Chapter 13
Facing up consequences
...
"I told you..." Randall cried, shrinking against the wall.
"You told me shit!" Daryl snapped walking to him. Randall looked at Daryl desperately.
"I barely knew those guys. I met them on the road."
"How many in your group?"
Randall didn't answer right away so Daryl pulled out his hunting knife.
"Uh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Come on, man. Come on."
Daryl walked to him and the guy screamed. But Daryl just bluffed, hitting the floor between Randall's legs.
"How many?!" He roared.
"Uh, thirty-thirty, guys" the guy replied shaking.
"Where?" Daryl asked angrily.
"Uh..."
Daryl grabbed the blood-soaked bandage and ripped it off. Randall cried out in pain.
"I don't know. I swear. We were never anyplace more than a night," he cried.
"Scouting?" Daryl asked placing his knife close to his wound. "Planning on staying local?"
"I- I don't know. They- they left me behind," Randall yelled, but Daryl knew he wasn't telling him something.
"Did you ever pick off a scab?" Daryl asked his knife rubbing the edge of his wound.
"Come on, man!" Randall cried out panicked. "I'm-I'm trying to cooperate!"
"Start real slow at first," Daryl told sadistically, starting to put pressure on the knife. Randall grunt.
"No, please..."
"Sooner or later, you've just gotta rip it off!" Daryl snapped pressing the knife and Randall couldn't take the pain.
"Okay. Okay," the boy stammered. "They have weapons- Heavy stuff, automatics. But I didn't do anything!"
"Your boys shot at my boys, tried to take this farm," Daryl snapped pressing lightly the knife. "You just went along for the ride? You're trying to tell me you're innocent?"
"Yes!" Randall shouted and Daryl stopped lightly. He took a shaky breath.
"These-these people took me in. Not just guys, a whole group of them," Randall said still sobbing lightly. "Men and women, kids too. Just like you people. Thought I'd have a better chance with them, you know? But... we go out, scavenge... A man and his two daughters... teenagers, you know? Real young. Real cute."
Daryl stopped and turned slowly to him, his face blank, his blood startling to boil. He didn't know why but Barbara and her sister come to his mind.
"Their daddy had to watch while these guys... they... And they didn't even kill him afterwards," Randall shook his head. "They just... They just made him watch as his daughters... They just...just... just left him there..." He made a pause and looked up. He saw the pure rage in Daryl's eyes and shook his head. "No, but I didn't touch those girls," he mumbled. "No, I swear I didn't to-"
Daryl kicked his injured leg and her yelped and cried scared. Daryl was just seeing red thinking of his group. Thinking of Barbie, and Elle, and Carol, Lori, Andrea, Maggie...
This guy had done something. Maybe he hadn't raped those girls but he had to do something about it and his blood just boiled as Randall cried.
"Please. Please. You gotta believe me, man. I'm not like that. I ain't like that."
Their situation just sank in Daryl. 30 guys, maybe more, heavily armed, rapists. They would find this farm, killed the men and then... Barbara popped into his mind again, cornered, crying, guys reaching for her...
"Please. Please, you gotta believe me-"
He didn't and he kicked and punched as hard as he could. They wouldn't touch her, nor her and no one of the women on his group.
Barbara, Maggie, Glenn, Dale, Carol and Carl were waiting in the camp, standing. In front of them were Carl and Lori putting out the fire and behind them Rick and Shane.
"So, what are you gonna do?" Lori asked her husband.
"We'd all feel better if we knew the plan," Carol told them.
"Is there a plan?" Andrea asked.
"We gonna keep him here?" Glenn joined in.
"We'll know soon enough," Rick said just as Daryl walked to them. Barbara noticed the blood on his knuckles and gulped. What had he done?
"Boy there's got a gang, thirty men. They have heavy artillery and they ain't looking to make friends," Daryl informed them. "They roll through here, our boys are dead. And our women, they're gonna..." His eyes met Barbara's and he quickly looked away. "They're gonna wish they were."
"What did you do?" Carol asked him.
"Had a little chat." He replied nonchalantly. Carol closed her eyes and walked back to the RV. Barbara crossed her arms and looked at Daryl but he wasn't looking at her.
"No one goes near this guy," Rick told the group.
"Rick, what are you gonna do?" Lori asked walking to him.
"We have no choice. He's a threat," Rick told her and then looked at the group. "We have to eliminate the threat."
