Mi Amor ~ Daryl Dixon

Chapter Thirty-Nine

In the middle of the night Daryl finally came back. He wasn't alone. Daryl explained to the group how him and Carol saw the car that took Beth and left to the city where Carol got hit by a car and taken. The boy who was with him had escaped, he said he had worked for the main lady there at a hospital.

The group had to go back to the city.

They decided it best that Gabriel, Michonne, and Carl stay behind with Judith. Rick and Daryl suggested that Adrianna stay behind but she quickly declined. She knew deep down she didn't want to go with them. The pain and guilt from all the lives that she had seen taken was starting to catch up to her but she also knew that there was no avoiding it.

In the morning the group locked up the church and then the ones staying would finish the job as the rest of them left. Adrianna was stood outside in front of the church. The sun shined down onto her body from between the trees as she stuck pipes from the piano into the ground.

"Are you going to take the cross too?" Gabriel's voice sounded from behind her.

"If we need it." She replied bluntly.

The sound of more metal parts being laid down made Adrianna turn. Gabriel was gone and Daryl took his place. Concern was evident in his eyes and his voice was soft and careful. "Come here." He motioned away from the church. It was silent as they stood further back from the church and took a look at the work they were doing. "Are you okay?" Daryl asked Adrianna as his eyes ran over her stressed expression.

"Yeah." She wiped the sweat from her forehead and kept her eyes on the church. "I'm fine."

"Adri-"

"Daryl." She cut the man off and snapped her gaze to his. "I'm fine. Please drop it." She urged as her eyes softened at his shocked expression. Guilt filled her heart and she walked away. He knew that she needed her space but also wanted her to know that he was here for her. Daryl let out a loud sigh as he walked back over to the church and began to help her put the metal pipes into the ground. They worked in silence and it brought a comfort to the both of them.

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"At sundown we fire a shot in the air." Rick explained to the small group around him. Adrianna, Sasha, Tyreese, Noah, and Daryl had went along with him. They found a building that Noah said was clear of walkers and close enough to the hospital for them to work with. "Get two of them put on patrol. Then when it's dark enough that the rooftop spotter won't see us, we go. We cut the locks on one of the stairways, take it to the fifth floor." Rick continued. "I open the door, Daryl takes the guard out."

Adrianna paused at the sound of his plan. "How?"

"He slits his throat." Rick replied meeting her uncertain eyes. "This is all about us doing this quiet, keeping the upper hand. They're not expecting us.
From there, we can out. Knives and silenced weapons. We need to be fast." The plan made Tyreese and Adrianna shift uncomfortably. "Tyreese, Sasha, take them." Rick marked a room on the map of the hospital. "Daryl, Adrianna, take care of whoever's in the kitchen." He marked another room farther away. "I got Dawn. If they're smart, the rest or them will give up then it'll be five on three. Six on three when we get a weapon to Beth." He finished.

"Twelve on three." Noah spoke up. "The wards will help." He confirmed.

"That's best case. What's worst case?" Tyreese asks them. "All it takes is one of those cops going down the hall at the wrong time. Then it's not quiet. All hands on deck. We're talking about a lot of bullets flying around." The group knew he was right.

"If that's what it takes." Rick says still stuck on the violent option.

"It's not. If we get a couple of her cops, alive out here. We can do an even trade." Tyreese urged. His idea made Adrianna nod. If they could avoid killing anyone she would definitely prefer it that way.
"Theirs for ours." Adrianna smiled at his plan and the group turned to her. "Everybody goes home."