Love Between A Dixon and A Greene

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

  You all gathered in the living area to discuss the fate of Randall. Dale had his time to go around and try to convince everyone that killing him wasn't the right choice. You stood with Daryl close to the door. He was leaning up against the wall by the cabinet and you stood up against the wall right beside him. "So how do we do this? Just take a vote?" Glenn asked. "Does it have to be unanimous?" Andrea asked next. "How about majority rules?" I said. "Well, let's let's just see where everybody stands, then we can talk through the options," Rick said. "Well, where I sit, there's only one way to move forward," Shane said. "Killing him, right? I mean, why even bother to even take a vote? It's clear which way the wind's blowing," Dale says.

"Well, if people believe we should spare him, I wanna know," Rick tells him. "Well, I can tell you it's a small group-- Maybe just me and Glenn," Dale said. "Look, I-- I think you're pretty much right about everything, all the time, but this--" Glenn tells him. "They've got you scared," Dale said. "He's not one of us. And we've-- we've lost too many people already.," Glenn said. "How about you? Do you agree with this?" Dale said looking at Maggie.  "Couldn't we continue keeping him prisoner?" She asked. "Just another mouth to feed," Daryl told her. "It may be a lean winter," Your father says.

  "We could ration better," Lori suggested. "Well, he could be an asset. Give him a chance to prove himself," Dale argues. "Put him to work?" Glenn said. You scuffed at that. "We're not letting him walk around,"  Rick told him. "We could put an escort on him," Maggie suggested. "Who wants to volunteer for that duty? I know I don't," you said. "I will," Dale said. "I don't think any of us should be walking around with this guy," Rick said. "He's right. I wouldn't feel safe unless he was tied up," Lori said. "We can't exactly put chains around his ankles, sentence him to hard labor," Andrea says.

  "Look, say we let him join us, right? Maybe he's helpful, maybe he's nice. We let our guard down and maybe he runs off, brings back his 30 men," Shane said. "So the answer is to kill him to prevent a crime that he may never even attempt?" Dale says. "Well, there's no other choice here Dale. We can't take the chance," you tell him. "If we do this, we're saying there's no hope. Rule of law is dead. There is no civilization," he says. "Oh, my God," you mumbled. Shane started running his hand over his head indicating he was getting frustrated.  "Could you drive him further out? Leave him as you planned?" Hershel asked. "You barely came back this time," Lori said. "There are walkers. You could break down. Y-you could get lost," she says.. "Or get ambushed," T Dog says. "They're right. We should not put our own people at risk," Glenn said. "If you go through with it, how would you do it? Would he suffer?" Patricia asked. "We could hang him, right? Just snap his neck," Shane said. "I thought about that. Shooting may be more humane," Rick said. "And what about the body? Do we bury him?" You asked.

  "Hold on, hold on! You're talking about this like it's already decided," Dale says still trying to get around not killing him. "You've been talking all day, going around in circles. You just wanna go around in circles again?" Daryl asks him motioning his finger in a circle. "This is a young man's life, and it is worth more than a five-minute conversation! 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 now look at us. He's been tortured. He's gonna be executed. How are we any better than those people that we're so afraid of?" Dale says tearing up a little. "We all know what needs to be done," I said. "No, Dale is right. We can't leave any stone unturned here. We have a responsibility--" Rick starts. "So what's the other solution?" Andrea asked. "Let Rick finish," Lori said but Andrea kept talking.

  "We haven't come up with a single viable option yet. I wish we could," she said. "So let's work on it!" Dale yelled. "We are," Shane said. "Stop it. Just stop it. 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," Carol spoke up. "Not speaking out or killing him yourself-- There's no difference," Dale says pointing at her. "Alright! No! What the fuck Dale! Just get over it the kids dead no matter what!" You yelled at him. "All right, that's enough. Anybody who wants the floor before we make a final decision has the chance," Rick said shutting everyone up.

