Apocalypse Orphans

10

Nick sat on his part of the perch and waited for what he knew was coming. Either Daryl or Rick to come lecture him about following danger or doing what he did to stop Thomas from reanimating.

About 2o minutes after being back, and finding out Hershel was okay, Daryl walked up to him.

"So what was so special about that knife that you left it with him?" Daryl asked sitting next to the teen.

"It was the knife my mom killed herself with. Always wanted to stab him with it. I've kept it with me ever since I was 9. It's poetic you know, both parents dead from the same blade, only one by their own hand and one by their son's."

"Why'd she do it?" Daryl asked watching as Nick avoided looking at anything in particular.

"To get away from him. He had never touched me up until she died, so she thought I'd be safe. I was 6." He scoffed.

"And until you were in the group, no one had any idea about the knife, not even Jacob?"

Nick nodded, his head down like he was ashamed. "He never liked me having anything that could be considered a weapon or alcohol or anything like that, so I kept it from him, up until this all started."

"Nick." Daryl started before he was cut off.

"And before you say what I did was sick and twisted and before you say you want me out, you should know that he didn't just beat me." Nick rushed out in a quiet whisper, pulling his knees up to his chest.

"It's alright you don't have to tell me. I would of done the same thing with my old man." Daryl said and Nick looked at him briefly before going back to looking at nothing.

"When I was 7, he uh, he um, he started to, to-"

"You don't have-" Daryl started but Nick cut him off.

"No I do." He said and took a deep breath. "He started to rape me when I was 7. And continued to do so until he almost killed me when I was 9."

Daryl didn't say anything and let the teen, who they knew next to nothing about, talk about a run down version of everything he had gone through.

"I didn't know that what he was doing wasn't normal, only that I didn't like it and I couldn't tell anyone because of the shit he threatened to do. The only reason he got busted was because I used to go to my mom's grave and tell her everything, and the night he gave me this-" He said and pointed to the scar on his face, "Was the last time I saw him until today, he was taken away in handcuffs and I was taken away semi unconscious in a anbulance, but I still had the knife and no one knew, and I don't know how no one found out, but they didn't."

Daryl didn't know what to say in a normal everyday conversation, and so he definitely didn't know what to say now so he just stayed quiet.

"You know, it's a lot easier to talk about now that he's dead." Nick laughed.

"My old man. He wasn't unlike yours and Jacobs. When my brother, Merle left, all his anger was on me. Merle was the favourite see. So he was even angrier that I was the one he was left with."

"Parents suck."

"Nah. We just got unlucky with ours. A lot of parents are good parents." Daryl said.

"Was your mom, like our fathers?" Nick asked.

"I dunno. Don't really remember her. She died in a house fire when I was about 10. I know she never hit me nor Merle but she was always out drinking and getting high." Daryl shrugged. "Now get to sleep. You've had a long day. We'll talk about you running to danger tomorrow."

Daryl ruffled Nicks hair causing the boy to swat his hand away whilst glaring at Daryl who playfully smirked and left the boy alone, so he could rest.