edit cos somebody asked: Connor carries a different version of the virus. I know Rick said that everyone's infected, but now that he's been bit he carries the walker version of the virus, meaning that shit that normally kills people after a bite.

setting: episode 1 "Seed"

Damnation

Chapter 2 - Discovery

a couple of days after the farm incident...

"Daryl. We can't stay here. It's too dangerous. We gotta keep moving. That herd is still close. It will just be a matter of days until it passes us again.
We need to get out of this county."

The hunter looked at the group that was surrounding him. He couldn't believe that they were actually suggesting that.

"You know he ain't going nowhere like that. Not like that. He ain't gonna survive, there ain't no space in the cars. We can't move him. Not yet."

Rick pointed out of the window, where an increasing number of walkers was staggering up and down the roads of the small neighborhood.
For just a few days it had been safe inside this house, this neighborhood, but it looked like no matter where they went the undead were always following them.

"Just look out there! We've stayed here long enough. I gave you time, I gave him more time than we can handle and it looks like it's still getting worse instead of better. We need to move."

"So what do yah want me to do, leave him here to rot?"

Rick massaged the bridge of his nose. Carol stepped closer.

"He's right. Connor is in no condition to move, Rick. If we could.."

"No we can't. This isn't just about Connor, I'm just thinking about the rest of the group. The longer we stay here the more dangerous it gets. We need to leave.
With him, without him, but we're gonna leave."

"He hardly survived the trip here!"

"Do you think I don't know that? You know, I've kept my thoughts to myself until now, but I think it's time that I speak out what we've all been thinking. He's not gonna make it. He's a danger to us, with every second he's lying there half dead. People can hardly sleep with him around. We're just sitting ducks here waiting for him to turn or to die. We're running out of food, it's getting colder every day.."

"Fine, t'hell with y'all then" Daryl growled and made his way back to the room where they kept Connor.

The blonde was still lying there on the bed, bathed in sweat, chest heaving, eyes closed. Sometimes he would wake up and moan about, but right now the Irishman was asleep. Or unconscious. Or whatever the infection was doing to him. The hunter grabbed the wet towel from his friend's forehead and turned it around. Once again he was so incredibly angry. At Connor, at the group which he could hear in the room next door. It sounded like Rick was arguing with the others because of the issue, but Daryl didn't really care. Truth was that he was fed up with them right now. Of course he knew how dangerous it was, and of course he knew that they needed to move. But at the same time he knew that there was no way Connor would survive another car trip. Out in the open without any walls protecting them. If they ever needed to run out there then the Irishman would be lost. No matter what they did, Connor was going to die out there. He needed to stay here.

He knew that the group was going to move anyway, and he didn't really like either option, but truth was that he would rather stay back with his friend than leave with the group and have the Irishman die. He didn't want to be alone with the group anymore. Not after everything. And even if Connor died here with him, then at least he finally got the chance and leave to search for Merle. Daryl could hear how someone entered the room behind him, but he didn't want to look at whoever was standing there.

"Rick wants to leave" he heard Carol say and wiped the sweat off Connor's face.

"Yeah. I got it. Have a nice ride. I ain't going nowhere."

"Daryl..We need you with us."

"Then stay. As simple as that" he growled and heard how Carol kept coming closer.

"You know it's too dangerous here."

"Yeah. And I know I ain't gonna kill him out there either."

"He's been delirious for days."

The hunter turned around to stare at the woman, who had placed herself next to the door.
She was looking at both men with a worried look on her face, but at the same time she also just looked upset.

"Maybe it's time you let him go."

Daryl gritted his teeth and pressed his lips together. He turned his head to stare at the man on the bed, whose eyes were squeezed shut. He saw the bloody bandage on his arm, the infection that seemed to be getting worse and worse. It was obvious that Connor was in pain and that the fever was still frying him, but at the same time his friend just didn't seem to want to let go. Why couldn't anybody see that?

"He ain't going nowhere. He's gonna pull through and he's gonna be just fine."

"Like Sophia?"

The hunter turned his head abruptly and glared at Carol.
They both just looked at each other, and especially Daryl seemed furious.

