My Damaged Protector

Chapter Seventeen ~ Say the word

Daryl had eventually left my side in order to check on Rick. Once I was alone again, Hershel called me over with a wave of his hand. "Let me see the baby." My feet slowly carried me over to stand in front of the older man, watching as he examined the little girl.

"What are we going to feed it?" Daryl questioned, coming up behind me and looking down at the baby.

"Her. What are we going to feed her?" I whispered.

"We got anything a baby can eat?" We had been looking all winter but hadn't been able to find anything.

"The good news is she looks healthy, but she needs formula and soon or she won't survive." A deep, shaky breath left my body as my hold on the girl became a bit tighter.

"Nope. No way, not her." Daryl adjusted his crossbow higher on his shoulder. "We ain't losing anyone else. I'm goin' for a run."

"I'm coming too." I gently passed the baby girl over to her brother.

"I'm going too." Glenn stepped up.

"Ok, think about where were going. Beth." Daryl motioned with his finger. I had turned to Glenn, giving him a silent look that told him that I knew where to go, a possibility.

Rick suddenly shot up off the ground, snagged a fallen axe from the concrete, and charged into the prison halls before anyone could say a word.

"Come on, or were gone loose the light!" Daryl called for Glenn and I from beside his bike. "We got a plan yet?"

I nodded. "There's a daycare not too far from here. We passed it a while ago but didn't clear it because it was surrounded at the time. There could be some useful kids' things there." Daryl had a map held in his hands and I found the corner of the two streets the building would be sat at, pointing on the map.

"There's a lot of debris on the road that way. A car will never get through that." Glenn sighed.

"I can take one of ya." Daryl offered, sitting on his bike and looking for Glenn and I to make a decision.

With a nod from Glenn, I stepped up. "I'm going. Glenn, please keep an eye on her and Carl. I can't imagine how he's feeling right now." He gave me another nod and handed a black backpack over to me as Daryl passed me the bow, both hanging tightly on my back. "We'll be back as soon as we can.

I got on the back of the bike as it roared to life in the courtyard, speeding down to the main gates where Beth let us through before closing it behind us.

My arms held tightly to Daryl's waist as we flew down the road, taking a few turns here and there to find the building. Cars dotted the streets, covered in a fine layer of dust, they could be worth a look once we have more time.

The ride wasn't as long as I was expecting, pulling up to the building much quicker than I had thought possible. Once the engine was off, we were cast into an eerie silence, only the birds and bugs being heard. I was off first, quickly passing the bow over to Daryl and then jumping the fence of the playground to get to the windows of the small building. This place would have been beautiful a year and a half ago, surrounded with trees so the kids would have nature around them, brightly colored slides and toys dotting the fenced in area.

We both peered through the dusty window, looking for any possible threats, but only seeing a few toys and cribs in the room. Daryl pulled his bandana from his pocket and wrapped it around his hand before slamming the side of his fist into the window and shattering the glass. I gently brushed the glass down into the grass and climbed through the small space carefully.

There was still no sounds of walkers inside the building as I ventured in a bit farther. The cribs that lined the main wall of the room were all neatly made and relatively clean, but far too large for us to take back now. There were a few cabinets in the room, each filled with various supplies. This room had to have been the primary infant room of the daycare. Diapers, bottles, clothes and even a blanket were in the cabinets of this room, each and everything being placed into my bag neatly to make sure I had room for more things.