Daryl's Angel (10th Anniversary Edition)

Chapter 26: Escapee

The next morning, we add another grave to the line and hold a funeral for Dale. We burn the walker that killed him. We stand, solemn, and as the sun rises over the trees, Rick speaks about the man we've lost, about how he saw us for who we were. He thought the group was broken and the best way to honour Dale is to unbreak it.

"Set aside our differences and pull together, stop feeling sorry for ourselves and take control of our lives, our safety, our future," Rick says. "We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong. From now on, we're gonna do it his way. That is how we honour Dale."

As people wander away, going back to the things that they need to do, Daryl and I linger. I look up at him and bump my shoulder against his.

"He was right, you know," I say. Daryl raises an eyebrow at me and I add, "About you. I keep thinking about what he said at camp."

He scoffs a little. "Bet he was really thinking 'bout how decent I was when I put a bullet between his eyes."

I rest my head on his shoulder, twining our hands together. "You stepped up and did something that none of us wanted to. I think it takes a decent man to do that."

He stares down at the grave and his lips purse. "I could'a been faster—"

"Don't start telling yourself that," I murmur, squeezing his hand. "It's no one's fault. This...this is how the world is." No matter how much it sucks.

He steps away from me, only enough to give him room to lean down and kiss the side of my forehead. "Thanks," he mutters. "For being here."

"Of course."

----------

Shane, Andrea, Daryl, and T-Dog leave to check the fences around the farm and Rick orders the rest of us to start packing up camp. With winter getting closer and the nights getting colder, Hershel has agreed to move us into the house.

I feel more than a bit sad as I pack up, but it's comforting to know that this little part of the farm will still be here for Daryl and me when spring comes again. I had a few fantasies about keeping warm with Daryl through the winter, but since Hershel has agreed to let us stay and move into the farmhouse, I'll just have to cook up new ones.

I make a few trips, carrying our things to the main camp and putting them with the other supplies. The last thing I take is Daryl's Chopper. As I approach the farmhouse, lugging the bike beside me, I notice that the blue truck Daryl and the others left in has returned, and I pick up the pace.

Daryl jogs up to me and takes the bike off my hands. Rick, Hershel, Maggie, Shane and the others are gathered near the truck.

"Gonna be tight, fifteen people in one house," Rick says.

"Don't worry about that," Hershel insists. "With the swamp hardening, the creek drying up..."

"With fifty head of cattle on the property, we might as well be ringing a damn dinner bell," Maggie says.

"She's right." Hershel purses his lips. "We should've moved you in a while ago."

Rick nods in silent agreement. As the rest of us get to work gathering supplies and loading them into the truck bed, Rick lays out the plan.

"Alright, let's move the vehicles near each of the doors, facing out towards the road," he says. "We'll build a lookout in the windmill, another in the barn loft. That should give us sightlines on both sides of the property. T-Dog, you take the perimeter around the house. Keep track of everyone coming and going."

"What about standing guard?" T-Dog asks, setting a cooler down.

"I need you and Daryl on double duty."