After the news of the barn, arguing had erupted in the group. My head was aching from the prior night's activities and everyone's shouting was starting to piss me off. Shane had taken off towards the barn, strutting as if he knew the answers to the universe.
"They're right." He said, peeking in one of the cracks.
"Let me talk to Herschel." Rick began.
"What's there to talk about?!" Shane shouted.
"This is his land!" Rick yelled back. "We are guests here!"
"Why don't you just let Rick do his thing?" I said suddenly.
"You need to mind your own business, little girl." Shane barked at me.
Taylor pushed past me, getting in Shane's face before I even knew what was going on.
"You better watch how you speak to my sister." Taylor practically growled.
I gave a small smile, knowing not to try to get Taylor to back down. It would only make him angrier.
Shane opened his mouth to speak again but I'd had enough.
"Shut up!" I shouted. All eyes darted over to me. "This is not your call, Shane. It is Herschel's land, let Rick talk to him and see what his reasoning is behind this. How long have y'all been here and this hasn't been a problem?" I said. "It's locked up tighter than Dick's hatband." He started to speak again and I raised my hand impatiently.
"Let Rick talk to Herschel. Keep someone on guard over here to make sure nothing goes in or out. After he talks to him, then we'll see what's up." I suggested.
"She's right." Rick said, looking at his friend.
"You need to get away from me." Shane said to Taylor.
"Talk to my sister that way again." Taylor threatened.
Shane stalked off in a huff.
"I'll go talk to Herschel." Rick said to the rest of us. "Just keep calm. T, mind keeping watch for a while?"
"That's fine." He nodded to the man.
As Rick started to walk off, I took off after him.
"Hey." I said, placing my hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"Yeah?" He said.
I could see the aggravation in his eyes. I knew all this had to be a load on his shoulders he didn't want or need. I wondered if Lori had told him about the baby yet.
"I know this isn't a good time…" I said. "But if Daryl isn't back by this evening, I'm going to look for him."
"You know…" Rick began.
"I know he can take care of himself." I cut him off. "But I have a bad feeling. Something isn't right. This isn't me asking, this is me givin' you a heads up."
Rick nodded. "Okay. But someone needs to go with you if you do. Don't want two people lost out there.'
I nodded in thanks and turned to leave. But his hand caught my shoulder to stop me.
"Thanks for standing behind me back there." He said.
"No problem." I said. "I always stand up for what I believe is the right thing to do. Being irrational about a situation isn't gonna solve it. Only make it worse."
He smiled and nodded before taking off towards the house once more, leaving me standing there.
Later that afternoon, I was sitting quietly under a tree by myself, making new arrows out of some wood and chicken feathers I'd got from the coop. I'd avoided talking to many people since the incident at the barn this morning. Lori had continued to keep her distance from me, seeming to be even angrier since I had spoke up this morning defending her husband by the death glares she was giving me. I simply smiled when I caught her looking at me. I wasn't going to let her think she had the upper hand in anything.
All of a sudden, a yell broke the silence between the group members.
"Walker!" Andrea shouted from the top of the caravan.
Everyone jumped to their feet and dropped what they were doing. I grabbed my bow and quiver and rushed over to the caravan. In the distance I could see a dark haired bloodied figure limping out of the woods.
"Daryl…" I breathed before taking off.
"River, wait!" Rick shouted.
But I paid no mind, I continued running across the field towards the limping figure.
"Oh, my God!" I shouted as the person came into focus.
It was Daryl, covered in blood, a necklace of walker ears around his neck and a doll in his hand.
"That's the second time you've pointed that damn thing at me." He grumbled tiredly.
I looked behind me to see Shane and Rick. Where the hell had Shane come from? Rick had his gun held up, but as Daryl spoke, he lowered it.
All of a sudden, a gun shot rang through the air. Daryl fell to the ground as I let out a blood curdling scream.
I ran over and dropped to my knees beside him, the tears already welling up in my eyes.
"He's just grazed." I said as Rick appeared beside me. "He's dehydrated and lost a lot of blood. We got to get him inside. Fast."
