Survival in Numbers (Daryl Dixon/The Walking Dead)

Chapter Seventy Five - The Railroad

Adjusting her rifle on her shoulder Emma glanced over as Rick moved off of the train tracks. Everytime they came across a sign that said 'Sanctuary', he made sure to change it to 'No Sanctuary'.

"Ginger nuts' ya dad?" Merle asked, walking on her left side. "Hoooey! Check tha' muscle out, Darylina, I ain't gonna envy ya when-"

"-Merle..." Emma gritted out in warning. There was no way Daryl was going to hear about her maybe pregnancy at the same time that her estranged father heard about it.

"I ain't sayin' nothin'."

A wave of nausea returned to the nurse, and she had to stop walking for a moment. Daryl stopped a couple seconds later, which set in motion the entire group of people to stop, considering she and Merle had been at the head of the group, just behind Rick and Carl with Judith. 

"What's going on?" Sasha called out, walking nearer the back of the group alongside Bob and Tyreese.

"Nothin'!" Merle was quick to intervene, "Jus' takin' a breather!"

Emma felt a feminine hand on her arm, and looked up to see Maggie there with a bottle of water.

"I gotta talk to you." The brunette stated, quietly.

"If this is about..." Emma casually moved a hand down to her stomach, "Then I already suspect."

"You don't know for sure?"

Emma shook her head, "All signs are there I'm just...waiting."

"This week?"

"Otherwise that's two I've missed."

Maggie nodded her head in understanding, her eyes moving back to Glenn and her little sister. "You told Daryl?"

"Not yet. I want to be sure first."

"Okay."

The red head continued moving, the group following suit behind. Emma could feel eyes on her, and knowing that they were her dad's she awkwardly moved closer to Daryl.

She had managed to avoid all conversation with him back when they had met outside of Terminus. The entire group had stood around awkwardly upon realising that Abraham knew their nurse, and were even more shocked when Emma had revealed that the huge ginger rock of a man was her father.

It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to him. It was just that the last time they had spoken, hadn't been very good. It was at least three or four years since before the world had ended. Abraham had invited her to his wedding, but Adam had told Emma that she wasn't allowed to go. Her dad had then given her the ultimatum of her boyfriend, or her family, to which she had replied with a half hearted: 'Adam is my family'.

"Hey," She felt Daryl's hand brush against her arm. "Ya alright?"

She glanced up, her eyes meeting his before she offered him a small smile, "Yeah, I was just thinking."

"Ya gonna talk to ya dad?"

"I don't know." She shrugged, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Not right now."

"We're gunna be stoppin' in a bit anyway." He said, "Set up camp for the night."

"After the prison fell..." Emma began, "Who were you with?"

"Beth and Lori."

Emma hadn't seen Saint Grimes, and she turned around to double check to see if she had overlooked her presence.

"Where...oh."

Daryl nodded, "Lil blondie got her ankle caught in a snare, Lori was protectin' her. I was on m'own at first. Heard 'em screamin'. Got to 'em too late. Lori was bit."

Emma linked her sleeved arm through Daryl's bare one, and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"You didn't get there too late." She said, "If you didn't get there at all, it wouldn't just be Lori that we lost."

"Beth an' I ran into another group. Called 'emselves the Claimers." He said then, "Had t'keep her with me all the time. They weren't good people."

"Did she get hurt?"

Daryl chewed on the skin around his thumb, as he looked over his shoulder towards the eighteen year old blonde who was walking beside Maggie.

"They was huntin' Rick." He said, "She ain't get hurt, 'till we caught up with 'em."

"What happened?"

"They was gunna rape her, Michonne and Carl." Daryl said, "Beat me an' Rick up real good...Rick bit the guys throat out."

"He what?"

"Only way to stop 'em." Daryl said, "They disarmed us. We had to kill 'em all."

Emma swallowed the lump in her throat, "Then you walked into Terminus."

"Fuckin' cannibals." Emma felt sick. "Ya was with Merle?" He questioned then.

Emma nodded, "And Judith. Just us three for about a week or two, then we took shelter with a small group of men for a few days, then Carol found us. She was with Tyreese and Sophia...they lost Lizzie and Mika a day before we joined up."

"Another group?"

Emma nodded, "We saved them from walkers." She explained what had happened, leaving out the fact that her sickness might be morning sickness. "They then gave us supplies, helped us get formula for Judith, then we went our separate ways."

"I hope Merle ain't piss ya off too much."

The red head cracked a small smile, "Not too much. If anything, he was very protective. Especially when we were with that other group. Although he didn't help me much with Judith, he didn't complain when we needed to get formula or anything."

"Merle ain't complainin'? How ya shut 'im up?"

Daryl's attention was snapped away from her suddenly. His eyes cast over to the trees on either side of them, narrowing slightly.

"What is it?" Emma asked.

"Got a feelin' we ain't alone." He said, "I'm gonna do a check when we stop an' make camp."

"I'll come with you."

"Nah, ya ain't well." He observed her carefully, "Ain't gonna do ya no good stayin' on ya feet. I gotta talk t'Rick anyway."

She pressed her lips to his cheek again, "Okay."

They walked for another hour before Rick called for the group to set up camp at a small station.

Rick, Daryl, Abraham and a couple of others headed on inside the small building to clear the few walkers out, before they returned to the group to inform them that it was safe.