A Brother's Influence (A Daryl Dixon Story) Part Three

Gun Run

Chapter Eight

Gun Run

Hershel

"We stand yet again at the foot of a loved one's grave. Before the outbreak, we use to ask ourselves why? Why would God choose to take away someone we cared about in such an terrible way? We've all lost people that we cared about, but it never get's any easier. The devastation of loss though, has always been so, has been recorded in the Bible in the book of Job. Job had it all. Family, believe it or not, Job had ten children, fields and fields of livestock on land that could be seen as far as the eye could see, a houseful of servants and wealth. Then, without warning, adversity came and hit Job like thunder. He lost everything. Servants, land, crops, livestock and worse of all, all ten of his children.  And when he completely lost hope, when he thought he couldn't go on, his faith continued on, it is written in the book of Job, "For I know that my redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; (Job 19: 25) And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, (Job 19: 26) Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!"

"Today we say goodbye to our dear friends Theodore Douglas and Patricia Wilkins. I know my beliefs might not be the same as you all, but I firmly believe, that both T-Dog and Patricia are resting with the Lord today. And that, friends, brings me comfort beyond belief." Hershel looked around and asked, "Would anyone like to say a few words?"

Beth stepped up and said, "I would Daddy." She walked to stand to next to Hershel and started to speak. "When my mama died, I was lost, even though I had my daddy, I felt so sad and I didn't want to get up in the morning and continue living. My heart hurt something fierce but Patricia was there and knew just the right things to say to comfort me. She sat up late with me when I wanted, when I needed to talk. She listened to me and that, for me, was the greatest gift at that time. I'm going to miss her. I loved her." Beth  wiped her eyes and gave her Daddy a hug.

While still hugging Beth, Hershel asked if anyone else would like to say something, This time, it was Glenn. "When the break first happened, T-Dog grabbed the bus from the old folks home and loaded it up with patients that were there and helped them get away. He drove them to the FEMA station then went back out to look for more people. He saved a lot of people and he never gave up. Now, my faith of Jesus is something new and I'm not proud to say it took an Apocalypse to make me see but T-Dog has always known the Lord and I'm like Hershel, I believe he is up there, another angel we have, looking out for us. Because in the end, we are all family. All of us."

Maggie came up beside Glenn and hugged him. No one else had anything to say and the service was over. "Come on baby." Maggie led Glenn back to their nest so Glenn could get some more rest after the beating he took from the Governor.

Hershel hugged Beth as they walked back into the prison. The day over, the group filed back into the prison, no one doing much talking. Daryl and Chloe were out on watch and the rest of the group who didn't go to sleep stayed up in the common area.

Lori paced, waiting for Rick to get back from his gun run. She was scared to death, worried they were in some trouble. She held Judith in her arms and she was so thankful for this little girl. Carl and Anna were playing cards with Oscar and the atmosphere was heavy with death. No one talked much, the events of the day had sucked the life out of everyone.

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Rick

Rick held a little apprehension because this was the first time he had Axel, Tyrese and Sasha all on a run together. Tyrese and Sasha were good fighters, that was proven but Axel, well, let's just say Axel was an unknown factor. The drive itself took only about forty-five minutes. Looking back on the months before discovering the prison, Rick didn't know why he had forgotten it was there. Maybe it was a residual effect from the coma that he was in, he didn't know. But as soon as he and Daryl saw it, he remembered it was there.