"Go" he snarled and Carol looked surprised.

"Daryl..."

"Just go!" the hunter yelled and got up, both hands clenched to a tight fist.
The woman opposite him looked at him in surprise, obviously both shocked and disappointed because of his behavior.
She bit her lower lip and sighed.

"If that's what you want."

The first night was absolutely horrible for him. He couldn't believe that they had really left them. Daryl understood that they had just done what he had asked them to do, but he was still actually surprised. There had been discussions, there had been votings against the decision, the group had nearly fallen apart because of that, but in the end they had still left. Because Rick had changed. Everyone could feel it. Ever since he had returned from that meadow where he had killed Shane the policeman had turned into someone else. It looked like officer friendly had died with his friend that day. Daryl understood their leader's decision. He had to look after his family. His son. His pregnant wife. He had a group full of weak people he had to get through the winter, protect from danger. This neighborhood happened to be a dangerous place. So of course they had needed to leave.

But still. Daryl couldn't believe they had left him here. With this half dead heavy bastard he'd carried all the way up the stairs and even up the small ladder that connected the attic with the rest of the building. The hunter knew that they would be relatively safe up here, since the ladder was the only way up and down. No walkers could eat them up here. There was just the threat that they could starve to death. Or freeze to death in winter. Or even worse, he could still get eaten alive during the nights, should Connor ever turn all of the sudden. For a while Daryl just sat on the ground in the far corner of the attic and looked at the man he had dragged with him. His friend was lying there on the ground, bloody arm resting on his rising and falling chest, head fallen to the side and facing the window. His eyes were still closed, he wasn't smiling, wasn't talking, wasn't doing anything apart from sleeping and breathing.

He was such a freaking bastard.

All the things Connor made him do. The fact that this asshole had forced himself into his life like that. Demanding to be healed from his depression, demanding to get a new brother now that he had killed his own. He hated how that man kept begging to be saved, to be healed, to be looked after like a ten year old boy who had lost his mother in a shopping center. And then there was the one thing Daryl hated the most: how he couldn't live without the Irishman anymore. Realization had hit him like a truck when Connor had told him about the bite. He had to admit, he'd liked the guy right from the beginning, even if he had always treated him like shit. Beaten him. Nearly killed him. Insulted him. Hated him. But right when Connor had stumbled in his life he had grown on him, almost like something was sewing them together.

Liking him the entire time had been one thing, but when he had seen the bite and carried his friend all the way back to camp he had realized that this wasn't about liking, that this wasn't just a platonic friendship. No. It was like an addiction. Like that bastard who was lying in front of him was the best drug on this godforsaken world, like he was something or someone he couldn't get away from. Ever. The endless game that had started right in that filthy church. Connor mattered so much that he hated him for everything he was. Daryl got up and approached the man and kicked his rips gently, trying to wake him up. But Connor would only answer with a muffled groan instead of opening his eyes.

The hunter sighed and looked out of the window. The sun was setting. It was too late to do anything today. He would need to gather some more supplies, blankets, pillows, medical stuff, candles. He would have to make this place a home until Connor got better. And damn right he was going to get better. And even though Daryl tried to stay positive and kept reminding himself that his best friend wasn't going to turn he still decided to stay cautious. He grabbed the red cloth from his back pocket and knelt down to grab Connor's healthy arm.

"Yah better not die you stupid ass" he growled and tied one end of the cloth around his friend's wrist.

"Ain't gonna be risking my life for some dead prick" he went on and then tied the other end of the cloth to the pipe on the wall next to them.

"You ain't gonna die, you ain't gonna turn, you ain't going nowhere" Daryl said and checked whether he had tied his friend up properly.

He was pleased with the result and then looked at his unconscious friend.

"I won't let you, you stupid leprechaun."

now...

He could hear Lori groaning and gasping next to him and turned his head to look at her. Rick's wife wasn't in good shape at all. She was very pale and would rub her belly every once in a while. Connor sighed and looked at the road again. They were driving down yet another endless road. The Irishman didn't even really know where they were going anymore.

"'s it kickin ye much?" he murmured and Lori looked up. She shook her head and gasped once more.

