Always (A Daryl Dixon/ The Walking Dead Fanfiction)

Chapter 25 - Hounded

I come in and out of consciousness every few hours and I wonder how long I've been in the closet. I'm Completely weak, haven't having a drink and food for God knows how long. I can't move a muscle and I can feel myself dying. Everything hurts, not just physically but emotionally.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about what happened to T. The way he sacrificed himself to save me and the group. The thought of not even having the chance to say thank you for what he did breaks my heart and I know that it is a guilt I'm going to hold over me for the rest of my life. No matter how short it is. We weren't exactly the closest of people but we still had a good friendship. He did a lot for me, more than I could ever have asked for.

The way he sacrificed himself to bring Merle back from the rooftop in Atlanta for me. The way he took care of us all on the farm and on the road. The way he helped us begin to fix up the prison, to fight for those prisoners. He was an incredible man that didn't deserve to go the way he went, it should have been me and I will always hold a special place for him in my heart.

During the small brief periods where I don't think about T-Dog, I think about Daryl. I wonder what he must be thinking, what he must be feeling right now. He is the only thing keeping my alive right now, knowing that I need to get back to him. Somehow, someway. I made him a promise, always. I intend to keep that promise. I just have to conjure up the energy to get out of here and go back to him, even if it is only to say goodbye to him.

However I'm too weak and I haven't had the strength to get myself out of this closet. A small nagging part in the back of my brain tells me that I'm going to die here. That I will die and turn and be one of the very things that I hate most in this world. And even though I intend to fight, the reality of that thought coming true comes closer with every minute passing by.

All of a sudden I hear the sound of people talking from down the hallway. I weakly turn towards the door as the sounds of their footsteps comes closer. I reach my arm out and try with all my might to push against the door. It moves, but only slightly. Barely enough for a bit of light to fill the room. However I continue to push at the door, knowing it will be my only chance at a rescue.

"Check it out man. We must have missed it last night." A voice says that sounds like one of the prisoners.

"It's probably just one or two of them. Don't look like they got much fight." I hear him say and my heart rate increases immediately at the sound of his voice.

I go to scream out but my voice is so dry that no noise comes out. There is a push on the door and I feel hope rise in my chest when he speaks again, "They ain't going nowhere, we'll take care of it on the way back."

I push against the door again as I hear him walk away and I scold myself for being so weak, for not being the person he knows I am. I hear him whistle and soon he speaks, this time form further down the hall, "Come on."

He pauses for a moment before he speaks, "You know my Mom, she liked her wine. She liked to smoke in bed. Virginia Slims." He says and a whole bunch of memories come flying back to mind.

"Bree..." He stumbles over my name. He pauses for a moment before continuing to speak, "Bree and I were playing with a bunch of kids in the neighbourhood, we could do that with Merle gone." He states, further down the hall though I hear him clearly and I push against the door again.

"They had bikes, we didn't. We heard sirens getting louder, they jumped on their bikes and we ran after it you know? Hoping we were gonna see something worth seeing." He says and the memory comes back to me like it was yesterday.