infection | D. Dixon

chapter fourty

death

"If I throw a stick will you leave!?" I yell at Daryl as he follows me through the hall slowly. I can barely keep myself up but I'll be dammed if I let him get the best of me.

"What the hell was he talking 'bout, Trix!?" Daryl retorted.

I sighed, turning as quickly as I could to look at him. "When we got separated," I stated confidently. "I came across these guys. They were bad people, Daryl." I brushed him off.

"What happened?" He asked again, spinning me around which caused pain to shoot through my body.

"Well they aren't dancing!" I hissed.

"Did you at least put 'em down?" He asked. I didn't answer. "God, Reaper." He exclaimed. "You could at least put em down!"

I shrugged. "I don't care." I replied coldly.

"You're a psychopath!" He accused me like I didn't already know.

"I prefer efficient." I kept my voice even.

Daryl shook his head at me. "That's your big secret?" He asked.

I shrugged. "One of them." Daryl rolled his eyes as I started to hobble away, trying desperately not to fall. "I am death, Daryl, get over it." I called back to him.

----

Anne and Rick talked in hush voices in a group of five. Daryl and Tessa included. They were talking about Lonnie, or about me. I didn't care. Lonnie told everyone about how many people I had killed to find them. Rick and I have been butting heads for leadership and I think I might let him have it. It's not worth the fighting. Daryl looked over at me before continuing the conversation. I need to do something about us too, I realize what I told him at the prison wasn't exactly fixing anything, it confused the both of us even more. Whatever we have going on needs to either stop or be confirmed. No more half commitments or sitting on the fence.

Once the group disbanded he walked over to the door. I smirked and followed him, grabbing my bow and knife belt along the way. We walked at a heavy pace for a good half an hour, I kept up well for someone with a stab wound. When Daryl finally came to a silent halt, I stopped a few feet away. I didn't say anything. I let him sit there. Suddenly he turned around, grabbed me by the neck, and slammed me against a tree.

"You're really dumb you know that!?" He yelled in my face. I didn't reply, I pressed my hand against his heaving chest. "You're gunna get kicked outta the group, and for what!?"

I lightly pushed him off, he didn't protest. "I killed a man, Daryl. I killed many, to keep myself and the group safe, and if anyone has a problem with that--" I stopped, taking my hand off his chest.

He caught my wrist midair and pulled me in to him. " don't be stupid." he muttered.

"This is stupid." I retorted, motioning between him and I standing in the middle of nowhere.

"Then don't do anything else stupid." He threw back.

My lips tugged up in a smirk, "Are you flirting, Dixon?" His cheeks turned pink under the dirt and grime and I burst out laughing, "Daryl Dixon, blushing?"

He pushed himself off me and I stopped and sighed. I had to ignore how much pain I was in right now.

"Daryl--" I said with a chuckle, "I was joking." I said, laughing again.

He grunted and pushed me back against the tree again, I winced as my side touched against his arm. "Hurt bad?" He asked, lifting my shirt to reveal my stitches.