Daryl's Girl

Chapter 134

I stood and waited at the gate for a while after Daryl and the others left. I didn't know what was wrong with me. Daryl has gone out plenty of times before and has always come back, so why was this any different? He's never broken his promises before so why would he now?

All of a sudden, I heard yelling coming from across the far side of the courtyard. It was loud enough to snap me from y thoughts and by the sound of it, somethig was definitely going on.

Without any hesitarion, I jogged over to where the yelling was coming from to eventually make out the voices of both Maggie and Hershal. It didn't make sense. Why would they be arguing?

It wasn't until I turned around the corner to see them standing facing one another with a box of something behind Hershal, that I realised what was happening. By the look of it, Hershal was about to head into the tombs, leading to A block.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Elderberries." Hershal replied before Maggie could open her mouth to speak. I just looked at him confused. "My wife used to make tea with them. They're a natural flue remedy." He clarified. "Caleb's to sick to help, I can. There's so many times we haven't been able to do anything to change what was happening. What was happening to us. We wished we could, but we couldn't. This time, I can. I know I can. So I have to."

"Hershal, if you go in there, you're gonna get sick-" I stepped forward, shaking my head, so I was stood next to Maggie.

"We don't know that." He interrupted. "What we do know is these people's symptoms need to be controlled."

Maggie shook her head and turned away. I could see she was on the verge of tears. "Hershal, please. We can wait." I begged.

"Listen damn it." He yelled and both Maggie and I looked at him surprised. The only time I'd heard him raise his voice like that was with Rick after we lost Lori. "You step outside, you risk your life. You take a drink of water, you risk your life. And now a days you breath, and you risk your life. Every moment now, you don't have a choice. The only thing you can choose is what you're risking it for. Now I can make these people feel better and hang on a little bit longer. I can save lives. That's reason enough to risk mine. And you know that."

He covered his nose and mouth with his bandanna and picked up the crate from the floor. He then walked over to the cell block door and both Maggie and I followed him.

We both knew he wasn't going to take no for an answer, so Maggie sighed and opened the door, but before he could step inside, I stopped him. "I've just lost my dad and..." I stopped and closed my eyes for a moment. I couldn't say it. Not now. Instead I just opened my eyes to look at him and took a deep breath. "I can't lose my godfather too."

"You won't." Hershal promised and at that, he made his way inside and Maggie slid the door close. She then turned to me and hugged me.

It felt like everyone was leaving us or being takem away. Now theres not that many of us left who arent sick, but if Hershal feels that he needs to do this then who are we to stop him. It was what Daryl was doing too. He was out there not for himself, but for those who need him.

After a little while, Maggie and I made our way back round and over to the guard tower. She and Glenn have pretty much moved out of their cell now and stay up there, but with Glenn sick, I didn't want her to be up there on her own. The people we love aren't here to hold us so we have to be there for each other.

Once we reached the top we sat down with our backs up against the wall and our feet danging over the side. In that moment everything was peaceful and I finally felt myself being able to take my mind off of everything.