The Next World

Chapter 37

"Amelia!" Daryl shouted kneeling down next to me.

"It's just a graze. I'm good. Keep doing what you're doing," I said placing my hand over the wound.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, Daryl. It's fine," I said.

He kissed my forehead before he started shooting again.

"Fall back! Fall back!" Dwight shouted.

Daryl's gun then clicked. He'd run out of ammo.

"Get down!" I shouted pulling him out of the line of fire.

There were three shots fired and then the gunfire had stopped all together. Daryl stood up and made his way over. I stood up and looked to see where he had gone. The Saviors had retreated. Fucking cowards. Daryl went and picked up his crossbow. He was about to advance them but Rosita ordered him not to.

"Daryl, stop!" she shouted.

I looked over at her. Eugene had been shot. I looked over at Denise and I tuned everything out. I dropped my rifle and knelt down next to her. How was I going to explain all of this to Tara?

"Amelia," Daryl's voice echoed in my head.

"Amelia," he said again.

I looked up at him. Rosita and Abraham were trying to stop Eugene's bleeding.

"We gotta go," Daryl said.

"You guys go. Abraham, take my backpack. It's got more meds inside. I'm gonna stay here with her," I said my voice breaking.

Abraham came to pick up my backpack and slung it over his shoulders. Daryl came over and knelt down next to me.

"I'm not leaving you out here alone. We need to get you the infirmary too. Now, come on," he said.

"I told Tara I'd look after her. That's what I'm gonna do. You need to get Eugene home...Please...I need to do this," I said as the tears started to fall.

He looked at me.

"I will be back for you," he said.

"I know. Now go. Quickly," I said.

He kissed my forehead then went over to help Rosita and Abraham pick Eugene up. I watched as they disappeared along the tracks. It was then that I realized that something bad always happened whenever train tracks were involved. I ended up at Grady Memorial because I was knocked out on the tracks. That's why Daryl didn't want to take them. The group he was with before he found the rest of the group, were able to find Rick, Michonne and Carl before they had reached Terminus. And they were able to find them because they had followed the tracks. I gasped and broke down. I curled up into a ball and cried. I shouldn't have let her come out here. I should have put my foot down like Daryl and Rosita had done. Now Denise was gone. Right when she was just finding her strength. That asshole took that win away from her. He was going to pay. If it was the last thing I did, that asshole was going to pay. My eyes then caught the cooler Denise had stopped for. I got up, groaning from my wound, and made my way over to it. I placed the sodas inside. The Crush was near Denise's body. I went and placed it inside as well. I gently removed the messenger bag she had brought along with her and slung it over my shoulders.

"I was really hoping I'd never have to do this again...I will make sure that Tara knows how you feel about her. I promise," I cleared my throat because I was getting choked up again.

"You saved us. More times than we can count. You didn't deserve this. I'm sorry...I'm so sorry," I said.

I wiped my eyes and took in some breathes. I reached for my rifle with my good arm and held it close. If any of those assholes decided to come back, I'd be ready for them. I wasn't sure as to how much time had passed. I had laid down and was looking up at the sky. I could feel the pain in my arm now. It was throbbing but I didn't pay it any attention. I kept looking at the clear blue sky. My eyes were puffy from all the crying I had done. My head was now hurting. The sound of footsteps on the gravel caused me to look over in that direction. It was Daryl. He picked up his pace when he saw me lying on the ground.

"Hey. You good?" he asked kneeling down next to me.

I nodded.

"Put your arm around me," he said.

I placed my left arm over his shoulder while he lifted me up. Abraham had come with him.

"We gonna bring her back?" I asked softly.

"Yeah. We're bringing her back," Daryl said.

I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. Before I knew it, we were at the truck. Daryl had managed to slip the both of us into the front. Abraham had placed Denise's body in the bed of the truck and stayed there. Daryl and I were both silent. We had lost yet another person that meant something to us. I tightened my hold on him while he rubbed my back. When we had gotten home, Rick and Carl came rushing up to the truck. Daryl got down with me still in his arms.

"I can walk from here," I whispered.

He set me on my feet.

"Amelia," Rick said coming up to gently embrace me.

Carl did the same.

"Let's get you to the infirmary," Daryl said.

I held his hand with my left while I held onto Carl's with my right. We got to the infirmary and Rosita helped me out of my jacket. Daryl took Denise's messenger bag from me.

"I'm gonna go and bury her," he whispered after he placed the bag on a table next to him.

I nodded.

"Come back to me, please," I whispered pressing our foreheads together.

"I will," he said.

He lifted my chin and kissed me then took off. Rosita went ahead and started cleaning my wound. Rick and Carl were still with me.

"There were more. We didn't get them all," I said.

"Rosita told me everything. There's no need to go out anymore. You rest that arm of yours," he said.

I looked over at him.

"They need to die, Rick. All of them. And I'm gonna kill them," I said sternly.

"Not today. Today, you need to rest," he said.

"Just give me some painkillers and I'm good," I said.

"Amelia, you have to get better first," Carl said.

I looked over at him.

"It was just a graze, kid. I'm lucky it wasn't anything worse. But I can't let this go," I said.

"You aren't going anywhere. Rest for the rest of the night. We'll talk about it tomorrow. I've gotta go and inform everyone about what happened. I'll be back okay," Rick said.

"I may be at the house," I said.

"That's fine," he said coming up to me and kissing my forehead.

He left the infirmary.

"Would you be cool if I stayed?" Carl asked.

"Sure, bud," I said kissing his head.

Rosita handed me some painkillers.

"Hey. None of this is on you," she said.

"Sure as hell feels like it," I said taking a couple and sipping some water.

"It's not," she repeated looking down.

I looked up at her. 

"It's not on you either, Rosita. Hell, you tried to talk her out of going...but I...I pushed it. I should...I should have listened to you and Daryl," I said. 

She came and rested her hand on my left shoulder. 

"Go on and rest," she said. 

I nodded then stood up.

"Thanks for patching me up," I said.

"Sure," she retorted.

I went and grabbed Denise's bag.

"Come on," I said to Carl.

Eugene had been asleep the whole time. The gunshot he suffered was just a graze as well. Carl and I then left the infirmary.