The Fear (The Walking Dead / Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 45 - Fever

Third Person – Daryl and Rick

Daryl was digging away with a shovel, adding to the graves that the group had started shortly after arriving to the prison. He wore gloves and a bandana covered his mouth and nose.

"Glad you were in there." Daryl spoke as Rick came up behind him.

"Wasn't much use without my gun."

"No, you were." Daryl reassured, looking up to his friend and pulling the bandana down around his neck. Rick stood a good two feet taller than Daryl who was knee deep in the grave he'd been digging. "All this time you've been taking off, you earned it. We wouldn't be here without you." He said, turning back to the dirt and starting to shovel once again.

"It was all of us." Rick said, picking up another shovel.

"No, it was you first. You gonna help us figure this out?"

"Hey!" The two men were interrupted and turned to see Kat standing up the hill, glaring down on them with a look that even from that distance they could tell was stern. "Mask!" She had been with her dad, going around to see if anyone else was showing signs of being sick, but had wondered over to the edge of the courtyard to look down and make sure Daryl was in fact wearing his gloves and mask. The gloves she was sure he would wear, but she wasn't entirely convinced that he'd put up with the bandana for very long.

Daryl sighed before using his free hand to pull the bandana back up. Kat didn't walk away until Daryl pulled the rag out of his back pocket and handed it over to Rick. Rick took it, but only held it in his hand for a while until Daryl spoke.

"I'd put it on. She'll be back to check in a minute or two." He said with a small smile as Rick chuckled lightly, but didn't make a move to put the mask on before answering the question Daryl had asked a minute ago.

"I screwed up too many times." Rick said. "Those calls you got to make, I start down that road... I almost lost my boy, who he was. Whatever else this place needs, I'm here for it."

"Like I said, you earned it. But for what it's worth, you see mistakes... I see when the shit hits, you're standing there with a shovel."

"Rick! Daryl!" Maggie's voice yelled out, their conversation once again being interrupted as the girl brought their attention to a pile up of walkers on the fence.

"Oh, shit." Rick said under his breath as they saw the fence starting to give.

Rick took off immediately as Daryl dropped his shovel and grabbed his crossbow, taking off after him. They met Maggie down in the walkway, grabbing the crowbars and poles that had been hung up on the fence for convenience when this happened. Sasha, Tyreese, Glenn and Kat also met them down there, Maggie's yells having caught their attention.

"The noise drew 'em out and now this part's starting to give." Maggie explained.

One by one they shoved the weapons through the wire, taking out a walker at a time. Maggie stood away from the rest after her father had instructed her to do so. They continued taking them out, but the walkers just kept coming.

"It's gonna give!" Glenn yelled.

"Everyone back!" Daryl instructed as they all took a few steps back, looking at the pile of walkers that were forcing the fence over, but it was still holding for the time being.

"If the fence keeps bending in like that, those walkers are coming over." Sasha said.

"Kat, get the truck." Rick said. "I know what to do."