A Survivor's Diary of the Apocalypse (TWD/Daryl Dixon)

S9Pt8 - Rick Grimes

I walked back to camp and pulled Rick aside to tell him the news. Once he heard it, he bowed his head and took a deep breath.
"It doesn't mean it's gonna go down, but that's the worst case scenario." I said.
Rick just nodded and then Eugene started walking over to us. By the look on his face, I knew he must've just saw the problem too.
"I've gathered you've gandered the now rushing river under the bridge?" Eugene asked as he stood next to us.
"I have now." Rick said and sighed.
"Seems Mother Nature served us up a serious bowl of whoop-ass with in the form of an overnight deluge, effectively annihilating the upstream levee." Eugene said.
"What are the chances that the bridge will hold?" Rick asked.
"Well, factoring in the undue stress of the rapid current against the supports, plus the added weight from the construction materials and whatnot, I take no pleasure in saying that, in the long term, it's bad." Eugene said. "I'm sorry."
"Man," I said and shook my head at them. "All that work, the effort, for nothing..."
I turned my head to look around to distract myself, and saw Daryl watching us. He was sitting in a chair outside of our tent, biting into an apple, and was clearly eavesdropping, and he didn't care that I spotted him. I decided to just turn my attention back to the conversation when I heard Rick's voice again.
Rick sighed and waved his hand. "There's gotta be a way." He said.
"I wish there were." Eugene said. "But it's simply not safe to keep on keepin' on with the project, as it were, not with the numbers we currently have..." He said and then paused. "There is a small silver lining."
"Yeah?" Rick asked.
"What is it?" I then asked.
"The two nearby herds we've been tracking, one Tybalt and Cordelia, are running parallel as expected, but luckily show no signs of merging." Eugene said and nodded. "That's first rate news, not only for the camp's safety, but because once merged, neither Tordelia nor Cordalt had a particularly good ring to them."
I just crossed my arms and shook my head in agreement. "Yeah, that's small, but it's something."
"Thanks Eugene." Rick said.
"I am truly very sorry I didn't do more." Eugene then said. "Maybe if I'd just, well, read more books— engineering, motivational, or otherwise— maybe we would've, maybe we could've—"
"Don't do that." I said and shook my head at him, and he looked at me confused. "Don't think about yourself like that."
"What?" He asked.
"You're not just a guy who read some books." Rick then said. "You made something. You got us here. After everything... that's everything."
He then patted Eugene's shoulder and turned around, and Rick walked back into his tent. I patted his back and smiled at him, then followed Rick into his tent, and I looked at Daryl who was still sitting there before disappearing inside.
I saw Rick pacing around on the floor and I watched him. He took a deep breath and then leaned himself against a table.
"I don't know if I did the right thing here." Rick said. "Letting the Saviors go, fixing the bridge.. I just—" Rick said and exhaled sharply.
"Rick, you're doing the best you can." I said, trying to cheer him up. "You've never backed down from anything, you keep on going. Better that than nothing."
"You know," Rick said and chuckled to himself. "If anyone gives me hope for how things can turn out, it's you." He said and nodded at me.
"Me?" I asked and scoffed. "Yeah, right."
"No, I'm serious." Rick said and nodded again. "You changed your life, for the better good, and now you have a family, and aspirations, and—"
"I'm still trying to figure things out." I told him quietly, politely interrupting him. "Just like everyone else."
Rick then sighed and wiped his face, and he shook his head at himself.
"I am sorry, Rick." I then said and he looked at me. "I really wanted it to work. I really did... for all of us.. to show Carl, somehow.." I said and threw up my arms.
"I know." Rick said and nodded at me, a faint smile on his mouth. "I know, Kelley."
We then heard a horse whinny and footsteps galloping towards the tent. Rick and I then walked outside and saw Jerry riding over to us. He stopped in front of the tent and looked at Rick.
"Got something for you, jefe." He said.
"What is it?" Rick asked.
"Maggie's running down to Alexandria. Jesus thought you should know pronto." Jerry explained.
"When did she leave?" Rick asked.
"Dunno." Jerry said.
"How long ago did Jesus tell you?" I then asked.
"Ummm.. five minutes. I rode here as soon as I got the call." Jerry said.
"Did he say anything else?" Rick then asked, staring to get worked up.
"Just that you'd know what that means." Jerry said. "Sorry, that's all I got."
"Oh, we know what it means." I said and Rick and I stared at each other. "She's going after him."
"No, no, thank you Jerry." Rick said and then looked at me. "We gotta get down there, now." Rick then pulled out his walkie talkie and spoke through to everyone. "Alexandria Relay One, this is Rick Grimes. Come in please."
I then started walking over to my horse to get him tacked up, and Rick followed me.
"Go for AR One." A girl said over the radio.
"AR One, I need you to get an urgent message to Alexandria— if Maggie Rhee shows up, delay her at the gate and alert Michonne right away. Do not— repeat— do not let her in without an escort. Over." Rick said.
"Copy that, Rick. We'll relay your message right now. Over." The voice said and the walkie went silent.
I finished tacking up the horse and untied him from the hitching post.
"And Maggie, if you're listening... let's talk." Rick added before clipping the radio to his belt.
"Hey." We then heard Daryl say to us. "What's going on?"
"Maggie's heading to Alexandria." Rick sighed and looked at my horse. "She's about to do something she might regret."
"Hop on." Daryl said and walked towards his bike. "I'll take you."
I just watched him as he sat on his bike and we stared at him confused. Rick nodded towards me and I got up on my horse, and he looked at Daryl.
"You sure?" Rick then asked. "You got enough fuel?"
"Yeah." Daryl said. "We'll get there quicker."
"Good luck with that Dixon." I smirked.
"Is that a challenge?" Daryl joked.
"Hmm, let me think." I said and then nodded. "Yup."
Daryl scoffed at me and Rick got on the back of the motorcycle. He started up the engine and I began trotting away, sending my horse into a full gallop once we hit the road. Daryl followed behind me and soon reached next to me, and we rode side by side as we approached the four way intersection. I turned my horse to the left to go to Alexandria when Daryl kept on straight.
"The hell?" I said out loud, and pulled back on the reins.
The horse neighed out and started pacing in circles and I watched as Daryl's motorcycle disappeared from view. I looked down the road towards Alexandria and then in Daryl's direction, and cursed out loud.
"Damn it." I muttered and continued riding to Alexandria.
Whatever Daryl was doing, Rick could deal with it. I know he needs me back at Alexandria to make sure Maggie doesn't go through with anything she's been planning.