Lone Survivors

Sharing a tent with Daryl actually allowed my brain to rest. I was so exhausted and slept without waking at all. It was a miracle. Needless to say I was in a much better mood the next morning, and I couldn’t stop smiling. I had bonded with someone, and I wasn’t as alone as I had thought. I joined the ladies for washing clothes, but none of them talked to me. Andrea did raise an eyebrow at my smile, but I just playfully told her to shut it. She was probably assuming I had done things that I hadn’t, but I didn’t really care. Besides, Daryl was better than Shane, right?

Things were looking up for me. If Daryl was with me, talking to me or giving me squirrel to eat, the other members of the group didn’t give me the suspicious glares I was used to. It was as if they trusted Daryl, and if he had decided I wasn’t a threat, then I wasn’t a threat. But the moment he was away hunting, things went back to how they were before. It was still an improvement, and I wanted to thank Daryl somehow.

I didn’t get much time to think about it. Dale was attacked by a Walker, and shortly afterwards we were all surrounding him, Daryl angrily killing the beast that had done the deed. Hershel and I stared at the wound in his abdomen as Andrea wept next to Dale.

“I- I can’t…” I whispered to Hershel. He just shook his head. Hershel couldn’t either. All hope was lost. Daryl pulled the trigger and put our friend out of his misery. I comforted Andrea for a long time before she wanted time alone. Of course I respected her wish and left her, joining Daryl’s side shortly after. His eyes were watery and we sort of fell into an embrace to comfort each other. I silently wept before moving away and looking up at him. “If it… ever happens to me, please just kill me quick.” Daryl just nodded before pulling me back into a hug. I couldn’t believe the zombies had taken another life. It was so unfair.

“Dale said this group was broken,” Rick said later at the funeral, addressing us all. “We should prove him wrong. Let’s stick together and survive this.” Andrea started crying again, but she was trying so hard to keep it together.

“It’s gonna be okay,” I whispered to her, rubbing her arm a little.

“I’m going to start with something that should have been done a long time ago. It’s been brought to my attention the disrespectful behaviour towards a certain person, and we all know who that is. They’re no different. They’re one of us now. We accept them, just like Dale did,” Rick continued. I felt my stomach sinking with nervousness, since that was clearly about me. Eyes were on me; I could sense it. “Let us all be better people. For Dale.”

Most of the group dispersed then, but I stayed with Andrea for support. She needed it, and she was the closest thing I had to a friend, except for Daryl. Rick approached me and handed me the pistol that had been taken off me when I had arrived. No words needed to be said. I saw the regret in his eyes as he passed me the ammo. I appreciated Rick’s step forward. Hopefully the rest of the group could follow in his footsteps.

I looked over my shoulder as Rick walked away and saw Daryl was watching. He gave me a grin before walking back to the house with Rick. Had he put Rick up to that?