𝑩𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝑺𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒔 | ᵀᵂᴰ

16: Breathe

I stood across from the barn that kid Randall was in. Daryl was inside talking to him with his fists and foot. I could hear Randall's cries and Daryl's loud voice from where I was.

When Daryl was done, he walked out of the barn with his right hand bloody. He had some on his shoes, too. He also looked pretty upset.

"What'd he say?" I asked. Daryl didn't say anything and just kept walking. "At least let me fix you up so you don't get infected." I said, mocking him from when I punched the car window on the highway. He rolled his eyes, trying to hide his amuse.

➳

Daryl and I walked up to the group during breakfast. "Boy there's got a gang, thirty men. They have heavy artillery and they ain't lookin' to make friends." Daryl asked. "They roll through here, our boys are dead. And our women, they're gonna– they're gonna wish they were."

"What did you do?" Carol asked. "Had a little chat." Daryl answered.

"No one goes near this guy." Rick said.

"Rick, what are you gonna do?" Lori asked. "We have no choice. He's a threat." Rick answered. "We have to eliminate the threat."

"You're just gonna kill him?" Dale asked. "It's settled. I'll do it today." Rick said. He walked off, and Dale trailed behind him. I say we kill him. We can't risk it.

➳

Dale came up to Daryl and I. "The whole point of us comin' up 'ere is to get away from ya people." Daryl said. "Gonna take more than that." Dale responded. "Carol send ya?" Daryl asked. "Carol's not the only one that's concerned about you, your new roles in the group." "Oh, man, I don't need my head shrunk. This group's broken. Better off fendin' for ourselves." "You act like you don't care." "Yeah, it's cause I don't." Daryl said, throwing on his jacket and vest.

"What about you, Isabela? You have a say in this too, you know? You don't need Daryl to answer for you." "She can answer for 'erself." Daryl said. Dale looked at me for my answer. "We can't risk it. He's gotta go." I said.

"So live or die, you don't care what happens to Randall?" "Nope." Daryl replied. "Then why not stand with me try to save the kid's life, if it really doesn't matter one way or the other?" "Didn't peg ya for a desperate son of a bitch." Daryl said. "Your opinion makes a difference." "Man, ain't nobody lookin' at us for nothin'."

Daryl grabbed the bottom of my jacket and dragged me away with him. "Carol is, and I am. Right now." Dale said. "And you obviously– you have Rick's ear." "Rick just looks to Shane." I said. "Let him."

"You both cared about what happened to Sophia, cared what it meant to the group." "You keep her name out of your goddamn mouth, viejo." Old man.

"Torturing people? That isn't you." Dale said to Daryl. "You're a decent man. So is Rick. Shane– he's different." "Why's that? Cause he killed Otis?" Daryl said. "He tell you that?" Dale asked.

"He told some story– how Otis covered him, saved his ass. He showed up with a dead guys gun." I said. "Rick isn't stupid. If he didn't figure that out, it's cause he didn't want to. Like Daryl said– group's broken." I turned around and kept walking the direction Daryl started to drag me.

"Ya got yer gun?" Daryl asked. "No, I left it in the bag on the bike. I already have my knife and arrows. There's no point in carrying the extra weight."

➳

We had a meeting with the group and Hershel about what to do with Randall. My mind still hasn't changed.

Carl wanted to listen so he tried to sneak in but he was caught so he walked away to a different part of the house.

"So how do we do this? Just take a vote?" Glenn asked.