Chapter 10) Left behind

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"Disoriented. I guess that comes closest. Disoriented. Fear, confusion... all those things but... disoriented comes closest." Rick explains how he felt when he woke up to find the world in an apocalypse.

Y/N sat around the fire with the rest of the group. She sat next to Glenn who gave her a smile. Archer came and sat down next to her, leaving her in between the two.

The group discusses Rick and his story. When there was a moment to break, she nudges Glenn. "Can we talk for a minute?" He nods at her and the two stand up and walk to a quieter area away from the crowd. Archer eyes them as they walk out of sight.

"Ok.. What's up?" Glenn asks, scratching his arm.

"I just wanted to apologize."

"Apologize? For what?"

Y/N sways a little. "I'm the one who suggested we go as a group. If I hadn't, Merle wouldn't have been left behind. We almost died today."

Glenn gently puts his hand on the side of her face. "That wasn't your fault. Plus, look at the bright side. We found Rick and he reunited with his family. That has to mean something."

Y/N puts her hand on top of Glenn's, still carefully holding her face. "Of course it means something. I just... think about Daryl. What happens when he gets back and realizes his brother is gone. He shouldn't have to go through that."

She gets emotional at that. She thinks of Bellamy. She can only hope that he's still alive out there, along with her mother and father. It's been a few weeks since their separation. Every day she slowly loses hope of finding them.

Glenn pulls her in for a hug. "It'll be okay."

As they walk back toward the group, they hear a commotion. Shane is all up in Ed's face talking about keeping the embers low, as to not catch attention.

Y/N makes eye contact with Carol who's letting the scene play out. She gently shakes her head at Y/N before apologizing to the group.

Y/N walks back over to her seat next to Archer and sighs. He looks at her, eyes blank.

"What'd y'all talk about?" He asks.

Y/N speaks softly. "Merle."

He hums a moment. "That's it?"

She looks at him, confused. "Yes. That's it. Why do you care?"

He rolls his eyes and stands up. "I don't care. Do what you want." He stomps off, huffing as he goes, catching the attention of the group who is now silent.

Y/N's mouth drops a little and she looks around at the group hoping they understand why he was acting like that. Nobody says anything. "Sorry. I don't know what that was about." She says gently.

Y/N makes eye contact with Glenn who mouths 'you okay?'. She nods.

After a moment Dale speaks. "Have you given any thought to Daryl Dixon? He won't be happy to hear his brother was left behind."

T-Dog steps up first. "I'll tell him. I dropped the key. It's on me."

Rick shakes his head. "I cuffed him. That makes it mine."

"Guys, it's not a competition. I don't mean to bring race into this, but it might sound better coming from a white guy." Glenn says.

T-Dog scratches his head. "I did what I did. Hell if I'm gonna hide from him."

Amy speaks. "We could lie."

Y/N jumps in. "Or tell the truth. Merle was out of control. He would've killed someone if Rick didn't stop him."

Andrea nods in agreement, looking to Lori. "Your husband did what was necessary. And if Merle got left behind, it is nobody's fault but Merle's."

"And that's what we tell Daryl? I don't see a rational discussion to be had from that, do you? Word to the wise... We're gonna have our hands full when he gets back from his hunt." Dale says.

T-Dog starts talking again. "I was scared and I ran. I'm not ashamed of it."

Jacqui speaks up. "We were all scared. We all ran. What's your point?"

"I stopped long enough to chain that door. Staircase is narrow. Maybe half a dozen geeks can squeeze against it at any one time. It's not enough to break through that... Not that chain, not that padlock."

The group realizes what he means. "My point... Dixon's alive and he's still up there, handcuffed on that roof. That's on us."
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Y/N wakes up and leaves her tent to find some of the group tearing apart the red sports car. She walks up to Glenn, his face upset.

"Look at 'em. Vultures. Yeah, go on, strip it clean." He calls out to them.

"Generators need every drop of fuel they can get. Got no power without it. Sorry, Glenn." Dale shrugs from atop his RV.

Glenn sighs. "Thought I'd get to drive it at least a few more days."

She puts an arm around his shoulders. "Maybe we'll get to steal another one some day."

He smiles at that.

Shane drives up with some containers of water, announcing his arrival.

Y/N walks over to start unloading it when a scream can be heard down hill. Y/N drops what she's carrying and starts sprinting towards the sounds.

"Carl!" Lori shouts as half the group run down the hill.

When the arrive at the site, a walker is bent over eating a deer. The kids run up to their parents and the rest just watch the rotter.

A branch snaps and the rotter turns around to face Rick, growling. The guys of the group start using various weapons and tools to beat the dead man. Dale finally chops off the head with an axe.

"It's the first one we've had up here. They never come this far up the mountain." He says, wiping sweat off his brow.

"Well, they're running out of food in the city, that's what." Jim says.

Another branch snaps and the group looks over to the woods. It's just Dixon.

"Son of a bitch. That's my deer! Look at it. All gnawed on by this... filthy," he kicks the body, "disease-bearing," another kick, "motherless poxy bastard!" another kick.

Dale reaches his hand out. "Calm down son. That won't help."

"What do you know about it, old man? Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to 'on golden pond'? I've been tracking this deer for miles. Gonna drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison. What do you think? Do you think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?" He says pointing a crossbow arrow at the deer.

Y/N shakes her head. "I would not risk that."

He sighs. "That's a damn shame. I got some squirrel... about a dozen or so. That'll have to do."

The rotter head starts to chomp it's jaw suddenly. Amy gasps.

"Come on, people. What the hell?" Daryl shoots it in the head with an arrow. "It's gotta be the brain. Don't y'all know nothing?"
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