Tragic Coincidence | Daryl Dixon

Chapter Six

I didn't know how to do it....I didn't know how to turn around and tell the woman with the missing child that her daughter was right inside this barn, and she was dead. This wasn't her little girl I knew that, Her little girl had been bitten in the neck and turned some time ago. I had done this countless times before, telling someone a family member had not made it through surgery, or they had lost too much blood and I did all I could....so I didn't know why this was so hard. 

I looked behind me...Rick and Shane were still arguing about what to do with the walkers, Lori was trying to put in her two sense every once and a while. Dale was trying to make a case about how Hershel sees the walkers as people who are only sick, how he thought they could be cured...Poor Carol was crying off to the side like she normally was, and the rest of the group was scattered around listening to the arguments.

And then there was Daryl....Daryl was the person nearest to me, he was playing with his hunting knife and glancing at me with curiosity every now and then. When our eyes finally met I nodded in my direction for him to come..and I was surprised when he did. "What?" He asked while leaning against the door to the barn, the growls growing louder the closer we stood. 

"Look inside, in the corner" I said quietly, and stepped off to the side so he could get a good look inside. He squinted his eyes for a few moments before his eyes grew wide. He looked furious within a matter of seconds and kicked the barn door several times. "Son o' a bitch!" He shouted, riling up the walkers each and every time he kicked the door alerting them of food on the opposite side.

"Shane get the guns!" Daryl screamed his eyes not leaving the barn door. "Daryl, NO! Let us talk to Hershel!" Rick said coming to try and get Daryl away from the door. "Sophia's inside" I said quietly when  Rick stopped shouting. Rick looked confused before understanding crossed his face and he put his face in his hands. "Emma, will you please get Carol out of here so we can handle this" Rick asked turning his back to the group. I looked behind him and saw Shane running over with a bag of guns, rifles sticking out of the end...and carol holding onto her bag looking dazed and confused.

I nodded to rick, and he placed a hand on my shoulder as I passed. Daryl was walking closely behind me, headed in the direction of the guns. And now we had Hershel's family coming towards us...Maggie yelling at Glenn who now held a shotgun...and Hershel shouting towards Rick and Shane who were opening the barn doors. I grabbed Carols hand and tried to drag her away, but she stood her ground. 

"carol, please come with me...you don't want to see this" I said tugging on her hand. Carol looked to me and nodded and turned around to follow me once the first gunshots rang out. I quickened my pace, dragging her into the RV with me and gently setting her down on the chair by the window. I was thankful the RV couldn't see the events taking place only yards away...even though the loud gunfire could still be heard from where we sat.

"carol look at me" I said softly from my seat across the table. She looked up slowly, eyes filled with complete exhaustion of a mother with no child. "Are you listening to me, this is very important" i asked her, gently rubbing her hands with my own. She nodded slightly. I took a deep breath before relaying the information I needed her to hear... "Sophia is gone, I saw her in the barn, she was bit" I said squeezing her hand. She let out a breath I didn't even know she had been holding and dropped her head into her hands. "I'm so sorry" I whispered getting up to wrap my arms around her, but she shrugged me off and took off running out of the RV.

"Carol wait!" I called out, and started chasing after her when i noticed she was running towards the barn. She was running fast, and when I finally caught up with her she was looking through the dead bodies looking for her daughter. I finally noticed the group looking at her with looks of sorrow, and Hershel was crying out, his arms around Maggie seeing his loved ones lying dead on the ground.

I couldn't see Sophia though. Carol was standing in front of the barn, walker blood all over her as she sank to her knees in the pile of the dead...She was hysterically crying out her daughters name, trying to move bodies to see if she could find her, with no such luck. I could hear faint growling coming from inside the barn that she didn't seem to notice. I walked forward in her direction just as the tiny set of feet made their way out of the barn. "Sophia" Carol whimpered trying to stand but failed and fell back to her knees. 

I pulled out an arrow and placed it in my bow that I kept on me at all times. None of the group seemed to have any plans to shoot Sophia if she got too close, even Daryl was looking with bewilderment at the sight at hand. Sophia was only inches away from her, and carol was walking to her with arms open despite the fact that Sophia was growling and chomping her teeth. Carol was seriously about to let her daughter take a bite out of her, and the group was going to let her. I aimed my arrow, took a breath and released...just as Sophia grabbed onto her mother. Carols cries were agonizing as she watched her daughter fall limp in her arms. 

And I couldn't listen to it anymore...Everyone's eyes moved from the tragic scene in front of us, to me...The looks ranged from shocked, to grateful and even a strange look of impressed from Daryl. I just turned and ran back to the RV, slamming the door in the process....I knew that needed to be done, but I couldn't help but feeling like the cause for Carols pain was all my fault...

That night was awkward, I couldn't sleep in the RV knowing Carol was in their crying her eyes out. Dale was inside with Andrea trying to comfort her but I just didn't know what to say. The Greens were inside dealing with their loss as well, Rick along with them trying to plead a case for us to stay...I guess Hershel wanted us to leave. 

The rest of the group was asleep in their tents, and I didn't know where to go. I just plopped down against a tree and used my bag as a pillow. I was almost to sleep when I heard the southern drawl speak in front of me. "What are ya doin woman?" I heard Daryl say, I didn't even open my eyes I already knew it was him. "Sleeping, what does it look like" I mumbled, pulling my arms closer to my body, seeing as I didn't have a blanket. 

"Didn't Rick give you anywhere to sleep" He asked shuffling his feet. I opened my eyes and saw him staring down at me. I just shook my head "I was in the RV, But I cant go in there" I told him.

"Why not?" 

"Because I killed her daughter" I said spiting myself for what i had done. He shook his head and sat down beside me. "Nah, you did what needed to be done, you did what no one else could" he said, his tone filled with a sense of approval. I just grunted and closed my eyes again. "Your gonna get sick sleeping out here" he said teasing me. Daryl was a confusing man, one minute hes calling me a bitch and refusing to believe im really there, and the next hes sitting outside with me praising the fact I killed a little girl and teasing me.

"I don't really see any other options" I mumbled, rubbing my arms with my hands trying to keep warm. Georgia summer days were blazing hot, but when the sun went down it could give you chills. "Don't be a stubborn ass and let me help you" he said repeating the words I told him when we first "met". "Im fine" I said. I thought he had left so I focused on trying to fall asleep, but I was wrong and soon I was yanked off the ground by a pair of strong arms. 

Daryl had grabbed me up and was carrying me towards the tents. "Daryl!" I yelled chuckling trying to squirm to get him to put me down but he was too strong. I had carried me inside of his tent and placed me down on his sleeping bag. I just noticed he had two in his tent... "Where are you gonna sleep?" I asked him pulling the covers over my chilly body. "Ill use my brothers sleeping bag, you can stay in here until you get a tent of your own" He told me, crawling into a sleeping bag of his own. "Is Merle your brother?"I asked.

He opened his eyes and looked at me for a few moments before nodding his head and closing his eyes. "Thanks Daryl" I said closing my eyes. I didn't expect a response from him, but when I opened my eyes he was staring at me intently. "Your welcome Emma" He said before falling asleep...