"It's just the bumpy road, that's all" she answered and the Irishman turned his head to look at her again.

They had been driving around in circles for over an hour now. Truth be told, he was getting sick of all this.
Rick's plans, their endless swinging back and forth, staying in houses, warehouses, running away, staying in the next couple of houses, it was pointless.
Connor sighed and nodded.

"'m gonna make 'em stop fer a bit"

Lori shook her head.

"Don't.." she murmured but Connor had already honked the horn. The whole convoy slowed down.

Connor got rid of his seatbelt and looked at Lori again.

"Well, somebody's gotta look after ye."

He turned around to look at Beth and Carol who were sitting in the backseat.

"Come on now, ye two. Out with you. Gotta keep an eye on the surroundings. Beth, you take this side of the car, Carol, you keep an eye on the other side."

The Irishman looked at Lori again.

"You stay in here and rest fer a bit."

"But.."

Connor shut the door and didn't wait for her to finish. He scanned the surrounding forest for any threats or walkers. Beth had positioned herself right next to their car with an axe in her hand. Connor gave her a small nod and headed for the rest of the group. Maggie, T-Dog and Rick were all gathering around the map again, which they had placed on Rick's Hyundai.

"We got no place left to go" T-Dog said and looked at everyone.

Connor placed himself between Herschel and Glenn. Maggie pointed at the countless red lines and circles they had drawn on the map already, all the places they had marked as temporary hideouts and possible herds of walkers. She pointed at one of the big red circles.

"When this herd meets up with this one, we'll be cut off. We'll never make it south."

"What would you say? That was about 150 head?" Daryl joined in and looked at the group. A few nodded, but Glenn shook his head.

"That was last week. It could be twice by now."

"So we're blocked" Maggie said and Connor snorted.

"Oh come on people, don't get yer panties in a bunch. Be a little more optimistic here. It ain't the end of the world" he murmured and searched the pockets of his jeans.

He cursed himself for forgetting. Of course. He didn't have any smokes left. Not since February. Rick pointed at the map as well.

"Only thing to do is double back at 27 and swing towards Greenville."

Connor growled and rolled his eyes when he heard the word Greenville.

"Yeah, we picked through that already. Twice. Didn't exactly do us any good."

He shook his head and looked away.

"Fucking Greenville."

The former policeman glared at him and the rest of the group fell silent.
They all wouldn't look at the two of them and seemed overly interested in other things all of the sudden.

"Yeah I know. I know" Rick said and looked at Connor a little while longer. He then turned around to look at the rest of the group.

"We'll push west. Haven't been through there yet. We can't keep going house to house. Need to find someplace to hole up for a few weeks" he said and looked at his wife who was still sitting in the car. Connor did the same and nodded. "Yeah, we better" he murmured and leaned against the car. Rick was still staring at him, but it was T-Dog who broke the tension.

"All right. Is it cool if we get to the creek before we head out? Won't take long. We gotta fill up on water. We can boil it later."

Rick looked at him and nodded.

"Knock yourself out."

Everyone except for Connor and Rick left after that discussion. Once again Rick was staring at the Irishman, who watched Daryl working on his motorbike for a moment.

"Mind telling me what your problem is?" Rick asked and Connor turned his head to look at him.

The Irishman folded his arm and shrugged. He sensed that they could get into a fight, but right now he didn't want to.
He sighed and turned his head to look at waiting Lori in the car.

"She can't take much more af this moving about, man. Ye gotta make it a bit easier fer her. She's been sitting next ta me fer hours now, and she looks worse every time I look at 'er. Have you been treating her like that all winter? You can't just keep moving around like that. It's fucking pointless and dangerous."

"What else can we do?" Rick asked and frowned angrily.

"Hell, I don't know. 'm just saying. Besides, that is yer fuckin wife, not mine. You should be the one caring about that, nat me. Especially nat me."

The policeman glared at him.

"Keep your opinions to yourself."

Connor startled when someone touched his shoulder then. He turned his head in surprise only to find himself looking at Daryl.

"Hey, while the others wash their panties, let's go hunt" he said and looked him in the eye. Connor knew what that sort of look meant. Knock it off.

