New chap! I keep thinking: JUST HUG EACH OTHER ALREADY. Lol :D
I rewrote this scene because I wanted it to be a Connor scene and not a Lori scene. Since the scene was a bit pointless anyway. So.

setting: episodes 8 "Nebraska" and 9 "Triggerfinger"

Salvation

Chapter 22 - Car Crash

Connor found Daryl by the old ruin. It was even worse. Not only was he sitting all by himself there, he had also taken the tent and the motorbike with him.

"What te fuck's up with ye?" Connor asked once he was close enough.

Daryl looked up and snorted. Then he concentrated on the sticks he was cutting to a new bunch of arrows.

"Where did ye put my stuff?"

"By the camp" Daryl murmured and didn't look at him anymore.

"So what, now yer throwing me out? If someone's gotta be mad, it's gotta be me, don't ye think?"

Daryl didn't answer and Connor sighed.

"Don't fuckin do that."

"What?"

"Don't fuckin isolate yerself and run away."

Daryl got up then and eyed Connor.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I just beat the shit outta ya a couple of hours ago and yah keep runnin after me like a fuckin dog.
Don't yah get it, I don't want yah with me!"

"Yer such a fuckin pussy! The girl's fuckin dead, so what? We're still alive, the others are still alive. People are dying like flies these days, get over it!"

"Says the prick who's still not over his stupid brother's death after months!"

"Aye because that's fuckin different! Ye hardly knew te girl. You didn' care about her before, so what's the fuckin point in caring about her now?"

"Screw you."

"Why did ye fuckin tell Lori to go into town on her own? She's a fuckin woman, she's pregnant, are ye stupid?"

"So what, I don't care what that stupid bitch thinks or wants. None of my business, not my stupid problem. I'm done looking for people."

Connor looked at Daryl in surprise. He wouldn't have thought that the death of one girl he hardly knew could make Daryl change so much again.
He was just like when they'd met. Even worse.

"She asked me ta go. I think she's got a point. It's a fuckin town. There must be hundreds of them things. Maybe Rick needs help."

"So what. It's not like he'd come for me if I was there."

Connor sighed.

"I'm going. I need back-up. Would ye come with me? Do et fer me at least?"

Daryl snorted.

"For you?"

Connor narrowed his eyes.

"What the fuck's that sapposed to mean?"

Daryl sat down again and grabbed another stick.

"You're still not gettin it? I don't give a crap about yah! I beat the shit outta yah just a couple of hours ago and yer still not gettin it. I work best when I'm on my own, I don't need anyone and I certainly don't need you. I mean, let's face it. You're the one that needs me t'survive, not the other way round, I couldn't care less if you're there or not. And I've made my point more than once. It's about time yah get that inside yer thick Irish head."

"If you don't care if I'm there or not, then why did ye cut the rope I tried ta hang myself with?"

"Because some walker could've bit yah there and I didn't want yah to become a walker.
I didn't want yah t' be a danger to the group. If you'd taken a gun like a man I would've left you to rot there on the ground. Couldn't care less."

Connor stared at Daryl then. Most of the time he'd thought, no he'd hoped, that there was an other side to Daryl. A better side. The way he'd been with Carol.
The freaking flower. For the first time since they'd met Connor wasn't sure whether Daryl really meant what he'd said or not.
Whether he'd really given up getting better or not.

"Ye really think so?"

Daryl snorted.

"Wouldn't say it if I didn' mean it."

And Connor knew that this man could never replace his brother. Because Murphy would never say something like this to him.

"Okay, if that's what you want. Screw ye then" was all Connor said.

Then he turned around and walked away. Daryl watched how he left. From the moment Connor turned his back on him he regretted what he'd just said. But then again, he just wouldn't take it back. His pride wouldn't have that. He hadn't meant to say those things. In the end he'd just said it to hurt Connor, to make him go away because he wanted to be alone. Of course he cared if the stupid Irish freak was alive or not. He'd saved his life more than once. And even he couldn't deny that Connor had done him good. But right now he just didn't want to be anywhere close to him. Because he didn't want to talk to anyone. Because he was so angry and disappointed. And because he was afraid of lashing out and hurting Connor once more. The reason why he'd said those things was because he cared. Because he wanted him to be safe. And safe meant being anywhere but close to him.

Connor had stolen one of the cars. He was driving down the road when he remembered what Daryl had said to him. He still didn't know if he'd meant it or if it had been one of his stupid attempts to get rid of everyone. The Irishman was quite surprised that his words had actually hurt him. And this time not just because Daryl looked like Murphy but also because it had been Daryl who'd said those things. Maybe he'd been wrong all the time. Maybe he'd just imagined that there was some sort of friendship happening between them. Maybe Daryl really was the asshole Connor'd always thought he was just pretending to be.

