Last One Standing ~ TWD Daryl Dixon

174

Hello friends, well, here we are! Back after a long time away. I picked up the story with the exact sentence I had written two years ago when I first started this chapter. I'm looking forward to exploring the next few episodes and am glad to be back writing Jo.

Thank you all for your support you are amazing for sticking with this story after such a long hiatus.

Happy Reading!

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Jo
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As soon as Ezekiel heard Henry was missing, he leapt into action. He immediately began organizing people from the kingdom to form a search party to find the lost boy. He started breaking people off into teams and handing out directions.

I stood a little outside the circle of people organizing the search for Henry. There, but somehow still separate. After what I had done to clear the gate the night before most people were cutting a wide berth around me. The people of Hilltop were already up and working to clean up their home after the battle with walkers the night before. Maybe they had never gone to bed, it was hard to say. Many of them were burying their friends. They worked diligently in the early morning light, but the atmosphere was somber and quiet.

I was about to step up and volunteer to help join the search for Henry when a warm hand closed over my shoulder. "You all right darlin?" Daryl's raspy voice rumbled behind me.

I managed to contain my flinch. I had been so lost in my thoughts I hadn't heard his approach. I wasn't right, I was exhausted and shaky after the fight the night before. The search parties all left, and it was probably for the best. I didn't think I would be much help with a group of strangers. The gates closed behind them and I let out the breath I had been holding.

I glanced over my shoulder at Daryl and forced a smile. "Yeah, of course," I said, although I wasn't entirely sure he believed me. I needed sleep or food or something. I felt like I couldn't organize my thoughts. It made me frown. I was more than familiar with sleep deprivation, but I didn't know if that's what this was, or if it was something else. Since being in the cage at Sanctuary and losing Carl I had only managed a couple hours of sleep at a time. The nightmares were keeping me awake and I was working hard to make sure Daryl didn't find out. He already had enough to worry about, I just needed time.

My eyes traveled to the cage that had once held the Savior prisoners. Morgan was standing outside of it like a statue. His staff was clutched in one hand and his head was tipped to the side as though he were watching something. I turned away from him with a shudder. Things got tangled up in my mind, but I wasn't convinced Morgan didn't outright see things that weren't there. The prospect of ending up like that terrified me.

Daryl noticed my shudder and wrapped an arm around me, thinking I was cold. He pulled me into his chest and I went willingly, letting my eyes drift closed. I absorbed the comfort he gave me, even though he didn't know why.

"I gotta meet with Maggie and Rosita, talk about what went down, what to do next. Ya coming?" Daryl asked gently.

I pulled back a little with a frown. "What about Rick?"

Daryl shook his head." Rick's with Judith," he said simply.

I understood what he meant by that. Rick had thrown himself almost suicidally into the fight the night before. He was still spinning from Carl's death. Not that I could throw stones. I had lost my son years ago now. I knew exactly what Rick was going through. I understood the guilt and rage that was driving him. It would take a long time for him to come back, if he came back, and it had only been a three days. Three days for the world to be turned upside down.