Last One Standing ~ TWD Daryl Dixon

166

<><><><><>

Jo

Carl was warm. Too warm. Something was very wrong. My breath stopped in my chest as I looked up at his face in the fire light. It was coated in sweat. I suddenly couldn't remember how to breathe. Beneath my cool fingers his skin was hot. Feverish. Silent tears were streaming down my cheeks.

My voice came out in a choked sob. "Carl-"

"JO!!!!" Negan's voice bellowed through his loud speaker. My head snapped towards the sound of his enraged voice. "I'M GOING TO KILL DARYL IN FRONT OF YOU! I SWEAR TO GOD, JO!"

Carl moved, drawing my wide, fearful eyes away from the fence behind us. He slowly pulled his arm out of my grasp, his face was hard with resolve. "Jo," he repeated my name. "You have to get out of here. Find Daryl. Halfway to the quarry. They're in the woods," Carl reached into his bag and pulled out two handguns and held them out to me.

I slid the pocket knife in my back pocket and Dwight's knife in my otherwise empty shoulder rig. Numbly, I took the guns. I hated guns. I tucked one under my arm in my shoulder holster and the other into the back of my jeans. "There's a plan. They're going to ambush the Saviors on the road. If you come up behind them in another car you can box them in. Make sure no one escapes," he was speaking so rapidly my tired mind was struggling to keep up. "Help Daryl and then rendezvous with the others. They have Judith."

"Carl!" I started to argue but he cut me off.

"You wanted me to be in charge Jo, well this is what it looks like. And it doesn't involve you leading the charge. Get to Daryl, then get to Judith-."

"Carl I-" I tried to cut him off but he set his jaw determinedly.

"I'll handle it." He assured me and he glanced back over his shoulder. "Jo," he said when he turned back to me. "You are the strongest fighter we have. That doesn't mean you always have to fight better than everyone else. It means you can protect better than anyone else. Use it. Get out there and protect Daryl. Protect my sister."

I glanced around at the Savior's surrounding us. They still hadn't spotted us. With the smoke as cover I could kill a lot of them. Especially if I could get ahold of more knives.

As though he could read my mind Carl stepped up in front of me, blocking them from my view. "It doesn't have to be like this," he said firmly. "Please, take care of Judith."

I nodded to Carl grimly. "I will."

"I know," he said quirking his lips up into a smile. He reached to his belt and pulled off my Kukri and held it out to me.

"I gave that to you," I argued, shaking my head. My mind was racing as I fought to process everything that was happening, what was wrong with Carl. I knew what it meant, what it looked like, but it was like my mind refused to process it.

This couldn't be happening.

Carl snorted. "I never got very good with it, and you need it," he pressed it into my hand. "Now get out of here!" He ordered and he sounded just like Rick.

"JO!!!" Negan's voice echoed all around us. "FIND HER!" he screamed at his men. "First person to see Dixon puts a bullet in his brain! Break her arms and bring her to me!"

Something in my chest tightened and I was filled with the overwhelming need to get away. To get to Daryl. I had finally pushed Negan too far. "This isn't goodbye Carl," I said but as the fire raged around us, I knew that might not be true.