"You're just gonna kill him?" Dale walked to him, frowning aghast.
"It's settled," Rick told the group, ignoring Dale. "I'll do it today." Then he walked away. Barbara looked at Daryl and stepped up to him but he turned around quickly, and left.
Daryl was putting his new arrows in his crossbow when he heard steps. For a moment he thought it was Barbara but the steps were different, heavier.
He looked up and saw Dale walking to him, a large branch on his hand. He sighed and kept working.
"The whole point of me coming up here is to get away from you people," Daryl told him.
"Gonna take more than that," Dale assured him throwing away the cane.
"Carol sent you?" Daryl asked him grabbing another arrow and putting in place.
"Carol's not the only one that's concerned about you... or you new role in the group," Dale replied watching him.
"Oh, man, I don't need my head shrunk," Daryl sighed exasperated. "This group's broken. I'm better off fending for myself."
"You act like you don't care," Dale noted.
"Yeah, it's 'cause I don't," Daryl replied, stating the obvious, grabbing his leather vest hanging on the stone wall.
"So live or die, you don't care what happens to Randall?"
"Nope," Daryl replied putting on his vest.
"Then why not stand with me, try to save the kid's life, if it really doesn't matter one way or the other?" Dale proposed him.
"Didn't peg you for a desperate son of a bitch," Daryl said putting the rest of his arrows on his bag.
"Your opinion makes a difference," Dale told him.
Daryl snorted.
"Man, ain't nobody looking at me for nothing," the young man replied, taking his crossbow from the ground and walking away but Dale didn't let him.
"Carol is. And Barbie. And I am. Right now," Dale told him and Daryl stopped and turned to him. "And you obviously, you have Rick's ear."
"Rick just looks to Shane," Daryl cut Dale off. "Let him."
Then he kept walking.
"You cared about what happened to Sofia," Dale called him again. Hearing that name, Daryl stopped and turned around looking at Dale a bit upset, but he continued: "Cared what it meant to the group. You care about Barbie. I've seen you with her. Torturing people? That isn't you. You're a decent man. So is Rick. Shane... He's different."
"Why's that?" Daryl asked. "'Cause he killed Otis?"
Dale's smile faded out and looked taken aback and his eyes widened. He walked to Daryl.
"He told you that?"
"He told some story..." Daryl shrugged. "How Otis covered him, saved his ass. He showed up with the dead guy's gun. Rick ain't stupid. If he didn't figure that out, it's 'cause he didn't wanna. It's like I said, group's broken."
And said that, Daryl turned around and walked away, leaving Dale alone with his thoughts.
Dale wasn't ready to give up despite the group. He found Barbara on the stables. The girl was grooming a caramel mare and the horse puffed, liking the caresses. The girl was smiling and mumbling sweet nothings as the brush rubbed against the horse skin.
The old man had to clear his throat to call her attention. Barbara gasped but turned and smiled.
"Dale."
"Hey, Barbie," the old man smiled back and walked to her. "She's gorgeous."
Barbara nodded.
"She is. And I think Roseleen knows it," she replied with a smirk patting the horse's neck and Dale chuckled.
"Well, she can flaunt it all she wants. She's a beauty," Dale replied. The girl nodded putting down the brush and then walked out of the loose to Dale.
"I'm sorry. Did you need something, Dale?" The girl asked placing her hands on the back of her shorts.
"Yes, I need to talk to you," Dale replied.
Barbara nodded, already guessing.
"Is this about Randall?"
"We cannot kill him. We cannot do that. That's... that's barbaric. That's not us."
Barbie looked up at Dale and nodded. She had made a sort of pact entering med school. She swore to always help people, even when it looked like there was no chance. Execution didn't fit into that exactly.
"I know. Believe me I..." She made a pause and sighed. "He's my age... But I mean, Rick is your leader. The leader. And Hershel, he's scared about what Daryl said. He wants to protect us. So there's no much I can do and I think we'll be out numbered if try to convince them."
The man nodded and took another step, wriggling his hands.
"You can convince Daryl. He'll talk to Rick," Dale suggested.
Barbara was a bit surprised but she figured everyone had seen her with Daryl around the farm and made their own assumptions. But he was wrong.
"I can't talk to Daryl," she replied, shaking her head, and looking down at the ground.
"He listens to you," Dale said. "He cares for you."
At that she looked up to him.
"No. He just sees for himself."
