[Finished] Living Among the Dead

60. Omega

"We need to talk," Daryl demands, walking into Jesus's room.
It turned out his lung didn't collapse, but between my stabbing him and the other man stabbing him, he lost a lot of blood. We don't have any means to do a safe blood transfusion, so it's just a waiting game to see if he regains consciousness.
"That girl should be dead." I say, not taking my eyes off of Jesus's body.
"Yeah, she should. But we need her."
I sigh, "I disagree."
"You call the shots 'round here, why don't you just order me to kill 'er."
I glance at Daryl briefly, before muttering, "Because I trust your judgment of people."
"You came at me when I arrived here demanding we talk right then and there, why ain't ya still demandin' it?"
I shrug, "Because... I don't want to hear why you left. Hell, I know why you did. What I don't know, and the reason I can never forgive you is you never came back. I supported you, I supported your decision to move us back to Alexandria. I supported you leaving to find Rick's body. I supported you for two years. And after that, when you'd come annually to trade with Hilltop, I begged you to come home. And then .... then you stopped showing up. I didn't know if you were alive or dead. I had to ask Carol when I'd want to hear any news about you."
"'M sorry."
"Sorry doesn't cut it. I raised three kids, on my own. You knew I was afraid of ending up raising those kids by myself. And you left anyway. You deserted your family."
"I couldn't face you."
"What?" I snap.
"I'm the reason Rick's dead; you tried to stop me from destractin' him so Maggie could kill Negan. And then she didn't and he died for nothin'. So I tried gettin' the body for Michonne. And I couldn't ever find one. After a while I realized I'd caused two families to be fucked, and I couldn't face you. So I stopped comin'. I was dissapointin' you, and I stopped facin' it."
"Until Carol asked you to come." The words that I'd been mulling over again and again in my mind falls out of my mouth and surprises even myself.
"What?"
Whelp, too late now, might as well let him hear it. "I begged you, for years. And Carol needs you to watch her son, and you come fucking running to do so. Your own damn kids weren't enough to get you off that mountain, but you'd be damned if you didn't come running when Carol asked you for help."
"It was time for me to stop hidin'."
"No Daryl. The time for you to stop hiding six years ago."
"You two seem to be doing better," the hoarse voice startles me and it takes me a minute to realize who it is.
"Your awake," I breathe, tears coming to my eyes immediately. "Daryl, go get Enid, now!"
I rush to Jesus's side, but by the time I reach for his hand, he's out cold again. Disappointment floods through me at the sight of him back to the state he was in just a few minutes ago. I blink back my tears, and sit back down. When Enid shows up, she looks confused.
"He passed back out immediately..." I mutter, bitterly.
She grabs a flashlight and opens his eyelids with her thumb, shining the light into his eyes one by one.
"His pupils are responsive, which is more than I could say last time." She touches his forehead and cheeks, "His temperature is back up, I'll have to remove his blanket and put some cool water on his face. But I think it's a good sign."
"You think?"
"I was trained by Siddiq, we never went-"
I don't let her finish, I just get up and leave the room.

After I get the kids down to sleep, I catch sight of Daryl sitting outside the jail.
I glance at the trailer I sleep in before walking over to him, he glances up and puts a finger to his lips, before gesturing with his head to inside the jail.
I nod, and quietly sit down next to him, listening to Lydia and Henry talk.
"Never been alone," Lydia says. "My people traveled in groups with the dead. I miss the sounds, the smell."
"Not gonna lie Walking around in dead people's skins is pretty messed up." Henry states.
"Thinking this place isn't gonna fall like every other place: that's messed up."
"Agree to disagree."
"Your dad's an asshole like mine. All you did was sneak out. Is it even that hard? Are there a lot of guards posted here?"
I glance at Daryl and see him already looking at me.
"Daryl's not my dad. He doesn't even want to be here. He's only doing it as a favor for my mom."
I feel the ache in my chest, but don't say anything.
"I thought you said your mom died," Lydia asks.
"My second mom, I mean. She's tough. Not somebody you want to mess with. Hey, what happened to your dad?"
There's a few seconds quiet before she answers. "My dad was a stupid man. My mom, though, she kept me alive. Kept me safe. She's a lot like your mom. You don't mess with her, either."