SHELTER | DIXON

|29|

As the group reconvened on the highway, everyone anxiously awaited the arrival of others while they learned about who had fallen. Lori clutched tightly onto Carl, thanking any god that existed that her boy was safe and back in her arms. Maggie hugged her father, sobbing in relief that at least one of her family members were alright. "Where are the rest of us?" Daryl asked, his gaze flitting between the faces around him. There was one in particular he was searching for, but she wasn't there.

"We're the only ones who made it so far," Rick answered him. "Jimmy, he was in the RV, but it got overrun." Hershel and Maggie looked at each other, another name being added to their list of lost loved ones.

"Shane?" Lori asked. In response, Rick merely shook his head, unable to say the words.

"Andrea?" Glenn asked.

"She saved me, then I lost her," Carol admitted.

"We saw her go down," T-dog added.

"Patricia?" Hershel asked.

"They got her too," Lori told him sadly. "Took her right out of Beth's arms. I was trying to get to them, to help Beth, but she got away and ran over to Madison. They were surrounded. I—I  couldn't reach them."

"I'm goin' back," Daryl decided, heading over to his motorcycle. Rick tried to tell him no, but he wasn't having it. "Nah, man, she was supposed to be here!" He shouted, the volume of his voice surprising everyone. "I'm goin' to look for her, I'm not just gonna—" The sound of rustling leaves and twigs cracking drew their attention to the woods on the side of the highway, and each person with a weapon raised it, ready to shoot down more walkers.

However, they were only met with the sight of Beth and Madison stumbling out of the woods, their hands clutching onto each other's tightly. When the saw the others standing on the highway, a sob of relief tore its way out of Beth's throat, and she ran ahead of Madison, right over to Hershel and Maggie. "Oh, thank God," Hershel breathed, hugging his youngest daughter close to him.

Madison climbed over the guard rail, starting to head over toward her father and sisters, but her path was intercepted by an angry-looking Daryl Dixon. She sighed. "Daryl—"

She was cut off as Daryl wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his chest and hugging her tightly. "You had me worried to death, woman," he admitted with a grunt. "I shouldn't have left you."

"I told you to leave me," Madison told him as she pulled away. "It wasn't your fault, Daryl."

"Well, it ain't happenin' again." He frowned when he noticed the scrape on her forehead. "What happened there?"

Madison reached up, wincing slightly when her fingers touched the tender area. "Must've happened when we fell off of Renegade."

"Renegade?" Hershel asked as she and Daryl walked closer to the group.

"Yeah, Daddy, you— you should've seen it," Beth told him as Madison reached them, hugging her father before hugging Maggie as well. "Renegade heard Madi's whistle and he came for us, and— and he was the only reason we got out of there alive, but..."

"But a couple of walkers ambushed us on our way here," Madison finished when Beth trailed off and went quiet. "They got Renegade before I could kill them... I had to put him down."

There was a brief moment of silence before Hershel spoke up again. "Well, I'm just glad you two are alright."

"We gotta keep moving," Rick decided. "There have been walkers crawling all over here."

T-dog nodded. "I say head east."

Daryl grunted in agreement. "Stay off the main roads," he suggested. "The bigger the road, the more walkers, more assholes like this one." He grabbed his crossbow and aimed at a walker stumbling toward them. "I got him." After he shot him down, Daryl moved forward and retrieved his arrow, wiping the blood off on the walker's sweater.