Chasing Amy (Daryl Dixon/The Walking Dead)

Chapter 53 - White Noise

"Is someone there?" The voice was deep, heavy... A man's voice.

"Yes." Was Rick's murmured reply. His eyebrows were drawn together in his confusion, lips pursing for a moment, "Yes. Who is this?"

"We've been calling since--" There was a breathy pause, sending Rick back onto his bottom as he readjusted the receiver against his ear, "Since it all ended."

"Wh-Where are you?" Rick rasped into the phone, desperation lining his voice.

"I can't answer that." The voice replied coldly.

"You could be a thousand miles away," Rick said, his voice distant even to his ears.

He hung onto every crackle of the static as he waited for the reply.

"I'm not going to say where we are."

"Are you..." He paused, hesitating for a moment, "Are you someplace safe?"

"Yeah." The voice stated, his tone brief
and straight to the point, "And part of it is because we're careful."

Rick didn't reply, lost in thought for a moment as he remembered all that had led up to this tragedy.

Was he not careful?

Did he not do everything in his power to protect and survive?

He couldn't help but swallow tightly, his eyes squeezing shut as he hid away from the thought.

"I can't tell you where we are."

"What makes... What makes your place so safe?" Rick stammered.

"It's just..." The voice paused for an agonising few seconds, "Away."

Rick bit his lower lip in frustration, the cryptic answer not seeming to sink into his muddled mind.

Rick breathed deeply, his arms tense as he tried to think of what he could possibly say to this mysterious voice... To make him understand just how much he needed to leave this place, this prison.

"I have a son." He paused, choking on the words as he bit back the sting in his throat, "I... I-I..." He swallowed heavily, regained control of his own voice, "I have a newborn... Baby. I'm with a good group of people..."

"Would you be willing... Could you take in others?" Rick held onto the silence from the other end with a befuddled sense of hope. "We could pull our weight, we could help you."

"I'd have to talk to the group."

"W-Well put them on, let me make a case!" His voice raised as he clambered to his feet, immediately moving so he stood pressed against the table, the cable stretching as he did so. "Let us join you, w-we can--"

"Let me talk to them first."

"Please! Please don't go -- Just..." Rick's breath hitched as tears gathered in his clouded eyes, and he pinched the bridge of his nose to hold them in. "Please... We're good people here... We, we just need some help, we can help you." His lips strained to get the words out as his face scrunched up, his resolve entirely faded.