Our Extinction Event {Daryl Dixon}

Welcome To The CDC

Rick spoke to Jim and he had asked to be left behind. The fever had gotten worse and Jim said he felt like his bones were made of glass. Every little jolt along the way was enough to put Jim in an unbearable amount of pain. There was no way to save him from this, even if they got to the CDC. Jim would be dead before they got there. 

"It's what he said he wants," Rick announced.

"And he's lucid?" Carol asked.

"He seems to be," Rick replied. "I would say yes."

"Back at the camp, when I said Daryl might be right, you shut me down," Dale said. "You misunderstood me. I would never go along with callously killing a man. I was just going to suggest that we ask Jim what he wants. And I think we have an answer."

"We just leave him here?" Shane asked, "We take off? Man, I'm not sure I can live with that."

"It's not your call," Lori told both him and Rick. "Either one of yours." Eventually, Rick and Shane carefully helped Jim out of the RV, sitting him against a tree while everyone gathered around him. Carl had moved away from Lori and was currently holding Parker's hand.

"Hey." Jim mumbled, "Another damn tree."

"Hey, Jim," Shane said, "I mean, you know it doesn't need to be this."

"No," Jim responded, eyes closed. "It's good. The breeze feels nice." Jacqui knelt next to Jim.

"Just close your eyes, sweetie. Don't fight." She kissed his cheek before walking away crying.

"Jim," Rick said, holding up a gun. "Do you want this?"

"No," Jim replied. "You'll need it. I'm okay." Carl looked at Parker.

"Is he going to die?"

"Yeah," Parker said, crouching down in front of Carl. "But he'll be okay."

"I don't want to leave him," Carl said. "It's not fair."

"I know," Parker responded, kissing his head. "But it's Jim's choice, and we have to respect that."

"Carl!" Lori called to him, walking over. "Come on, it's time to go." Parker kissed Carl's forehead before returning to Daryl's truck and climbing into the passenger seat. This time, Parker didn't feel like talking and instead leaned her head against the window as they drove past Jim's body. She raised a hand in farewell before letting it fall into her lap and let out a soft sigh as she watched the world pass by beyond the window.

"You're good with that kid," Daryl said, trying to alleviate some of the sadness he could feel. "You act like his mom."

"Thank you." Parker managed to say as she held back her tears about the whole situation. "Uh... I always wanted to have children."

"You didn't have none before?" Daryl asked. Parker shook her head.

"No." She let out a dry laugh. "I didn't have anyone to have children with."

"I find that hard to believe."

"It's true," Parker told him. "No one stayed. I'm okay with that though. I wouldn't want to have kids with someone I wasn't sure would be around throughout the process. What about you? Anyone in your life before this?"

"No," Daryl responded. "Just my brother and I."

"It seems like we were both alone." Parker sucked in a large breath. "You know, I love my family, I do, and I see how happy they are together... I want that. I want that with someone, and I've never been afraid to admit it. I mean, it will be really difficult to find someone with everything that's happening."