Dead Man Walking

civ.

Hunter couldn't believe it. Josh Sawyer was in the army with him. He was one of the only friends he made while he was in Iraq. He thought he died on that mission. He thought they were all dead. He thought Josh had died that day. He mourned all of them. He thought he failed them all. But Josh was here, he was alive. And he was with the reapers.

He thought Josh was dead but instead, he made it out alive. They were once on the same side and now they weren't. Now Josh had to lead Hunter to his death. It's been years since they last saw each other. He looked different. Had a few scars that covered his face. Josh didn't have a bright smile anymore. He wasn't the same guy he once knew. But that was expected.

But after the world ended and the dead started to rise who would have the same bright smile they did before the world ended? They were both different people. They didn't know each other anymore. But Hunter was gonna try to make him remember they were friends.

"Look, you don't have to do this. We used to be friends," Hunter says as Josh pushes him through the forest.

"That was before. This is now, you don't know me. I don't know you," Josh replies, "We aren't the same people we once were. We never will be."

"You called me Sergeant Grimes. You remember who I used to be, just like I remember who you used to be," Hunter glances over his shoulder to meet his eyes, "Let's stop this and talk. Get to know each other again. For the first time, again."

Josh shakes his head, "I have orders. I'm supposed to bring anyone I find back to Pope. Alive. So, shut up and keep walking."

Hunter sighs but he wasn't going to stop until he convinced him, "We can talk about this. It doesn't have to be this way. You know it doesn't. How'd you end up with these people anyway, huh? Tell me."

Josh clenches his jaw. He keeps the tip of his gun to Hunter's back, "I was alone, I escaped the desert. I don't know how, but I did. I got out and I just ran. And then the world went to shit. I was all alone, I had nobody. Again. I had to figure shit out on my own. They found me and took me in. They saved me," Hunter stopped in his tracks and turned to him, "What are you doing?"

"They're not good people. They attacked my friend's camp. Killed her people. There were kids in that camp. I know you know the difference between right and wrong. What those people did, it was wrong."

Josh shakes his head, "There isn't a right and wrong anymore. It's only kill or be killed. You know that. That's why you were sneaking around. They saved me, they're my friends. They're my people."

"I was your friend once. You remember that? We went to war together. We fought together. You know me and I know you. We can work something out. Let's talk, come on."

He felt like Rick. At this moment. It brought him back to the day he found Gracie. When Morales was there. If Hunter had just waited, maybe Rick could've gotten through to him. He couldn't say he regretted it. Because maybe Morales couldn't be talked out of it and then Rick would've died that day. And he wouldn't have RJ. And he would've had to say goodbye to Carl alone.

"I don't want to hear about your perfect family. You've always had a perfect family. You always got letters back then, from your brother, your nephew, your friends. You had everything. I had nothing." Josh says bitterly, "You've never had to be alone. You don't know what it's like. Fighting out there, every second. I don't want to hear about it."

Hunter purses his lips, "You're right. I did have the perfect family. I had a brother, a nephew, and a sister-in-law. We were picture-perfect. But when all this started I thought my brother was dead. He was shot a few months before the dead started rising. But he came back to life. And it's crazy because my life was still perfect, my brother came back, and I was with Carl and Lori. We had a group just outside Atlanta. So I wasn't alone when all of this started."