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

S9Pt16 - The Journey Home

It was dark out now and I quickly set us up a small camp on the side of the road. I started burning a small fire and the kids were huddled around it, trying to keep warm from the wind chill that picked up in the last hour. I took a minute to search my bag for something to eat tonight, but I just realized we were running low on our food supply. The food I packed before we left was only to last a few days, but the walk home I knew was going to take longer than that.
I then heard Lee coughing and instantly snapped my head up to look at him. He covered his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut as he coughed again, and we all just stared at him. He finally cleared his throat and looked up at us, and slowly shook his head.
"Sorry..." He said quietly.
I then stuck my hand back in my backpack and pulled out a plastic bag of beef jerky. I then walked over to him and knelt down, opening the bag and handing him a couple pieces.
"Don't be. It's okay love." I said and caressed his cheek, feeling how abnormally warm his face was.
I sadly dropped my hand from his face and also gave Judith and Georgia a couple pieces, then put the jerky away back in my backpack.
"Aren't you gonna eat?" Judith then asked me.
"I'm alright. You guys need to eat." I said and sat down.
I then saw Lee hold out a piece to me, but I shook my head. "Here, mommy." He said.
"No, baby, I'm okay. You need to eat." I said, but he waved his hand holding the jerky at me.
"No." I said and held up my hand. "I mean it."
They all just stared at me, but soon began eating. I kept quiet as I pushed the log in the fire around, trying my best to keep in burning but also low so we didn't attract any unwanted attention. Crickets chirped around us as we sat silently in the dark. I told the kids I'm taking watch and eventually they began to fall asleep. Throughout the night, I didn't sleep or speak. I only watched Lee as he laid next to me, periodically checking his temperature with my hand, and once even checked his pulse. I was still scared, and I couldn't stop all my horrible thoughts about myself racing through my head, yet I pushed that all to the side right now. Lee was my number one concern at the moment. I knew time was ticking away and I didn't have long left with him, so I was going to do whatever I had to do to get him home.

~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning came and we started moving again, and Lee was getting worse already. His head was warmer than yesterday and his was acting more sick with his coughing and congestion. His body was trying to fight off the virus, but I saw it slowly taking over. All of us knew, but sadly we just had to watch it happen.
The day seemed to fly by quickly as we kept a steady pace. We were halfway home, hoping to be back in a couple days, but I began to realize that Lee wasn't going to make it that far... alive.
We took another break from running and began walking on the main road. It was warmer today than yesterday and our bodies were feeling the heat. I sighed and took off my jacket, leaving myself in just a tank top, and then took a second to stop walking. I shoved my jacket into my backpack and then looked at the kids.
"Are you guys hot?" I asked. "Take off your jackets."
Judith nodded and took her jacket off and tied it around her waist, and then Georgia did too. I then looked at Lee and nodded at him.
"It's okay." I said calmly.
Lee slowly took his jacket off and I glanced at his shoulder were there was blood from the bite that stained his shirt. I then stuck my hand out for his bag and he gave it to me, and I managed to find a new shirt for him.
"Let's change your shirt." I said. "It'll cover that up better." I added quietly.
Lee nodded and took off his shirt, and I just stared at his bite. Of course it was still visible, but I saw it barely, just barely, starting to scab over. I then thought to myself that I saw Carl's bite down in the sewers, and his looked fresh even after days going by. Now looking at Lee's bite, I saw it starting to heal itself and I became confused. I then snapped out of my thoughts and looked up at Lee, and then held out the shirt.
"Alright, arms out." I then said.
He stuck his arms out and I helped Lee put his new shirt on, but then I heard Georgia gasp quietly.
"Mommy. Mommy.." She whispered and I heard the fear in her voice.
I looked over at her and instantly followed her gaze that stared behind me. I then saw a few walkers emerge out of the forest and spot us from across the road. The growled in hunger and began walking towards us.
"Stay here. Don't move." I said in a stern voice, and then stood up.
I stretched out my arm and the blade glistened in the sun. I walked closer to them, trying to stop them from coming any closer to the kids, and they snarled at me. The walkers reached out their hands and I sliced off the hand closest to me. I then stabbed my blade through its chin, killing the walker, and pulled out my knife with my other hand. At the same time as I pulled my prosthetic away from the dead walker, I stabbed the second one in the head with my knife. Lastly, the third walker limped towards me with its arms stretched out to grab me. I then held up both my arms, raising my knives into the air, and in one swift move I stabbed its head from both sides. All the growling stopped and it was once again silent. I yanked my knives out of the walkers skull, and wiped the blood off on the walkers clothing. I then turned around and the shining sun touched my skin, and I took in a deep breath.
"Come on. We gotta keep moving." I then said as I breathed out.
The kids just nodded at me and we continued on, but I couldn't stop thinking about Lee's bite. It was different than anything I've seen before, but I don't think that was changing Lee's outcome. He was slowing down as he jogged and could barely keep up pace. At one point I had to pick up Lee again and have him ride on my back because he was too exhausted.
My head was a continuous mess, this trip was absolute hell, and I couldn't help but think that it was all my fault. I kept telling myself that when Lee turns, it'll be because of me. It was all because of me.