Last One Standing ~ TWD Daryl Dixon

168

Happy reading!!

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Jo

The swamp water was cold and it smelled stale with rotting vegetation and water logged walkers. I wrinkled my nose as I stepped into it to follow behind Daryl. This was the last thing I wanted to do. The last thing I thought was safe and smart, but we truly didn't have a choice. I had seen the map, and this was the only way to get our people through. And we had to get them through. They had been through a lot in the last twenty-four hours and the sooner we could get them to Hilltop the better.

I glanced back over my shoulder at the group one last time. They were spread out across the bank, most were sitting or laying down, trying to rest while they still could. Every one of them looked exhausted. Daryl had pushed them too hard over night. I frowned as I realized I hadn't really noticed myself. I couldn't remember the last time I had slept, but it didn't seem to matter. I just kept moving. If I stopped, even for a moment, everything would fall apart.

My eyes landed on one member of our group who wasn't resting. Tara was standing apart from the others, a hand resting on her gun, and her eyes were locked on Dwight. He was sitting on a rock oblivious to her attention. I wasn't sure Dwight would still be there when we got back. There was a part of me that felt responsible for him. Him helping me escape was the reason he was here. But the reality was, no matter how much he helped it didn't wash away his past sins and there was only so much I could do. I couldn't really blame Tara. I hadn't forgiven Dwight for torturing Daryl, and he had killed Tara's girlfriend. Helping me didn't change that.

I turned back to the much easier problem to deal with. Clearing the swamp. It was more dangerous, but considerably less complicated.

The water seeped into my boots, soaking my socks. The ground beneath my boots sucked at my feet, pulling me down. It was going to be nearly impossible to fight in here. It would be too easy to get stuck in the muck and knocked off balance. I pulled a large, branch from a dead tree and used it to prod the water in front of me. It would be too easy to land on a submerged walker or get tangled in an under water root.

We started within arms length of each other and worked our way across, clearing a path as best we could through the tangled web of roots and dying trees. Inevitably we started fanning out, some taking more care than other's as we made our way across the swamp.

Daryl moved slowly and deliberately through the water. He was a little ahead of me on my left. He had his crossbow in one hand and his knife naked in the other. He hesitated as he moved further into the swamp and the water reached his waist. He turned and looked at me, pointing his finger in my face. "You stay close," he growled.

I scowled at him. I was fine. I didn't need a babysitter. We had a lot of other people in this damn swamp we needed to be keeping an eye on. If Daryl was going to be distracted he was going to be part of the problem. I clenched my teeth and glanced to my right where Siddiq was struggling through the waist deep water. He had medical training, he didn't belong out here. He wasn't a fighter. It made me wonder if it was his guilt over Carl's death that had him risking his life.

Carl's death.

I pinched my eyes shut against the pain that flared up in my chest at how casually the thought had come to me. My ability to simply accept the way things were and adapt had always felt like a strength. Now it felt like a betrayal. I glanced up at the sun overhead. He would be gone by now. He had been too close to the change when we left to last much longer. He had protected us from what was going to happen to him for a while and his last act had been to selflessly ensure his family's safety. I hoped it had been quick. I hoped Rick had the strength to do the right thing and hadn't somehow prolonged the pain. Carl didn't deserve that.