Last One Standing ~ TWD Daryl Dixon

37

Jo

It took me a while to realize the screaming wasn't in my nightmares. After so many long nights of hearing nothing but Kate's screams in my head it took me a minute to realize the young girl's scream was real and I had to do something about it.

I blinked fully awake at the sound of Lizzie screaming a second time.

"Hershel!" Her little girl's screeched made me wince at first and then snap to attention, my heart thudding erratically in my ears.

I fought to get to my feet, the sudden motion making me cough. I swayed for a moment as a wave of dizziness washed over me. I grabbed onto the sink to stabilize myself. I tried to get to the cell door but I was caught on something. I looked down to see the IV still stuck in my arm.

There was another scream and I heard the snarls of more than one Walker. They were quickly followed by panicked shouts as people began to realize what was happening.

"Everyone stay in your cells!" Hershel's voice was strained as he called out. I had never heard Hershel sound like that and I knew instantly something was very wrong.

Without hesitating I ripped the IV out of my arm. Blood pooled and ran down my forearm, but the pain was minimal so I ignored it. I wrapped my hand around the icy bars and jerked my cell door open.

Hershel must have taken off my jacket to get the IV in my arm but luckily I was still wearing my shoulder rig. Both Daryl's hunting knife in my spine sheath and my Kukri were missing but I still had three other smaller knives.

I was unsteady on my legs as I stumbled out of the cell. Below, Hershel was on the ground beneath a Walker. He was barely holding it back by its jaw as its teeth snapped near his face. I drew my first knife. I raised my arm to throw it but I didn't trust myself. I was still unsteady and there were too many people in the way.

A man I didn't know charged out of a cell with his gun in hand. A blond woman jumped out and pulled the Walker off Hershel saving him. A Walker came up behind the man and sank his teeth into the man's hand with the gun. The gun went off hitting the blond woman in chest.

I briefly closed my eyes against the rising panic blooming in my chest. Things were going downhill fast. Groups were dangerous. Trust no one.

"Come on Henry, this way," a sweet little girl's voice drew my attention.

I glanced to my left in time to see Lizzie attempting to lead a very dead Henry away from an unconscious Glenn. Glenn lay on his side half in and half out of Henry's cell, blood and vomit pooled on the ground near his mouth. I turned away from the grisly sight, I couldn't think about whether or not he was alive. I needed to focus.

I turned back to Lizzie and Walker Henry and focused. I pushed aside how tired I was and focused. I took two running strides to cover the distance and leapt so I could slam my blade into his skull at a downward angle. I misgauged the strength I had to put behind the strike and the force of the impact threw me to the ground. My muscle memory wanted me to roll with the motion and come up on my feet, but I was too weak and I landed like a sack of potatoes. The impact rattled my teeth and made me black out for a second.

But Lizzie's shriek of outrage pulled me back to consciousness. "You killed him! You killed him! He was listening to me! And you killed him!!"

But I wasn't listening to her. I coughed and coughed, pushing myself up onto my knees while I felt like my lungs were going to explode. "Get," gasp, cough. "In," cough, cough. "Your," cough, cough, "Cell." I commanded shoving myself to my feet.