"Believe me, in the time I know him, I've never seen him care for anyone that much. Not even his brother," Dale assured her with a warm smile. The girl shrugged.
"We're just friends," she responded. He didn't say anything and when she looked up she found him staring at her.
"What?" She said, frowning.
"You shouldn't waste time," Dale responded gently. "My wife, she was taken away by cancer. And I'll give anything to have her back, even with the things as they are now. Daryl cares about you, and is more than just friendship. And it's none of my business, I know that, but I think you care for him too. I'm not here to tell you to do anything, just to consider how quick life is changing now. If you don't do that now, tomorrow you won't have the chance..."
His words ran in her head and she looked away a bit overwhelmed. She knew all that but...
"Please talk to Daryl about Randall," Dale asked her. "Even if he's mad at you, he'll listen. He'll talk to Rick."
Barbara looked up and she saw Dale turning to leave but he stopped and looked at her.
"Daryl doesn't think he's important to the group, but I know otherwise. If he reaches to Rick, he'll listen. Daryl's a good man and Rick has seen that too. But he doesn't believe me."
"So you want me to convince Daryl to talk to Rick?" Barbara asked him, crossing her arms.
"That and about his role in the group. He's important. And he's a good man. Someone should remind him. Some one he'll believe."
Barbara sighed but nodded.
"Okay, I'll talk to him."
Dale smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile back.
"Thank you."
He stared at her a bit more before adding:
"Daryl's a hot head, and stubborn as a mule. And I think he's not the only one."
She opened her eyes surprised but the man just chuckled and shook his head, leaving the stables.
Barbara wanted to talk to Daryl and at the same time she didn't, but she still looked for him. She found him near the house. His crossbow on a tree trunk on the floor. He was talking to Carol but the woman looked pretty upset. Carol walked away and Daryl was left alone holding his bleeding fist.
Barbara took a deep breath and called him.
"Daryl!"
The man turned surprised as the girl walked to him.
"Hey," he nodded his head but her eyes went directly to his hand.
"Are you okay? I mean..."
"It's not my blood," Daryl replied shrugging.
"Yeah, I know. I saw Randall. I patched him off after you left him like that," the girl replied a bit coldly, crossing her arms.
"What's with the tone?" Daryl asked frowning confused.
"You beat the life out of that kid," Barbara scolded him.
She looked at him in a way that just irked him.
"He's not a kid!" Daryl snapped at her, clenching his fists. "And I didn't kill him... but I... if you've heard..."
"Heard what?" Barbie frowned. "That kid hurt someone?"
Daryl was upset but he wasn't sure he wanted to tell her. He didn't want to scare her. But a glance to her fierce eyes confirmed him that she wouldn't let the matter go.
"He told me about..."
"Go on."
Daryl glanced at her and then looked away, frowning upset.
"He told me about some girls his group... raped. Made the father watch. This is what we're against."
Barbie didn't say anything for a moment processing what he had said.
"So you want to kill him?" She said incredulously.
He looked up to her.
"Do you want those people to come here and do the same?" He asked angrily. "We're up against 30 guys or so. And no matter how well you shoot, they're gonna kill us, and you and your sister and...They're gonna do things to you," Daryl's demeanor changed a bit and Barbie could notice. He wasn't just angry. He was scared. Barbie just watched him as he calmed a bit and stepped to her.
"I was just angry," Daryl explained shrugging. "I took it on him a little... I... I won't let them touch any of you."
The girl stared at him, feeling her arms tingling and her heart beating fast. She melted at the ferocious protectiveness in his eyes.
"What?" He asked gruffly. The girl shook her head and smiled lightly. She stepped to him and took his shaggy rag.
"Give me that. You have some blood on your chin."
She stepped closer and wiped the dried blood off his face gently.
"So you want to protect me?" The girl asked him taking his hand after she finished with his face and examined it. He had bruised his knuckles and had broken his skin.
"Don't flatter yourself. You're not the only woman in the group," Daryl snapped and Barbie looked up frowning. She noticed he was looking away and his ears were bright red. He hadn't meant it. He was just embarrassed. Barbie smiled pulling a bottle of water from her bag.
"Gee, thanks," she said sarcastically. Daryl turned to her and watched as the girl put some water on the rag and wiped his knuckles gently. Then she pulled out a bandage and covered his wounds.
"I do," Daryl finally said softly when she finished and the girl looked up confused. "I want to protect you. Don't want them to ever touch you." He clarified gruffly, his protectiveness showing up again.