  "You once said that we don't kill the living," Dale said.  "Well, that was before the living tried to kill us," Rick told him. "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... Harsh. It's-- it's survival of the fittest. And that's a world I don't wanna live in, and I don't-- And I don't believe that any of you do. I can't. Please. Let's just do what's right. Isn't there anybody else who's gonna stand with me?" Dale pleaded. Everyone was looking down then Andrea spoke up "He's right. We should try to find another way," she said and Shane looked at her. "Anybody else?" Rick asked. No one else agreed with Dale. "Are y'all gonna watch, too? No, you'll go hide your heads in your tents and try to forget that we're slaughtering a human being. Whoa... I won't be a party to it," Dale said. He walked towards Daryl and put his hand on his shoulder. "This group is broken," he said and walked out the door.

  You looked over at Daryl and grabbed his hand being careful not to irritate his knuckles. "We're we going?" He said as you walked back the hall. "My room," you said. You got to the door and opened it and walked in. Once Daryl was in you shut the door. Turning you looked at him just standing there awkwardly. 'I'm assuming you're going to be there when the do it," you said to him walking over and sitting on his bed. "Yeah, Ricks going to take him to the barn and shoot him," he said. "It's the right choice. My dad and they haven't been out there they don't know what it's like. Maggie has been in town but that's it. I'm surprised my father is agreeing with this," you said. Daryl sat down with you and looked at you "I want ya to stay here in the house and I'll come get ya when it's over," he said.  "You know I'm not going to listen right?" You asked. He just stood up and walked out of the room. You chuckled and walked after him.

  Once it got dark Rick, Shane, and Daryl got Randall from the shed and walked him to the barn. You stood with Maggie and the group by the tents around the fire. Lori had told Carl to stay in the house not wanting him anywhere near what was going to happen. Dale had gone off on his own taking a walk. You stood there all in silence for about 10 minutes before you saw Rick walking towards you with Shane and Carl. "We're keeping him in custody, for now," Rick said. "I'm gonna find Dale," Andrea said and walked off.

  "Carl, go inside. Now, please," Lori told him. He followed us. He wanted to watch. I couldn't," Rick told her. 'That's okay. That's okay," she told him. You heard a scream. "Get Carl," Rick said. "Baby," Lori said and Carl came out. "What happened? )" he said. "Come here. Come here," she told him and he went to her. "T-dog, get a shotgun now!" Rick said. You say Daryl running towards the field so you took off after him.

"No! Dale!" Andrea yelled. You stopped seeing Dale laying there in Tue ground his inside-outside his body. Daryl tackled the walker that did it and stabbed it in the head. "Help! Over here! Help! Run!" Daryl yelled "Hang in there, buddy," he told Dale. "Who is it?" Someone asked. "Oh, my God. Oh, God," Andrea said. "Rick!" You heard. "All right, just listen to my voice. Listen to me, all right? Just listen to me. Okay, hold on now. Get Hershel! He needs blood. We gotta operate now. - Hang on, Dale. Hang on. Listen to me. Come on-- Okay, just listen to my voice. All right, please. Hershel! We need Hershel! Look at me. Dale, we're gonna help. We're here. Just hold on-- hold on," Rick said to Dale while yelling for your father. You stood there shocked and Daryl came over and wrapped his arms around you pulling you into him. "What happened?" Hershel asked. "What can we do?  Dale, it's gonna be okay. - Can we move him?" Rick asked. "He won't make the trip," Your father said. "You have to do the operation here. Glenn, get back to the house," Rick said. "Rick. No!" Your dad told him. "Oh, God. He's suffering. Do something! Come on. Oh, God," Andrea said crying kneeling next to Dale. Rick stood up and pulled his gun out pointing it at Dale but he froze.  Daryl took notice and let go of you and walked overtaking his gun and kneeling down putting the gun to Dales's head. Dale nodded at him. "I'm sorry, brother," Daryl said and pulled the trigger.