I grabbed the necklace of ears from around his neck and chucked them on the ground, knowing the rest of the group didn't need to see them. Rick and Shane picked Daryl up and we began across the yard as fast as we could.
As we approached the group, I saw Andrea running towards us. My anger suddenly present, my feet began to move quicker.
"Oh, my God! I thought he was a walker! Is he…"
But my fist hitting her jaw stopped her mid sentence. I hit her again and again.
"You ignorant, bitch!" I shouted as she toppled to the ground. "You could've killed him! I heard Dale tell you not to shoot! But you just had to try to fuckin' prove something, didn't you?! Well, good job, moron! All you proved is how STUPID you are and that you're a terrible shot, thank god!"
"C'mon…" Taylor said, grabbing me. "Let's get you inside so you can help save him instead of shoot him." He eyed Andrea hatefully as we passed her.
"You got a temper, Red." Shane said as we walked towards the house.
"Don't speak to my sister or you'll find out how much both of us have a temper, man." Taylor said through gritted teeth.
"He's dehydrated and lost a lot of blood." I told Herschel as we entered the house. "Taylor is getting the medical supplies I have so you don't have to use all of yours."
"Patricia, help me!" He shouted to the woman.
We made our way up the stairs and into the room I had used during my injury.
"Tourniquet." I told Taylor as he entered the room with my bag. "There's a few bags of fluids in there, get me one rigged up."
I helped Herschel tear off Daryl's shirt, seeing the wound just below his ribcage.
"Put pressure on it." Herschel said to Patricia.
"Is there an exit wound?" I asked as I wrapped the tourniquet around his arm.
Herschel pushed Daryl over as gently as he could to look at his back. "Yes."
"Thank goodness." I breathed.
I got the fluids started to hydrate him and taped the needle down.
"Where'd you go to school?" Herschel asked as he worked on the wound.
"NYU." I answered without looking up at him. "Pre-med."
"Really?" He said, astonished. "Why didn't you finish?"
"Stupidity." I said vaguely. "Will you get me some warm water and a wash cloth, Tay?"
I dug through my bag as he nodded and took off. Rick and Shane stood watching in silence. I pulled out the morphine and needle and drew out the amount I needed.
As I administered it into his IV, I glanced up at Herschel. "So, how similar are animals and humans?"
"Pretty much the same." He said with a chuckle.
I smiled slightly.
"Is he going to be okay?" Rick asked.
Taylor returned by my side with a bowl of warm water.
"He'll be fine." He answered for us. "Just needs rest and probably another bag of fluids after this one. Pain meds and antibiotics for a few days."
"Were you pre-med too?" Herschel asked, looking at Taylor surprised.
"No." He said, looking over at the older man. "Engineer at MIT."
"The boy could break open a high end vault that could withstand a 9.0 quake in less than a minute with only a glass of water." I laughed.
"Talent run in your family?" Herschel asked.
"Alcoholism, gambling and depression does. Talent, no." I said shaking my head.
That evening, I sat beside the bed, candle light dancing across the walls around me. Daryl still hadn't woke up. I wasn't worried though. I knew he was hydrated and comfortable. I'd wiped the dirt off of him the best I could with the wash cloth and treated his wound from Andrea's gunshot. If she had moved to the left even a fraction of an inch, we would have been digging a grave instead of placing him in a bed and poking him with needles. I was still furious at her. I'd stayed inside the house, not just because I wanted to be here when Daryl woke up, but I knew if I saw her, I'd finish what Taylor had pulled me away from.
I had Taylor slip in my backpack so I could read while I waited. And my dear brother had placed a half empty bottle of vodka in it with a small note attached to it that read "Nurse Riv, This is liquid courage. For the bottle we destroyed last night. Have fun ;)" I had rolled my eyes and whispered my thanks before raising the bottle to my lips.
I had a slight buzz and made it halfway through my book before I heard a gruff voice.
"Hey." He said.
"Hey." I said in shock. "Thought you'd sleep right through the night."
I stood up and sat my book and the bottle down on the bedside table.