The girl was just left speechless for a moment before grinning at him. Then she stood up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek gently.
"You're a good man, Daryl Dixon," the girl told him. "Don't let others turn you into something you're not."
"I had control despite what you think..." he defended himself, feeling his ears getting red again. "If I had let Shane do it, he would just have killed the kid."
The girl frowned looking at him.
"That's why you did it?" She asked.
Daryl just nodded. That was the main reason. He just couldn't admit that he had also wanted to be accepted in the group. He was alone in the world and even if he hadn't chose this group it was his now and he wanted to belong, and being honest it was not only for him. He wanted Barbie to know he was a guy who could protect her. Who the others could sometimes look up to, maybe.
"Hey hum... Dale approached me today..." She started saying.
Daryl grunted and nodded.
"You too?"
Barbie chuckled at his expression.
"Yes."
"And?"
"I don't think we should kill Randall," Barbie admitted, crossing her arms.
"Didn't you hear what I said earlier?" Daryl asked, frowning.
"I did. But he's only a kid."
Daryl huffed.
"He's not a kid."
Barbie rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Fine, he's a scrawny young guy that could be knocked easily by any of us and who can barely walk."
"Huh."
"Daryl, you know I'm right," the girl said seriously and Daryl looked at her. "He can't even stand on his feet. As long as we don't give him a gun or a knife I don't think we should worry."
"What about the thirty men?"
"Well... I don't think they're looking for him... but it really concerns me. I mean, they might have let him for dead, but they knew there were Rick and Brett and the others in there. They might start looking around the area..."
"I had thought of that too," Daryl said nodding.
"So?" Barbie asked raising her eyebrows.
"What?" Daryl frowned and the girl sighed.
"Would you stand with me and Dale?"
Daryl snorted.
"I don't care," he grunted.
"Daryl... please."
The man looked up and saw Barbara doing puppy eyes. Really? He snorted and kicked himself because he gave in.
"Fine."
But it was worthy because Barbie smiled brightly at him as she finished tying up his hand.
"There you go," she said happily.
Daryl flexed his hand, feeling the bandages tight but comfortable in his hand. She was good. Then he stared at his boots and cleared his throat, feeling his ears getting red.
"About the other day..."
"It's okay," Barbie interrupted him quickly. "Don't worry about it. I think it was either that or we ripped our heads off so..." she said chuckling but it sounded kind of forced. And that awkwardness and her dismissal angered him. He felt as she had just punched him in his guts.
"So it was nothing?" He grunted looking up.
Barbie seemed lost.
"I..."
"Figures," Daryl spat glaring at her. "Y'know, I'm tired of this. Tell me once what do you want. I hate this. I don't like to be played with."
Barbie stepped back opening her eyes, taken aback.
"No! How can you...?"
"Well, I don't know what the hell you want!" Daryl snapped getting angrier. She was hurting him so badly and the only way he knew how to fend it off was hurting back. "What is this? Why you care? You hug me and bring me food and shit, and tell me you broke up with him and you kissed me back! I'm not imagining things so what the hell you're doing?!"
"A mess," Barbie blurted and Daryl, glaring at her turned to leave.
"Wait, Daryl," the girl walked quickly, and stopped him by standing in front of him. "I... I don't know. After everything..." Barbie took a deep breath and looked him right in the eye. "I like you," she admitted. "And you're right I kissed you. I wanted it."
"So then why?" Daryl snapped almost desperately. What the hell was she doing? "Are you ashamed of me? Don't want the others know you're slumming it with the redneck?"
"No!" Barbie yelled, frowning a bit frustrated. "And you know I don't think that of you. Have I ever give you a reason for you to think I saw you as less than me or anyone else? No, I haven't! So no, I'm not ashamed of you!"
He looked at her with a mix of anger and confusion.
"Then..."
Barbara shook her head, sighting and looking at him apologetically.
"I'm so messed up right now," she told him softly. "I'm worried about Ellie, about Brett, about everyone here. I just don't think I can't do this. I lead on Blake long enough because I didn't want to hurt him and I just hurt him more than if I have ended things before."
"So that's what you're doing?" Daryl said, glaring at her. "Leading me on?"
Barbie shook her head again.
"I don't wanna lose you. I want you to be my friend..." She extended her hand and took his hand but he just snatched it away.
"Bullshit."
And he turned around and walked away.
"Daryl, please I just can't do this right now," Barbie yelled after him.
