𝙇𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝘽𝙤𝙙𝙮 : ̗̀➛ 𝙙.𝙙

𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙖𝙧

Daryl held Del up as she stepped out into the sun. She shut her eyes, feeling it soak into her skin.

"You feel better?" Kay questioned behind her.

"I do."

"Maybe the sun will do you some good." Hershel sounded hopeful. She didn't want him to go. She was terrified she would die while he was gone.

"Please stay."

"Del, I'll be with Michonne, just a quick run to town. Okay?"

"No."

"You will be okay." He looked at her with a look of he understood why she didn't want him to go. She wasn't worried about him when he was with Michonne, she was worried about missing her goodbye.

"Can I talk to him?" She looked at her sister and Daryl. They hesitated.

"I'm okay." Del reassured. They slowly departed and Del let herself sit on the ground with a thud, dropping all her body weight.

"Oh!" Hershel reached out to help her but she put her hand up, trying to get him to keep as much distance as possible.

"Hershel, I just... want to say thank you." She struggled to breathe.

"For what?"

"What do you mean for what? For everything. You helping me try to fight this, you giving me a safe home growing up.. You're my father, and you have been the only father I've really had."

He looked sad. She knew he realized she was saying her goodbyes. They all knew. She had made it clear without saying it.

"You know I love you like one of my girls, Delilah. That's why I am making this run to town for medicine and you are going to be up and ready for me to come back."

"No, Hershel. This is it. This may be my last time in the sun."

"You can't give up hope because then you're already dead."

: ̗̀➛

Del watched Hershel and Michonnes truck disappear over the hill. She squeezed Daryls arm, partly for support to stay up and partly for comfort.

"You'll see him again." Daryl read her mind.

"I hope so."

"Let's get ya back to bed."

"No no, I need the sun... just a little longer. Come help me to the grass."

Del hobbled to the yard, slowly laying down. Wind hit her face. Daryl sat next to her, looking down at her.

"You know, i'm content if I die here. We have built something beautiful here. We built a life here. You guys are safe."

"You ain't going to die here."

"I might. If I do I want you to make sure Jake reads as many books possible, and Kay takes time to relax. I want you to make sure Maggie and Glenn are never split up and Hershel always has help. I want you to move on. To find someone who really truly loves you, someone who cares about you just as much as I do."

"They wouldn't be you."

"But that's okay. Find a strong woman, someone you know won't die on you, someone who you love so deeply that you would die for, and you know she would do the same."

"I have found that."

She looked up at him. Their eyes poured into each other. She looked at every inch of his face. Not wanting to miss a single hair. She wanted the image of his face to burn into her brain.

She reached up, placing her hand on his face. He leaned into it, putting his hand on top of hers.

"You're going to be okay," she whispered, knowing that she never worried about him dying if she did, just worrying about him mourning. She knew he would be the last one standing.

"You are too."

: ̗̀➛

Dels body dropped onto her bunk. She hated being back inside. It drove her insane.

"How is Glenn doing?" She asked her sister.

"Not good, but you don't worry about him."

"All I do is worry about everyone else." She smiled sadly.

"Well I think you have a good excuse to be a bit selfish right now." Kay tucked her in, pushing her hair away from her face.

"I'm going to sleep. I love you."

"I love you, Del."

: ̗̀➛

"Del!" Glenn stumbled into her cell, unable to even hold himself up. Del moved as fast as her strength could carry her.

"What?"

Suddenly she could hear the gunfire echoing through the halls.

"What's going on?" Del tried to pick him up off the floor as he coughed up blood.

"I don't... know." He wheezed. She looked around for any help, but everyone was running from the cell block.

"Come on, we need to get somewhere safe."

Del guided him down the stairs into a broom closet, setting him down.

"Where's... Maggie?"

"I don't know. You stay here." She turned to leave but he grabbed her hand, pulling her back.

"No. Stay here. We have to wait for the gunfire to stop. We won't make it ten steps out of this closet."

Del debating going, but he was right, they wouldn't make it. Del would be lucky if she didn't collapse.

"Just give me a second, I will come back." She thought about her brother, about Kay and Daryl. Beth, Maggie.

"Del-"

"I will come back to you. I promise."