Daryl's Girl

Chapter 90

I drove down the road, making sure I was avoiding any contact with the rubble whilst Maggie was yelling directions into my ear. I couldn't care how fast I was going as long as we got there and got back in time. After losing three of our own already, there was no way I was letting anyone else die. This kid at least deserved a chance and I sure as hell was gonna make sure they grew up better than what Merle and I had.

As we drove, a couple walkers noticed us as we past but they couldn't reach us. I wouldn't let the dead dumb bastards get anywhere near us. Not when we had a job as important as this that needed to be done. The kid and everyone else were relying on us and I intended to deliver.

It didn't take long before I spotted a sign that showed us the direction to the shopping centre. We were almost there and all that was going through my mind was 'get back to her.' She's gone now. The her I so desperately wanted to get back to was gone. Lily was gone...But I couldn't sit around feeling sorry for myself. I have to be there for the kid. That's what she'd want me to do.

Maggie must've felt me tense up as she gave my waist a slight squeeze as we pulled up outside the shopping centre. It was like a wave of anger and frustration hit me. The walkers were all in the parking lot and from what I could see, coming out of the centre itself. There's no way we'd be getting in and out of there alive. Not without risking our lives and risking any chance we had of getting back.

"There should be a nursery a few miles down the road." Maggie suggested, placing her hand on my shoulder. I just shook my head and started the engine again, watching as the walkers made their way over but I was gone before they could even reach us.

I drove in the direction that Maggie had pointed and listened to he wind as I drove. The group were counting on the both of us me to get the formula that we need. If I can't be there for Lily, I need to be there for the baby. Hell, Rick wasn't gonna so someone has to.

"There!" Maggie pointed. I turned my head and saw a little building. This was our destination. Get in, get out.

I drove down a little side road and pulled up outside a typical abandoned playground. "Company's close." I spoke out. "Stay tight." Talking about the walkers.

Maggie hopped off of the back of my bike and started to yank the gate open to the playground. It's was a typical nursery playground. Swings, climbing frame, seesaw, slide, roundabout, you name it. Not that there was anyone around anymore to enjoy it.

I then walked over and stood watch whilst Maggie used the end of her gun to break the window. Surely if there was anything inside theyd have come out from where they were hiding. Nothing did. It wasn't until I turned around that I saw that Maggie was already inside.

I lifted my leg through the window and climbed through myself. I obviously wasn't as graceful as Maggie but it worked and when I was inside I saw her grabbing bottles and nappies out of a cupboard. As she did, I looked around the room and there were paintings and hand prints over the wall with names inside. There was a Sofie and...a Lily.

A smirk formed on my face but I quickly cleared my throat and walked over to Maggie. The pair of us walking out into the daek, empty corridor, where I grabbed my torch. The tow of us then each took a side with Maggie going in the opposite direction to me. It was a small building so we'd know if the other was in trouble. We'd clear more ground that way too. It wasn't like we had time to spare.

I slowly made my way over to the first door and found myself stood in the doorway to an art class. The cupboards were all open and there was nothing but paint and brushes covering the floor. Next to it was a room filled with toys. I walked in and there was a doll sitting in a chair. It had a white frilly hat on and a bright yellow dress. It looked to be the only one untouched so I grabbed the doll and walked out of the room. The kid needs at least one toy.

Then there was a sudden rattling and clanking noise coming from down the hallway. Both Maggie and I looked at each other from down each end of the hallway and met by a door where the noise seemed to be coming from.

I looked in and the room was empty. Then the noise went off again and I put my torch in my mouth. I then walked in and nodded for Maggie to open the door to the cabinet, lifting my crossbow as she grabbed the handle.

She then counted down with her fingers. Three. Two. One. She swung the door open and without any hesitation I shot my arrow at the possum inside. "Hello dinner." I chuckled, my torch still in my mouth.

"I'm not putting that in my bag." Maggie refused and turned away.

I shrugged my shoulders and picked it up by its tail anyway. The squeaking of the cupboard doors behind me. I turned round to see that Maggie had opened them to have two tins of baby formula, untouched, sitting on the shelf.

Both Maggie and I looked at one another again and quickly shoved them into her bag and stood up. "Lets go." I walked out of the room.

Maggie walked out behind me. We have bottles, nappies, baby formula and I had the toy. All we need to do now was get back. The hard part was done, now for the easy part.

We climbed back out the window and it was already starting to get dark. I then put the possum into my pouch and the toy into Maggie's bag as she climbed on. She looked at me with a smirk on her face. I just had to ignore her as I got back on in front, starting my bike up again and drove back the way we came.

It didn't take us long before we passed the shopping centre, that we were originally gonna hit. The walkers were still outside moaning. Some of them noticed us as I turned up the road that lead straight for the prison. The soon lost interest as something in the trees caught their attention.

I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. There was a new little life depending on us. Everyone was depending on us. We had what we needed and I wouldn't stop until we got back.

After a little while longer, I saw the lights from the guard tower and pulled myself together as I drove up to the gate. This place already had some memories, both good and bad, and we've not even lived here longer than a couple of days.

Glenn and Jace shot a couple from the guard tower, that were around us and Axel started beating on the fences. Oscar had already opened the gate by the time I arrived so I drove straight through, not bothering to stop.

Maggie then jumped of the bike as I parked it, grabbing her bag. I then did the same grabbing the possum before running inside. I wasn't too far behind Maggie.

"Beth!" Maggie called as we ran through the doors. I took my crossbow from my shoulder and placed it on the floor, putting the dead animal on the table for us to eat later.

"How's she doing?" I asked Carl. It was all I managed to say.

She was crying so I took her in my arms. "Shh." I whispered as I rocked her. She calmed down a little as I stood with her but she was still crying. This being my first time holding a baby. I didn't care that it felt uncomfortable. I just wanted her to be safe.

Beth then finished mixing the formula and I took the bottle from her and began feeding the tiny human in my arms. "Come on. Come on." I spoke softly as she took the bottle in her mouth. I looked up at everyone and smiled. This was the first time I had a meaningful smile on my face in front of everyone. I didn't care. It was like the wall I'd been building came crashing down in a single second.

As I looked round, I couldn't wipe the smile from my face. I then noticed Briana sat at the table with David and Herahal and they too were all smiling back at me with the baby in my arms. "She got a name yet?" I asked Carl. He was stood in front of me watching his sister carefully.

"Not yet. But I was thinking maybe Sophia. Then there's Lily too." He spoke not making any eye contact with me. I looked at Carol and she was smiling when she heard her daughters name. David was also smiling. "And...Andrea, Amy, Jacqui, Patricia...or Lori. I don't know." It was cute. He wanted to name her after the people we've lost.

I looked back down at the baby. "You like that. Huh? Little ass-kicker." I looked up at the rest of the group who were laughing. "Right? That's a good name, right?" They all laughed a little more. "Little ass-kicker. You like that, huh? You like that sweetheart?" I smiled back down to the little bundle of joy in my arms.

It is such a shame that she's going to grow up in a world like this, not knowing who her mother was. Her father out of sorts. It was down to us to protect her and keep her safe, no matter what. There's no way we're losing anyone else.