Born 2 Be Wild-A Merle Dixon love story

Chapter 61

I must have cried myself to sleep because the sound of gunshots startled me awake. Daryl shot out of bed beside me and grabbed his crossbow. I tried to get up but Daryl pushed me back down.

"Stay here. You just delivered a baby. But keep your gun handy." Daryl told me before he ran out.

I of course pushed myself up and got out of bed anyway. I got dressed carefully and stepped out of my cell. It hurt like hell, but I need to find out what's going on. I slowly made my way down the stairs to find Hershel keeping guard at the locked gate to C block. When he heard my footsteps he turned around.

"What are you doing out of bed?" He asked.

"Came to join the party." I said, trying to keep a smile on my face.

We could hear the screams coming from D block. But as soon as the sounds of panic started, they stopped. Hershel grabbed a chair for me and scooted it to where I was standing.

"I know telling you to go back to bed wouldn't work." He said, chuckling.

"Yeah, stubborness has always been one of my strongest traits. Besides I can't go in there and lay down. I don't want to give up again. Gotta keep moving." I said looking away from him.

"I don't think you'll give up. You're definitely the fighting kind." Hershel replied.

I nodded my head but didn't reply. These days you either fight, or you die. There's not really a third choice. A few minutes passed before Hershel walked to the door.

"I'm gonna see what happened. You stay here with Bethy and Judith." Hershel told me.

"All right. Let me know what you find out." I replied.

He unlocked the gate and locked it behind him before tossing me the keys. I caught them and pulled my pistol out, watching the gate for intruders or walkers.

Not long after that Carl, Maggie, and Michonne showed up. Michonne was injured. I pushed myself out of my chair and got to the door as fast as I could.

"Michonne, are you okay? Do ya'll know what happened?" I asked, trying not to sound panicked.

"I'm fine, just my ankle." Michonne answered.

Maggie and Carl got Michonne into a cell on the bottom row. Then Maggie came back to where I was sitting.

"Some kind of virus broke out in D block. Everyone that was in there is infected." Maggie explained.

"Oh shit." Was all I could manage to say.

Since Maggie's back I should go back to my cell, but I don't want to. So I stayed in the chair and stared at the barred door in front of me. Trying not to remember the last time I sat close to this spot, waiting on Daryl.

I wasn't waiting on Daryl this time, but he showed up not long after Maggie told me what happened. He stood at the barred door, shaking his head at me. I know he's going to bitch me out for it later, but I got up anyway. I walked to the bars and held onto them for support. Daryl took a couple steps back so he wouldn't be breathing in my face.

"Are you okay?" I asked as my eyes looked him over, searching for signs of physical damage.

"Yeah, I'm all right. You need to go back to bed, Jess. You look like shit." Daryl said, putting on of his big hands over one of my smaller ones.

"How do you always know just what a girl wants to hear?" I asked him.

He ran his thumb across my knuckles. "Are you okay?" He asked quietly.

"I'm... managing." I answered.

And by managing I mean blocking all thoughts about my child from my mind and pushing my emotions down. I'm using the Dixon method of dealing with my pain. I'll keep it all bottled up inside until it all explodes at once and turns into sorrow fueled rage.

"I have to go now, There's some things I gotta do. You stay in here. As soon as I know it's safe again I'll be back in here with you." Daryl promised.

"Please be careful." I told him before he turned to walk away.

"I will." He replied.

Before he got out of my line of sight, I decided to say what was on my mind. Something I'd never told him before. "I love you, Daryl."

He slowed down and turned to face me. "Yeah, yeah." He said, but there was a small smile on his face.

I watched him walk down the hallway and then shuffled back to my chair. I wouldn't still be around if it weren't for Daryl. He's saved my ass more times than I can count, from walkers and from myself.

Maggie went out shortly after Daryl left.

"I'm going to go keep guard. Someone has to. Stay here and watch over them." Maggie told me on her way to the door.

"Yes ma'am." I said as she walked out the door.

After I couldn't stand to stare at those bars any longer I went up to my cell. When I got there I just ended up staring at a different set of bars.