"Yeah? Me neither," he replied without looking at her and then left.
Later that day, as the sun went down, everyone went to the house to discuss Randall's issue.
"Let's gather up," Rick called after the group.
"Come on, Carl. I want you to stay with Ellie," Lori told her son, stopping him as he was going to the house.
"But I wanna be there," he protested.
"Not this time," Lori said softly, walking him to Elle. "Come on."
They all entered the house with a mix of emotions but the most present was plain awkwardness. They didn't want to deal with it. So they just sat or stood in around the living room with their arms crossed.
"So how do we do this?" Glenn finally asked. "Just take a vote?"
"Does it have to be unanimous?" Barbara asked Rick, because she knew their numbers were not on Dales favor.
"How about majority rules?" Lori suggested, looking around.
"Well," Rick said a bit overwhelmed by everything, especially with so many people listening to him. "Let's just see where everybody stands, then we can talk through the options."
"Well, where I sit, there's only one way to move forward," Shane said pretty forward, looking around as challenging someone to say something different.
"Killing him, right?" Dale intervened pretty upset. "I mean, why even bother to even take a vote? It's clear which way the wind's blowing."
"Well, if people believe we should spare him, I wanna know," Rick told him.
"Well, I can tell you it's a small group," Dale replied disappointed. "Maybe just me, Barbie and Glenn."
The man looked first at Glenn who couldn't look more uncomfortable. He crossed his arms and stared at his shoes, unable to face the old man.
"Look, I think you're pretty much right about everything, all the time," Glenn told Dale. "But this..."
"They've got you too?" Dale exclaimed upset and disappointed.
"He's not one of us," Glenn replied finally looking at Dale, apologetically. "And we've lost too many people already."
Dale saw the fear in Glenn's eyes and he knew he couldn't bring him back to his side. He sighed and turned to Barbara who was standing near the couch.
"How about you? Do you agree with this?" Dale asked her.
The girl crossed her arms, feeling everyone's eyes and looked at Rick.
"Couldn't we continue keeping him as a prisoner?" She suggested.
"Just another mouth to feed," Daryl snapped. He was standing on the other side of the room, with his arms crossed, leaning on the wall. When the girl glared at him, he returned it.
"It may be a lean winter," Hershel agreed.
"We could ration better," Lori suggested.
"Well, he could be an asset," Dale replied with hope. "Give him a chance to prove himself."
"Put him to work?" Glenn asked.
"We're not letting him walk around," Lori replied firmly.
"We could put an escort on him," Maggie shrugged.
"Who wants to volunteer for that duty?" Shane sneered.
"I will," Dale said, glaring at Shane but Rick intervened.
"I don't think any of us should be walking around with this guy," the sheriff replied, seriously.
"He's right," Lori added. "I wouldn't feel safe unless he was tied up." And the woman crossed her arms as if the mere thought scared her.
"We can't exactly put chains around his ankles, sentence him to hard labor," Andrea replied, frowning at the ridiculous suggestion.
"We don't need to tie him up, he will be barely able to walk with his leg hurt. He probably won't be able to stand for a lot period of time," Barbara said annoyed. Have no one heard her the first time?
"Look, say we let him join us, right?" Shane intervened looking around but his eyes stopped on Dale, Barbie and lastly on Rick. "Maybe he's helpful, maybe he's nice. We let our guard down and maybe he runs off, brings back his thirty men."
Barbara looked up, sensing Daryl's eyes. She thought she had seen fear for a brief second there but then she thought she had imagined it. Either way, she was still pissed off at him.
"So the answer is to kill him to prevent a crime that he may never even attempt?" Dale asked them, frustrated. "If we do this, we're saying there's no hope. Rule of law is dead. There is no hope."
"Oh, my God..." Shane said exasperated at Dale's antics, and threw his arms up.
"Could you drive him further out?" Hershel asked Rick, moved by Dale's words. "Leave him like you planned?"
"You barely came back this time," Lori quickly intervened, before her husband could speak. "There are walkers. You could break down. You could get lost."
"Or get ambushed," Daryl added.
"They're right," Glenn said. "We should not put our own people at risk."
"If you go through with it, how would you do it?" Patricia asked Rick. "Would he suffer?"
"We could hang him, right? Just snap his neck," Shane suggested and Rick turned to him.
"I thought about that. Shooting may be more humane," he replied.
"And what about the body?" T-Dog frowned. "Do we bury him?"
