployed to prevent organisms from getting out."
"HITS?" Rick asked.
"VI, define."
"HITS: high-impulse thermobaric fuel-air explosives consist of a two-stage aerosol ignition that produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other explosive except nuclear." VI informed.
Carol started to sob while holding onto Sophia. Tears started to fall down Lori's face as she held Carl close. Some looked so shocked they didn't know what to do. I sat there, too weak now from the stress and lack of iron pills to really do anything. I couldn't help but think…what this how it was all going to end?
"The vacuum-pressure effect ignites the oxygen at between 5,000 and 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit and is useful when the greatest loss of life and destruction is desired."
Rick held onto Lori and Carl. Andrea listened to VI unaffected and unafraid, most likely wanting to die.
"It sets the air on fire." Jenner explained, "No pain. An end to sorrow, grief…regret."
Did I want to survive this? I could have a painless death compared to either starving to death or getting ripped apart. I wouldn't have to see my friends ripped apart…I wouldn't have to see Daryl die. I could have peace finally and maybe see my brother again.
Daryl looked down at me; he knew what I was thinking. Without a word he ran to the door quickly followed by Rick and tried to open the door. Out of frustration, Daryl flew his bottle of whiskey at the metal door shattering it.
"Open the damn door!" He yelled.
"Outta my way!" Shane yelled running to the door with an axe. Someone threw Daryl an axe and he joined Shane with unsuccessfully hacking away at the door.
"You should have left well enough alone. It would be so much easier." Jenner said looking at me.
"Easier for who?" Lori sneered.
"All of you, you know what's out there-a short brutal life and agonizing death." Jenner said convincingly, "You." He pointed at me, "Your brother-what was his name?"
"Jacob." I reply voice thick with emotion.
He turned to Andrea, "What was your sister's name."
"Amy." She replied.
"Jacob and Amy." He repeated, "You know what this does. You've seen it."
I didn't pay any more attention then; it was getting harder to pay attention. I blacked out of a moment but was jolted awake when I felt suddenly shaking me. I opened my eyes to see Daryl's beautiful blue ones.
"Come on, Bitty. He opened the doors!" Daryl was trying to get me to my feet but I couldn't hold myself up.
"Go, I'm too weak, I would just slow you down." I said pushing him away.
"I ain't leaving you, Bitty. I made a fuckin' promise." He growled. Daryl scooped me up bridal style and ran down the halls after the others.
"Will we have enough time?" I asked worried, "You should leave me. You should get out fast."
"I told you, I ain't leaving you." He said breathing hard. I prayed I wasn't too heavy. Before the dead rose, I wasn't exactly the fittest or had the best diet.
We neared the elevator, Daryl grabbed my bag mid-run. The other bags with the food were forgotten.
"Someone needs to get those!" I called out. Just when I did, T-Dog and Glenn grabbed them mid run.
We rushed into the elevator and the moment we got to the lobby floor, we rushed out. Daryl set me down so he could help open the doors. While I sat, I fished out my iron pills and took three of them. The men threw chairs at the windows but nothing. The glass didn't even crack when Daryl hit it with an axe. The glass didn't break when Shane shot it. We were almost out of hope when Carol pulled out a grenade from her purse.
Daryl rushed over, covering my body with his. He covered my ears with his hands and I reached up to cover his. Our faces were so close that our noses touched. It was in this moment, when the loud grenade went off that I wanted to kiss him so badly, but the moment it was safe. Daryl held me up.
I was a bit stronger to walk on my own now, but he still helped me climb out the window. He had a hold of my arm as we ran to his truck. We didn't stop even as he used the axe to chop of the head of a walker that got too close. Daryl threw open the truck door and we dove inside. His body covered mine again as he heard the loud explosion on the CDC.
We sat up to watch the fire that was hundreds of feet in the air. Ash rained down everywhere. What really got my attention was the walkers that caught aflame from the blast. I actually laughed when I saw one lumbering around. What could I say? I was a really weird girl.
I looked back at Daryl and smiled. He had kept his promise, not to leave me even though it might have gotten him killed along with me. Daryl gave me a half-smile and a nod as if he understood how thankful I was. I squeezed his hand but he jerked it away then started his truck. We followed behind the caravan, hopefully to someplace safe. I knew I would be fine as long as Daryl was around. He made me feel strong.