But if he was, how was he supposed to cope then? It was like losing another brother all over again. Because if Daryl really wanted to throw him out and run away from him he'd be all alone again. He didn't really have anyone in that group except for Daryl. He'd said it before. Everyone had their friends and family. The Grimes family and Shane. Andrea and Dale. T-Dog and Carol. Glenn and Maggie. Him and...? He wasn't sure if he could be just Connor. It had been Connor and Murphy all the time. Connor and Murphy. Connor and Daryl. Just Connor? He wasn't sure if he could do that. He'd been a twin brother. He was supposed to be with someone. He had promised Murphy not to kill himself. Which meant he had to deal with it somehow.

The Irishman grabbed the map to check where he was going. He'd been so lost in thoughts that he hadn't really paid any attention on where he was actually going. The town. It had to be here somewhere. When he looked up again he gasped in surprise. Standing there, right on the road, was a walker. Just a few meters away. And he was driving towards it at full speed.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. He could hear the steady rhythm. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. He could hear glass breaking.
The first thing Connor noticed was that his leg freaking hurt. It took him a moment to process what had happened. The road. The map. The walker. BAM.

His eyes snapped open when he heard groans and moans. He could smell the stench of rotting flesh and dried blinker kept flashing and making that noise.
Connor found himself stuck inside the car that lay on its side and there was a walker trying to break through the broken windshield.

"Oh fer fuck's sake" he muttered and tried to grab his gun.

It was quite hard to get since he was completely stuck in the driver seat like that, with his leg being stuck between the steering wheel and seat. Even worse, there was a piece of glass from the windshield that had cut through his jeans and right into his thigh. He couldn't tell how deep it was, all he knew was that it hurt. The walker tried to get inside the car. When he'd almost managed to get one hand inside, Connor finally found his gun and placed it on the walkers forehead.

"Time ta go back ta hell ye fucker."

He pulled the trigger and shot the walker dead. Connor took a deep breath and then took a look around. He prayed to god that there weren't any more walkers around. He wondered where his luck had gone. How had he managed to crash a car in the middle of nowhere during the freaking apocalypse? The Irishman grabbed his leg and tried to pull it out. He groaned in pain when it wouldn't move and the glass cut even deeper into his thigh. Oh Jesus. Now he'd even managed to get stuck. He hadn't told anyone that he'd left on his own. The only ones who knew were Lori and Daryl. The very person who had told him that he didn't care whether he was alive or not. Lori, who was pregnant and too scared to go on her own. Oh great. Connor kept trying to get out of the car but with his leg stuck like that he wasn't going anywhere. Soon he heard more groans coming from the outside. He wondered how many of them were out there. He wondered how long it would take them until they figured out how to get inside. He had six bullets left.

"Gimme a fuckin break" he murmured and checked his magazine just to make sure.

Six bullets.

Is this the fuckin situation ye meant Murph? When I don't expect it? Well fuck ye very much, I'm nat ready ta get torn ta shreds and ye made me promise that I won't kill myself.
How's that sapposed ta fuckin work?

Another walker tried to get through the windshield. He could hear the glass breaking. Part of him wondered how long it would last until it broke completely.

Well look at me, I'm yer fuckin happy meal just waiting to get eaten. 's not like I can run away fram ye.

He tried to take aim but it was hard to do so since the walker kept moving. Connor pulled the trigger and missed the head.
He had managed to shot her cheek off but that didn't stop her.

Five bullets left.

He tried to get his leg out again. This time he pulled really hard but in this position he just ended up forcing the glass even more inside his leg.
He yelped in pain and tried to shoot the walker again. Her head was already inside but he missed it again.

Four bullets left.

They could smell the blood. It made them even more rapid. He saw another walker coming. I take it back God. I don' wanna die.
He took a deep breath and took aim again. He hit her right between the eyes this time. Another walker down.

Three bullets left.

Two of them were still outside. He could hear how the windshield cracked once more.
Connor aimed at one of them and hit his head. And yet another walker down.

Two bullets left.

He was going to make it. At least for now. He tried to get his leg out once more and failed. Christ, he was stuck. The definition of stuck. When he was just about to take aim once more the windshield broke and the walker fell inside. Connor screamed in surprise and tried to move his gun up to his head. Just when he placed it on its temple, he saw another one coming. And another one just a couple of meters away. He only had two bullets left. He pulled the trigger and the walker on top of him twitched as the bullet went straight through his brains. But the other two were already coming. Connor's breathing sped up as he watched them coming closer. He couldn't move because his leg was still stuck and the walker he had just shot was lying on top of him.

Just one bullet.

He considered his options. Even if he managed to shoot the next walker dead it wouldn't do him any good.
Because there was still another one coming and he'd be out of ammo. He had more ammo inside his bag and trouser pocket but couldn't reach it.
There was always the other option.

One bullet left.

For himself.

I'm fuckin sorry Murph he thought as he watched the two walkers coming closer.
I just don't wanna get eaten. I don't wanna die in that much pain. I don' wanna die that slow.

With a loud zap! one of the walkers fell to the ground. A few seconds later the second one followed. Connor gasped in surprise. When he lifted his head he saw that there were two arrows stuck in their skulls. He could hear footsteps and grabbed his gun even tighter. Then he saw someone standing right in front of him.

"How the fuck did yah manage t' crash a car in the middle of fuckin nowhere?" Daryl asked and Connor let out a relieved sigh.