S u r v i v o r s [ Daryl Dixon ]

Chapter 17

The funeral took place the next day. We all started taking our things to Hershel's house, who agreed to take us in. Shane started setting up the observation site, and I... I just did what everyone else. Glenn wanted me to rest, but I had to do something. Otherwise I would lose myself.

Rick waved at me, and I walked over to him and Daryl, who were standing on the porch above the map.

"Yesterday you said you could take Randall, somewhere far away. Are you still in?" Rick asked, and I nodded.

"You will go with Daryl" he pointed to a small point on the map. "Take him out to Senoia-- hour there, hour back, give or take. You may lose the light, but you'll be halfway ho by then. Deal?"

"Sounds okay to me, to you?" I glanced at Daryl and he nodded.

"This little pain in the ass will be a distant memory. Good riddance."

Rick nodded.

"Carol's putting together some provisions for him, enough to last a few days."

He hesitated for a moment and looked at Daryl.

"That thing you did last night--"

Daryl glanced at me as if the subject would hurt me somehow. And the truth was that I was already emotionally drained.

"Ain't no reason you should do all the heavy lifting" he said finally.

"So are you good with all this?"

"Yeah, we're good" he said casually, and I saw Shane pull up to the house, and I didn't want to talk to him.

"I'll go..." I started, but I had no idea what to say next. "I'll just go" I said and left.

Daryl was right behind me.

"Hey" I heard him so I stopped in front of him.

"And we..." he began. "And are we okay?"

"Why shouldn't we be?" I said and started to move but he lightly grabbed my arm to stop me. I looked at his hand, which he quickly took away.

"Then...then I shouldn't have told you that" he said. "I exploded."

"Yeah, you did." I tilted my head slightly. "Although a more suitable word here: you took it out on me."

"I know I shouldn't. And... I'm sorry."

I nodded.

"Okay, apology accepted."

I started walking, but Daryl was right behind me again.

"What about Dale..."

"You did what had to be done, Daryl. We both know that."

"But I saw that you are having a hard time."

"We're all having a hard time right now, Daryl" I turned to him and he almost bumped into me. I took a step back because we were inches apart. "We recently buried a kid, and today someone who was the best of us" I shrugged, my voice shaking slightly. "What's the point of fighting when people die. GOOD people. If I had followed this trail sooner, I would have met that Walker, I would have killed him before he hit Dale. If only I had started sooner..."

"You know it doesn't work like that."

"It's working perfectly in my head right now."

"Hey, wait" Daryl sped up to stop me, standing in front of me. "We're gonna do what Dale asked. We're gonna free this kid. The kid who was supposed to die. Dale may not be here, but his goodness remains. Especially in you."