Chapter Forty Two: Parting

Parting: the action of leaving or being separated from someone.

Day 82

It had taken just under fifty hours for the world to burn down around them. Being such a disarmingly long time after the threat of Randall's group had presented itself, one was liable to hope that the worst had already passed. Consequently, Daisy and her companions were not entirely expecting the deluge of their enemies that befell them. As Daisy had last counted the deaths, of which she was a witness to, at least, there were two people that had left them. The first had been Patricia.

As Daisy had scrambled down the stairs of the Greene family farmhouse into the dark, inky blackness of night she had seen the hidden shadows of dozens of men encroaching on their camp. She was running towards the general direction of her tent, to find the weapons she had so casually left behind for their group's dinner with the Greene's, and Patricia had been running closely behind her. Patricia had been weaker for her confinement to the farm, her fingers were gripping tightly to the back of Daisy's shirt. Though Daisy had not seen the gun, nor the person who had fired it, she had heard it all the same. The blast was sudden and deafening, and the splash of fresh, dark blood was warm and wet on the back of her neck. Daisy had looked back to see Patricia laying on the grass, one of her eyes wide and glassy, and the other missing from the blow, along with half of her head. She had begun to cry, though she had not known Patricia in any meaningful way, but she had not looked back a second time.

Daisy had soon scrambled into her tent and retrieved her trusty knife, and slashed a long arc against the neck of the closest enemy she could find. As he fell back in surprise, his eyes caught her own in a disarming stare. Daisy's reddened eyes, tear-stained cheeks and wild snarl brought nothing but an amused smirk to his dying face. Daisy's tears flowed more readily, but she wiped them away jerkily as they began to cloud her vision. She thought of how weak she must be, to cry rather than protect her newfound family. Daisy knew that it was because she had grown to think of the farm as a haven, safe from the terror of the apocalyptic hell-scape that had overtaken all else on Earth. Daisy had resigned herself to accepting the knowledge that no such place existed. She gripped her fingers tighter around her knife, pulled her backpack tightly against her back, and mentally prepared to fight for her life.

Daisy scanned the surrounding area for any faces that she recognised. She saw none. Just as the fear began to claw at her heart, a tug against the leg of her jeans drew her attention. Daisy snapped away from whatever had grabbed her and raised her knife threatening in the air before her. Two wide, blue eyes stared back, and Daisy calmed as she recognised Sophia's fear-stricken face.

"Sophia," Daisy had gasped in surprise, she ducked to crouch by the young girl, and opened her hand as Sophia's smaller hand nudged it.

"I don't know where my mom is," Sophia whimpered as she clutched Daisy's hand tightly, she seemed fearful that Daisy might leave her, so Daisy became even more determined to never do such a terrible thing.

"We'll…just have to find her, then," Daisy said breathlessly, shooting a nervous smile down towards her fearful companion. It was hard being the stronger of a duo, but Daisy knew that she had to give it her best shot.

With wide eyes, Daisy hurriedly searched the camp, ducking lower as the shouting and shooting grew ever closer and louder. She was bereaved to notice that a low growling was growing steadily louder and longer as dozens of walkers approached the camp from the tree line, likely drawn by the gunfire and screams.

After a long, frightful moment, Daisy spotted Carol. For a moment she felt relief, and then terror struck through her heart once more. Carol's eyes were hard, and her face and shirt were splattered with blood that shined darkly in the moonlight. Daisy glanced hesitantly between Sophia, whose hand was gripping even tighter around Daisy's as she clenched her eyes shut, and Carol, who seemed a bloody nightmare that might be better kept away from Sophia's sight. After only a second of hesitation, Daisy cursed her idiocy and started towards Carol, who was ducking behind a nearby tent and had apparently not seen them.

Daisy weaved through sluggish walkers, approached Carol and touched her bloodied shoulder hesitantly, Carol whipped around with her eyes wide with fear and determination, a gun was pointed in Daisy's face. With a flinch, Daisy backed away from Carol a step. Carol dropped the hand that was pointing a gun at Daisy and her face seemed to smooth over with relief as she caught sight of her relatively safe daughter. Sophia had not opened her eyes, her face was turned into Daisy's stomach, Carol did not move to take her and Daisy paused with trepidation slowly freezing the blood in her veins.

"What's—?"

Daisy was interrupted by Carol's harsh whisper close to her ear, "Take her and go."

"What?" Daisy stuttered, she was confused. She could only think to say, "No." Carol pursed her lips and her head ducked resignedly, her fingers were starkly white as they gripped tightly around the gun in her hands. She tilted her head back and Daisy saw the bloody bite on the side of her neck. "No," Daisy repeated softly, a lump rose in her throat and her brow furrowed as she refused to comprehend the sight.

"Daisy," Carol started softly, her hands came up to rest on either side of Daisy's face, she made Daisy look her in the eye. "Daisy, you have to be strong for Sophia." Carol spoke too softly for her daughter to hear. Daisy glanced down at her in horror as Sophia continued to sob quietly into Daisy's shirt, her hands gripping tightly in the fabric as she was oblivious to her mother's presence.

"No."

"Yes," Carol said firmly, bringing her face closer to Daisy's. "For Sophia."

Tears welled up in Daisy's eyes to cloud her vision, her hands came up to shakily rest over Carol's. "Please don't go," she said unsteadily, not willing to let go of Sophia's mother. Daisy knew that her own mother was likely dead and gone, and did not want that for Sophia, who was just too young. "Carol," Daisy pleaded.

"I'll cover you, but you have to take Sophia and run…get out, find the others later," Carol said with a calmness that contradicted the terror that surrounded them.

"How are you…" Daisy started, her voice faltered. "How are you so strong?"

