The End of a New Beginning // Daryl Dixon

Part 18

Meredith

IT WAS LATE in the night. Everyone stood or sat around the fire of camp. Rick, Shane and Daryl all went off to the barn to take care of Jackson. Part of me waited for them to return to tell us it was done. I was excited if I was being 100% honest. But...the longer we sat here and we didn't hear a gunshot, I grew worried.

My body jolts with electricity as I see the men returning to camp, along with a small figure trailing behind them. My arms unfold from my chest and the excitement quickly fades away. Rick approaches Lori, but he doesn't say anything for a moment.

"We're keeping him in custody for now." Rick announces. I let out a sigh, shaking my head at the news. Wonderful.

"I'm gonna find Dale." Andrea smiles and disappears. Rick turns to Lori, inhales deeply. Her eyes kept with his. She didn't even have to look at Carl while telling him,

"Carl, go inside. Now, please." Without a word, Carl heads inside the tent. I leaned against the couch and listened to Rick.

"He followed us. He wanted to watch. I couldn't."

"That's okay." Lori says softly. I mean, she's right. If my child wanted to watch me kill somebody, I wouldn't do it either. 

My body jumps a bit from the sudden poke at the bottom of my back. I turn my head and see Daryl nodding his head over. I pull away from the tree and followed after him. For a moment, he was silent. And even though it was dark, the moonlight revealed his facial expressions.

"What's wrong?" I ask him. Daryl stops and he looks up, letting out a sigh.

"I don't know." He shakes his head. "I was ready. So ready to watch that asshole..." He looks down and shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know. I just can't stop imagining everything he's ever done to ya. It all makes sense as to why you're the way you are. How you're so hesitant, distance yourself from everybody, always so quiet. Just pisses me off to know what he did." He says. I huff out a small laugh.

"Well, I'm sure if things were perfect between him and I, you'd hate me." I say.

"Why's that?" He asks.

"'Cause, man, I'd be all type of a bitch baby. I mean, of course, I know things cause of my dad. But still, with all that training he's given me, I'd still expect a man to come save me. I'd be weak, crying all night. Pretty sure I would be dead by now. I'd be like Carol." I laugh. Daryl raises his brows. I knew it was too late to say, and that I couldn't take it back and all.

"Okay, Carol isn't that bad." I shook my head. "But...you know." I shrug.

"Yeah." He nods. "No, I get it. The weak don't survive. I mean, Carol...she may be weak now, but I have a feelin' she's gonna turn over. Losin her kid, that'll only make her strong." He says. I smiled lightly at his words.

"Yeah, I think so too. I hope so." I say. Without warning, we hear sudden screams. Daryl and I turned in every direction, trying to pinpoint the screams. We turn to the field beside us and rush over to the gate, pushing it open. As we ran further out, we see movement within the tall grass. A walker on top of Dale. Daryl is quick to tackle the walker off of him as I fall to the ground and checked on Dale. He was nowhere near okay. The walker must've dug it's claws into his stomach and literally opened him up. His organs and all were exposed, it was almost the worst thing I've ever seen.

"Dale? Dale, can you hear me?" His hand drops down and he immediately tightens it around mines.

"Hey! Hey, over here!" Daryl shouts, waving his hands. Everyone rushes over to us and they find Dale. Rick wanted to declare that we move him to the house to save him. Even I knew it wasn't going to work. Dale's grip on my hand wouldn't let up. His eyes stared right into mines and I shook my head. I turned away, looking up at Rick. He lets out a sigh, pinches the bridge of his nose and pulls out his gun. He points his gun to Dale's head.