The End of a New Beginning // Daryl Dixon

Part 56

Meredith

RICK AND I made our way to the front gate, seeing more of the people standing around the gate. We could tell they were all concerned, scared, having a hundred questions filling their heads of what would happen next. All I know is, we're gonna be fine. We're gonna find a way out of this. Rick will think of something. The others, they'll come back and we'll figure something out. We always do.

"You can hear it." Rick calls to everyone. "Some of you saw it. They got back here, half of them. Still enough to surround us 20 deep. Look, I know you're scared. You haven't seen anything like this. You haven't been through anything like this. But we're safe, for now. The panel the truck hit seems intact. We reinforced it just in case. Either way, the wall's gonna hold together. Can you? The others, they're gonna be back."

"They're gonna be back." Rosita nods. Rick returns the gesture.

"Daryl, Abraham, Sasha, they have vehicles. They're gonna lead 'em away, just like the others. And Glenn and Nicholas are gonna walk back through the front gates after. They know what they're doing, and we know what we need to do. We keep the noise to a minimum. Pull our blinds at night. Even better, keep the lights out. We'll try to make this place as quiet as a graveyard, see if they move on."

"This place is a graveyard." Shelly calls out. Rick seemed to hold a stare with her, probably thinking about what he should say to defense his case, defend against her opinion. But...he probably thinks she's also right. Why bother arguing against that?

"The quarry broke open and those walkers were heading this way." Aaron speaks up. "All of them. The plan that Rick put into place stopped that from happening. He got half of them away. I was out there recruiting with Daryl. I wanted to try to get into a cannery and scavenge, and Daryl wanted to keep looking for people. We did what I wanted...and we wound up in a trap set by those people. And I lost my pack. They must've followed our tracks. Those people who attacked us...they found their way back here because of me." 

I could tell everyone was disappointed in Aaron, but it's not like he did anything on purpose. It was a complete and total accident for him to lose his pack. Everybody's gotta cut him some slack. Even I've made mistakes left and right, yet I'm still here. Yet, everyone who loves and cares about me want me here with them.

"There'll be more to talk about." Rick finishes. 

"Deanna." Tobin calls. We all turn our heads and see the short lady walking down the road slowly. "Deanna!" She doesn't respond, but kept moving away.

"Mom." I turn my head and see Harley jogging over to me. "Something's wrong with grandpa." He calls. I furrow my brows. Rosita and I lock eyes and we follow after Harley. He leads us to our home. We barge in and look around, seeing Dad standing in the middle of the living room. He was breathing heavy and muttering words. I furrow my brows, trying to figure out what was wrong with him. Maybe he's freaked out about the walkers at the walls. But he's somebody who doesn't scare easy.

"Dad?" I softly call. He continued to mutter words. "Dad, it's me. It's Meredith." I glance over my shoulder, holding my hand out to Rosita and Harley, keeping them put. As I slowly grew closer to him, I was able to pick up on what he was saying.

"You weren't supposed to be there. She was never supposed to be there. She wasn't there."

"Dad, who was?" I softly question. I reached his side, seeing him staring off into the wall, breathing heavy, sweating, a cut on his forearm.

"What's happening?" Rosita whispers. It had dawned on me that I had a feeling of what was happening.

"I think he's...having an episode." I utter.