The End of a New Beginning // Daryl Dixon

Part 17

Meredith

I WALK OVER to a small tree and held onto it for a second. The irrational fear and pain hits me all at once and I let out a sob before inhaling deeply and collecting myself. I wiped the tears away, breathing in and out to calm down. 

"Okay. Okay." I nodded. 

"Meredith." I turn around and see Rick approaching me. "I need you to get to the shed and take a look at Jackson's leg. He fell on a fence and completely shattered the muscle tissue. Need him stitched up." 

"Uh...H-Hershel can't?" I ask.

"If we're going to be dealing with this guy, getting answers, I want the best." He claims. I swallowed hard, looking down. I didn't exactly wanting Rick to know who Jackson was to me. If anything, Jackson was dead to me the second I walked out of his life. People are going to want the story. The whole thing. I don't owe it to anyone my life's story. I don't. He can keep the blindfold on and I can remain silent and make sure my name isn't used around him for anything. I mean, who's to say Jackson is even going to care about me still being alive? All he ever wanted of me was to be dead. 

I had everything I needed. I entered the shed and looked at Jackson. His eyes remained blindfolded, he was conscious and moving. 

"Who's there?" He questions. It was only me in here with him. I slowly approached Jackson and placed the suture kit on the ground. I tried thinking of a way to change my voice somehow. I need to in order to keep myself hidden from him.

I cleared my throat and look at him.

"I'm going to fix your leg. Please, try not to move around or it'll only turn out worse." I whispered. Jackson doesn't move and he doesn't seem to recognize my voice. I began my work, suturing everything I knew that needed to be stitched. He groaned and grunted, winced in pain for the most part, but he was able to keep still. The entire time, I wanted to purposely nick an arty in his calf and let him bleed out. But killing him would only raise red flags to everyone.

I entered the house, feeling a bit good since Jackson never heard a peep out of me. He asked hundreds of questions, but I never answered him. 

I found everyone gathered in the dining room, Rick discussing about him.

"Meredith, how is he?" Rick asks me.

"I repaired his calf muscle as best I can, but he'll probably have nerve damage." I explain. "Won't be on his feet for at least a week."

"When he is, we give him a canteen, take him out to the main road, send him on his way."

That's a brilliant idea.

"Isn't that the same as leaving him for the walkers?" Andrea asks.

"Does it matter?" I ask. "He tries killing them."

"He'll have a fighting chance." Rick says. 

"Just gonna let him go?" Shane asks. "He knows where we are."

"He was blindfolded the whole way here. He's not a threat." Rick claims. Yeah, that you know of.

"Not a threat." Shane scoffs. "How many of them were there? You killed three of their men, took one of them hostage, but they jus ain't gonna come looking?" Shane asks.

"They left him for dead." Rick argues. Which is something you should've done. "No one is looking."

"We should still post a guard." T says.

"He's out cold right now, will be for hours. He, uh...passed out from the pain eventually." I say. 

"You know what? I'm gonna go get him some flowers and candy." Shane laughs sarcastically. "Look at this, folks- we back in fantasyland."