Solitary {2} : The Walking Dead

Chapter Forty-one.

Living or dead?

Iris sits and wraps a new bandage around her leg, watching Lydia as the girl stays away from the others, she notices Judith no longer in the room, she quickly stands, grabbing her sword, "Gabe, where's Judith?" she asks, "i don't know" the man panics, "shit" Iris mumbles before turning and rushing out of the building.

Iris makes her way into the woods, finding Judith's tracks and following them, "Judith" she sighs, running over to the girl standing with Daryl, "why did you leave" she questions, crouching down in front of the girl, "i couldn't stay in there. It smells like cat pee" the girl complains.

"Tell me next time" Iris says, standing again and looking over to Daryl, "anything?" she asks, "nah" the man mumbles, "mind if i join you guys?" Iris asks, looking down at Judith, the girl smiles as she shakes her head no.

............

Iris stands back and watches Daryl stop Judith, "A hunter moves, everything else moves around it. Try to spot things that don't belong, things that just don't feel right. Now take a look. Tell me what you see." Daryl explains.

They watch Judith look around, she stops in front of a tree, inspecting a mark, "Living or dead?" Daryl asks, "Walker." Judith says, walking back to Iris and Daryl, he looks over at the redhead "They could be roundin' more up." She says, "Stay behind me." Daryl says to the two, Iris walks behind Daryl and Judith, looking around at their surroundings.

Iris stays close to Judith as they hide behind the bushes, watching walkers stumble in their direction, Daryl raises his crossbow, getting the attention of the whisperer before shooting and hitting them. Iris rushes out of the bushes as the whisperer runs away, the three of them kill the walkers before turning and running after the whisperer.

After tracking the whisperer to a ditch, Daryl signals for Iris and Judith to stand back before he moves closer to the person, Iris creeps around and stands above the whisperer opposite Daryl, "Throw it over there. Now." Daryl orders.

Iris points her sword at the person "I will if you pull this outta me. I can't die like this. It ain't natural." the whisperer says "You drop the knife, I'll think about it." Daryl says, Iris watches the skin throw the knife to the floor away from them.

"Where're your people?" Daryl asks, "A few miles east. Headed to the ocean." "Are they with the horde? You a scout?" Iris questions "I was... going off on my own." "Why?" Daryla sks, "I had no choice. I love those people, but he's... I couldn't stay there." the woman cries.

"He's what?" Iris asks "Lost it. After what you did to her. Will you take this out?" she asks "Does he know where we are?" Daryl asks "I don't know. But he's gonna keep coming for you. You took too much. No, please. Please. I want to walk... after." she begs, watching Daryl step forward to shoot.

"Does he know where we are?" Iris asks, "I don't know. I mean it." The whisperer says, Iris watches Daryl's arrow fly into the woman's head, Iris and Daryl climb down to the body, she picks up the knife, sliding it into her belt while Daryl collects his arrows again.

"You didn't have to do that." Judith says "She didn't have any information for us, anyway. She was gonna die. Better to be quick." Daryl explains, climbing out of the ditch and holding his hand out to Iris, she takes it and he pulls her out, "We're gonna leave her?" Judith asks.

"Come on." Iris says, "Maybe she has a family." The girl says, Daryl and Iris stop and turn back to the girl, "Look, if they're only a few miles away, maybe we can spot something from the top of the tower." Daryl says, grabbing the girl's hand and pulling her with him as they start to move again.

..........

"What is it?" Daryl asks, looking at the girls face when she stops and noticing the sorrow in her features, "I can't believe we just left her. In a ditch. What if you were lost... and no one could find you? Or RJ was. Or Mom." Judith says.

"You gotta tell us where this is coming from." Daryl says, walking over to the girl, "I just want us to be back together again. At home. That's all." Judith explains "I radioed your mom so she knows not to go home, so she's safe. And that way, she can find us." Daryl says.

"You talked to her?" Judith asks, hope shining in her eyes, "No. But I'm gonna keep trying." Daryl says, all the hope drains from Judith's eyes, as she looks back down at the floor, "It doesn't matter... I talked to her after the fire. And I'm worried... maybe she won't come home." Judith cries.

"What'd she say?" Iris questions "She went to go help some people she met. Who needed her. I didn't wanna tell you guys." Judith says "Why's that?" Iris asks, "'Cause maybe you'd leave, too." Judith says, looking up at them as tears slip down her cheeks, the girl's words stab into Iris's heart, "we won't." Daryl says.

"You promise?" she asks, "we can't." Daryl says "Why?" "Because I can't lie to you. I don't know what's gonna happen. And there ain't no one that can tell you that they do. And there's one thing I know. There's a whole bunch of people back there that'd do anything for you. And one day, when you're older, they're gonna need you to do anything for them. You got a whole lot of family." Daryl explains.

"Nothing can take the place of someone you love being gone. But that doesn't mean that everything that follows is gonna break your heart." Daryl says, crouching down to the girl, Iris watches as Judith wraps her arms around Daryl, she pulls away before hugging Iris.

Iris holds Judith out in front of her, wiping the girls tears away, "Hey. We gotta go, kiddo, all right? Come on." Daryl says, Iris stands again and holds onto Judith's hand.

They stop when Daryl's radio starts to go off, "Gabriel?" Daryl questions, holding the walkie up to his mouth, "Daryl... where are you?" "You're breaking up. I can't hear you." Daryl says "Come back... they've... surrounded the..." "Gabriel?" "We need... wagon..." "Gabriel!"

Iris lets go of Judith's hand and pulls her sword from the strap on her back before running back to the hospital, when they make it to the entrance they run into Kelly and Carol "Go, go, go!" Daryl shouts, opening the door, Iris covers them as they run in before following after.

As Daryl tries to shut the door a walker blocks him, he throws it against the door and Iris drives her sword into the walker's head, while Daryl closes the door.