Tragic Coincidence | Daryl Dixon

Chapter Nine.

This guys leg was trashed, And I had not the slightest clue how it got this way. The bone was protruding through his calf, and half of the ligaments and muscle was just hanging out of the wound like meat....no pun intended given the current situation. Im glad whoever this was is sleeping because this looks incredibly painful. Hershel had the men put him in the back barn where we could work on him, and he had gone inside to get his surgery tools.....I was sanitizing my hands the best i could with the well water we had. 

"I need the full story on this guy before I touch him" I said to Rick and Glenn who were standing by the barns open door. Glenn and Rick exchanged some worried looks before walking over to me. Glenn being the first to speak. "He was with a group, the men got hostile and started shooting at us....Randall here tried leaving by jumping off of the roof....the fence caught him on the way down" He said, shrugging his shoulders and looking past me to the unconscious boy on the table.

This kid couldn't be more then twenty years old at most, unless he just looked really young like myself....I often got told I looked like I was eighteen and not thirty-two like I actually was. I didn't know how to feel about this...only hours ago this boy was part of a group that was trying to kill people in my group, people that I now consider family....but that's just what he was....a boy.

"Alright, lets get this started" Hershel said placing his tools on the top of a barrel and we didnt stop for some hours....

Randall's surgery went well for the tools we were given, and it was actually nice to perform surgery after all this time of being out of the hospital. I did most of the work, using Hershel as an assistant when i needed him, which wasn't very often. It was a complicated wound and took me around four hours until I was satisfied with the work i had done. Now Randall was sleeping it off on a cot in the barn, as noone wanted him near the group.

"Everything was successful" I told Rick when Hershel and myself got back to the group later that night. Rick nodded, and grabbed Lori's hand in his. "Now what?" Glenn asked from his seat around the campfire. "I say we do what needs to be done" Shane said, his hands on his hips. He couldn't seriously be talking about shooting this kid and getting it done and over with. "And what, let all the work I just did go to waste?" I asked him, eyebrows raised. Shane was really starting to get on my nerves lately, as well as everyone elses, I could tell from the looks in their eyes.

"We could take it to a vote?" Andrea offered, leaning against a tree next to T-Dog who was fiddling with a shovel beside him. I know I hadn't exactly been with this group the longest out of anyone, but I felt as a valued member I had the right to voice my opinion...and I couldn't lie they were pissing me off....they couldn't ask me to operate on a man that was shooting at them, have me waste valuable medical supplies on someone they plan to shoot....that just doesn't sit right in my book.

"Rick, he shot at you and your considering keeping him here??" Shane shouted, I must have zoned out of their conversation. "Shane shut the hell up!" I yelled digging my boot into the dirt. Now everyones eyes were on me, raised eyebrows all around. "what did you say to me girl?" Shane said stomping over to me, his fingers resting over his gun that was clipped to his belt. But he dint get very far as Daryl had stepped in between us. "Ya best back up" he said, practically growling at him. Shane stood his ground for a bit before smirking at Daryl and turning back around, When Daryl felt he was no longer a threat he came to stand beside me. I nodded at him when our eyes met and turned back to the group.

"What do you suggest Emma?" Dale said calmly. I loved Dale dearly, he reminded me so much of my uncle who passed... Just an older Gentleman who wanted to see the best in people. Dale was just a good person who felt everyone deserved a chance even during this shit we call life now. My uncle was an older man, ten years older than my father, and a doctor as well. 

"You cant ask me to operate on Randall, waste medical supplies I could have used on someone else, and then contemplate actually shooting him" I said crossing my arms across my chest. 

"He could be a threat, I don't exactly feel safe with him around" Lori said leaning closer to her husband. 

"Well then if Rick felt he was a threat then he should have left him for the walkers, Randall didn't choose for you to bring him, you did that on your own rick....don't be a dumb ass, do the right thing" I said turning on my heel and stomping back to Daryl and I's tent, not hearing the mumbles of the group as I left...

I sighed angrily, running fingers through my hair as I plopped down on my cot...I yanked my pistol off my thigh and started disassembling it to clean it more thoroughly. I grabbed one of Daryl's rags that was tied to his bag and started rubbing, more like scrubbing as hard as I was doing it. I swear i cleaned and re-cleaned my magazine ten times before I finally looked up to see Daryl standing there with an amused expression.

"See something that amuses you there Dixon?" I asked, reloading my magazine for the tenth time in the hour. "Wanna come hunting with me?" He asked loading an arrow into his crossbow. I looked outside and saw it was dark outside, I didn't know how good of any idea it was for us to be wandering around in the dark. "Its a little late isn't it?" i asked nodding my head in the direction of the open window that had moonlight pouring in. 

"Need to get outta here, figured you could too?" He said offering me a hand up. I looked down at his calloused hand, to Daryl who was biting his thumb nail and his face looked hopeful almost. I cocked my gun, slid it in my holster and grabbed his hand letting him drag me out of the tent and into the dark woods. I don't know why but I was getting nervous about being with him all of a sudden...