Life I Left Behind (A Daryl Dixon Story)

Chapter Sixty-Four

Author's Note:

Hello biscuits! Here I am! I just want you to know how much I love you all....reading all your comments makes me smile and it's literally like Christmas morning when I open my email and see how many notifications I have. Ugh, I just really love you guys and I wish I could send you all some cookies.

This chapter is really, really long. It was originally two short chapters but I couldn't end it on such an extreme cliffhanger. I MEAN YOU GUYS HAVE SUFFERED ENOUGH. Also this chapter alternates between Charlie and Daryl POV. I tried to make it as clear as possible when the POV switches so there wasn't any confusion. 

That's all...you guys are awesome. I love messages, comments, votes, and all the love. Keep it coming!

-Nikki

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Charlie

We worked in silence. The only sounds were the shovels hitting the ground and the dirt being dumped into a pile that grew bigger and bigger as the grave grew deeper and deeper. Soon my shirt began to stick to my back and beads of sweat dripped down the side of my face. I stopped to pull my hair back into a ponytail when I noticed someone heading towards us from the cellblocks. I shielded my eyes from the sun to get a better look and saw it was Rick. He still looked so tired and worn down, not all himself. I missed his easy smile and his unwavering confidence. Now, he just looked like the empty shell of the man he used to be.

“How’s it goin’, you two?” He asked as he got closer. 

I realized I was still trying to catch my breath. Daryl beat me to an answer anyways. “S’fine. Need help with somethin’?” He leaned on his shovel, looking up at Rick from a hole that was waist deep.

Rick cast a sideways look at me. “Was just wantin’ to have a word with ya’.”

I got the hint then, that this conversation didn’t include me. “I was about ready to take a break anyways. I need some water.” I leaned my shovel against the dirt walls of the hole and braced my hands on the grassy ledge, ready to try and pull myself up. Rick was suddenly there, though, extending a hand and helping to pull me out of the shallow grave.

I wiped my hands on the back of my jeans. “I’ll be back in a little while.” 

“You’ll be alright?” Daryl asked, tugging the bandanna from over his mouth.

I nodded. “Yeah, of course.” I gave him a small smile before turning and heading back up the small incline towards the cellblocks. 

I still was having a hard time catching my breath and by the time I made it to the water pump by the mess hall outside, I felt a little lightheaded. I filled an empty cup with water and sank down onto a bench by one of the tables. I drained the cup easily. I could see the two men in the distance and wondered what Rick had wanted to say to Daryl without me being there. Usually there wasn’t much he felt like he couldn’t say to Daryl in front of me. 

The world started to feel like it was swaying again and I blinked hard. Despite the hot sun and the damp sweat that covered my body, a shiver rippled through me. My arms and legs felt sore and heavy from digging graves all afternoon. Maybe it hadn’t been such a great idea to work so hard while pregnant. I felt exhausted now and wanted to just lay down. I remembered the little room that Daryl and I had found after he and the others had rescued me from Woodbury. It was a room we had disappeared to many times since then whenever we wanted to be alone. There was a cot in there. The others probably wouldn’t miss me if I laid down for a little while. Plus, I wouldn’t have to go through the cellblock to get there.