The Dead World

Six ~ The CDC

"Sleep" Daryl grunted as Phoebe yawned again for the fourth time in 20 minutes.

"I'm okay Daryl" Phoebe smiled softly at the man who was driving the truck.

"Just sleep woman, don't need you killing me when we swap over" he grunted back scoffing when she yawns again.

"Fine but only because you asked so nicely" she smirked teasingly and he rolled his eyes at her comment, they both fell silent. After a few moments Daryl looked over to Phoebe to see her leaning gently on the window already asleep if her soft even breaths indicated anything. Daryl slowed down gently to decrease the risk of hitting a bump and making her head hit the window, every few minutes he'd glance over at her taking in her sleeping form and he couldn't figure out why.

But that's how the rest of the car ride went until about two hours later Dales RV slowed to a stop smoke coming out from under the hood so Daryl pulled the truck to a stop and that woke Phoebe who slowly righted herself slowly in her seat looking at Daryl.

"Everything okay?" she asked wiping the sleep from her eyes and he nodded chewing his thumb.

"Old mans RV is down again" he spoke through his thumb and she smirked gently pulling his arm away making him tense but she let go and climbed out the truck seeing that her brother was already talking to Dale.

Jacqui came running out the RV looking panicked "Guys, it's Jim! It's bad I don't think he has much longer" she stresses before heading back into the RV, Rick followed her in while Shane and Tdog left to the nearby gas station to scavenge for things, Phoebe and the others just stood watch while Dale tried to fix his RV.

Not even ten minutes later both Shane and Tdog were back having found some gasoline as Rick walked out of the RV telling the group how Jim wanted to be left behind.

"It's what he say he wants" Rick stated looking around at the group that didn't include the children who were inside one of the cars watching from the rear window.

"And his lucid?" Carol questioned looking really uneasy, Phoebe thought the question was fair given how the decision was turning her stomach.

"He seems to be, I would say yes" Rick pinched his nose between his fingers and the group fell silent.

"Back at the camp when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood. I would never go along with callously killing a man...I was just going to suggest we ask Jim what he wants. And I think we have an answer" Dale says gently and Phoebe looked up to the sky stomach spinning at the thought of just leaving him on the side of the road, Like he was just some walker bait.

"We just leave him here? We just take off? Man i'm not sure I can live with that" Shane looked at Rick and while she hated to think so she couldn't help agree with Shane.

"It's not your call, either one of you" Lori states to the two men who were going back and forth in a silent battle.

"If this is what he really wants...We should respect his wishes" Phoebe says gently still looking at the sky but she slowly lets her head fall to look at her brother who nods and both him and Shane go into the RV grabbing Jim as gently as they could bringing him out they set him down against a tree.

Phoebe still needed a moment to process the fact they were just leaving one of their own so she held herself up against the truck by her hands, head bent forward looking at the floor and her shoes. As everyone said goodbye one by one they walked passed her to their designated cars.

Phoebe took a deep breath and pushed off the car righting herself she walked up to Jim, she knelt on the ground in front of him and he just watched her silently with a pained smile for a bit "Thank you" his voice sounded like he'd eaten gravel but she couldn't find her voice so she tilted her head in question "Thank you for looking after us, after me." he explained and Phoebe leant over grabbing his hand gently she shuffled forward on her knees until they nudged against his.