I'll Always Find You (A Daryl Dixon X Reader)

CHAPTER 35: Emotional Decisions

When Charlotte had finally calmed down enough in the shower to let me leave. I climbed out and allowed her to finish showering. I dried myself enough to at least not be a sopping wet mess across the house. I was walking out the bathroom door only to run into Daryl as he was about to knock.

    "Hey." He said softly. "Why you wet?" Daryl asked concerned.

I shut the door behind me and sighed while stepping out with Daryl.

    "Charlotte had a little mental break down." I told him and his eyes lit up with concern. "She's okay now. But she's harboring a lot of guilt for not protecting or making sure Sophia didn't turn. She was there when she was bitten and Sophia begged her to kill her. But she couldn't do it. She ran away." I explained.

    "Well, now she gets to join the guilt club." Daryl pointed out and I looked at him unamused. "Look, we both know how that guilt feels. It's been eating at us since the girls went missing. It wasn't her fault. No kid should have to ever be put in that position and she was. She only reacted the way a normal person would."

    "She insists that she has to speak to Carol. Confess her guilt." I said as I ran my hand through my hair. "I don't want to put Carol in that position."

    "Actually, maybe it's a good idea." Daryl said and I looked at him surprised. "She's a lot tougher than most of us give her credit for... Maybe it'll help Charlotte to cope with her guilt. It wasn't her fault, but it'll help her actually feel that way if she gets it off her chest." He shrugged at his own suggestion.

    "I guess..." I nodded slowly. "I also haven't told her anything yet. I wanted you to be there when I did."

    "Alright." Daryl nodded. "Kid's been through a lot. For now I think we should wait before saying anything, you know? I don't want to tear apart her world anymore that it already has been. Besides, we gotta meeting to go to. Figure out what to do with that kid ya'll brought back." He scoffed.

    "Yeah." I agreed.

~~~~~~~~~~

Charlotte had finished with her shower. She was ready to go speak to Carol right away, but after some convincing we told her to get some sleep. She took one of the extra beds in the farmhouse and soon was fast asleep. Allowing Daryl and I to make it down stairs to the group who were ready to start the meeting. Already arguing amongst each other.

    "We couldn't just leave him behind." Rick explained our actions. "He would've bleed out, if he lived that long."

    "It's gotten bad in town." Glenn said concerned.

    "What do we do with him?" Andrea asked.

    "Y/n and I repaired his calf muscle as best as we could. But he'll probably have nerve damage. Won't be on his feet for at least a week."

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

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

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

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

    "He was blindfolded the whole way here." I spoke up and stepped forward.

    "He's not a threat." Rick warned Shane knowing his temperament as of late.

    "Not a threat? How many of them were there?" Shane shot back. "You killed two, Y/n killed one." I received a glare from him and a barrage of estranged looks from the others. Daryl however, stepped in beside me and wrapped his hand into mine which I was grateful for. "Ya'll took one hostage, but they just ain't gonna come looking?"