"Hold on, hold on!" Dale interrupted them upset. "You're talking about this like it's already decided."
"You've been talking all day, going around in circles. You just wanna go around in circles again?" Daryl snapped at him and Barbie glared at him, feeling more irritated by the second. Was he really playing at this? Just to get back at her?
"This is a young man's life, and it is worth more than a five-minute conversation!" Dale snapped angry now. "Is this what it's come to? We kill someone because we can't decide what else to do with him? You saved him and now look at us! He's been tortured! He's gonna be executed! How are we any better than those people that we're so afraid of?"
There was a silence where nobody could dare defy Dale's reasoning even f they didn't agree with him.
"We all know what needs to be done," Shane replied irritated.
"No, Dale is right. We can't leave any stone unturned here," Rick said looking at the old man. "We have a responsibility..."
"So what's the other solution?" Andrea interrupted him.
"Let Rick finish," Lori cut her and Andrea turned to her.
"We haven't come up with a single viable option yet," the blonde responded calmly. "I wish we could."
"So let's work on it!" Dale urged them.
"We are," Rick replied a bit exasperated himself.
"Stop it. Just stop it!" Carol interrupted, yelling upset. "I'm sick of everybody arguing and fighting. I didn't ask for this. You can't ask us to decide something like this. Please decide... Either of you, both of you, but leave me out."
And with that the woman left the house. Both Barbie and Daryl watched her leave and everyone made a pause then Dale talked again:
"Not speaking out or killing him yourself. There's no difference"
"All right, that's enough," Rick stopped them. "Anybody who wants the floor before we make a final decision has the chance."
Barbara looked at Dale's hopeless face and then at Elle outside the window with Carl. That guy was Barbie's age. He may not be a little kid, but she was sure he wasn't bad. He just had done what needed to be done. Like all of them.
"You once said that we don't kill the living," Dale told them. "Well, that was before the living tried to kill us. But don't you see? If we do this, the people that we were. The world that we knew is dead. And this new world is ugly. It's Harsh. It's survival of the fittest. And that's a world I don't wanna live in, and I don't... And I don't believe that any of you do. I can't. Please. Let's just do what's right."
And there was a pause when nobody said nothing. Dale sighed hurt and disappointed.
"Isn't there anybody else who's gonna stand with me?" He asked.
"He's right," Andrea intervened. "We should try to find another way."
"Anybody else?" Rick asked.
There was silence again before Barbara looked up and nodded.
"Yes. I do believe we shouldn't kill him," she said.
"You don't believe that," Shane buffed.
"I do," Barbara said firmly glaring at him and then at Daryl. "Let's be reasonable. That's a 50 something pound teen in there. You, Rick, Daryl, T-Dog, hell even I could knock him down with a punch. He can't walk. He can't even stand on his feet for long. We just have to keep an eye on him. I doubt he can open locks and as for being a threat, unless you're stupid enough to give him a gun I don't think we should worry."
Everyone seemed to make sense of her words but nobody else spoke up.
Shane sneered.
"And what are we going to do with him?" He asked. "There's not much food for us as it is. And what happens when he heals? When he can walk on his feet?"
"Well, Barbie, Andrea and Dale, that's three for keeping him alive," Rick said and looked around. "Somebody else?"
Barbara looked at Daryl who just glared at her and turned around, without saying a word. The girl felt her blood burning. Oh, that jerk...
"Are y'all gonna watch, too?" Dale said, his voice trembling with anger. "No, you'll go hide your heads in your tents and try to forget that we're slaughtering a human being," Dale took a deep shaken breath and shook his head. "Whoa I won't be a part to it."
Then he walked to Daryl and put a hand on his arm.
"This group is broken," he confirmed before leaving the house and the group.
That day at night, Rick, Shane and Daryl grabbed Randall and took him to the barn. Rick was ahead carrying a lamp and Daryl was pushing the kid so he wouldn't try to run.
As soon as Randall saw the barn, he got a bad feeling.
"Hold on. Hold on," he told them trying to stop but Daryl kept pushing him.
Rick opened the bar and the men entered pushing Randall in.
"Wait, wait."
"Put him there," Rick told Daryl pointing a place in the middle of the barn. Daryl put him in there and then Shane walked behind the kid, taking a blindfold out of his pocket.
"It's all gonna be over soon," he told Randall, putting the black rag covering his eyes.
"What? What's gonna be over soon?" Randall asked scared, starting to shake.
