The New World 2

Ch.12

Last night was one of the worst nights for Sabrina. She lost a real father figure to her because of a damn walker. When she got back to the house that night she put Ana back to bed and sat by the fire across from Daryl. The only thing you could hear were the crickets and the fire crackling. Sabrina didn't get a wink of sleep. T-Dog, Rick and Shane buried Dale near Sophia and Hershel's family and they had a funeral service.

"Dale could get under your skin. He sure got under mine because he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought, how he felt. That kind of honesty is rare and brave. Whenever I'd make a decision, I look at Dale, he'd be looking back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could read us. He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us-the truth, who we really are. In the end he was talking about losing our humanity. He said this group was broken. The best way to honor him is to unbreak it. Set aside our differences and pull together, stop feeling sorry for ourselves and take control of our lives, our safety...our future. We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong. From now on we're gonna do it his way. That is how we honor Dale." Rick preached.

Sabrina was wiping her eyes when she looked down at Ana who was shaking violently. She picked her up and Ana sobbed into her mother's shoulder. When the service was over Rick instructed Andrea, Daryl, T-Dog and Shane to do a thorough check on the fences and in the fields. When they were done they came back to see Rick talking to Hershel.

"Wha' are they talkin 'bout?"

"Us moving into the house because it's getting colder out." Sabrina answered to Daryl.

The two of them walked to Rick and Hershel. "Where's yer girl?"

"Sleeping in Rick and Lori's tent."

"Ya should get some sleep too. Ya look like shit."

"Thanks Daryl." She said sarcastically.

"It's gonna be tight, fourteen people in one house." Rick said to Hershel.

"Don't worry about that. With the swamp hardening the creek drying up..."

"With fifty head of cattle on the property, we might as well be ringing a damn dinner bell." Maggie finished.

"She's right. We should've moved you in a while ago."

"Alright, let's move the vehicles near each of the doors facing out towards the road. We'll build a lookout in the windmill, another in the barn loft. That should give us sight lines both sides of the property. T-Dog, you take the perimeter around the house. Keep track of everyone coming and going."

"What about standing guard?"

"I need you and Daryl on double duty."

"Gotcha." T-Dog said.

Sabrina started picking up crates and taking them to the house along with Carol. The two of them dropped the things off on the porch then went back to take down the tents. While the others loaded a truck and moved the truck to the house.

"Need some help?"

Sabrina stopped struggling with a tent and looked at Shane. "No. I'm good."

"You and Daryl's gotten close, I mean you are sleeping in his tent."

"Do you have a point Shane?" She asked messing with the tent again.

"I just want to make sure you're safe-"

She scoffed. "I'm perfectly fine Shane. You know, you should give Daryl some credit. He's changed a lot since he became a part of this group." She finally got the flexible rod out of the tent lining. "You on the other hand you've changed drastically and not in a good way."