𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭 | d.dixon

𝐒𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

◈━◈━◈━◈━◈

Rick returned from Randell's execution. Everyone stood up awaiting the reveal of what happened. 

"We're keeping him in custody for now." Rick stated. 

"I'm gonna find Dale." Andrea states walking towards the Greene house. "Carl, go inside. Now please." Lori states. Carl walks into his tent. Bentley looked around for Daryl but couldn't see him. 

A scream ripped through the air. Bentley took off. She sprinted towards it. "Bentley!" Rick screamed from behind her. Despite being the smallest, she was the fastest.

Bentley saw a walker on top of Dale. Bentley was too late. Dale screamed in agony as the walker dug its hands into Dale's abdomen ripping his insides out. 

Bentley being first, kicked the walker off of Dale. She watched as Daryl tackled it and stabbed it in the head. Bentley dropped to Dale's side. 

"No!" She screamed. "Rick! Get Hershel!" Bentley screamed. The rest of the group finally caught up. Bentley didn't know what to do as the man choked on his own blood.

"Over here!" Daryl screamed. "Hang in there buddy." Daryl told Dale.

"Oh, my God. Oh, God." Rick and Shane arrived to the scene. Bentley moved out of the way as they dropped to his side. 

"Listen to me, all right? Just listen to me. Okay, hold on now. Get Hershel! He needs blood. We gotta operate now." Rick yells. Dale nodded his head. Andrea dropped down and cried. 

"All right, please. Hershel! We need Hershel!" Rick yelled. Hershel arrived to the scene. "What happened?" He yelled. "Can we move him?" Rick asks.

"He won't make the trip." Hershel tells him.

"You have to do the operation here. Glenn, get back to the house." Rick yells. Hershel shales his head no. 

Bentley cries as Dale chokes. Daryl places a hand on her back. Everyone was crying, even Patricia. 

Carl looks at the scene. "Carl!" Bentley gasps. Carl runs over and hugs the girl. Carl's sobs were enough to make Bentley begin crying. She covered Dale's body with her own from his sight. Lori was on the floor in shock.

"He's suffering. Do something!" Andrea yells. Rick pulls out his gun and aims it at Dale. Daryl grabs the gun from Rick and aims it.

"Sorry brother." Was the last words Dale Horvath heard. Daryl shot Dale point blank in the forehead. 

Bentley held Carl tightly. Lori walked over and guided Carl back to camp. Bentley followed closely behind. Andrea, Daryl, Shane, and T-dog drove Dale's dead body to where the other graves were.

Bentley grabbed a shovel and began digging a grave. She did it all alone. She knew the others would've helped but she didn't feel like talking, nor being around anyone. 

She finished the grave quickly. Bentley walked to the house and knocked on Beth's door. "Can I borrow a jacket?" Bentley asks. Beth nods with a smile. Winter was coming. The breeze got cooler and the wind picked up.

"Of course." Beth smiled. "I'm sorry about Dale."

"Thank you." Bentley smiled. She walked with the Greene's family down to where Dale was being placed in the grave and covered with dirt. 

"That kind of honesty is rare and brave. Whenever I'd make a decision, I'd look at Dale. He'd be looking back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could read us. He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us-- the truth... Who we really are. In the end, he was talking about losing our humanity. He said this group was broken. The best way to honor him is to unbreak it. Set aside our differences and pull together, st feeling sorry for ourselves and take control of our lives... Our safety...our future. We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong. From now on... We're gonna do it his way. That is how we honor Dale." Rick spoke.