𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 || The Walking Dead

[03] save a life

"Are you guys okay?" Rosita asked.

"Yes." Tara answered at the exact same time as Dani's "No."

Clutching her knee, she stood shakily, grabbing the other girl's shoulder for support on instinct. Glenn dropped his pack, hurrying over to her.

"We're gonna stay here." Dani demanded. "Anyone gonna help me carry her?"

"You okay?" Glenn's concerned voice mumbled to her, his hand on her elbow to steady her. "You wanna stop or you wanna keep going?"

"No. Keep going, I'm good." She reassured him, hopping once.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Yeah."

"Like fuck, you're carrying on like this." Dani shook her head. "You just got injured saving my life, I'm not gonna let you make it worse."

"You can't let me do anything. You don't control my actions." She protested.

"I just flattened you, I feel like me having a concern for your well-being shouldn't be seen as controlling."

"Look, if she can keep going, we can all keep going." Glenn told Abraham. "Or you guys can stay here."

Danica had tuned them out for the time being. Tara was limping back and forth, trying to "walk it off" so to speak. Guilt clogged in her throat as she watched her. Her fault. People are always getting hurt because of her.

She shoved the thoughts of her father aside.

"Wow. You're an ass." Rosita's voice caught her attention. "She will do whatever you say because she thinks she owes you. Man up. Stay here for a few hours."

"It will help a lot if you keep off of it for some time." Lucia pointed out, ever the peacekeeper.

"You just care about keeping Eugene safe, right?" Glenn asked Abe. "It's the only reason you wanna stop?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Dani chimed in.

"We go until sundown. I give Eugene my riot gear right here, right now. Everybody wins."

"Except her."

"You're not her mama." Abe said calmly. "She says she can walk, she can walk. You got yourself a deal."

Dani scoffed. "What utter bullshit." Linking her arm with Tara's, she held her up, ready to be a crutch. Lean on me, She thought to herself. Make me feel needed.

"I said I was fine." She voiced her objections tiredly.

"Shut up."

"You shut up."

☾

The tracks seemed never ending. Their pace hadn't even adapted to her injury, so she was left limping, Danica Myers the only thing helping her through it. The very reason for it happening in the first place.

"What if it's broken?" Dani muttered.

"It's not."

"But what if it is? What if I—"