Determined to Endure: The 4th Installment in my Daryl Dixon Love Story

Chapter 13: Everyone Splits

Two days later, Rick asks me to help watch Judith so he could make visits to the people in town and assure them of our plans. I play with her on the floor, shaking some toys around when Tobin comes in looking for Rick, "is Rick around?"

"I think he went off to talk to people, can I help you with something?" I ask him, seeing the worry on his face. He just shakes his head and leaves the house. I decide to get Judith dressed out of her pajamas and to take her for a stroll outside. The sun is shining and it's actually decently warm out. Once we get outside and start walking, I see a crowd of people forming around the front fence. I walk closer, picking up my pace when I notice it's Rick and Tobin, "hey, what's going on?" I ask out to them.

They open up their small circle enough for me to join, "Carol, she left."

"What time did she leave? Do you know what she took?" I ask, bewildered that she would do such a thing.

"Sometime in the night. I never heard her go, but she made a bunch of food, you know. She took her pack, one of my coats--" Tobin goes to explain.

"Did she leave on foot?" Rick asks next, wanting every detail possible.

Tobin shakes his head, "I-- I don't know."

Sasha then adds, "Rick, I took over at 12:00, I was on till 6:00. I never saw anything. Front's been quiet since the others left."

"What? Who?" Rick asks clearly pissed off to hear that other people left.

Abraham says, "Daryl." My mind shifts, pissed as hell he'd go out there without telling me. More pissed he'd go out without bringing me along. "He went ICBM after the Saviors from yesterday. Glenn, Michonne, Rosita, they all went to shut that shit down."

Rick paces but brings him back to reality when Tobin asks, "where's the other car? We added two more cars yesterday. One of them's missing, the one we put right between those houses."

"You can barely see between the houses from up top, especially at night." Abraham informs Rick, usually the one on watch at night.

Morgan asks, "the note, can I see it?"

Tobin passes it over and I read it over his shoulders. Rick asks Abraham and Sasha, "you never saw any headlights, taillights? She's smart enough to cover her tracks."

Sasha answers, "she must've left during the shift change."

Morgan quickly moves and Rick calls after him, "where are you going?"

"I'm gonna go find her." He calls back as he reaches a car.

"Wait" Rick calls back. He kisses Judith on the head then tells me, "tell Carl I'll be back soon. No one else leaves. Everyone else stays ready for a fight." He runs to the car to get in with Morgan and before I could even argue, or pass off Judith so I could go with them, they are leaving the gates.

I bite my tongue from cursing out in front of Judith but I take her back with me to her house and place her down, needing to pace freely. As I do, Carl comes upstairs, "what's going on? It's like a marching band up here."

"Sorry" I mutter, stopping my steps. I put my hand on my hips and say back, "everyone went out, and I'm stuck in here and I feel useless."

"Everyone went out? What do you mean?" He asks.

I spit out, "Daryl left to go after Dwight and then Michonne, Glenn and Rosita went after him. No one even bothered to fuckin' tell me." I utter, pissed off at that the most. He looks down to his little sister and I utter out an apologize, "sorry. But then I guess Carol left, now your dad and Morgan left to go get her."

"Dad left?" He asks, tilting his head.

I nod and say, "he said you have to stay here, be ready for a fight."

Carl clearly is upset that his dad left as well but he nods and says, "alright then, we'll stay here. They'll be back soon."

"Yeah, they better." I return, letting my anger fester inside of me. Rick returns after sunrise alone and he tells us that Morgan is still out there looking for Carol, "Daryl's not back yet either" I inform him.

"Yeah, I know." He returns, "but they'll be back." He assures.

As we sit down at the table together to talk about what happened when he was out there, Enid rushes in, "help! Maggie needs help!" She spits out in a panic. I push myself out of the chair and follow her two houses down, "it's the baby" She explains simply as she leans down to help a cuddled up Maggie who cries out in some kind of pain.

"What is it?" I ask out loud, needing more than just, "it's the baby."

Maggie pants, but gets out, "I--I don't know. My stomach, it's like I'm being stabbed from the inside."

"She just tried to stand and fell over!" Enid adds on.

Rick calmly takes control of the situation, "Enid, go tell Carl we are going to take Maggie to the hilltop. Sadie, help me get her to the RV. We have to move ASAP." Enid rushes out to do what she is told and I try to help Maggie adjust where she lays to help get her open enough so I can help lift her up, "okay, slow" Rick says as we slowly stand to help get to the RV.

"You're okay, it's okay." I promise to Maggie as we stumble slowly through the house and out to the front porch. By the time we get to the RV, Sasha is there to help us get her inside.

We get her to the bed and she grabs my hand before I could walk away. Her face is full of pain and she pleads with me, "don't go, stay with me." I nod, wanting to give her something solid as she experiences this unknown. She breathes out heavily, trying to control her pain and I just let her squeeze my hand.

Rick gets everything together as I stay in the back with Maggie. He walks in with a can of gas and behind him comes Abraham, Sasha, and Eugene. They all hold small conversations from the front of the RV and I just make it my goal to keep Maggie comfortable. Rick walks in, giving us all a quick talk, "we're heading straight to the hilltop. If we come across any of those saviors I need Sadie and Carl to make it a point to get Maggie there. That's the priority. Understand?"

Some nod, some say okay and he moves to get in the driver side. Aaron comes into the RV, shutting the door behind him and he makes his way back towards Maggie and I, "hey, need a hand?" He asks me with a small and gentle smile.

"Sure" I say, and Maggie loosens her grip on my hand to take hold of his, "I'll be back soon." I say lowly, leaving the small space to join the others up front.