Carol smiled her soft, warm smile at Daisy. "I have to be strong, for Sophia. And now…"

"Now I have to be," Daisy finished, furrowing her brow as she glanced down at the blonde haired-head that was buried against her side.

"Now you have to be," Carol repeated sadly.

"I will be," Daisy said suddenly, voice growing stronger as she felt an urgency to have Carol know that Sophia would be safe, even in her mother's absence. Carol nodded, she didn't seem surprised, and Daisy felt utterly inadequate in the face of such a strong and brave woman. Carol did not seem fazed by the walkers that were steadily increasing around them, nor by the ragged bite which had sealed her fate.

"Go," Carol said simply, and pushed Daisy's shoulder back. Her hand hovered hesitantly over Sophia's head, then dropped by her side. Daisy ducked and pulled Sophia close to her chest, wrapped the younger girl's arms around her neck, then stood with her clinging tightly to Daisy in a reverse piggyback ride. Without looking back, Daisy searched for an opening in the sparse crowd of walkers that was slowly enveloping the camp. As she found her path, Daisy began to hurry forward, not noticing the heavy weight of Sophia as she tightened her grip. Daisy swiped purposefully with her knife towards any walkers that dared to come close, her arm ached with the ragged movements but she paid it no attention as a few of her attackers fell motionless to the ground. Behind her, gunshots sounded in quick succession and Sophia gasped in her ear.

"Mom?" Sophia's voice was quiet but Daisy heard it all the same. Daisy's heart sank into her stomach upon hearing Sophia likely see her mother behind them battling against the dead, but she knew that she could not stop. She felt her shoulder become wet as Sophia's quiet tears soaked through, Daisy gulped in nervous relief as they reached the edge of the nearby forest. Only a few walkers surrounded them, Daisy ignored them and continued under the slight safety of the tree cover.

As protruding branches and leaves whipped around her face, Daisy heard the screams and shouts and curses growing quieter behind her. Her gaze darted around the dark forest in search of some salvation from the fighting and the throngs of walkers that surrounded them even still, she found none. The soft crying of Sophia did not stop, and Daisy's heart lurched as she tried to refrain from picturing herself in some far-off place away from the danger of life as it was in that moment.

She felt lost. One moment, she had been laughing and grinning alongside her family as they sat around a dining table piled high with indulgent food, the next she had been scared and alone, Carol standing in front of her with a gaping bite torn through her neck that spelled death. An entire life, the life of a mother, taken away in a moment by chance. Daisy was lost, and this fact scared her deeply, which made the disappointment in herself run deeper.

The slow, rolling hums of Bowie began to fall from her lips as she tried to calm Sophia and herself—primarily herself, so that she might pull herself together for long enough that she could find a safe place for them both. She pointedly did not recall the time that Merle almost threw her salvaged Ziggy Stardust cassette out of the window of their rickety truck, and tried to calm. With a slow breath, Daisy stopped by a tree and rested lightly against its trunk. She adjusted Sophia with a huff, and thought of Carol. She knew undoubtedly that she had to be strong for Carol—of course she had to be strong, she had promised. Daisy scrubbed some limp, sweaty hair from her forehead and started again.

With renewed effort, Daisy scanned the forest around her, and found it to be entirely identical in every direction. She pursed her lips worriedly and narrowed her eyes against the darkness, her sharp gasping breaths were loud in the silence. As she remained stationary, Sophia began to whimper audibly, perhaps thinking that they were far enough away that the walkers would not hear. Daisy leant down fractionally and let Sophia place her feet against the ground, but still held her tightly with a hand running up and down her back in an attempt to calm her.

"Planet Earth is blue…" Daisy absent-mindedly sung in a voice so quiet and afraid that she was quite certain Sophia had not heard, and if she had she would only be less comforted.

"You still singin' that bullshit?" A loud voice boomed from behind them. Daisy shrieked loudly and stumbled forward, disturbing Sophia. Despite the suddenness of the voice, Daisy's heart calmed in her chest as she recognised it to belong to Merle.

"Merle," Daisy gasped in relief as she spotted him walking towards her from the encroaching shadows cast by the treetops. His wife-beater was stained dark with blood and his face was split by an inappropriate grin. "Never thought I'd be so glad to see your ugly mug," Daisy said, her voice weak. Daisy's hands began to shake as she fell forward into Merle, he flinched back as she shifted her arms into an awkward hug around him.

"Who you callin' ugly?" Merle muttered gruffly as he patted a heavy hand on her back twice, then shoved her off of him. Daisy shot him a tired but fond smile as she stumbled backwards, then sighed in relief.

"I'm glad you're safe."

"Psh, ain't no one that can kill a Dixon but a Dixon," Merle proclaimed proudly as he brandished his gun.

"Okay…that might change if we don't observe basic gun safety," Daisy said with fondness as she reached out to still his hand. She almost felt like herself, comforted by his familiar presence. Her smile fell slowly as he grumpily put his gun back in its holster. "Is…Did Daryl get out?" She asked hesitantly. A frown crossed over Merle's face.

"Don't know. Didn't see much…" Merle paused for a moment. "The old one…grey…" he paused once more as he caught sight of her worried expression. "Carol recruited me…to follow after y'all." Merle nodded down at Sophia, who had not addressed him in favour of keeping her head buried in Daisy's side.

"So…they could all be…" Daisy did not want to finish her thought, and it seemed to her as though Merle understood her regardless. He gave her a short nod.

"No point dwelling. Gotta lay low for the night, at least." Merle began to walk swiftly once more, passing her by. Daisy did not ruminate on the thought that most, if not all, of her new family could be dead, picked up Sophia once more, and followed after him.