Struggling to Connect: The 6th Book

Chapter 32: The Twist

Dog wakes me up a couple hours later from a nightmare but I manage to get some more sleep after. When Daryl and I get ready to head out, our plans are changed when we learn that Siddiq has been killed and Rosita took down Dante. We meet with some others in the infirmary where he's being held at the moment. When Daryl walks in, he goes right over to Dante and punches him in the face, "hope that hurts."

Dante exhales sharply before spitting out some blood, "it doesn't matter. None of this matters. Watch enough people get incinerated, devoured alive, you see how ridiculous it is getting attached to ourselves." He looks at all of us there in front of him as he speaks. Daryl, Carol, Gabriel and I. Rosita paces the floor behind him, "but knowing that sets you free."

"Is that what you're doing?" I spit back harshly, "setting us free?"

"If you learn that lesson, it'll only help you."

"What, so we can be more like you?" Daryl takes out a smoke a lights it up.

"Accept the future." Dante corrects.

Gabriel spins out, "Siddiq depended on you. Why put him through all that hell in the barn just to kill him months later? I-I can't see an ideology behind that."

Dante quickly utters, "I liked Siddiq."

"Oh, you liked him?" Rosita spits from behind.

"He wasn't part of the plan." Dante goes to explain, "but he found out who I was, so I had no choice."

"What plan?" I ask.

"Encourage your paranoia about us which will push you into bad decisions." He tells us, "places like this are cruel promises to their people, and they crumble at the smallest nick. Hell, I'm gonna enjoy watching you rip each other apart over what to do with me. Just like with Negan." He smiles over to me.

"Is that what you want? A public reckoning? A chance to be heard?" Gabriel asks.

"That's what you'll give me." He stares him down, "because it's right"

"We helped you." Rosita claps backs

"Why?" He asks, "'cause you wanted another doctor around? You got something from me, too." He turns his attention to Carol, "don't pretend you didn't." Rosita mutters something behind him in Spanish and he continues, "no one is actually kind. We are selfish. We are brutal." He then looks to me, "come on. Even seeing all those heads on spikes didn't teach you what people are?"

I stand to lunge at him from the front but Daryl quickly grabs a hold of me. Luckily, Rosita was also enraged and kicked him in the back, storming off when the door opens and Aaron glances around in confusion.

Gabriel takes over watch and the 3 of us take Aaron to the house to explain what happened. When Carol is done explaining, he just exhales harshly and shakes his head in disbelief. Eventually, he gets out, "he's been here four months. How didn't I know?"

"None of us did." I shake my head, having worked beside him all those months.

"We all ate together" Daryl adds on.

"We talked about training the militia. He treated Gracie." Aaron goes down the list.

Carol says calmly, "you can't do that to yourself."

"Yeah. Especially now." Daryl adds, "we gotta keep our heads straight, try to figure out what's going on."

Aaron says, "Mary, the Whisperer I've been talking to, um, told me where Alpha is keeping the herd. Just over the border, on their side." The three of us stand closer, our attention clearly on him, "it's this sunken field on the edge of the national forest."

"We can leave right after the funeral." Carol says, eager to get this done.

I hesitate, "we're gonna trust a Whisperer now?

"You wanna do nothing?" Carol retorts.

Daryl jumps in, "Lydia's still gone. We don't even know what that means yet."

Aaron calmly states, "Alpha doesn't know that. With Dante locked up in a cell, she never has to."

Daryl continues to protest, "we ain't gonna talk about how this is probably an ambush?"

"Well, the baby that Connie rescued apparently that's Mary's nephew." Aaron says, "she wants to see him. I don't think she's lying."

"Alright." Daryl agrees, "get a group from Hilltop and meet us there Second we're done, we're going looking for the girl."

"Yeah." Aaron nods, standing to go, "I'll radio them. Maybe they can get the news to Michonne."

I go to leave but Daryl calls out, "hey," and Carol and I stop to glance at him, "why don't you stay here?" He says, but is looking at Carol, "i'll go."

"Why?" She asks.

"You gonna tell me what really happened out there?" He question to her, and I stay standing across the kitchen bar to see her response.

"I told you." Lydia didn't want to come back. I couldn't make her." She flatly responds.

Daryl argues, "her being here protects us. You know that."

Carol shakes her head, "so, that's it for her now, to be our shield?  Just lock her up again?" She harshly explains her actions, "I showed one of Alpha's people that their leader lied to them, and that's good for us. We can push on their wounds, too."

"You still should have told me." Daryl says back.

Carol replies, "I'll help you look for her, but I don't think she wants to be found."

"Are we talking about her, or are we talking about you?" He says out. She sighs and stares harshly at him but turns to leave without another word.

After she leaves, I move to follow her out but Daryl gets my attention this time, "I think you have to stay here now Sadie-Mae."

"What? Why? I wasn't planning to go out looking for the horde, but I want to go out looking for Lydia, and Negan." I explain.

"We have no doctor. People are still recovering from the water." He explains.

My eyes light up with the realization and I utter, "oh, shit. You're right. Alright, ya, guess I'm here for now." I stare off behind him, thinking about what that means.

"Hey, Sadie." Daryl is suddenly closer to me and shaking my shoulder.

"What?" I ask, not sure what I missed.

"I asked if you're gonna be okay?" He must repeat himself.

I nod, and lie, "ya, it's fine. I'll be fine. I'll see you when you uhh, when you get back." Daryl goes to leave but I call quickly, "are you uhh, are you bringing dog?"

Daryl turns and says, "naw, he can stay here."

"Thanks!" I shout back, knowing he's leaving him here for my benefit.