Improbabil Dragoste

I didn't get a chance to catch up with Dale who was very busy running around to everyone pleaded for this man's life and only saw him when everyone gathered around the house before going inside.

“Come on, Carl. I want you to stay with Jimmy.” Lori said to Carl as we was walking toward the house.
“But—but I wanna listen.”
“Hm-mmm, not this time. Come on.”
I walked into the house and saw everyone there, even Daryl though I didn't see him at all after his conversation with Dale. He was standing off in the back, showing he was indifferent, and then Dale was standing leaning with one arm up against the wall and was looking very nervous. I stood next to Dale crossing my arms over my chest waiting for Lori and Rick to join us and when they did Carl had walked around and was standing behind Rick. It didn't take long for Rick to notice everyone had turned to look at him and glanced over at him. Rick didn't say anything and Carl walked off knowing no one thought he sound be here. When we heard a door shut Glenn spoke up, “So how do we do this? Just take a vote?”
“Does it have to be unanimous?” Andrea asked.
“How about majority rules?” Lori suggested.
“Well, let's—let's just see where everybody stands then we can talk through the options.” Rick said looking at everyone.
“Well, where I sit,” Shane started first though we all knew his side, “There's only one way to move forward.”
“Killing him,” Dale interrupted, “Right? I mean why bother to even take a vote? It's clear which way the wind's blowing.”
“Well, if people believe we should spare him, I wanna know.” Rick admitted.
“Well, I can tell you it's a small group—maybe just me and Glenn.”
I looked down at Glenn who was sitting on the other side of Dale on a piano bench and I don't think he stood with Dale with the way he kept his head down.
“Look, I—I think you're pretty much right about everything, all the time, but this--” Glenn tried to smooth over his decision but Dale interrupted.
“They've got you scared!”
“He's not one of us and we've—we've lost too many people already.”
Dale looked defeated and was about to question Maggie but pulled one of my hands out stopping Dale from pointing fingers.
“Dale we get your reasoning behind taking someone's life but you have to understand. You're saying we just have our tail between our legs because others want to kill him but you're doing the same. We are not happy with killing someone in cold blood but look how easily Randall gave up information about his group, the same group who have more fire power and has sick people. It would take them no time at all to get our location and status out of that boy out there. He's dead either way, because he can't stay here and they'll kill him back there if he doesn't offer up information.”
Dale looked at me with extreme disappointment, gripping his hat that he held in his hands he said nothing.
“Can't we just hold him prisoner?” Maggie asked.
“Just another mouth to feed.” Daryl said from the back.
“It may be a lean winter.” Hershel commented.
“We could ration better.” Lori added looking to Hershel.
“Well, he could be an asset! Give him a chance to prove himself.” Dale suggested.
“We're not letting him walk around.” Rick said.
“We could put an escort on him.” Maggie offered up.
“That would be a waste of time and a nuisance.” I said looking at Maggie.
“I'll do it!” Dale volunteered.
“I don't think any of us should be walking around with this guy.” Rick said giving a stern look to Dale.
“He's right. I wouldn't feel safe unless he was tied up.” Lori said backing up Rick.
“We can't exactly put chains around his ankles, sentence him to hard labor.” Andrea said sarcastically.
“Look, say we let him join us, right?” Shane started, “Maybe he's helpful, maybe he's nice. We let our guard down and maybe he runs off, brings back his 30 men. Cat is right Daryl had no trouble with him and they could show up if he runs into them.”
“So the answer is to kill him to prevent a crime that he may never even attempt?” Dale said looking to Shane and I. “If we do this, we're saying there's no hope. Rule of law is dead. There is no civilization.”
Dale's voice started to have that weakness to it when someone had given up hope for reasoning and is close to crying though I don't think he could cry, hopefully.
“Could you drive him further out? Leave him like you planned?” Hershel asked.
“You barely came back this time. There are walkers you could break down. Y-you could get lost.” Lori stated holding her neck flooding her words with concern.
“Or get ambushed.” Daryl offered up another possibility as he made eye contact with me.
“They're right. We should not put our own people at risk.” Glenn said finally.
“If you go through with it,” I didn't even notice Patricia standing there as she continued, “how would you do it? Would he suffer?”
“We could hang him, right? Just snap his neck.” Shane suggested.
“I can break his neck, fairly quickly.” I offered. When I would go hunting whether with my father or with the people I was staying I would have to break the occasional neck of an animal.
A few people glanced over at me, nervous, but they were probably thinking I killed people when it had just been animals.
“I thought about that shooting may be more humane.” Rick admitted.
“And what about the body? Do we bury him?” T-Dog asked quietly looking at Shane.
“Hold on, hold on. You're talking about this like it's already decided.” Dale intervened, again.
