Off Limits

Loses and Realizations

It had been Two weeks since Shane had died. I was doing my best to get back to being somewhat normal. If it wasn't for Carl and Daryl. I may have never came around.

Dad and Daryl had taken Randall out letting him go.

The last couple of weeks had been rough. Not only did we lose Shane we lost Dale. He was walking in the field one night and was torn apart by a walker. It was huge loss for the group. Dale had been the voice of reason we looked to.

Hershal moved us all into the house to be safer. A few of us were sitting on the porch. When we noticed some movement on the edge of the farm.

Looking closer it was a massive herd coming through.

"Should we hide in the house,like we did with the herd on the road?" Andrea asked.

"No way herd that size will rip the house apart." Daryl said.

Hershal came out carrying a gun.

"This is my farm I'm gona die here."

"Good a night as any." Daryl said.

"I can't find Carl?" Lori cried.

"Are you kidding me?" I yelled.

"Maybe he's with Rick at the barn." Glenn said.

"I'll look." I said.

"Not alone your not." Jimmy said following me off the porch.

We headed toward the barn. Seeing all the walkers at the doors we climbed into the RV and watched as dad lured them in the barn. It soon went up in flames.

We started to run from the RV when Jimmy was tackled by a group of walkers. I went back to try and help him.

"Go run!" He yelled as I saw him being bitten over and over.

Looking towards the house I saw everyone leaving. I found myself wondering the field walkers closing in on both sides.

I knew I couldn't out run them all. Just as I was about to accept my fate. I heard Daryl's bike.

"Emma come on." He yelled.

I ran to him jumping on the back of his bike barely escaping a walker as he rode off.

I buried my head in his back. Holding tightly around his waist. I felt his hand lay across mine.

We went back to the highway where we lost Sophia.

I got off the bike as dad and Carl ran for me.

"Oh thank god baby. Carol wasn't sure you made it."

"I almost didn't Daryl found me."

"I'm grateful to you then brother." Dad said clapping his back.

"No big." he blushed.

"Patricia?" Hershal asked.

They ripped her right from my hands daddy." Beth cried.

"Andrea?" Glenn asked.

"She was surrounded." Carol said.

"Jimmy?" Beth asked.

"Overran in the RV. I'm sorry Beth." I said.

"We can't stay here we gotta keep moving." Lori said.

"What about Andrea?" I asked.

"If she's still there she's gone. If she made it. We'll find her again. We can't go back Emma." Dad said.

Andrea wasn't exactly my favorite person,but leaving seemed wrong. I guess dad was right though. We couldn't take the risk.

I rode with Daryl on his bike. Until we reached a point where the others were almost out of gas. So we had to stop.

Daryl went off to try and hunt. The rest of us sat around making a fire or talking.

When Daryl came back with some squirrels he told us about a walker he had to put down.

"It didn't have any bites." He said.

"Are you sure?" Hershal asked.

"Yeah I checked." He insisted.

"How is that possible?" Carol asked.

Everyone was talking trying to come up with something.

"We're all infected." Dad said.

"What?" Lori asked.

"Back at the CDC Jenner told me." I didn't believe him.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Carol asked.

"Would it have made a diffrence? How could I have known for sure?"

"It's not your call not to tell us. When I found out about the walkers in the barn. I told for the good of everyone." Glenn said.

"Well I thought it best people didn't know." Dad replied.

Dad walked away leaving everyone speechless. None of us knew what to say.

Later that night sitting around the fire. I over heard Carol talking to Daryl.

"We're not safe with him--keeping something like that from us?....You don't need him he's just pulling you down."

"Naw Rick's done alright by me." Daryl said.

"Your a henchman and I'm a burden. You deserve better."

"What do you want?"

"A man of honor."

"Rick is a man with honor. He's done what he's needed to,made the hard decisions."

I started to say something when there was a noise in the woods behind us.

"What was that?" Beth asked.

"Could be anything animal or walker." Daryl said.

"We need to leave. What are we waiting for?" Carol said.

"Last thing we needed is everyone running around in the dark." Dad said.

"I'm not sitting here waiting to get eaten." Maggie said.

"No one is going anywhere. We don't have the cars. We ain't going on foot." Dad sneered.

"Do something." Carol snapped.

"I am doing something." Dad yell whispered. "I'm keeping us alive and together."

He was getting more agitated with every word.

"I didn't ask for this. Damn it I killed my best friend for you people."

"You what?" I asked.

"You all saw what he was like. He kept pushing me. He compramised us. He tried to kill me. When we took Randall off. Tried getting my gun. My face was tore up that day because of him. He gave me no choice. He was my friend but he came after me. Acting like me being alive was keeping him from Emma. I did what I had to. To live to protect her. All of you from what he was becoming. Daryl and I  went back he was gone. There was nothing I.....Emma I'm sorry he gave me no choice it was him or me. I was protecting you."

I was crying so hard I started throwing up. I felt dad's hand on my back and I jerked away. He tried hugging me I jerked away again.

I sat alone the rest of the night. Refusing to talk to anyone. It was like he had died all over again.

The following morning I went away from the other sitting in the woods alone.

"I brought you some food." Daryl said.

"I don't want anything from you."

"Emma come on I..."

"You knew. Your suppose to be my friend and you knew and didn't tell me. Stay away from me Daryl Dixon."