Status: Unpaused!
The "Z" Word
Radio
Slater kicked wildly as her arms flailed in a feeble attempt to hit whoever, or whatever, was currently holding on to her. Her feet were placed on the ground, and the arm was removed from around her waist. She blinked a few times and noticed that the walkers were paying more attention to the body hanging out of the car then to her. Distracted by the smell of fresh blood. A hand closed over her forearm and she was practically being dragged away from the car.
She heard gun shots, but didn't focus on where they were coming from. She didn't even realize it was Daryl in front of her, pulling her to his truck. He held an ax in his other hand, easily decapitating any walkers that got in their path. She seen what was going on, but none of it registered in her brain. Everything around her seemed to be moving in slow motion, like in a bad movie when a couple are running towards each other on the beach.
It wasn't until they reached the truck and Daryl was shoving her inside did everything click. Everything fell into place and she realized what was going on. Her father was dead. If it hadn't of been for Daryl, she'd be dead too. Merle had been shooting at the walkers, that's where the gun shots had come from. They had stopped and risked their own lives for her. Slater sat there in between them as Daryl started the truck again and they started driving down the road, probably a little faster than was actually necessary to catch up with the others.
Slater did say a word. Neither did the two brothers that sat next to her. What was there to say? Tears slid down her cheeks, but she didn't make a sound. They were almost in town when she finally spoke. "Thank you." Her voice was barely audible. Merle wasn't sure she had even spoken.
"What?" Daryl asked.
"Thank you," she said again, slightly louder. "Both of you."
Both Dixons opened their mouth to speak, but it was Merle who actually said something, "Don't mention it."
Daryl nodded in agreement, keeping his eyes on the road. "Yeah, it was nothing."
"It wasn't nothing. You saved my life back there. Both of you did."
Neither brother said anything in response. They had saved her life, after all.
When the silence was broken again, it was Merle who spoke, "It was Daryl's idea." Daryl glanced at Merle, but didn't say anything as his brother continued talking. "He stopped the truck, jumped out, and started running towards the car like a mad man. I was just trying to keep him from getting himself killed."
"It doesn't matter who did what," Slater said. "You both saved me, and that's what matters." She still hadn't looked at either of the men, but Daryl thought he caught a glimpse of a smile. Not a normal, happy smile, it was one that people give when they're upset and someone is weakly attempting to make them feel better. The kind of smile that says, 'can we just stop talking about this already, I'm fine' but the person giving the smile never really is fine.
Once again, they were riding in silence. The rest of the drive, they sat in silence. On a normal day, Daryl would have turned the radio on, but it wasn't a normal day, and they weren't in a normal world anymore. There were no radio broadcasts.
She heard gun shots, but didn't focus on where they were coming from. She didn't even realize it was Daryl in front of her, pulling her to his truck. He held an ax in his other hand, easily decapitating any walkers that got in their path. She seen what was going on, but none of it registered in her brain. Everything around her seemed to be moving in slow motion, like in a bad movie when a couple are running towards each other on the beach.
It wasn't until they reached the truck and Daryl was shoving her inside did everything click. Everything fell into place and she realized what was going on. Her father was dead. If it hadn't of been for Daryl, she'd be dead too. Merle had been shooting at the walkers, that's where the gun shots had come from. They had stopped and risked their own lives for her. Slater sat there in between them as Daryl started the truck again and they started driving down the road, probably a little faster than was actually necessary to catch up with the others.
Slater did say a word. Neither did the two brothers that sat next to her. What was there to say? Tears slid down her cheeks, but she didn't make a sound. They were almost in town when she finally spoke. "Thank you." Her voice was barely audible. Merle wasn't sure she had even spoken.
"What?" Daryl asked.
"Thank you," she said again, slightly louder. "Both of you."
Both Dixons opened their mouth to speak, but it was Merle who actually said something, "Don't mention it."
Daryl nodded in agreement, keeping his eyes on the road. "Yeah, it was nothing."
"It wasn't nothing. You saved my life back there. Both of you did."
Neither brother said anything in response. They had saved her life, after all.
When the silence was broken again, it was Merle who spoke, "It was Daryl's idea." Daryl glanced at Merle, but didn't say anything as his brother continued talking. "He stopped the truck, jumped out, and started running towards the car like a mad man. I was just trying to keep him from getting himself killed."
"It doesn't matter who did what," Slater said. "You both saved me, and that's what matters." She still hadn't looked at either of the men, but Daryl thought he caught a glimpse of a smile. Not a normal, happy smile, it was one that people give when they're upset and someone is weakly attempting to make them feel better. The kind of smile that says, 'can we just stop talking about this already, I'm fine' but the person giving the smile never really is fine.
Once again, they were riding in silence. The rest of the drive, they sat in silence. On a normal day, Daryl would have turned the radio on, but it wasn't a normal day, and they weren't in a normal world anymore. There were no radio broadcasts.