Daryl started to walk up to the group, “You've been talking all day. Going around in circles. You just wanna go round in circles again?” Daryl traced out a circle with his hand in the air.
“This is a young man's life and it is worth more than a five-minute conversation!” Dale paused for dramatics, “Is this what it's come to? We kill someone because we can't decide what else to do with him? You saved him and how look at us. He's been tortured. He's gonna be executed.”
I tightened my grip on my arms, “Dale, for thing I'm sure he'd rather be shot than eaten by walkers and it seems you've forgotten what was learned from Daryl talking to him. They've got 30 men and are horrible people!”
“How are we any better than those people that we're so afraid of?”
No one said anything letting Dale's words sent in but Shane, the voice of reason right now, spoke up saying quietly, “We all know what needs to be done.”
“No, Dale is right. We can't leave any stone unturned here. We have a responsibility--” I looked at Rick disappointed that he gave in.
“So what's the other solution?” Andrea asked throwing her hand up.
“Let Rick finish.” Lori interrupted.
“We haven't come up with a single viable option yet. I wish we could.” Andrea finished, ignoring Lori.
“So let's work on it!” Dale said loudly speaking over everyone.
“We are.”
“Stop it. Just stop it.” Carol said causing us all to look over at her. “I'm sick of everybody arguing and fighting. I didn't ask for this. You can't ask us to decide something like this. Please decide—either of you, both of you—but leave me out.”

Not speaking out or killing him yourself—there's no difference.” Dale said matter-of-factly while pointing at Carol with wide eyes..
“All right, that's enough. Anybody that wants the floor before we make a final decision has the chance.” Rick said sounding angry and frustrated.
There was silence as no said anything and some sat down showing they've decided as others avoiding Dale's gaze. Dale was fidgeting with his hat hoping someone would speak up having a change of heart but as Rick looked to everyone Dale knew everyone had decided.
Dale took a speak forward throwing his hand out motioning to Rick, “You once said that we don't kill the living.”
“Well that was before the living tried to kill us.” Rick blocked quickly.
“But don't you see? If we do this, the people that we were—the world that we knew is dead. And this new world is ugly. It's...” Dale made an ugly face trying to think of a word, “harsh. It's—it's survival of the fittest.”
“You've forgotten that, that's how the world always was but now since the population has thinned out it's easier to see.” I commented looking at Dale who now stood ahead of me.
Dale looked over his shoulder at me, “And that's a world I don't wanna live in and I don't believe that any of you do. I can't. Please.”
Dale's voice cracked and though I didn't believe he would I knew his eyes were tearing up because no one was on his side and had given in to him.
“Let's just do what's right.” Dale looked at us, hopeful but dropped his hands in defeat, “Isn't there anybody else who's gonna stand with me?”
I looked around and Lori looked away from Dale as others didn't and I thought it was going to be decided until Andrea spoke.
“He's right. We should try to find another way.”
“Anybody else?” Rick asked.
Rick looked around for any one else who was going to speak up but when no one did he turned to Dale and leaned his head to the side in a quick movement showing it was all of us against him and Andrea.
Dale did a sarcastic laugh, “Are y'all gonna watch too? Nah, you'll go hide your heads in your tents and try to forget that we're slaughtering a human being. Whoa.” Dale was barely keeping it together breaking deeply to try and calm his emotions. “I won't be a party to it.” Was the last thing he said before quickly exiting the house but when he passed Daryl he stopped and put a hand on his shoulder leaning in. “This group is broken.”
We all watched him leave and stayed quiet long after the door shut.
“Let's go get him.” I said dropping my arms walking out to the barn.
Shane, Daryl and Rick followed after me, when we walked outside it had gotten dark and we walked him down the short road that lead to the barn the walkers used to be in. Daryl was holding on to him leading him down the road making sure he didn't run. When we neared the barn I think the boy knew what was coming and started to plea for his life again as he did in the past.
“Hold on. Hold on. Hold on.”
We ignored him as Rick opened the door to the bar, “Put him there.” Rick pointed to the ground near the black bag we used on him before.
Daryl pushed him along for Shane to grab him, “It's all gonna be over soon.” Shane said before tying a cloth over his eyes.
“What? What's gonna be over soon?” The boy asked, scared.
“Relax.” Shane told him.
“Hey. Hey. No no no no.” The boy continued only to be 'shhed' by Shane.
The boy started crying as Shane let him go to stand scared in the middle of us, I stood next to Shane looking across to Daryl, then to Rick who pulled out his pistol.
“Would you like to stand or kneel?” Rick offered him.
The boy started to cry hard bouncing nervously, “Oh no, please. Ple—ah. ah. ah.”