"Are you drinking?" He asked, eyeing the bottle curiously.
"Maybe." I laughed as I grabbed his wrist.
He jerked it away and I frowned. "I was just checking your pulse."
"'M fine." He said stubbornly.
"Whatever. Are you in any pain?" I asked. "I gave you pain medication in your IV about three hours ago. It should be starting to wear off."
"I said 'm fine." He repeated.
I threw my hands up in the air, defeated. "Fine. Didn't wanna help ya no fuckin' how."
I got up off the side of the bed, but a hand caught my arm before I could walk back over to my chair.
"'M sorry." He said.
I turned to see his ice blue eyes staring at me.
"Its okay." I shrugged. "My sister was a shrink. I get it."
He looked at me curiously.
"It's called displacement. " I explained.
"Yer a know it all." He said with a smirk.
"Nah." I said grabbing the bottle of vodka off the side of the table and taking a swig.
He reached up and took the bottle from me as it left my lips.
"Um, as your nurse, I must say I recommend against that." I said as he took a large gulp.
"Says the drunk nurse." He said handing it back to me.
He tried to sit up and groaned.
"Here, lemme help." I said, placing the bottle back on the bedside table.
"No, I got it." He said.
"There is just no helping you." I sighed.
He propped himself up on the pillows and shook his head. "So, what's the diagnosis, doc?"
"We stopped the bleeding and stitched up your wound. You were very dehydrated, apparently to the point of hallucinations, gave ya some fluids and some pain medicine. Oh, and I cleaned ya up and treated your wound from Andrea thinking you were a walker." I shrugged.
"Stupid bitch." He growled. "If I was a woman…"
"Don't worry, a woman already took care of it." I laughed.
"What'd ya do?" He asked curiously.
"Apparently according to Glenn I broke her nose." I said.
He stared at me for a moment before he started laughing.
"Well, thanks, Red." He said. "Must have'a helluva right hook."
"I grew up with three older brothers… I had to have a good swing to survive." I said.
I knew all his talking was due to the pain medication. Even though he had started to talk to me more and more with each hunt we went on, he had never talked this much nor laughed. I hated admitting it to myself, but I loved how his eyes lit up when he laughed.
Oh, God, River. What the fuck? I thought to myself immediately after the thought crossed my mind.
Thankfully the door opened before my face could turn a bright shade of red. Carol emerged with two plates and a warm smile.
"I'll just step out…" I stammered, getting to my feet.
"No." She said. "You don't have to go anywhere. I want you to hear this too."
She sat down the plates on the bedside table, eyeing the vodka suspiciously.
"Thank you." She told Daryl. "You've done more for my little girl than her father did for her in her whole life."
"Nuthin' Rick or Shane wouldn't 'ave done." He grumbled.
I furrowed my eyebrows. How untrue. If they would've done it, it would be them out there, them in this bed injured… but they weren't.
"No. You did, not them." Carol said, placing a hand on top of his. "And you." She turned around to look at me. "You didn't even meet my little girl, and yet you've risked your life going out there with him. Thank you."
I nodded, feeling uncomfortable. "If it were my kid, I'd hope someone wouldn't give up looking for them."
She bent down and placed kiss on Daryl's forehead before standing up to leave.
After she exited, I glanced over nervously at Daryl, wringing my hands.
"Okay, well." I sighed. "I'll give ya some more pain medicine in your IV, which adding to that giant gulp of vodka you just took, is gonna make you feel like a million bucks, and give it a minute, then I'll take it out so you can sleep comfortably. Then I'll get outta your hair."
I walked over to my bag and pulled out the morphine and a needle.
"'M fine." He mumbled.
"Lies." I said without looking at him. "You may be alright right now, nowhere near fine, might I add. But within about an hour, what's left of that medicine I gave you earlier will wear off and you'll be in a world of hurt. So…" I held out my free hand, motioning with my fingers for him to hand over his arm with the IV. "Fork it over, Dixon."
He sighed. "God, yer stubborn as hell."
