Will grinned behind zombie-Carol and Dirk who he held in front of him on leashes he had made out of rope. Then he reached behind them to undo the gags. He'd worked out long ago that if he kept a couple of rotting freaks near him while he slept out in the open, they acted as camouflage and kept the others away. Covering yourself in walker guts and blood also did the trick and that's exactly what he had done next for added protection. He knew he stank and looked scary as hell – exactly like he had just come from there, just as he intended.

Probably the only reason he'd been able to survive out in the open after he'd left Woodbury – he sure as hell couldn't live up a tree...even get up one with his arthritis was nigh impossible and as his liver cancer progressed, he felt himself becoming increasingly weak and incapicated.

Time to have some fun before he was too far gone, not that he would let himself go that far. He planned to eat his gun after he saw his boys were seen to and made the cop pay.

Then he saw Daryl curled up on the ground and the little Green bitch was comforting him . The little pussy wasn't even moving and for one second a stab of fear pierced him but then he realised what was wrong with him! Was just laying there with his head in the pretty blonde girl's lap and she was singing to him – sounded like a lullabye, just like all hell hadn't broken loose around her.

Easy prey! So he let go of Carol and pushed her over to the Greene girl and his youngest son while the others were distracted and shoved off Dirk in the other direction. Behind him, he could hear the others snarling a little further back – once they were a herd, they stuck together. Kind of like the living – safety in numbers. Beth screamed then when she saw Carol shambling towards here, her arms outstretched as if imploring to her but the ravenous look in her eyes and the growling sounds coming from her throat told a different story.

'Daryl!' Beth looked around in panic, her long ponytail swishing from side to side. 'It's Carol!'

'Carol?' The boy was so out of it, he didn't hear the sounds of fighting and walkers snarling and the shouts but he was coming awake now.

'Carol? She came back?' His tone was so full of sweet hope that Will knew then that he loved her. All the more pain when he realised that she was dead...or something even worse. He hadn't turned Dirk or made him attack the others but he hadn't done anything to stop it either. Would his sons know that?

'No – she's – she's...' Beth was backing away. 'Daryl!'

'No!' He yelled when he saw her.

'Daryl!' Will heard his other son call over him from the other side of the camp where he was fighting a melee of walkers when he heard him shout. 'It's Dad...He's brought Walkers with him! Get ya weapon out and fight!'

But Merle was distracted, helping Rick dispatch the former members of their group.

Meanwhile Daryl still appeared to be frozen on the ground. Only a single tear running down his cheek gave his emotions away. Beth put both arms around his chest from behind and tried to pull him back with her, make him get up. 'Daryl – we have to go now! We've gotta help the others!'

That got him. No time to go back to his tent and get his crossbow (well he could but he would waste precious time) but he had his hunting knife. Meanwhile he watched his old friend come shambling toward them.

He wiped his eyes and straightened up to meet her.

'I got it.' Beth stood up and got her dagger out.

'No...don't...' He shoved her behind him. He ran at Carol but stopped just before he got to him.

'I'm sorry.' Beth and his father heard him whisper to her. 'Please forgive me.' Yet he hesitated before he took the final plunge and cut her head off clean from her shoulders with one clean, powerful stroke. It rolled to the ground and horrifyingly, her body swayed on its face before it tumbled and fell.

His father chuckled. 'Aint payback a bitch, son.'

'Didn't do nothin' to ya!'

'Oh but ya did...You and Merle told ya cop-buddy to kick me out of camp. Told him I was a pervert - all lies! I'm a sick, dyin' old man - how could ya? I'm ya father!'

'Ya got that right about bein' sick and ya ain't no father of mine!'

Beth glanced fearfully behind her to see that no Walkers were moving towards them before she watched this tense father and son exchange nervously. She held his hand to show her support.

'Fuck ya! Ya did this! I'm gonna kill ya old man, jus' like I should have done years ago!' Daryl screamed at their father, forgetting to help the others who were fighting for their lives, he tore his hand out of Beth's and rushed at him. But just then he heard Rick shout for back-up.

'I'll deal with ya later, old man.' He hissed with hatred and turned his back away, and grabbing her hand again, he dragged Beth back with him.

'Ain't got the balls to kill me, have ya son. Not even after what I did to been a little sissy, even ya brother's tougher than ya.' He called contemptuously after him. Daryl was going to ignore his jibes but then Beth whirled on him in fury and he sneered at her.

'Don't talk to him like that!' She looked down at her knife and gripped it hard.

'Ooh...Got ya little girlfriend to defend ya while ya hide behind her skirts, that it, son?'

'She ain't my...' He flushed and looked away while the sounds of the battle raged on around him. He knew he shouldn't let the old goat distract him but he was powerless under his gaze. Just like he'd been his whole life.

'I'll kill him!' She hissed.

Daryl stayed her hand and shook his head. 'No.' He said quietly but firmly.

'But...'

'He probably wants ya to. Make things easy on him that way...'Sides, we have to help the others. Go and make sure Judith's safe.'

She frowned up at him. 'But I want to fight!'

'Fight's nearly over.' It was true ...they realised this when they looked around.

'We missed the action. Damn!' Daryl thumped himself on the leg in frustration. 'Was anybody hurt!' He shouted as the remaining half of the original group came together to take stock. He turned around to watch them come back and when he turned around, his father was gone.

Good riddance.

'Anyone bitten?' He called out to them.

Because it would be his fault if anyone was. Because he'd been weak and out of it... and if he thought about all the people they had just lost – Carol -especially her, he was likely to break down in front of these people again. And he could see his friend Andrea's blood -streaked hair lying ont the ground.

Weak, weak! He was so weak, his father was right. So he pushed the grief aside, focusing on the here and now.

Rick did a quick head count. All present and correct. Most people looked bruised, clothes torn and were crying and/or comforting each other. Maggie had brought out Judith and was cooing to her while tears ran down her cheeks for the others but mainly for Carol. She hadn't joined in the main fighting but related how she had to fight off a couple of Walkers who'd been attracted by the baby. Even Dale was crying after Rick announced that everyone that had sided with Carol and gone with her was now lying dead on the ground. Had all turned recently.

'How could they all have been caught off their guard and slaughtered like this?' People were asking each other.

Maybe Dad set them up. Daryl thought but didn't say out loud. Because what comfort would it bring?

'I think you should send everyone to the Infirmary tent.' Daryl whispered to him. Even if no-one's sayin' they got bit (they had shook their heads at his question), get Herschel to check'em out.'

'Good idea.' Rick said.

The leader looked around and counted again, realising that he'd made a mistake. There were only 20 from their group...not 21. One of the living was missing.

'Carl?' He called and went searching through all of them, parting them aside roughly in his haste. 'Carl?'

Everyone took up the cry...shouting it out his name and rushing around looking for him.

'He could be hurt!'. Rick cried. Or worse – bit and turned. But he didn't say this. He didn't have to – he saw the fear in their eyes.

'Where are ya son?'

But Carl wasn't anywhere to be found. There was just one obvious place they hadn't looked.

Rick rushed back to his tent but they all knew that if he'd been in there, he would have come out by now.

They all heard his anguished screams coming from inside. 'No! Fuck, fuck, NO! Ya can't do this, please!'