𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆 | 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘭 𝘋𝘪𝘹𝘰𝘯 ¹

𝑻𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝑵𝒊𝒏𝒆

Chapter Twenty Nine,
Dark Tight Room

RICK HAD LOST himself completely. "Oh no, oh no Carl!" Sobbing uncontrollably, his hands ran frantically over his face. The profound loss of Lori had shattered him.

Observing from a distance, Daryl witnessed Maggie approaching with the helpless infant cradled in her arms. Anxious, he scanned the area, hoping to spot Chloe and Carol emerging from the door that Maggie, Tom, and Carl had just exited. However, his anticipation turned into disappointment when they failed to appear.

"Chloe?" Chloe's mother Angie asked, and Maggie shook her head.

Beth and Hershel had told them that T-Dog was bit before he, Carol, and Chloe entered the prison. 

They didn't make it.

Angie sobbed into her husband's chest uncontrollably, and Daryl couldn't help but feel sorry for them. He should have been there for her daughter; he should have saved her. She needed him. Carol needed him too.

"I'm sorry, man," Daryl whispered, patting Adam on the back as he held back his tears. Adam was in a state not much better than Rick's.

"Rick, you with me? Rick?" Daryl approached Rick, who was still in shock, kneeling on the floor.

"Let me see the baby," Hershel said.

"What are we gonna feed it?" Daryl asked the old man. "We got anything a baby can eat?"

"The good news is she looks healthy," Hershel said. "But she needs formula. And soon, or she won't survive."

"Nope," Daryl said. "No way. Not her. We ain't losing anybody else. I'm going for a run."

He couldn't lose anyone else, not after losing Chloe. Not after losing Carol.

"I'll back you up," Maggie said.

"I'll go, too," Glenn added.

"Okay, think where we're going. Beth. Kid just lost his mom. His dad ain't doing so hot," Daryl told Beth. Carl had seen enough for one day, and Rick wasn't making things any better.

"I'll look out for him," Beth whispered.

"You two get the fence. Too many pile up, we got ourselves a problem," Daryl shouted for Axel and Oscar to move before turning to Glenn and Maggie. "Glenn, Maggie, vamonos."

"Rick!" Maggie shouted after Rick, who had grabbed his hatchet off the floor where he dropped it before storming towards the door.

"Get the gate. Come on, we're gonna lose the light," Daryl said, irritated.

Everyone was in shock, and he had to keep things going, or they would lose this little baby too.

"There's a Piggly Wiggly on 85," Glenn said as they ran towards the parked cars.

"No, the baby section's been cleared," Maggie said. "Lori asked me to keep an eye out. I haven't had much luck."

"Is there any place that hasn't been completely looted?" Daryl asked, removing the cover off his bike.

"We saw signs for a shopping center just north of here," Glenn said.

"Yeah, but there's too much debris on the road," Maggie said. "A car will never get through there."

"I can take one of you," Daryl offered.

"I'll go," Maggie said.

Adam's anxiety over Tom and Chloe had been escalating. When Tom finally emerged behind Carl, relief briefly washed over him. However, upon learning about his little sister, the emotional burden became too much. He clutched his gun tightly, entering the same door Chloe had passed through before vanishing.