"You'd know all about stubborn, wouldn't ya?" I laughed.
"Alright." I said when I was done. "We'll give it about ten minutes and that bag of fluids should be done and we'll get that thing out of ya and I'll be on my way."
He nodded as I put up my supplies and walked back over to my chair beside his bed.
"Want a book?" I asked as I sat down, book and bottle back in hand.
"No." He said solemnly.
"Suit yourself." I shrugged.
We sat in silence for a while. I could see the pain medication taking effect; he slowly began to relax more.
When he spoke, I knew it had finally hit it's peak.
"So, were ya other siblins over achievers like ya?" He asked.
"So, you think I'm an over achiever?" I laughed. "If you call a twenty four year old med school drop out with four failed rehab stints an over achiever, I'd hate to see your idea of a loser."
I sat my book down and sighed. "If you're asking what my siblings did for a living, my brother Greyson was a lawyer, he took over my father's practice. Julian was an architect, Cora was a therapist and Taylor was an engineer. Were they over achievers? No. Cora was a recovering heroin addict. She counseled other recovering addicts. Greyson got caught up in really sketchy cases, but somehow would win them all. Essentially he bribed his way to the top… a crooked lawyer. Oh, the irony there, huh? Julian was… well, guess Julian was an over achiever. The jerk didn't even have a speeding ticket. Tay, he got addicted to pain medication. I did too for a while. He lived with me and had a horrible car accident. Messed him up bad. They prescribed him pain meds and it went from there… just kept escalading."
"'M sorry." He said. "I didn' know.."
"Don't say sorry." I told him. "Everyone has their secrets, everyone has skeletons in their closets. No need in being ashamed of them. It makes you who you are."
"Ya got an answer fer everythin', Red." He shook his head.
"You know it, Dixon." I sighed. "Let's get that needle outta ya."
I felt my heart begin to race as I touched his arm. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him keeping his eyes locked on me. I knew I could chalk this up to the pain medicine as well; he never looked at me long without darting his eyes elsewhere.
"There ya go." I said hastily. "Well, if you don't need anything, I'll leave ya to it."
I started to walk away from the bed but once again, a hand on my wrist stopped me.
"Don't go." He said.
Yup, definitely pain meds talking. I thought to myself.
"But you need to rest." I argued.
"I can rest with you in the room." He said.
"Fine. I'll go ask Maggie for some blankets and pillows to make a pallet out of." I sighed.
I slipped out of the room into the hallway and pressed myself flat against the bedroom door. What the? I took in a deep breath and exhaled, trying to calm myself. I knew I was over thinking due to my alcohol consumption but I didn't want to lose my mind.
I trotted down the stairs and gave myself a pep talk along the way about how to act like I wasn't buzzed. I trudged into the living room to find Maggie, Herschel and Patricia.
"Maggie, do you mind if I borrow you for a moment?" I asked.
"Yeah." She said, standing up from the couch.
She followed me to the landing of the stairwell before I turned around to face her.
"Can I get some more blankets and pillows?" I asked.
"Yeah." She said. "Does he want to prop up or something?"
"No." I said, rolling my eyes. "He wants me to sleep in there tonight."
Her eyes widened.
"No, no. It's the pain medication talking and I'm making a pallet in the floor, so you can take your eyes back to a normal size." I said, waving my hand dismissively.
"If you say so, Riv." She laughed, heading up the stairs.
"I definitely say so." I said following her to the linen closet.
She handed me a couple blankets, a sheet and two pillows.
As she closed the door, she smiled widely. "Go get 'em, Tiger."
"Oh, no." I sighed.
I walked back to the bedroom and entered to see Daryl staring oddly at my book in front of him.
"What on earth is this shit 'bout?" Daryl asked. "There's no pictures."
"It's about a boy in high school and how he becomes friends with these two kids and..." I said, throwing down the blankets and pillows.
"Sounds like something you'd read." He cut me off snickering, tossing it to the end of his bed.
I began to arrange my make shift bed beside his. As I worked I could feel his eyes on me but I tried to pay no mind.
