Worth It

Chapter 16: Better Angels

That night, on our way back to the tent, Patricia stopped me. I think she recoiled when she saw the splatter of blood on my face from when Daryl shot Dale. "Honey, you need to shower." She tells me, regaining her composure. Daryl stops her. "I'll bring her over. Y'all can try to get some sleep." He mumbles.

I felt dead on my feet. Daryl effortlessly picked me up and carried me to the house and into the bathroom.

He started the shower and removed his shirt before removing mine.

I felt like a child again. I stood there helplessly, letting him undress me. He picked me up again and brought me into the shower.

He used some of the soap to wash the blood off of my body. I faced him, but I couldn't look at him. He gently washed my body, riding it of dirt and blood.

When he finishes himself, he places his hand under my chin and tilts my face upward. Even under the water you could see my tears.

He sighed, pulling me close to him and hugging me. We stayed there for awhile. I cried while he held me and whispered words in my ear that I can no longer remember.

Patricia didn't let us go back to the tent either. She made sure to give us one of the spare rooms. Daryl thanked her and led me to the room, getting me into the bed.

As I laid down, someone knocked on the door.

Daryl opened it to reveal Maggie, who was holding a scared pup who had hidden himself in her room. Daryl thanks her and brings Butter into the room, placing him in front of me while he gets into the bed behind me.

Daryl pulled me close and kissed my shoulder. I cried myself to sleep for the first time that night.

The next day, Shane drove the pickup truck with Andrea in the front and Daryl, T-Dog, and I in the back. I sat between Daryl's legs, leaning up against his chest. My crossbow was on my lap and his was to the side of him.

The night before, Sam had been there. So had James. And James saw all of Dale lying there on the ground. I felt horrible that I couldn't comfort him, but Sam was there, and he was good at that, better than I was.

Daryl kissed my forehead time and time again, comforting me.

We walked the perimeter, checking for the loose parts in the fence and repairing them. Daryl and I had gone alone to cover the rest of them while they repaired the fence.

Eventually, we ended up hunting and killing the walkers we found in the fields, kicking and hurting them as much as we could before killing them.

I was angry. We all were. "Gonna be tight 14 people in one house." Rick says. I stood beside Daryl, silent.

"Don't worry about that. With the swamp hardening, the creek drying up..." He trails off.

"With 50 head of cattle on the property, we might as well be ringing a damn dinner bell." Maggie adds. I look down at the ground and sigh. It was getting colder.

"She's right. We should've moved you in a while ago."

"All right, let's move the vehicles near each of the doors facing out toward the road." Rick commands.

"We'll build a lookout in the windmill, another in the barn loft. That should give us sightlines on both sides of the property. T-Dog, you take the perimeter around the house. Keep track of everyone coming and going." Rick tells us.

"What about standing guard?" T-Dog asks him.

"I need you and Daryl on double duty." I scoff. He had been walking on eggshells around me.