Life I Left Behind (A Daryl Dixon Story)

Chapter Sixty-Four

I forced myself up from the table, squinting my eyes in the bright sunlight that suddenly was hurting my eyes. I filled the cup back up with water and headed towards the administration building door that also led back into the tombs, towards the room I was thinking of. I felt a little better once I was inside and out of the sun. The halls were quiet. Everyone must have been off doing other things. It was easier now to navigate the twists and turns of the dark corridors and I eventually found myself in the familiar concrete hallway and finally the little room. 

I shut the door carefully behind me and sank down onto the cot. It wasn’t just my arms and legs now. My entire body felt heavy. Like it was filled with lead. I laid back on the cot and stared up at the ceiling. I shivered again. 

I tried to come up with another excuse. And another. And another. I pulled at Daryl’s bandana from where I had it tied around my neck and pressed it to my face. It came back damp with sweat. My stomach clenched with fear. I was fine. Everything was fine. I’d sleep this off. I was just tired. It was just the pregnancy. Another excuse, another excuse. 

The darkness pressed in around the corners of my vision. I forced my eyes shut.

_____

Daryl

“Daryl! Rick!”

I heard Maggie before I saw her, sprintin’ towards us before stoppin’ to point at the fence. I ran after her. 

A big group of walkers had pushed themselves up against the fence, shriekin’ and snarlin’. It’d been happenin’ more and more lately, and I couldn’t tell if they were gettin’ smarter or stupider the way the sank against the fences until it wasn’t strong enough to hold ‘em back anymore. 

Glenn saw us comin’ and tossed me one of the crowbars he had in his hands. I went to work, jabbin’ one of the ends through the chain links in the fence, tryin’ to put down as many of the walkers as I could. They kept on comin’ though, more and more. Probably drawn by all the noise. 

“It’s goin’ down!” I yelled as the fence suddenly started to fall towards us. My heart hammered behind my ribcage, knowin’ what would happen as soon as walkers started to spill over this side of the fence. We had enough problems as it was. “Push it back!”

There was the sound of crowbars clangin’ to the ground as everyone pressed back against the fence, tryin’ to keep it from collapsin’ while also tryin’ not to end up gettin’ bit. I grunted as I rammed my shoulder into the fence. The walkers kept pilin’ into each other, though, more and more and more. 

“This isn’t gonna hold much longer!” Maggie yelled, her eyes wide. 

Rick suddenly staggered backwards and I looked over my shoulder. He was starin’ at the fence and the walkers, lookin’ just as nervous as I felt. Suddenly, his eyes turned on me. “Daryl, get the truck. I know what to do.” He said, soundin’ much calmer than he or any of the rest of us looked. “Park it by the pen.”

I nodded and took off at a run to where the truck was parked, ‘round the other side of the cellblock next to the SUV. I climbed inside and flipped down the visor, the keys fallin’ into my hand. I turned the ignition and the engine let out a sad, high pitched whine. 

“Come on, ya’ piece of shit.” I growled under my breath. I tried again and it let out the same pathetic whine for a long minute before finally catchin’ and roarin’ to life. I threw it into reverse and back out before swingin’ it around and headin’ towards the pig pen. Rick was already there, one of the piglets in his arms.

I made to hop outta the truck but he shook his head. I hesitated, but stayed put inside the cab, watchin’ as he carried each of the squealin’ pigs from the pen and into the back of the truck. Finally, he hopped in after them and banged on the roof of the cab.