"Wish ya wouldn't sleep on tha floor." He said.
"Nowhere else in here to sleep. Don't suppose that desk chair would be comfy." I explained as I continued to work.
"The bed would be comfy." He said simply.
My eyes widened and I stopped in my tracks.
"You are talkin' outta your ass right now, Dixon." I laughed nervously. "You're gonna wake up in the morning and not even remember asking me to sleep in here period."
"'Course I will." He said, sleepily. "How could I forget askin' a pretty girl to sleep in the same room as me?"
"Easy. Drug induced." I said with a scoff. "Now, get some rest. If you need anything, just let me know, okay?"
I pulled his blanket up and blew out the candles beside his bed.
I snuggled down onto my pallet and adjusted myself into the most comfortable position I could find. I had already gotten into my pajamas while Daryl had slept, so there wasn't much getting ready for bed I had to do except slip beneath the sheets. I felt my eyelids begin to droop as Daryl spoke one last time.
"I will remember."
The next morning I woke up to find Daryl already awake in his bed. He had been staring down at me as I opened my eyes.
"How long have you been up?" I asked as I sat up and rubbed my eyes.
"Bout two hours." He said. "Ya know ya talk in yer sleep?"
"I've been told." I said, my face turning bright red.
"Yer cheeks match yer hair." He chuckled. "Ya didn't say anything embarrassing."
"Oh, good." I sighed. "Why didn't you wake me? I told you if you needed something to wake me up. You have to be hurting by now."
"'M fine." He said, looking away from me.
"You try too hard to put on a front, Dixon. I can see right through you. See how you looked away when you said that? Cause you were lying.. Didn't want to look me in the eyes while you were lying." I said, getting up.
I saw him roll his eyes as I walked over to my bag of medical supplies. I pulled out the bottle of pain medication pills and antibiotics and handed him some.
"Allergic to anything?" I asked.
"Nah." He said simply.
"Good. Lemme get ya some water." I said, taking the empty cup by his bed into the bathroom.
I glanced in the mirror as I filled the cup and almost choked. My hair was a mess. I tried to quickly tame it as the cup filled up.
Walking back out with a bit more confidence, I noticed he had my book in his hand once more.
I handed him his water and smiled. "It's a good book."
"'S alright, I guess." He mumbled. "Mind if I borra it?"
"Nah, have at it." I told him. "I got plenty of books in my car. I'll get changed and go get us some breakfast, okay?"
He nodded. "Thanks."
"No problem."
I grabbed my backpack and ran into the bathroom at record speed. I leaned against the closed bathroom door and sighed. What in seven hells are you playing at, Holden?! I groaned and pushed myself off the door and turned on the shower.
I unbraided my hair and ran my brush through it and hopped in the stream of warm water. I tried to let my thoughts go as I bathed but it was no use. The hunter had consumed my thoughts completely. I was unsure of what to do or how to react to all this. I was intrigued by him, for some odd reason.
I finished up and turned off the faucet. Jumping out, I dried off and slipped into my clothes. I ran my brush through my hair and decided to leave it down as I glanced at myself in the mirror, brushing my teeth.
"Nice shirt." Daryl said as I stepped into the bedroom. "You even old enough to know who Bob Dylan is?"
I furrowed my eyebrows at him, frowning. "Yes, I know who Bob Dylan is."
"Name one song." He challenged me.
"Mr. Tambourine Man." I said.
"Another." He said.
"Sarah." I said, crossing my arms across my chest.
"Okay, I don't even know if that one is a Bob Dylan song." He admitted.
"Exactly." I laughed. "Admit defeat. I'll be back with some grub. Need anything else while I'm out?"
"Ya to release me from bed rest." He grumbled.
"Not gonna happen." I chuckled.
I walked out of the room and down the stairs. I said good morning to Herschel and his family as I greeted them on my way out of the house. It was early and the ground was still covered in fresh dew. The clouds still held a dark glow to them as I made my way across the yard. Not many people were up just yet. I didn't see any signs of Glenn nor Taylor.
I greeted Carol as I grew closer.
