Silent warrior: A Daryl Dixon Fan fiction

Chapter 37: A Plan to Live

"We're gonna need bed sheets, enough for everyone." We all made our way upstairs and used a couch as a blockade once they started breaking through the windows and doors. Carl and Ron made a commotion in the garage causing more attention to our already crappy predicament. The dead finally bombarded through the doors and made there way through. The couch will only hold so long but Rick made us take two of the dead up with us. Reasons still unknown to me.

I help lay one of the bodies down on the ground of a bedroom "Bed sheets for what?" I question, unsure what he's planning. Someone got the sheets and threw them on the floor besides Rick.

"We all go to the armory." He says, pulling out a knife.

"How?" Jessie asks him, eyes curious.

Rick stabs the already dead body "We're gonna gut these things." he pulls the knife up from the naval to the chest. "Cover ourselves with the insides." he sticks his hand inside the body and rips out a piece of its insides. I gag at the smell and the sight but hold it in "It'll mask our smell, make them think we're like them." he says, rubbing it all over a sheet that Carl brought in. I shake my head, not alone in doing so while he adds more blood to it. "I've done it before." he adds on to our dismay and disgust "We stay calm, we don't draw attention, we can move right through them." he nods, assuring it's the best and only idea we have to make it out of the house.

We all put the bloody sheets over our bodies minutes later and I put some blood on my hands and arms as well to try and blend in even more. If we're going to take this chance, I'm going to do it right. Rick, Michonne and I enter the room Deanna is in after everyone else said goodbye to her. I kneel down next to her and smile softly "thank you Deanna, for giving me a chance at life here" I comment genuinely. She didn't have to let me stay, but whatever Daryl said convinced her, and I'm grateful for that.

She opens her eyes back to me with a little smile "I wrote something... for Spencer, for Maggie." she says, trying to remove a piece of paper from her side. I help her do so and hold them in my hand.

"I'll make sure they get them" I return back, kissing her on the forehead, feeling the heat on my lips as her fever has long been setting in now.

I turn and step away, not allowing myself to tear up. Rick moves to her side next and she asks him "Will you look out for him?" she asks him.

"I will." he promises to her.

"Will you look out for him like you look out for your people?" She asks and he doesn't respond right away, she adds on "Guess what. They're all your people, Rick." she says

"They are" I say repeating what I heard her say. He looks over his shoulder at me only for a moment but I keep his stare.

He returns back to her "We haven't had a chance to make it that."

"But that's how it is." she says back coolly. She takes a deep breath, refusing a coughing fit from erupting "I didn't run over to help you out there because I like you, or because I think you're a good man, a good father, or that you can grow one hell of a beard." she pauses, allowing Rick to smile "I ran over to help because you are one of us. That's the right answer." Rick nods back, and in one more movement we are out of the bedroom, leaving Michonne and Deanna be.

A few minutes go by before Michonne comes back out. She doesn't look up as she takes a spot at the end of the line. By now, we are all in a line, preparing ourselves mentally for what's about to happen. Jessie is behind me, trying to encourage her youngest son to be brave. She's telling him to pretend he's not scared, pretend he is brave. I look over to Carl, who is now holding a silent Judith under a bloody sheet. I move momentarily, getting eyes from a few of the people in line and lean down to Sam's ear "if Judith can do it, you can do it. You can stand here and let them get you, or you can come with us and stay alive" my eyes wide with determination. I've had enough of everyone trying to baby him through this. He gulps down hard and Jessie pushes me aside gently, assuring him it will be fine.

We inch our way past the couches, doing everything we can to keep ourselves unknown in the heard of the dead. The smell is overwhelming but it's nothing that most of us haven't gotten used to by now. As we make our way to the door, the pressure on the couch subdues it and it tumbles to the ground. It takes down 2 or 3 but the majority try and pile up the stairs, to find something more. We keep our pace steady, and I keep my eyes straight ahead. As we leave the door and head down the stairs I make a point to look at the dead woman staring at me. Her face is mostly skin and skull, clearly turned for awhile. Her clothes are tattered, and she's wearing a sweater with a scarf and a pair of gloves are torn around her hands. It was winter when she died. She grumbles at me as if I somehow grabbed her attention but I mumble back, unafraid of becoming known. My hand is squeezed and I look behind me at Ron, urging me with angry eyes to keep forward. As I start to put my foot forward I hear a whisper in front of me. I look to the direction of the little blonde boy and he says it again, only a bit louder this time.

"Mom" it comes out clear. No one else turns yet, but Ron and I try and hustle him forward, to distract him from saying anything more. It works and he stumbles forward, staying attached to the group with two different people holding his hands.

We walk to a more empty area behind some trees and huddle together "All right, new plan." Rick says lowly, Michonne and I keep an eye around the group, to protect us from any that get close. "Flares from a few guns aren't enough. Too many walkers, too spread out." He pauses, looking at Jessie, then Carl "We're not going to the armory." He says now looking at Gabriel, Michonne, and myself. "We need our vehicles back at the quarry. All of us drive. We'll need to round 'em up. We leave, we come back."

Jessie agrees "Okay." she hesitates "But Judith to the quarry and back.." she stops, letting Rick absorb what she said.

Gabriel steps a bit closer to Rick "I'll take her. Keep her safe in my church until you all lead the walkers away." Rick stares at him as he speaks silently.

"Can you do this?" Michonne asks him for Rick. I know there was some past problems between the two, and I'm glad Michonne is here to be the middle man, so to speak.

"I'm supposed to. I have to." he says looking at her. He turns to Rick "I will." he assures him.

"All right." Rick replies, opening his one arm to gesture towards Carl. Carl slowly removes Judith from underneath his sheet and passes her to Gabriel. Her face full of fear, but quietly accepting the change of hands.

"Take Sam." Jessie tells him.

"No." he argues. I notice one of the dead come closer and step away from the group to kill it. I stab it through it's head, blood splattering out on my face as I remove it. It falls to the ground and I slowly make my way back towards the formed circle.

"Thank you." Rick stares at Gabriel, willing him to keep his daughter safe. We watch as Gabriel and Judith leave us behind, slowly making their way to the church.

Rick calls to Sam and he takes his hand, leading the way forward. I wait for Carl and Ron to move forward but notice Ron hesitating to take his hand. I roll my eyes at the teenage stupidity and step in between the two of them. I take Carl's hand as he walks forward and Ron's behind me, Michonne taking the flank.

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Q: Would you watch a walking dead spin off that took place in a different country?

A: Probably at least try it out. A season where each episode shows what the world is like in different countries would be neat.