My Damaged Protector

Chapter Twenty-Eight ~ Isolation

I followed Rick down hall after hall. Eventually, daylight streamed in from an open door and I was able to see bloody drag marks down the hall and through the open door. Tyreese was already outside with Daryl, two charred bodies laying on the ground and still smoking. "Oh my god." My hand flew to my mouth as I glanced between Ty and Daryl.

"You found them like this?" Rick asked, looking to Ty for answers.

"I came to see Karen, and saw the blood on the floor, then I smelled them. Somebody dragged them out here and set them on fire. They killed 'em and set 'em on fire." Ty shouted. At this point, the stench was so bad that I pulled the bandana down and turned to get a bit farther away from the bodies. Ty walked up to Rick quickly, his shoulders squared and his body radiating anger. Daryl grabbed onto my arm and pulled me away as Ty got too close. "You're a cop." He pointed a finger threateningly at Rick. "You find out who did this, and you bring them to me, you understand? You bring them to me."

Daryl stepped up carefully. "We'll find out who..." He places his hand gently on Ty's shoulder only to have it shook off.

"Do I need to say it again? You bring them to me."

Rick held his hands up to show he meant no harm. "I know what you're feelin'. I've been there, you saw me there. It's dangerous." He was talking about the time after we lost Lori.

"Karen didn't deserve this. David didn't deserve it, nobody does."

Daryl tried approaching again. "Alright man..." He touched Ty's arm again to try and get him to calm down. Tyreese turned in a flash, his hands pressed dangerously close to Daryl's throat while shoving the hunter back against the concrete wall.

"Hey!" I jumped forward, moving to pull on Tyreese but Daryl threw his hand out to halt my movements. "Ty."

"Man, you don't get it." Tyreese growled.

"We're on the same side man." Daryl defended, his hands now raised like Rick's were.

"Hey, look." Rick started again, trying to pull the attention away from Daryl. "I know what you're going through. We've all lost someone. We know what you're going through but you got to calm down." Again, Rick went to place a gentle hand on Ty's shoulder in a comforting way, but he was having none of it. I tried warning Rick to duck as I noticed Tyreese spinning, only for Rick to be shoved back into me. "She wouldn't want you being like this."

Daryl was quick to pull me again, his hand held tightly around my wrist as Ty swung at Rick, landing a hard hit to his jaw. "Tyreese! Stop it!" I shouted, too afraid that I would get hit if I moved forward. But hit after hit was landed on Rick's face and I had had enough. "Back the hell off." I growled this time, moving forward after making sure Daryl would be close enough to protect me if needed. Ty was a big guy, if he hit me, I'd surely go down. There was rage filling Tyreese's eyes, his arm still pulling back to swing again when I stepped in the way, flinching, and bringing my arms up to soften the blow, though it never came. Daryl had managed to get his arms around Ty' stopping the assault on Rick.

I turned to help Rick up off the ground, backing up once he was on his feet. Rick turned swiftly and punched Ty back, over and over again. Daryl's arms disappeared from Ty, allowing him the chance to fight back while Daryl moved to my side. We watched as our leader beat on Tyreese, even long after the larger man had hit the ground.

"Rick." Daryl warned, finally done with the man's senseless assault. "Tha's enough."

It was like Rick had completely zones out from the world. He didn't react to Daryl's words and barely faltered when the hunter's arms yanked him off. "Let go of me! Let go, let go of me!" Rick shoved Daryl off, storming his way back through the door and into the halls as Tyreese turned to his side and broke down over the loss of Karen. After a few moments, Daryl and I helped Ty to his feet and sent him to find Hershel in order to give him medical attention. His eye had already started to swell and there were a few little cuts along his arms.