"Can I get a plate for me and one for Daryl?" I asked.
"Of course." She beamed. "How's he doin'?"
"Good." I said, smiling in return. "He'll be up and back to killin' squirrels and cutting people nasty looks in no time."
She laughed. "I'm glad to hear that."
She handed me the plates and two bottles of water. I nodded and turned around to leave but collided with someone. I yelped and almost dropped my plates.
Lori's eyes met mine. I narrowed my own green eyes when they locked with her brown and let a small smile cross my face.
"Well, good morning." I said, forcing myself to sound cheerful. "You are just positively glowing!"
She frowned at me as I pushed by her and made my way back to the house.
As I reached the door, it opened abruptly, revealing T-Dog standing there beaming.
"Mornin' sunshine." He said. "You seen your brother?"
"Nah, I think he must still be asleep." I said. "By all means, go scare him awake."
He held the door open for me and smiled. "I think I will, pretty lady."
I headed up the stairs with a smile on my face. I was glad Taylor and I had made friends with most of the group members, sans a few. We'd fallen into place in the group and these people were starting to feel like family. The only trepidation I had was the fact I knew I'd grow to care about these people, and when shit hit the fan and the inevitable happened, it would be hard to deal with.
I opened the door with much difficulty and shoved it open with my foot to see Daryl sitting at the edge of the bed putting on his shirt.
"You should let me change your bandages before you do that." I said as I entered.
He grunted and nodded.
I handed him the plate and a bottle of water and sat down beside him on the bed. We ate in silence for a while. My mind was stuck on the night prior. I wondered if he remembered asking me to sleep here or if he thought I was just a weird girl who decided to set up camp beside his bed.
"So, uh…" I said, clearing my throat. "Do you…"
"Remember?" He finished for me. "Tol' ya I would."
I could feel the color coming to my cheeks rapidly. He had caught me off guard and I wasn't sure what to say.
So, I decided to say nothing at all. I rose from the bed and placed my drink and plate on the bedside table. He placed his there too.
"I'll, uh…. Get you some bandages." I mumbled.
I darted over to my bag and pulled out what I needed without a glance over at him. I walked back over to him and placed the items on the bedside table.
"Off with it." I mumbled, pulling out a few gauze.
He huffed and pulled his shirt back off.
"Do you want to take a shower first?" I asked.
"Uh, yeah." He nodded and got up as quick as he could.
He disappeared into the bathroom. As the door clicked shut, I threw myself backwards onto the bed. I groaned and threw a pillow over my face. I wanted to scream, but decided against it.
You're acting like a school girl with a crush! This is the end of the world! Get it together! I scolded myself as I heard the water turn on in the bathroom.
I got up and tried to occupy myself. I stripped the bed and walked out into the hall to fetch more sheets. I made the bed and discarded the empty breakfast plates. I organized all of our stuff and placed the antibiotics and pain medication on his bedside table with a glass for water.
My heart skipped a beat when I heard the water turn off. I braced myself.
"Foolish little girl." I muttered to myself as I fixed my hair in the mirror.
The door opened and Daryl stepped out without a shirt on, hair still glistening with water.
"Gonna bandage me up, nurse?" He said, making his way to the bed.
"Yeah." I said a little too hastily.
I walked over and pulled out the gauze and wrap and set to work. I crawled up on the bed to be able to wrap the bandage around his body. My eyes settled on the scars littering his back.
"Don't." He said.
"Don't what?" I asked, continuing to work as if I'd seen nothing.
"Say anything." He muttered.
"I didn't…" I said nonchalantly.
"Good." He said. "Ya always talkin'…."
I chuckled and finished wrapping up his wound.
"There." I said, climbing off the bed. "Good as new."
"Now, can I go outside?" He asked impatiently.
"Fine." I sighed. "But no over doin' it. You pull out those stitches and I'll kick your ass all over Georgia, ya hear me?"
"Yes ma'am." He said sarcastically.
After he'd thrown on his shirt and I'd scolded him for even looking at his crossbow, we made our way out into the sunshine. There was a slight nip in the air letting us all know that fall was creeping up on us.
