The Walking Dead Season 1

19 Goodbyes

A/N: Not as long as usual chapters, but I wanted this one to stand alone. Enjoy.

The train sped forward, roaring across the Georgia countryside towards Savannah. It rattled and clanged as it continued onwards, catching the attention of any walkers who heard it.

The group had split once the train started moving- Chuck and Brendon standing at the very front of the train in front of the driver's cab, both enjoyed the breeze brush past them. Lee stood next to Kenny as he operated the controls. Ben stood at the rear platform of the engine railcar by himself, his head in his hands. Carley hugged Clementine as they looked over at Duck.

Katjaa was sat against the wall of the boxcar with Duck on her lap, hunched into a ball. Y/N sat next to them, propped on his knees, unsure what to do. He felt as powerless as he did when he was around Merle. It took him back to that feeling, that foreboding all encompassing sense of dread. The knowledge that something horrible was coming and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Duck jerked up suddenly, breaking into a coughing fit.

"Y/N I need you, I need you to go get Kenneth".

Y/N fought back tears as he leant forward, picking up a rag that was next to Katjaa on the floor.

"Oh thank you, could you please get that off his face?"

Y/N nodded, trying not to break again, as he gently wiped the coughed up blood from around Duck's mouth.

"He always looked up to you Y/N. Looked to you like a cool older brother, even though he was older than you. He thought so much of you. We all did" Katjaa said quietly.

"I feel the same" Y/N replied in a hushed tone as he finished cleaning Duck's face.

"Please can you go get Kenny. Duck's out of time".

Y/N fought back tears as he nodded to Katjaa, standing and exiting from the boxcar to the engine platform. He passed Ben silently as he entered the cab, Lee's face dropping in realisation looking at the bloody rag in Y/N's hand.

"Ken, Katjaa asked me to get you, to stop the train, Du-Ducks out of time" Y/N said quietly, barely above a whisper.

Lee closed his eyes before opening them shocked at Kenny's reply:

"No. My boy can hold on for a little longer, just til we get to the river. See the water one last time. Duck always loved water. He can hold on a little longer".

Y/N stood there silently, unsure what to do as Lee spoke gently:

"Kenny, we gotta-"

"NO!!!! He can hold on a little longer!" Kenny roared at Lee, who closed his eyes and sighed. His heart was broken for his friend, the pain of losing his child, but he wasn't sure how to reach him. Just as he was about to speak Y/N spoke up:

"I always thought Duck was the luckiest boy in the world".

Kenny turned his head slightly, asking "How on earth can you possibly think that?"

Y/N inhaled deeply. He didn't like talking about this but he needed Kenny to listen and stop the train before it was too late.

"You asked me where the scars on my back came from Ken".

"Y/N you don't-"

Kenny was interrupted as Y/N continued:

"I didn't have many friends growing up. Hardly went to school, most days I was out with Darryl, or on my own. Hunting food. Stealing food. Stealing what I needed. But Jacob was different. He lived down the street with his mom. They didn't care what my mom did. They didn't care what Merle was. They were always nice to me. He was my friend. One day I was playing with him on the street when Merle came round with his gang. I told Jacob to run home as Merle walked over, that look in his eyes he'd always get. He slapped me down in the middle of the road. Screamed at me. No son of Merle Dixon was gonna be friends with no-"