Always (A Daryl Dixon/ The Walking Dead Fanfiction)

Chapter 16 - Pretty Much Dead Already

"Thank you." I smile at Carol as she spoons some eggs onto my plate.

"You're welcome." She smiles.

I turn and take a seat beside T-Dog on one of the firewood stumps. I begin to eat at my meal as I see Daryl walk out from our tent. He has spent the last two days resting in the tent, allowing his body to heal properly. The camp seems to be in better spirits lately. Carl has gotten better, he's now walking around and even joined in on yesterday's gun training with Rick, Shane and T-Dog

I went along with everyone else who went for training, refining my skills from what Daryl and Merle taught me to shoot. We're all sitting around the campfire and enjoying our breakfast together before we all go out and look for Sophia once more. I eat the eggs, them tasting amazing after all the average food we have been eating for the past few weeks.

"Uh, guys?" Glenn asks.

I look and see him standing up, a nervous look on his face as he takes us all in. He takes a deep breath before he continues, "So... The barn's full of walkers."

I stop chewing and look at him in shock, wondering if I have heard him right. The rest of the group has the same expression as me. I notice Rick and Shane exchange a look before Rick places his food down and gets to his feet, "Show us."

Everyone places their food down as we walk after Glenn who leads the way towards the barn that is nestled in the distance. The group is silent as we go and soon enough we reach the old structure. Rick walks forward and looks in between the doors of the barn. Hear the sound of the walkers coming from inside and I see his back tense up and he steps away, Shane walking forward to look in.

Shane turns away and walks back towards us, "You can not tell me you are alright with this."

Rick shakes his head, "No I am not. But we are guests here, this isn't our land."

"God, this is our lives man!" Shane yells at him.

"Lower your voice!" Glenn insists and I hear the walkers get louder from inside the walls.

"We can't just sweep this under the rug." Andrea says and T-Dog nods his head, "It ain't right, not remotely."

"We either gotta go in there and make things right, or we just gotta go." Shane says, putting his cap on his head, "Alright we've been talking about Fort Benning for awhile now."

Rick talks over the top of him, "We can't go."

"Why Rick? Why?" Shane questions.

"Because my daughter's still out there." Carol states, stepping forward.

Shane scoffs and shakes his head as he rubs his hands over his face, "I think it's time we start to consider the other possibility."

"Shane we are not leaving Sophia behind." Rick states.

"We're so close to finding this girl, I just found her damn doll two days ago." Daryl says.

Shane scoffs, "You found her doll Daryl, you found a doll!" Shane argues and I see Daryl get angry, "You don't know what the hell you're talking about!"

"I'm just saying what needs to be said here! If you don't get a lead in the first forty eight hours you got nothing!" Shane yells back as Rick tries to calm him down, "Shane stop!"

Shane turns to Daryl, "Let me tell you something else man. If she was alive out there and saw you coming, all methed out with your buck knife and geek ears around your neck she would run in the other direction!"

"Shut up you stupid dumb wit cop!" Daryl yells, lunging for him.

They both begin to fight and yell at each other as Rick holds them apart, the rest of us stepping in to pull them away from the other. I pull Daryl back and place a hand on his chest and I look up into his eyes, urging him to calm down. After a moment I look back at Shane who continues to yell at him.