Barely Alive // TWD // Daryl Dixon

Chapter 07 - Inpotence

"There are tomorrows on their way worth the struggles of today. Never give up."

– Richelle E. Goodrich

"Where's Carol?" Maggie asked as soon as Rick got back to the prison. She had been outside, killing as

many walkers as she could, there were at least one hundred against the fence, sooner or later it was going to give in.

"Carl, Judith, are they okay?" Rick asked, ignoring Maggie.

"Yeah."

"Glenn, Hershel, Sasha?"

"Yeah, it's bad, but they're fighting it. Daryl's not back yet," Maggie informed him. "Rick! Rick, where's Carol?"

"It was her. She killed Karen and David. She was trying to stop it from spreading," Rick told her. "Tyreese is gonna be back here soon, so I didn't think she should be here and I couldn't have her here," Rick admitted. "She has a car, supplies, she'll figure it out. I'll tell your dad. Don't tell anyone else yet, especially Cecilia, I need to be the one that tells her."

"Okay," Maggie said nodding, feeling bad for the young girl, she will be heartbroken.

"Would you have brought her back?"

"She said she did it?"

"Yeah."

"Then you were right to send her away," Maggie told him. "I don't know if I could have."

"You could have, Maggie. You've done harder things. Don't doubt yourself," Rick said. "We don't get to anymore."

"Rick, the cluster's getting bigger than the one that took the fence down. We need to do something."

"We will."

Rick grabbed the backpack where the food he had brought was and ran towards the administration building to give the food free of any virus to Carl and the kids.

"Carl? Cici? Carl!" Rick exclaimed as he walked into the building. Carl came running to his encounter.

"You okay?" he asked him a bit worried.

"I was gonna ask you that."

"We're fine," Carl assured him.

"No one's sick? You didn't have to do anything?"

"Haven't had to use my gun, Dad," Carl said.

"And Judith?"

"She's with Beth."

"Good." Rick nodded. "Found some food on the run, there's a bunch of fresh fruit in there. Have everybody brush their teeth after."

Rick threw the big backpack at Carl, trying to keep as far as possible from the brunet boy, it killed him to not be with his kids but he didn't want to make them sick.

"Where's Cecilia?" Rick asked, feeling his heart skipping a bit, he really didn't want to tell her what happened earlier but he needed to. "I need to talk to her."

"I haven't seen her since this morning," Carl told him."Dad, can we come out soon?"

"Not just yet," Rick told him. "Any idea where she could be? Do you think she got sick?"

"I don't think so, she seemed okay. I think she's just worried about Daryl, I think she might be in one of the towers," Carl said. "Dad, I was around you when you were in the middle of it and I was around Patrick, Cecilia was around Mika and Lizzie, we didn't get it. We can help, I can help you."

"Thanks, but I need you to stay here."

"I will," Carl assured him. "But, Dad, you can't keep me from it."