"That owl didn't exactly hit the spot" the hunter went on and Connor sighed.

He still didn't really want to go anywhere with Daryl, simply because he didn't want to talk.
In the end he figured that his friend was right though, he needed to get away from Rick before all hell broke loose again.

"Yah ever gonna tell me what your fucking problem is?" Daryl asked and glared at the man next to him.

They had been following the train tracks for a while now, without any luck. They had crossed paths with two walkers but not one single animal.
Connor just shrugged and moved a bit further away when Daryl came closer to look him in the eye. The hunter snorted when he didn't get an answer.

"So after everything we've been through this winter yer suddenly acting like I don't exist? Just a week ago yah were so goddamn clingy I couldn't breathe and now this?"

Once again Connor wouldn't answer. Daryl growled and shook his head. It was frustrating him way more than it should.

"'m thinking about leaving again" the Irishman finally said and Daryl stopped walking.

"What?"

Connor sighed and stopped as well. He wouldn't look at his friend, he just stared straight ahead.

"Sappose it's probably fer the best. As soon as those people've found a safe place t'stay, as soon as I've made sure that they're safe and everything, then I think 'm gonna leave. Hit the road, maybe make my way back up north. 's up ta you. If ye wanna join me or not. As fer me, I'm leaving no matter what."

He turned around when Daryl wouldn't say anything. The hunter was glaring at him for a long while and then snorted.

"I ain't going nowhere. And neither are you. We only just got back to the group."

Connor nodded and started walking again.

"Aye. Exactly. It ain't te same anymore."

"What 'bout Lori? And Carl? And all the others? Man, you saw 'em when we got back. They need us. There's too much shit going on out there.
We hardly made it back here, ain't no chance Lori and the baby are gonna make it without us."

The Irishman snorted.

"Aye, cos I'm gonna make such a difference when no one even wants me fuckin near 'em" Connor muttered and Daryl froze.

"What?"

Connor stopped walking as well and turned around to look at his friend.

"Oh come on, don't act all stupid. Ye can't tell me ye didn't hear 'em last night."

"I didn't" Daryl lied and his friend raised an eyebrow.

Connor didn't want to fight, didn't want to discuss the issue right now, so he turned around with a tired sigh and started walking again.

"Af course ye didn't hear 'em."

Daryl followed him with just the same frustrated sigh.

"So this is what it's all about. Still don't get why yah have to treat me like shit then, jackass. I didn't do nothing."

"Just shut it" Connor growled and kept walking.

Daryl was just about to say something to that when Connor suddenly stopped walking and looked at something to their right.

"Jesus..." he murmured and Daryl came to a halt right next to him. Both men looked at their new discovery in surprise.

They were now facing a giant prison just a couple of yards down the hill. There were hundreds of walkers roaming through the fenced-in prison yard.
Most of them were still wearing their uniforms and anti riot suits.

"Wow, that's a shame" Daryl said and they eyed the facility for a couple of minutes, searching for an entrance or any other problems apart from the walkers.

Although there was some slight damage it looked like the prison was intact, with multiple rows of fences and guard towers separating the buildings from their surroundings.

"Jesus, and I thought I'd never see the inside af a fucking prison after the Hoag again" Connor said and Daryl frowned.

"What?"

Connor looked at him and shrugged.

"Just look at this fucking place, it's perfect. We got fences surrounding the area, and you bet it is hard t'get in. You got any idea how hard it is t'get outta prison?"

Daryl snorted.

"Yeah well, I've never been stupid enough t'get my ass caught and thrown in one, smartass."

The Irishman rolled his eyes and looked at the facility again.

"Besides, are yah blind? There's a shitton of walkers" the hunter went on and pointed at the staggering figures. Connor shrugged.

"I could take 'em on."

His friend snorted once more.

"Just cos yah survived a bite it don't mean that yer fucking invincible."

"You've seen how they react t'me" the Irishman just said and Daryl growled.

"Yeah, and I already told yah that you shouldn't rely on that shit."

Connor turned around and started walking again.

"Come on, let's tell the group about it."