Asperity - Daryl Dixon

XVIII

"We don't know that. Right now, Judith is the only family I got," Carl stated, his worry palpable. Vanessa placed her arm around him, offering comfort. Suddenly, a scream pierced the air, sending a chill through everyone present. "What was that?" Beth urgently asked. "That was from inside," Hershel replied.

"Was that Carol?" Carl questioned anxiously. "She's out, keeping watch with Alex at the guard tower. Can't be her," Vanessa responded, scanning the area. "What if they came back for something? What if they're in trouble?" Beth voiced the concerns that echoed in everyone's minds.

"Let's check the tower, see if they're there," Hershel suggested, steering the group towards the potential source of distress. "How could anyone get in?" Beth inquired, a valid question considering the prison's reinforced defenses. "The tombs are filled with walkers that wandered in from outside. Someone else could've done the same thing," Vanessa explained, considering the possibilities. Another scream cut through the air, intensifying the urgency.

"I'm going," Carl declared, ready to face the unknown. Vanessa, however, stepped in, "I can't let you go down there." Carl's eyes met hers, determination shining through, "My father would go." Vanessa softened, knowing she couldn't change the boy's mind she gave in, "Okay, but I'll go with you." Together, they headed towards the tombs, the source of the distress now relentless.

"Carl, behind me," Vanessa instructed, leading the way with her gun and flashlight. As they navigated the tombs, they followed the sounds of distress, eventually arriving at the boiler room. A walker attacked, but Vanessa swiftly dealt with the threat. "I could've had it." Carl said grumpily. "I know sherif." The source of the screams became apparent – a group in distress, fending off walkers.

The group was struggling to cope, Carl and Vanessa shot a few walkers before they started talking. "Come on! Hurry!" Carl urged, helping them escape the onslaught of walkers. However, tragedy struck, and Donna and the man fell. "Just go!" The man holding her insisted, but his friend refused to leave them behind. "Let me take her." The bigger man said, now holding the dying girl on his shoulder.

"I'll cover you ! Look out !" The other woman said, taking down walkers. Vanessa and Carl joined the effort to rescue the group, shooting walkers to help the woman. Yet, the situation was dire, "You have to leave her !" Carl said to the group, aware that it was the safest option, but the group didn't seem to agree "No way !" They started running again and finally, they reached the exit of the tombs.

"Oh, god ! Donna ?" Tyreese said urgently, the other man –Donna's boyfriend– got to his knees beside the girl. "Is she dead ? Baby ?" He asked crying, the scene was sad to witness but Vanessa was still suspicious. She was gonna propose to shot the girl herself so they wouldn't have to shot their friend but Carl was faster "I'll take care of it." He said, pointing his gun to the woman's head. "Whoa ! Whoa kid, wait a minute." Vanessa stepped in the way, "She doesn't have that long. We have to take care of it or she'll be a danger to all of us." However, the other woman didn't seem to like what she just heard; "Who the hell are you? How did you get in here? Who are you with?" Sasha demanded, her fear turning into hostility.

"We should be the ones asking," Vanessa asserted, her gaze unwavering. Carl calmly intervened, "Look, we can help you. First things first." He pointed at Donna on the floor. Despite the group reluctance, Donna's injuries were severe, and the inevitable decision had to be made. Tyreese, after a moment of grief, prepared to end Donna's suffering, grabbing a hammer, "No, we take care of our own."
"No, Tyreese !" Donna's boyfriend yelled to him. "I gotta do it. Look, just take Ben and lean against the wall. I'll be quick." The man understood that there was nothing else they could do. He grabbed a piece of cloth and he put it on Donna's face before getting up and hugging Ben so the latter couldn't witness what was about to happen.

Just before Tyreese could use the hammer on Donna, a door locking sound stopped him. Unexpectedly, Carl locked them in the room, leaving them to face their tragic reality. "Kid, did you just lock us in there?" Tyreese asked, a mix of confusion and resignation. Sasha, however, was more virulent "Open the door !" Her tone pissed Vanessa but Carl answered them before she could say anything. "This room is secure. You'll be safe. You have food and water," Carl explained, his tone firm. The woman got even closer "Open this door."
The pleas and protests from inside the room echoed, but Carl held his ground. "I can't."

"Come on man, we're not animals. Don't do this." When no one answered she started banging at the barrels of the door. "Hey ! You can't leave us in here ! Open this door ! Open it ! Now !" She yelled, Vanessa placed her hand on her gun, ready to shoot if necessary. "Sasha !" Tyreese stopped her "Back away from their door and let the man go. Look around you. This is the best we've had in weeks. His house. We got other things to do." After calming Sasha, the man addressed to the group "We don't want any trouble." And he backed away.

As they retreated from the tombs, the group left behind a conflicted and anguished ensemble. "Shouldn't we help them ?" Beth asked "We did." Vanessa answered. The weight of the decision lingered in the air, and Vanessa couldn't help but wonder about the consequences of their actions.