He gasped out as Daryl came up behind him kneeing the back of his knee to make Randall fall to his own and pulled on his hair to make him sit up straight and backed away from him.
The boy was sobbing now moving his head, Rick looked to all us, then asked the boy, “Do you have any final words?”
The boy sobbed and rocked back and forth, “No. Please. Please don't. Don't.”
Rick looked at him before slowly raising his pistol, it was only an inch away from the boys head and when he cocked it the boy started to shake with panic. I looked up quickly, seeing Carl come into the barn and ran over behind Rick to him. Carl ran passed me, “Do it, dad. Do it.”
I turned around with shock looking at Rick who copied the worried expression Shane had on his face. Shane walked over toward Carl and I, “Are you kidding me? What did I say to you?” Shane grabbed Carl by the arm and pulled him out of the barn. I walked back next to Daryl and saw angry, confusion go through Rick's face as his face twitched keeping the pistol pointed at Randall not knowing what to do now. Rick glanced over to the barn opening and drew down his weapon.
“Take him away.” I looked back at the gate thinking he was talking to Shane but then he said it again motioning to the boy.
Daryl moved to get him, “Get up.” Then picked him up by the back of his shirt and started to lead him away with me following behind.
Shane looked over at Rick shaking his and roughly pushed the gates open to let Daryl and I through with the boy. I looked down at Carl before catching up with Daryl as we lead the boy back to the small barn to lock him back up. After we locked him back up Shane left leaving Daryl and I standing out front of the barn where Randall was.
“Well, what do you think will happen?” I asked Daryl.
“I don't know and don't care it's up to Rick, I suppose.”
“Oh, right. You're probably going to leave soon anyway right? Better off on your own?” I said sharply crossing my arms.
Daryl didn't say anything just looked over at me for a moment with squintie eyes.
“I heard you and Dale talking earlier. I have tried to come to terms with you one day leaving us and I wish you wouldn't, I would miss you too much.”
“Ya so? I don't owe nothin' to you.”
“You're right you don't. You don't owe anyone here but we all owe you. You are an important member here. Whether you want to admit it or not but I know I mean something to you because you referred to me as your girl when talking to Randall.”
He turned around quickly and looked angry for a moment form hearing that I had heard him call me that but didn't say anything and walked off. I watched him leave and was going to follow him but decided against it and walked back to camp. I had just made it to camp when screams reached my ears along with everyone else.
Rick stood, “Get Carl.”
Lori listened and called out to Carl.
“T-Dog get a shotgun now!” Rick called out as we all headed toward the screaming.
We all ran toward the field and I saw Daryl coming over holding a lantern and now had his crossbow when we got closer we saw it was Dale holding off a walker who was on top of him. Dale's screams got louder and full of pain. I saw Daryl reach him first and tackled the walker off of Dale then stabbing a knife through the walkers head.
“Help! Over here!” Daryl shouted waving his arms.
I ran over to Dale and quickly covered my mouth upon seeing Dale's stomach ripped open and his insides were falling out the side and the grass was being to darken from his blood.
“Oh my God.” Rick finally reached Dale and quickly dropped down to his knees next to him. “All right, listen to me. Listen to me, all right? Just listen to me.”
Dale just moaned and gasped in pain not being able to talk.
“Okay, hold on now. Get Hershel!” Rick yelled.
Andrea dropped down replacing where Rick had knelled, “Hang on, Dale.”
Dale looked at her with his eyes opened wide and nodding slowly while gasping for air.
“Okay listen to me. Listen to my voice. All right? Please. Hershel we need Hershel!” Rick yelled while trying to keep Dale calm and focused on him.
Hershel finally arrived asking what happened while kneeling down to look at Dale's stomach.
“Can we move him?” Rick asked.
“He won't make the trip.” Hershel tried to explain knowing Dale wasn't going to make it.
“You have to do the operation here. Glenn get back to he house!” Rick started to order but Hershel placed a hand on his shoulder stopping him.
“Rick.” Hershel just shook his head signaling that there's nothing to be done.
“No!” Rick yelled shaking his head harshly and turning from Dale.
Everyone stood around Dale or knelled next to him sobbing hearing that he was going to die and that nothing could be done. Dale continued to gasp in pain clenching his eyes closed trying to hold on. I saw Carl look at the walker and ran over to his mom falling into her chest crying.
“He's suffering! Do something!” Andrea yelled watching Dale starting to choke in his own blood.
Rick pulled out his pistol and aimed it at Dale's head but his face was contorted in sadness and I knew he couldn't do it. I walked over, taking the gun from him, and I aimed down to Dale's head.
“Iartă-mă.” Forgive me.
I cocked the pistol and pulled the trigger.