𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧, daryl dixon

fourteen

Murphy took it and muttered, "Thanks."

The two of them set up in a small room that gave them a good view of the hospital. They could see everything from the parking lot to the roof. Murphy opened the bag of chips and began snacking. She took a seat on the window sill while Daryl stood, pouring the remaining crumbs of the bag into his mouth. As he turned to throw the litter on the floor, Murphy's eyes widened in realization.

"Shit," she exclaimed, setting her head on the wall behind her. "Abe, Rosita, and Eugene... we were supposed to leave yesterday."

"Damn, you're righ'," Daryl answered, sitting on the opposite side of the sill. "You think they left?"

"I don't know," Murphy answered, looking down at her bag of chips. "Knowing Abraham, probably. That man is on a tight schedule."

Daryl grunted in response, setting his elbow on his propped knee. He noticed her solemn expression and continued, "Sorry I made you come out here. I wasn' thinkin'."

Murphy raised her head and replied, "No. It's okay, really. I wanted to help. I still do."

The two looked at each other in silence, and Daryl nodded, "Y'know... you can stay. With us."

"What?"

"If they left, stay. Don' follow them on your own."

Murphy didn't know what to say.

"I... I don't know, Daryl. You guys are a family."

Daryl shifted in his spot and leaned forward, "Listen, what you did comin' with me... that's what family does. You don' know Beth, but you came out here anyway. You're one of us. So stay."

Murphy's green eyes locked with his dark blue ones. She nodded. She couldn't find words to reply. Seeing Daryl, seeing his group, made Murphy's heart swell with emotion. Maybe humankind had some small sliver of hope left. Maybe there were more good people out there. Maybe, just maybe, they could live. Before either one of them could say anything, the sound of a closing door broke their thoughts. The two of them immediately grabbed their weapons and stood up, making their way out of the room.

Thudding and growling sounded from around the corner of the hallway, and as they turned, they caught sight of a walker with an arrow in its neck. It was stuck, its head hitting the wall as it reached forward, ravenous with hunger.

"Is that yours?" Murphy asked.

"Yeah," Daryl responded. He took his knife, stabbing the dead one in the head before pulling his arrow out of the body.

Suddenly, the sound of automatic gunfire rang throughout the building, and their heads shot up in the direction of the noise. Murphy slowly walked forward, hearing struggling close by. As she rounded a corner, she saw the teenage boy that threatened them not a few hours before struggling with a walker. As she raised her knife to kill the walker, the boy pushed it towards Murphy. It fell on top of her, and she  let out a yell of pain. Her knife had fallen from her grasp and she pushed against the shoulders of the dead one to prevent its clicking teeth from coming any closer.

Daryl ran forward, pulling the walker off of her and stabbing it quickly. He crouched beside Murphy, helping her up. As she caught her breath she said, "I'm good, you go."

Daryl nodded, running after the boy. Murphy pulled herself up, the sharp pains in her side returning as the medicine began to wear off. She heard a loud crash from the direction where the boy and Daryl ran, so she quickly picked up her knife and jogged over. In a small room she found Daryl standing over the boy caught under a fallen bookshelf. The shelf seemingly blocked a doorway where a walker was attempting to push through.