Mine By Choice A Daryl Dixon Fatherhood story. TWD

S1.E1. Man in the Hospital.

*Rick Pov*
I fade in and out of consciousness. Talking to my partner Shane one minute, alone the next. I look over the flowers that I have just seen him bring in only to see a vase of dead wilted plants. The clock on the wall is no longer working. I can't even tell the time. I attempt to stand only to fall to my side, and all attempts to contact a nurse fail. I am dehydrated, so I drink tap water before stumbling out to a deserted hallway. Slamming things on the front desk lighting a match for a little light. I walk down the hall to a door, looking through the window. I see a woman with her skin removed from her bones. Scared, I stumble through the hallway in the other direction. 'What is going on? Am I dreaming,' I thought to myself before seeing someone in the distance. In front of a door that reads, "DON'T OPEN DEAD INSIDE!" is a person. I look in disbelief.'Is that a little girl?'

*Dylan's pov*
I had to go into the hospital for supplies. I have two big duffle bags, one in each hand, and my month-old brother is tied to my cheat with a scarf. "Okay." I take a breath. "We go in and get out. we got this," I say to my brother despite him not being able to hear me. I open the door and move quietly between walkers. Before going in, I covered myself in walker guts. I learned by mistake that if you look, act, and smell like one of them, they can't tell the difference. Making sure not to get any on my or my brother's skin just as a precaution. I go to the cafeteria first it was the closest. Once I get in, I close the door and kill the three walkers left in the room. I shot the first in the head with my bow, then the second. The third was too close, so I stabbed it in the head with a hunting knife.

I go to the vending machine first my father's friend. Or I guess his friend's brother taught me how to break into them quietly. He also taught me to bow hunt and throw knives. 'He taught me a lot of things I thought back to the good memories before moving from the vending matches to the kitchen. "No one really got stuff from the hospital's they were all overrun. I've been watching this one, that's why we have food, buddy. And the formula for you." I whisper to the baby, bouncing him back to sleep. I filled the first bag it was heavy. I checked the door before leaving the cafeteria. Sneaking to the storage closet, I fill half of the other duffle with bandages, stitching needles, and other things. The hall was almost cleared out of walkers most wandered into the street by themselves. I went to the place where they kept medicines. "First things first, epi pens dodo do where are you?" I say quietly, looking on the shelves. I find them and grab all they have then I grab all the insulin my mother had diabetes when she was pregnant with me and my brother the doctors told her that it's hereditary so we might have it too. I don't know when I can grab some next, so I stock up just in case. Next, I grab any painkillers, antibiotics, over the counter stuff before grabbing random other things that can fit into the bag. I came across stuff like the morning-after pills and pregnancy tests. "I won't need them, but someone else might we get hungry or need something it might be a useful trade." I through a box of each in the bag before making my way out of the hospital. Too big bags in toe.

I walked down the hallway to a door I passed coming in. That said, DON'T OPEN DEAD INSIDE! I was going to walk out when I see a man he is in a hospital gown. "Hey, little girl, my name is Officer Rick Grimes. Are you okay? What happened here?" The man said.
I looked at him, then the gown. "How long you've been here?" I ask in response.'Was he held up in here since the beginning?' I thought to myself. "I don't know. I was shot, I think I was in a coma." He answered he looked scared and confused. I hear growls behind me and feel my brother begin to wake up. "Come with me, stick close. I'll explain somewhere safe," I say the man walks to me limping.

We leave the hospital and go to a house down the street. "This.... this is my house." He said, looking at the walls I assumed used to house pictures. "Oh. I'm sorry this place was unlocked, so I was squatting here for a bit." I said awkwardly as my brother began to fuss. "Hey, hey, it's okay. I got some food hold on," I say, bouncing him up and down.
"Is that a baby? Where are your parents, and why are you covered in blood?" He asked. I shifted from foot to foot. I didn't like grownups much, and I definitely don't like cops. But he can help. I know I can't make it on my own forever. If I was really alone, possibly but with a newborn. We didn't stand a chance. "Yeah, he's my brother. My mother left before this all happened, and my father took my sister and went missing." I responded. "And the blood?" He asked. "Keeps the dead away," I said he looked confused. "The dead?" He asked again "Yeah the dead. You've been out a while, huh?" I asked rhetorically. "Yeah." He said.

I then spent the night explaining what happened. How the dead started raising and how to protect yourself. He mentioned guns and hot water in the station. I brought him to a car I hot-wired that morning and put my brother in the back with his car seat. Before heading to the station, I dropped a small amount of food at the door of a man I knew was in town he had a son a little older than me. I talked to him a little before, he was kind but he wanted to stay and I knew that was a bad idea. But just because we won't travel together doesn't mean I want them to starve or get eaten.
We got to the station. He changed into his uniform and got the guns loaded in a bag before showing where the showers were. He put up a certain for me and my brother. "Did you want me to hold him as you get dressed?" I just got out of the shower and had a towel wrapped around me. We didn't have any changes of clothing so he gave me some of his son's clothes. He also got some of his newborn and baby stuff from his attic. "Is that okay?" I asked, worried. "Yeah, there is changing room in the back." I reluctantly hand him over. "No one's held him but me, so I don't know how he will react," I say, handing him my brother. "What about your parents?" He asked as I walked back. I changed quickly and came back out fighting to get a brush through my hair. "Come here." He takes the brush, handing me my brother motioning me to sit in front of him. "And no, it was only me, and I guess you now um sorry what was your name?" He smiled down at me,"Rick. Rick Grimes, what are your names?" "I'm Dylan, and this is Rory." I smiled at my brother as he made funny noises. Rick brushed my hair carefully, not to snag it before tying it up in a pony tale. "Dylan and Rory pretty names. How old are you?" "I'm eleven, and Rory is a month yesterday," I say quietly. We keep light conversation as we grab our things. I pack my brush into my green backpack, the duffle bags with the food and medicine are in the car. Other than one Epi pen, I keep in the carry bag. I only took the bow, knives, notebook, and a change of clothing for me and Rory. I placed the dirty laundry in a sack from Rick's house we have in the car. "With all four duffle bags together, it looks like we are going camping." Rick smiled lightly.

We decided to go to the city last night so we took the car. When we got there there was a herd of walkers. And of course, at the very moment, the car broke down. I strapped my brother to my chest and grabbed the lighter of the two bags. Rick grabbed my backpack the guns and the food bag because the cans were too heavy for me to run with. We got out of the car but saw another herd coming to connect with the first Rick fired his gun at a walker that tried to grab me and Rory. I thought we were goners, but an Asian man yelled at out to follow him.

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