𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧, daryl dixon

forty

"They need you," Rosita nodded. "Lots of people were injured, but Denise held down the fort."

Murphy understood, beginning to head there with speed, but Maggie stopped her.

"Wait," she called. Murphy turned around slowly, knowing what was to come. Maggie looked between her and Michonne. "Glenn and the others are comin'... right?"

Murphy and Michonne shared an uneasy look, having dreaded the moment that just arrived. Michonne stepped closer to the could-be widow and began.

"When the horn was going, we ran ahead of the herd. We found a little town and took shelter... but we got trapped. The town was overrun. He split off with Nicholas..." Michonne explained gently.

Maggie shuffled in her spot, her hands nervously wrapping around her body. This couldn't be happening. Not him too.

Murphy stepped in, "He had this idea that if he lit a fire, it would stop the walkers from coming here."

"I tried to go instead," Michonne reasoned. "I wanted to."

"He wouldn't let us," Murphy added. "He... he promised he had to do it for you."

Maggie's gaze was locked upon the ground, an undecipherable expression upon her face. Murphy knew she had lost too much already. Would Maggie ever recover if Glenn didn't come back?

"We had to keep going. I'm sorry," Michonne finished, her voice so soft Maggie strained to hear it. Murphy could hear the heartbreak in every word. "He said if he got stuck, he would find a way to send us a signal."

Maggie looked up from the ground, her eyes flickering between the two, "A signal?"

Murphy began to reply, ready to say so much more. She couldn't imagine what Maggie was thinking in that moment. But distant screaming caught everyone's attention who stood near the gate. It was carried by the wind, as was another horrifying sound- walkers. Murphy's head shot to see where it was coming from, and caught sight of Deanna in the lookout, a look of pure terror upon her face.

"Open the gate!" A man screamed. "Open the gate now!"

Murphy looked at Michonne and whispered, "Rick."

Growling reached their ears. Michonne bounded towards the gate and pulled back the covering, revealing a sprinting Rick through the bars. He was barely in front of the gigantic herd that chased him, and he pushed away the stragglers that reached for him on the sides. He looked exhausted- sweaty and breathless. God knows how long he'd been running.

"Open it!" Murphy shouted, tugging on the gate along with Michonne and Maggie.

It slid open as they pulled with all of their strength. Rick rushed past the women and collapsed as soon as he was behind the walls. The three immediately slammed the gate closed, just in time for the walkers to reach the entrance. Their hands slithered between the bars, outstretched to get as close to the live humans as possible. Their jaws clacked as they pushed their heads between the bars, not able to perceive the barrier between them and their prey. Murphy stumbled backwards as the herd hit the gate and they slid the covering closed in hopes to calm the walkers down.

They stepped away, their weapons raised as the sounds the walkers made only grew. More and more began barreling against the walls. Murphy stood, panting, looking to make sure the wall would hold. After it proved to be steady, she turned to find Michonne crouched beside Rick, who held his hand out to assure her that he was okay. Murphy made her way over and helped him off of the concrete, holding him up by the arm.

"Holy shit, Rick..." she mumbled.

Murphy didn't know if she was responding to the fact that he had brought a herd of walkers to the community's front door, or that he looked like he was about to keel over right in front of her. She pulled her hand away from his when she noticed the blood coating her fingers. Murphy looked at his pained face, lined with cuts, and urged Michonne to help him away from the gate.