Complicated ✔

Ch. 88 - Second Meeting

KATHRYN'S POV

I felt the van pitch forward before looking away from Daryl and slamming my eyes shut. I felt my body tense and my breathing halt as the gravity around us caused the van to fall. Only when the impact from the van hitting the ground below was felt did I open my eyes and let out a small breath. I looked around, relief flooding through me as I heard Daryl groan from beside me. Looking over, I couldn't help the faint smile I had on my face as he finally looked over at me. "We made it," I whispered, "we're alright."

I watched as Daryl smiled back at me, getting ready to open his mouth to speak, but he didn't get a word out. A wave of falling walkers pounded the roof of the van, earning a squeak of surprise from me. After the first one hit, we just sat there and waited for the thudding sound to stop, signaling that all the walkers that were going to fall had already done so. "Dumbasses," I heard Daryl mutter as we waited, earning a small giggle from me before the falling walkers finally stopped. Giving it an extra minute, we waited before finally opening the doors to climb out.

"Shit," I groaned out as I pulled the seatbelt off of me before opening my door and climbing out. I looked around as I heard Daryl open his door before I walked around to his side. He held his arm around for me which I gladly took before he wrapped it around my waist to help keep me up on my feet. I'd never been in a car accident but I could almost bet this is what it'd feel like. My muscles felt stiff and and I hurt everywhere. I glanced over at Daryl as we stumbled back towards the buildings, I could only imagine how he felt after that drop.

DARYL'S POV

We'd made our way to an area that seemed secure, deciding we needed to rest and asses the damage before moving on to find Beth. "Here," I said handing Kat the canteen of water. "Thanks," she whispered out, slowly lifting her arm up to take it from me. I watched as she grimaced slightly before bringing it to her lips. When she lowered her arm, she grimaced more before peering up at me. "Let me see," I whispered as I knelt down in front of her. I lifted my hand slightly and helped as she gingerly moved part of her shirt to show me the growing bruise from the seat belt.

"Damn that was stupid," I muttered as I started to walk away from her some. "But we made good time getting down here," she said looking up at me as I looked back at her, "and at least now we have a destination in mind as to where Beth is. We've got three more blocks before we're at Grady." "We should scope it out first," I said looking at her as I sat down beside her, "see what we see. Don't know who these pricks are. Don't need another one of us taken by them." "Okay," she whispered with a nod.

"I miss your crossbow already," Kat said as we entered one of the buildings close to Grady. I looked over at her before shaking my head as we made our way up to a higher floor for a better vantage point. We stood by a window that looked out at Grady, watching to see if we could find out who these people were. We couldn't have been there long before we heard a noise from somewhere else on the floor we were on. I led the way out of the room we'd been in and followed the noise to see a walker pined to the wall with a bolt sticking out of its neck.

"Is that one of yours," Kat asked from behind me, having seen the same thing I was seeing. "Yeah," I said before burying the machette I'd found in its head and taking back my bolt. I went to look back at Kat and say something, but the sound of gun fire just ahead caught my attention. I glanced at her before taking off running with her right on my heels. Kat seemed to get around me, rounding the corner first. When I caught up, there was that kid again and he was fighting with a walker before he pushed it in Kat's direction.

KATHRYN'S POV

I quickly pulled my knife out when I realized that walker was coming towards me, but I wasn't fast enough and ended up on my back with it over top of me. I cried out as it landed on the still very tender bruise before trying to sink its teeth into my neck. When the walker stilled above me, I watched as it was yanked away before Daryl's face appeared in front of me. "You alright," he asked before he helped me stand to my feet. "Yeah I'm good," I said as I winced slightly, "go. I'll be right behind you."

He hesitated for only a second before walking on and turning down another corridor. When I finally caught up, the kid was on his back with a shelf on top of him and Daryl was getting to his feet. "I had to protect myself," the boy pleaded, "I'm sorry. I told you it was nothing personal." "Why are you following us," Daryl yelled down at the boy. "I thought you followed me," the guy cried out. "Bullshit," Daryl said before reaching down and grabbing the carton of cigarettes that fell off the shelf.

I watched as the guy kept begging for help while Daryl just put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. "Nah," he said, "I've already helped you once." With that, he walked off, leaving me to stand there shocked. "Daryl," I called out, causing him to stop and look at me. "You almost died because of him," he shouted as he pointed at him. "I didn't though," I said looking at him. "Nah," he said looking to him, "let him be." I stared at him before looking back to the kid. "No," I shouted before dropping what I had in my hands and bent down to help the guy.