The Fear (The Walking Dead / Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 32 - Beyond The Fences

Quick shout out to @multiple_fandom_girl for being a wonderful reader. Please check out their book 'You Could Be My Angel Or My Demon' for another Daryl Dixon/Walking Dead read :).

I woke up and he was gone. The sun shone through the open cage door with an orange glow indicating that it was still early morning. I sat up and pushed myself to the edge of the bed, running a hand through my hair as my body adjusted from coming out of the first dreamless and peaceful sleep I'd had in a long time.

I put on a fresh change of clothes for the day and shoved a small knife in my boot, my gun in my belt and then grabbed my machete by the door on the way out. On the top level I could just see out of the high windows and out at the courtyard. Daryl was knelt down in front of a cross that had been placed in the ground, marking an empty grave for Carol with T-Dog and Lori beside her. I didn't know how long he had been out there for, but he was just now beginning to stand again and head back towards the prison.

I made my way down the stairs and went into the room that we had set up as our kitchen and dinning area and started preparing food for the morning. Beth was already awake, looking after the baby and we were then soon joined by everyone else, minus Rick of course. I sat on a staircase in the room on about the 7th step while Daryl sat two bellow me, Oscar to our left and everyone else around the table. We were all eating breakfast and for the most part it was silent.

Until a familiar voice broke it. "Everyone okay?" Rick asked, coming in to join us in clean clothes after apparently tidying himself up in his cell block before coming to see anyone.

"Yeah, we are." Maggie replied.

"What about you?" My dad then asked him.

"I cleared out the boiler block." He explained, looking down at Carl.

"How many were there?" Daryl asked.

"I don't know." Rick sighed. "A dozen, two dozen. I have to get back. Just wanted to check on Carl." He stated, patting his son's back before turning to leave.

"Rick, we can handle taking out the bodies." Glenn said, rising from his seat. "You don't have to."

"No, I do." He nodded before glancing over at Daryl and walking quickly in our direction, stopping at the base of the stairs. "Everyone have a gun and a knife?"

"Yeah. We're running low on ammo, though." Daryl explained.

"Maggie and me were planning on making a run this afternoon." Glenn spoke up. "Found a phone book with some places we can hit, look for bullets and formula."

"We cleared out the generator room." Daryl said. "Axel's there tryin' to fix it. In case of emergency."

"We're going sweep the lower levels as well." I added.

"Good, good." Rick nodded before walking back the way he came and closing the gate behind him.

"Rick!" My dad called, but it did little to stop him.

"Someone should watch over him." I said.

"Let me handle Rick." Dad spoke.

"Alright." Glenn nodded as Maggie stood up. "Kat, we could probably use an extra hand today." He said.

I glanced down at Daryl before he nodded, saying that he could handle the sweep of the lower levels before taking the last bite of his food.

"Okay, but I think I'd be better if we leave soon instead of this afternoon."

"Okay." Maggie nodded in agreement for them both before they went to go get ready. I stood up and stepped down the stairs, around Daryl, taking his empty bowl from his hands and handing him mine to finish off as I didn't want the last bit. He took it and finished it off right away before following me to where we had been doing the washing up with his bowl.