"Relax," Rick told him taking out his gun. Randall didn't see, but the noises freaked him out.
"No, no, no," he started to whimper.
"Shh, shh," Rick tried to calm him down, but he didn't feel that well himself. He pushed away the feeling though, and he just was left feeling a cold numbness.
He took of the safety of his gun and Randall just stood there in the middle of the barn, sobbing.
"Would you like to stand or kneel?" Rick asked him.
"Oh, no, please," Randall cried. But Daryl forced to his knees, and grabbing his hair he made it raise his head.
The kid started crying again.
"Do you have any final words?" Rick asked him but he just cried harder.
"No, please. Please don't. Don't," Randall sobbed harder and Rick raised his gun to the guy's head.
After the voting everyone was strangely bumped out despite almost everybody agreeing to. They ate in silent, feeling Dale's absence. The man had refused to eat, saying he would patrol the perimeter of the farm instead.
After dinner, Lori and Carol helped Patricia and Elle to clean up. Rick and Shane slipped out without trying to call attention to themselves but Carl noticed. He saw them going to get Randall.
Barbara didn't help this time with the dishes and went up to her room. She didn't eat almost anything to begin with. On the upstairs corridor she opened the curtains and looked outside, watching Rick, Daryl and Shane taking Randall to the barn, her stomach twisting in a painful knot. But then, she saw a shadow outside. Her heart stared racing thinking it was a walker. She looked closer and noticed it was too small and walked too straight. It was Carl following his dad. Dammit! That kid!
Barbara swore and thought about getting her gun first, but Carl was halfway there. She walked downstairs as quickly and swiftly as possible. The others were so distracted with their consciences so heavy, they didn't notice her.
The girl ran as fast as she could but the little boy had already reached the barn. Carl slipped in just as Rick took the safety off the gun and Randall sobbed harder.
"Do it, dad," Carl said, startling Rick who turned quickly to him. "Do it," said the little kid with zero remorse on his face. Just then, Barbara came behind Carl, she grabbed the boy's shoulder but the image of Rick holding up the gun to Randall's head as he cried, froze her in place.
Daryl looked up surprised at the girl who had just frozen in place. He could imagine the shock she was feeling. She had voted against it after all.
"Are you kidding me?" Shane said frustrated, walking to Carl. "What'd I say to you? What did I say to you?" Shane told him, upset, and before he could grabbed Carl's arm Barbie backed the kid away.
"I got him," she said, surrounding his shoulders with her arm.
"Come on, Carl," Barbie said as they turned around and left, but Carl turned his head to keep looking.
Rick tried to concentrate and shot Randall, but he still could felt Carl's eyes on him, still could hear Barbie's footsteps and couldn't see nothing but the girl's impression expression and the ruthlessness of his son. He knew. This was not right. It wasn't him.
"Take him away," Rick told Daryl, putting down the gun. "Take him away."
Both Barbie and Carl stopped and turned as well as Shane, who looked at Rick incredulously. Daryl watched Rick too, before walking to Randall, standing the guy up and dragging him outside.
Shane glared at Rick, and turned hitting angrily the barn's door in his way out, startling Barbara and Carl.
Rick put the safety on the gun and put it back on his belt turning to Carl.
"I can take him back," Barbara offered but Rick shook his head.
"No, it's fine. I'll do it," the man said. Knowing she needed to leave them alone, the girl turned around and quickly followed Daryl and Randall. The guy's cries and grunts could still be heard.
Barbara entered the barn just as Daryl was tying Randall up.
"How is he?" She asked him walking to Randall and watching his face.
"What are you doing here?" Daryl asked annoyed and upset.
"Are you okay?" The girl asked him placing two fingers on the boy's neck checking his pulse.
"I- I-I..." The boy shook, a rush of fear and relief making him panicking. The girl pulled down her hand and looked him in the eyes.
"Calm down. Breath or you'll have a panic attack. In for your nose, out for your mouth, come one." Once Randall was calmed she looked up to his hands and poked the ropes.
"You shouldn't tie him so tight," she told Daryl who was watching her angry and confused.
"We should try to avoid him escaping," Daryl snapped sarcastically.
Barbie glared at him and tapped Randall's kneecap with hers. They boy let out a yell and started wimping.
"He's not going anywhere tonight ropes or not..."
Then the girl faced Daryl crossing her arms, upset.
"Why did you do it? Why you agree to this?" She demanded.
