𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒍𝒇 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 ➪ «𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑦𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑥𝑜𝑛»

ch. XXVI pt. II

oOo

Diana wiped her eyes dry as she walked into earshot of the group gathered, just as T-Dog volunteered to accompany Daryl, Glenn, and Rick.

"That's four," Dale said, looking around the bystanders, maybe waiting for more volunteers.

Diana walked up behind Daryl. He was sitting on a wooden box, cleaning and readying his bolts. He looked up when she dropped her bag next to him. "Five," Diana said around the lump in her throat.

Daryl stood up in surprise and shook his head at her. "No, no, you ain't comin'."

Diana raised an eyebrow and stumbled over her words, "What the- what do you mean I'm not coming? Merle might need medical help, I'm the best person we've got for that."

"She tells me you've trained her, that right?" Rick asked him. That brought some curious looks from those who thought he was referring to her medical skills.

Daryl glanced from Rick to Diana, and tilted his head towards the man, asking a voiceless question.

Diana nodded, feeling slightly self-conscious. "He knows. And T-Dog, and Glenn, and all the others from yesterday. I had to... I had to show them."

Rick put a hand on the waist of his pants and looked at Daryl. "Now, you're the best judge of what she can and cannot do. You know whether or not she can help us out there. With what she does, I know I'd feel safer with her watching my back."

Diana felt highly flattered by his praise. Although it sounded as if he was putting the decision up to Daryl instead of her, and it irked her. If she was already going against her parents' wishes, it wasn't Daryl saying no that would stop her.

"I'm going whether you 'let' me or not. You need me, that's final." It was a pretentious thing to say, but she needed to sell it.

Shane rubbed his head, looking exasperated, and said, "What the hell are y'all talking about? Rick, why her? What training?"

Dale, ever so observant, stepped towards Diana, his eyes on the bow on her shoulder.

She shifted self-consciously, adjusting it with a shrug, feeling its casual purr.

"I believe," Dale started, drawing attention, "that he's talking about the golden secret Ms. Lobo's been keeping, isn't that right?" His wide owl-ish eyes bore into Diana's and she had to avert them.

"That thing? You mean to tell me that thing's not just for show?" Shane asked mockingly.

Rick fixed Diana with an encouraging look. "Now would be the time for a demonstration."

Diana gulped drily, feeling her heart skip a beat and then start thumping wildly in her chest. "Uhm... I don't- I don't think-" She didn't like that idea a lot. She didn't like being on display and she didn't want to be everyone's show monkey. She didn't want to be interrogated nor put on trial for what she could do. Yesterday had been only a sample, with only a few witnesses. She wanted to put off the real thing for as long as she could.

It also came the problem that she didn't like being the spot of attention before a crowd, especially one she feared would become a pitchfork and torch-bearing mob. Her doubts and fears became overwhelming; it was almost ridiculous.

"Or not," Rick concluded.

A hand on her forearm brought her back to focus, breaking the spell. Diana followed the touch to Daryl. His eyes stared into her own and she nodded at his silent question. "I'm fine, everything's hunky-dory." She winced at the expression, wondering where that one had come from.