The group stood there on the stairs and I eyed them curiously. I could feel the tension in the air. Maggie looked infuriated.
"What's goin' on?" I asked as we approached.
I saw Shane bend down and pull out two guns from the duffle bag at his feet.
He handed one to Daryl before he finally spoke. "You with me?"
Daryl glanced over at me before back to Shane and gave a slight nod, taking the gun from him.
Shane glanced over at me, holding out another gun. "I almost regret offering you one, Red, but you with me too?"
I took the gun and made sure the safety was on before I slid it into the back of my shorts.
"You do this and my dad will make y'all leave!" Maggie exclaimed.
"Shane, please, don't." Lori said.
"There's a barn full of walkers, we have the right to protect ourselves." Shane said, defending his actions as he continued to pass out the guns.
"Ya did get 'er good." Daryl whispered suddenly.
"Huh?" I asked, looking up from the gun in my hand.
I caught sight of Andrea in the distance, eyeing us every now and then. Her eyes were black and her nose shades of black and blue. She had a large bruise on her jaw line as well.
"Damn, guess I did." I laughed.
"Remind me not to piss ya off." He said.
I smiled, delighted he was finally starting to open up to me.
I glanced up again to see Taylor making his way over.
"This is not going to go over well." Taylor sighed as he reached us. He looked over at Daryl and a crooked smile etched across his face. "Ya see what Rocky over here did for ya?"
"I definitely dun't wanna piss her off." Daryl said, eyeing Andrea again.
"No, you sure don't, man." Taylor said seriously. "I got the scars to prove it."
"What is he doing?!" Shane yelled, looking off towards the barn.
We all glanced over as he shot to his feet and stormed off. In the distance, we could make out Rick and Herschel coming out of the woods, walkers attached at a distance to long poles in front of them.
"What the fuck?" I sighed.
I pulled the gun back out from my shorts and checked to ensure it was loaded and ready as we made our way over to them. I had a bad feeling I was going to need it.
"What are you doing man?!" Shane yelled.
"Shane, just wait…" Rick said.
"They're still people, they're just sick." Herschel said.
"People?" Shane yelled. "Would people be able to live through this?"
I jumped slightly as a gunshot rang through the air. It hit the walker in the chest, and it continued to fight against Herschel, unphased.
"Why is he still coming?!" Shane yelled, shooting the walker again in the chest.
I jumped again. I felt a hand on my back as I took the safety off my gun and raised it. I knew things were about to get out of hand.
"Shane, just wait…" Rick pleaded.
"No, man!" Shane yelled, his temper at it peak. He aimed his gun at the walkers and shot them in the head before stalking over to the barn door.
My body tensed as he started fighting against the locks.
"Shane, stop!" Lori pleaded.
But he paid no mind. Finally, the locks came undone and he flung the doors open. One by one, walkers began to make their way out of the barn.
Daryl's hand left my back as he pulled his gun out and took aim. The shots began to ring through the air as the group took down each walker as they stumbled out.
When the shots subsided, Beth rushed over to what use to be her mother, falling to her knees and sobbing; Maggie slumped to the ground beside her sister.
Everyone watched, horrified. But what was even more horrifying was when the corpse began to move. It latched onto Beth and tried to bite her. Maggie pulled her away in time as T-Dog shot the walker again, straight in the forehead, finally truly killing it.
Beth sobbed even louder, but over her sobs, came a growl. Everyone's attention went back to the barn doors as what once was a small girl emerged; short shoulder length hair and a purple shirt with a rainbow on it. Sophia.
I gasped and clamped my hand over my mouth as I watched the girl stumble out. Carol's scream pierced my heart as I watched her try to rush forward towards her daughter. Daryl caught her and held her back, letting the woman slump to the ground and sob uncontrollably. I felt the tears well up in my eyes as Taylor put his arm around my shoulders and pull me to his chest.
Rick walked up slowly and aimed his gun. The final shot that laid Sophia to rest seemed to ring through the air for eternity.