He glared at her.
"I don't need this," he spat and tried to leave but the girl quickly put a hand on his arm.
"Daryl.. You're better than this..." The guy yanked his arm free of her hold without listening and the girl got mad. "Stop it! Stop it you hear me!" She snapped and he glowered at her. "You have no..."
But terrified screams interrupted. Both froze and turned to the other before springing to action. Daryl grabbed the lamp in the floor.
"Stay here!" He ordered the girl running outside.
"Hell no!" Barbie replied and ran after him. He glared at her but he had no time to scold her.
They reached the sources of the screams and to their horror was Dale, with a walker on top of him. Daryl threw the lamp to the ground and launched himself to the walker, knocking him off Dale. He quickly killed the walker as Barbie knelt next to Dale, putting down the lamp and examined the damage.
"Oh my God!" The girl said, red filling her vision.
"Help! Over here!" Daryl called the others, waving his arms, as they came closer. "Help! Run!"
Barbara took the light and placed it nearer Dale. It didn't change the situation however. It was just a gory mess of blood and guts.
"Hang in there, buddy," Daryl comforted Dale as the others reached them.
"Who is it?" Andrea asked but then she saw him and screamed. "Oh, my God. Oh, God."
Rick's eyes opened, covering his mouth with a hand, completely shocked.
"What can we do?" He asked to Barbara but the girl couldn't respond or move. If what she knew was right then... Barbara checked on his pulse. It wasn't good.
"Dale, it's gonna be okay," Glenn told him, trying to not panic himself. Dale's only response was by gurgling. He was choking on his own blood.
"Can we move him?" Rick asked Barbara but the girl shook her head.
"He won't make it," Barbara replied, her hands starting to shake.
"You have to do the operation here then," Rick stated urgently.
"What do you need?" Rick asked her. "Glenn, get back to the house!"
"I..." Barbara said but her voice was so low Rick didn't hear her. He kept yelling Glenn's instructions:
"Bring tools medical tools! Meds, everything! I have a knife!" Rick knelt again to her and pulled out his knife.
"I have this," Daryl offered his too.
But Barbara shook her head, finally finding her voice.
"We can't do nothing," the girl said. "It's too late."
"No, no," Rick said desperately and then he stood up. "Hershel..." he called the old man who had just arrived with Glenn and Maggie.
But Hershel shook his head at him.
"She's right, Rick. We can't..."
"No! No!" Rick yelled angrily, turning powerless.
Barbie shook her head.
"No, maybe-maybe we can," she said looking around Dale's wound. "I've operated before. Hold this up," she passed the light to Glenn who quickly hold it up. "We need to..."
"Barbie, the stomach is punctured," Hershel told her. "There's bile and blood everywhere..." Hershel shook his head and the girl started crying. He was right. And even if there was a chance to save him, they hadn't the tools or time.
"I'm sorry, Dale... I'm so sorry," the girl sobbed.
Daryl stepped up and grabbed her arm softly.
"Come on," he said pulling her and he helped her up. He surrounded her shoulders with his arm and took her aside, rubbing her arms soothingly.
Dale was grunting and moaning, chocking.
"He's suffering. Do something!" Andrea cried.
Rick pulled out his gun and pointed at Dale. But he just couldn't shoot. He couldn't shoot Dale of all people.
Daryl then extended his hand and wordlessly took his gun out of his hand. He slowly knelt next to Dale. His ears rang with Andrea and Barbie's cries and Dale's noises. But it was for him. For Dale. He didn't deserve to suffer and Daryl would stop that.
"I'm sorry brother," he told him softly, and he meant every word. Then he shot.
"Daryl?"
The man just looked up at her and then looked down at his hands. The girl stood there, wondering if she should leave. She was about to turn around when Daryl suddenly rose and walked to her. He pulled her tightly to him and buried his face on her neck. Barbie closed her eyes, and hugged him back.
He didn't cry nor did her. And no one said a word. They just held each other because they both felt like failures. Barbara because she couldn't save Dale. She had frozen. In the moment that mattered the most, she had frozen. Maybe if she had tried harder she could have remembered a similar procedure, a successful one. And Daryl, because she had shot him. He hadn't regretted it. Dale had been suffering and Daryl was sure that if the old man could have been able to speak he would have asked for someone to end it. However, no matter how long it would take, it could be tomorrow or in one hundred years, Daryl would have Dale's face burnt in his memory until his last moments.