Fearless: Daryl Dixon Love Story

Chapter Forty One: The Grove

" Carol, what happened to Sophia ?" I asked, and she looked sadly at me.

" We were coming from The CDC. A car crash had piled up on the highway, and the RV had broken down, so we stayed and scavenged anything we could find. A walker herd blew by, so we ducked under cars. Sophia hid under on, next to her was Carl, and next to him was Kayla. I was across all three and cried, thinking the worst. The worst did happen." Carol said, looking down at her hands." Sophia came out of the car, thinking it was over, but two walkers came after her. She ran into the woods, screaming. Kayla ran after her only to come back empty-handed."

" Oh my god."

" A week later, Shane went crazy and opened Hershel's barns doors to have walkers come out. There were maybe ten or fifteen of them in there. The final Walker was Sophia. Pale, dull, lifeless. Kayla was the one to put her down." Carol finished.

My head immediately went to my daughter, and the poor record she had when it came to children. Sophia being the first and recently Ben Newton.

" I'm so sorry, Carol," I said, and she shook her head.

" Sometimes, I think it was for the best. Who knows what would of happen if she was alive?" Carol replied.

" I can't imagine, though. Seeing your child die." I spoke honestly, looking to Judith in my arms. She wasn't even my own, and I know I would be heartbroken if she left my life.

" Rick told me about when Kayla was born." She admitted bringing my attention back to her." It was courageous of you to do that. She lived cause of you."

" Still, I missed twenty-five years of her life." I said before, feeling the emotions I kept bottled up return." You know that's the part that hurts. I didn't see her first walk, hear her first words, hell I wasn't even there for her first birthday, and now I don't even know where she is-"

Carol placed her hand on her shoulder, worried." You missed twenty-five years but you'll gain another twenty five years back. Kayla is twenty six now so you gained a year." She chuckled before nodding her head towards the girls." You need to rest. Stress isn't going to help get your family back." She said, and I nodded, moving over to the tracks.

I laid down a bit away from Tyreese and the girls, Judith tucked close to my chest and around my arms as I closed my eyes falling deep into sleep.

┏━━━━━━ Morning ━━━━━━┓

" Found some," Lizzie called out while Carol walked over.

They were currently trying to find remedies that could help heal Tyreese's wounds since puss was beginning to ooze. I balanced a happy Judith on my hip as she giggled, touching my cheek.

" You're a cutie. Yes, you are." I cooed, seeing she clapped, loving it.

Carol walked over with the sap on her knife." Here, Jennifer."

" You should give it all to Tyreese," I argued, but she laughed, spreading the sap on my gunshot wound.

It burned, but I focused on Judith, who observed what Carol was doing. She stared at my face for any little sign I was in pain, but I smiled through not wanting her to cry. After she was done putting lots of sap on my wound, she moved to Tyreese's arm.

" It hurts, right ?"

Tyreese nodded." Oh, yeah. It Hurts."

" This will fight the infection. Might even bring down your fever." Carol explained, noticing how pale and sweaty Tyreese was.

I wasn't like him, luckily. More of in pain then fever. I looked at the train tracks before backing to the group.

" What do you think? Three days out? Four days ?"