Lilly Watkins has always been the strong one compared to her twin. That doesn't change when the dead start walking. Taking care of her family during the apocalypse, she never relied on anyone else. When she meets Daryl Dixon, a more temperamental pe...
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Daryl's POV
"We're out. Just like the last one," Rick says, hopping out of this now-empty vehicle. We all pile out, again, and walk. Walkers are following behind.
"We aren't at our strongest," Rick says, holding Judith. I look back at Lilly. She's holding Cash. She hasn't complained once in our fight for shelter, but at night when I hold her I can feel her ribs. Even now, her cheekbones are displayed brightly. She's doing all she can to feed our child.
"We'll take them when we are our best. High ground, they're not going anywhere." There's a pause before Rick starts speaking again. "It's been three weeks since Atlanta. You lost something back there."
I ignore him. "Judith's hungry."
"She's okay. She's going to be okay."
"We need to find water. Food." I think of Lilly when I say this, shuddering internally again at how much weight she's losing when she couldn't afford to lose any already.
"It'll rain sooner or later."
That answer isn't good enough for me. I need to provide for my family. "I'm going to head out and see what I can find." I hand him my rifle.
"Hey, don't be too long."
"I'll come with," Carol says.
"I got this," I reply walking away, but I'm just happy Lilly didn't volunteer herself. I don't have the heart to turn down either of the women. They know how to steamroll anyway.
"What do you think?" Carol asks as we look around.
"It's too dry. Nothing here."
"Maybe we should start back."
I notice the sky is dimming but shake my head. "No, you go."
"She saved my life." Oh, she wants a heart-to-heart. "She saved your life too, right?" Carol walks closer when I don't respond. She hands me a knife still in its holster. "This was hers. We're not dead. It's what you said. I can't, but you're different. You have to let yourself feel it." She brushes out hair from my face, kissing my forehead in a sisterly way before walking away.
I join back up with the others on the side of the road, resting for the night. Lilly looks exhausted, immediately handing Cash over and slumping onto my shoulder. I check her forehead for fever but thankfully she's clear now.
There's a growling, causing us to all swivel our heads. I take in a pack of dogs instead of the normal Walkers. We all halt as they charge, stopping to bark at us. Within seconds, they're downed, courtesy of Sasha.
Rick stands, breaking off some branches to start a fire. Dinner has been found.
It's not our proudest moment, especially after looking at the collars on each of them. It's not going to be our lowest. I have to coax Lilly even to touch it. She's a survivor but this seemed to draw a line for her. In the end, she does it for Cash and Tiff, who has been surprisingly glued to Carl since Terminus.
The next day, I head out on my own. I need time to process Beth. There's too much on Lilly's shoulders already and I need to figure out how to grieve. My body slumps against a tree, sliding down. My chest heaves with silent sobs that slowly make their way to the surface. For safety's sake, I bury them into a handkerchief, beating against the ground at the unfairness. We were so close to saving her. Anger at Beth herself for having to be a damn hero. For what? To leave Maggie behind? To never see Judith grow up?
When I'm finished, I head back to the group. Rick immediately approaches me, handing me a paper that reads: From a friend. Behind him is a stash of water.
No one knows what to do with it. We've all been burned too many times.
"Eugene, what are you doing?!" Rosita yells as he grabs one of the bottles.
"Quality assurance."
Abraham smacks it out of his hand.
"We can't," Rick says slowly as if we are all toddlers. Starving, thirsty, toddlers.
"I'd say let the liar try it but alright," Lilly mutters to herself, staring at the water in want. I've never seen her in such a bad shape. Rick ain't doing a thing about it, either.
There's the unmistakable sound of thunder to cut through the tension. Next, a downpour.
"Thank God," Lilly says, kissing the top of Cash's head before opening her mouth like the others. I pull her into a kiss, grinning. She's caught off guard but returns it.
We start to fill up any canteen we've brought but the clouds are beginning to turn nasty. By the look on Lilly's face, she's just as worried as I am.
"There's a barn near here!" I yell over the storm to Rick.
"Alright, let's go!"
Once the barn is investigated, Rick and I start a fire. We need to dry off or thirst isn't what's going to kill us. Lilly strips down to her underwear in a corner, changing into a warmer outfit, doing the same with Cash. Tiff won't, even if someone keeps an eye out in one of the barn rooms.
"Why haven't you told me she's gotten this skinny?" Rick asks, pulling me aside, anger laced throughout his voice.
"I figured you'd have just noticed that she's skin and bone but I figured she's not at the top of your list right now."
He flinches at the jab, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I care about her, Daryl. If she needs my portion, then so be it."
"Yeah, she's already eating my portion. If you cared so much, maybe you should've kept a better eye on her. Even Milly is giving half a damn and she's normally more useless than a dull knife."
"Hey," Lilly says quietly, interrupting us. "You're starting to get heated. Let's just worry about my health later, yeah?"
Lilly falls asleep nearby Carl, Tiff and Cash. Milly is awake still but staring out in a head that I'm sure nothing makes sense.
I take watch of the doors that are loosely chained. The storm keeps blowing them but from what I can see through the storm, there's nothing out there.
Something in my gut tells me something ain't right and I go closer to the doors, noticing a horde has gathered. Panicking, I push the doors shut, trying to quickly re-chain the doors tighter. Maggie and Sasha rush to help and soon the rest of the group is awake. We all push on the doors, holding the Walkers at bay.
