The Fear (The Walking Dead / Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 2 - Sacrificed

"And you just let her go?" My dad asked me in a clearly enraged, but hushed whisper.

"Dad, it's Maggie. She knows the land just as well you or I. She took a horse; she'll be fine. Someone needed to find Rick's wife. Shane and Otis are leaving for the school, Rick could barely make it across the paddock, I wasn't going to send Beth and you might need me a Patricia. Nelly is the fastest horse, but she'd throw Jimmy. Maggie and I have gone on a dozen runs before, she knows what she's doing."

"I know... I'm just surprised you of all people let her." Dad raised his eyebrows up at me.

"I would have gone myself if I could."

"Alright... Go and look after Rick. Get him some water and something to eat." I nodded in agreement before heading over to the man.

"I'm gonna fix you something to eat, you like chicken?" I asked him.

"Ah... yes." He answered with an almost head shake, snapping himself out of a dazed look at the open door into the room where his son lay.

"Why don't you come with me into the kitchen, have some water. It might do you some good to stand on your feet for a little while." Rick barely managed an agreeing nod, stumbling to his feet and letting me lead him to the kitchen. "So, you were a Sheriff?" I asked, wanting to keep his mind distracted. Of course I had noticed the police uniform the second I had seen him, but I paid no attention to it, a little too distracted.

"Yeah, King County, Georgia." He explained in a gentle voice as I handed him a glass of water.

"King County? I've been there, only briefly though. Used to drive through when I was travelling back and forth from college."

"Long trip." Rick replied weakly.

"Yeah, I didn't mind though. I like driving, particularly on my own."

"What were you studying?" His voice clearly said he didn't particularly care, but I think he was also trying to keep his mind a little distracted.

"Veterinary medicine."

"Katie." Otis interrupted, walking into the kitchen with an empty bag thrown over his shoulder and his only rifle in his hands. He and Patricia were the only people who called me Katie. Well... Shawn used to and whenever I heard it I got a dull ache in my chest thinking about my brother, but I never said anything. It would sound unnatural if Otis or Patricia called me anything else.

"You heading out now?"

"Yeah, I was wondering if we might take your pickup? It'll be easier to throw what we need in the back."

"Yeah, yeah, of course." I nodded right away, pulling the keys for my sky blue 1966 Ford F-100 out of my pocket. I always kept my keys on me, always. With a place as big as ours they came in handy. I had my car keys, house keys, shed keys, padlock keys for a few of the fences, you name it on there... and of course the keys to the barn.

I took off the car key and held it out for Otis. "Take care of her." I warned and he smiled. The pickup truck used to be my dad's, but I had been in love with the vehicle since I was a kid so when I got my licence he gave it to me and bought himself a Suburban.

"Of course." He nodded as I reached up and gave him a friendly hug.

"And take care of yourself. The equipment should be in the mobile medical vehicles out the front; you shouldn't need to go inside. I would suggest that one of you just drive one of them back here, but they haven't been turned on in a while and I'm not sure how much fuel they have."

"Got it."

Rick suddenly grasped Otis's shoulder firmly. "Thank-you." He said adamantly to the man who was trying to save his son. Otis responded with a curt nod and began to make his way outside. Rick followed him and I trailed along behind, but never made it out the door before Beth grabbed my hand.