Daryl's POV
Just as everyone was about to run out to go get their stuff and I was about to go find Ryder the damn door slammed shut and everyone stopped. After realization kicked in and everyone figured out that they had been locked in the room and I was already on my way to beat Jenners ass. "You son ova' bitch!" I yelled as I ran toward him. "You locked us in here!" Just before I got to him someone pulled me back, but that didn't stop me from trying to break away from them. "My sister's still out there you asshole!" I yelled again.
"Ryder's still out there?" I heard Carl ask as Shane and T-Dog both dragged me away from Jenner.
"Jenner open that door, now" Rick asked calmly as he stomped towards him.
"There's no point. Everything topside is locked down. The emergency exits are sealed-"
"Well open the damn things!" I yelled at Jenner again, Ryder was still out there and I needed to get to her. She has no idea whats doing on. Jenner started talking again but I completely tuned him out as I went over to the barricade. From a few feet away you could here little taps, as if someone was knocking on it from the other side.
I walked back to the group as the computer voice came on once again, defining H.I.T's. As we listened people started to cry, some had pure shock on their faces, and others just went numb, but not me. Rage filled my entire body, this place is going to blow to bits and I can't even be with my little sister? Tell her I love her, or that I'm sorry for all the shit I've put her through? Not even a goodbye?
I threw the almost empty whisky bottle at the door and tuned back. "Open the damn door!" I yelled at Jenner again. T-Dog tossed me an axe and Shane and I started swinging to at least make it budge, but I got nothing.
"We can't make a dent." Shane panted as we got back to the group.
"Those doors are designed to withstand a rocket launcher." Jenner said in almost a taunting tone.
"Yeah? Well your head ain't!" I yelled as I raised my axe to him. People pushed and pulled me back, calling out my name telling me to back up."
"Wouldn't it be kinder? More compassionate to just hold your loved ones and wait for the clock to run down?" Jenner asked as everyone finished arguing rather if there was any hope left or not. Then out of no where Carl was by my side.
"Daryl doesn't get to hold his loved one! You locked Ryder out just like you locked us in here! She doesn't even know what's going to happen, that's not fair!" He cried as Lori hushed him, why did he care about Ryder so much?
I left the group and went back to the door after that, not wanting to hear anymore of the dramatics and started to hit he metal with the axe again. Even though I knew it was useless I had to try, I know Ryder would do the same for me. After about thirty or so hits to the door I was about to take one last swing when it slid open, revealing a panting, bloody knuckled Ryder.
"Daryl" She sighed as she wrapped he arms around me for a quick hug before she pulled away when Glenn started to yell.
"Hey! We've got four minutes left c'mon!" He yelled while Ryder tuned to me.
"Four minutes? What is he talking about Daryl? What's wrong?" She asked frantically as she looked from me back to everyone else. She watched intently as T-Dog tried to pull Jacquie out with him but she wouldn't come. "What are they talking about?"
"We just gotta go." I told her as I pulled her away towards our room. Luckily Ryder and I hadn't unpacked practically any of our stuff, only having to grab a few thing here and there before meeting everyone else in the hall and making our way up the stairs to the main floor.
Ryder ran behind me as Shane and I started banging on the windows with the axes once again. "Daryl what the hell is going on!" She yelled at me, I wanted to answer and tell her that it was going to be okay but I wasn't sure of that.
Without answering her I jumped down as T started hitting the window with a chair, still only making scratches. I put her behind me as Shane tried to shoot the glass and I sure as hell pulled her away when Carol pulled out a fucking grenade.
"Just trust me" I whispered as I covered her from the way smaller explosion than what was about to happen. As soon as I heard the glass shatter I pulled her up with me running towards the now broken window. After we jumped down from the window Rick tossed Ryder a gun and she shot the nearest walkers as everyone made their way to their own cars.
As soon as we jumped in my truck I tucked Ryder under me, she had no clue what was about to happen and I didn't blame her for the involuntary scream that he let out when the explosion sounded. The truck shook, glass shattered, you could hear the building crumble and then it was just the smell of smoke and the sound or crackling fire.
I slowly sat up, letting Ryder do so as well before here eyes widened at what used to be the CDC.
Ryder's POV
"What the actual fuck!" I yelled as Daryl let me sit up, my eyes taking in the sight of the whole CDC crumbling down in flames. "The would've happen if Jenner didn't open the door? I wouldn't have been able to say goodbye?" A single tear slipped from my eye, running all the way down my face as I think I initially went into shock.
"Shh Shh Shh" Daryl hushed me pulling me into his side and letting me rest my head on his shoulder as everyone else started to pull away from the building.
****
Ryder's POV
"I'm Sorry" Daryl finally broke the silence between us after we had been driving for a while.
"You don't have to be sorry. I know it was hard for you to see the video, because that almost happened to me. You almost had to do that to your own sister and I don't even want to think about what you would've done if you did have to do it." I sighed heavily, even after the world has gone to shit how is there still drama?
"I probably wouldn't be here-"
"Don't say that!" I slapped him on the chest quickly. "That's not something to joke about Daryl" I glared early at him, making him scoff.
"I'm not joking." He spat. "I had just found out that Merle was as good as dead and you were dying right in front of me because I wasn't there to protect you. Losing Merle was one thing, but losing you is a whole other ball game." Daryl rolled his eyes as if he was a parent explaining something to a mindless teenager who would never understand.
"How is it different? Were both your siblings, we should be equal-"
"You're not! Merle is a piece of shit and you know it. He was a low life and I let him drag me down too. I let him take me away and because of that I broke our promise. I left you behind." Daryl shook his head in shame, even thought we have had this conversation at least five times over it never seems to leave his train of thought.
"What did you expect to happen? I was going to Graduate and we were going to leave tougher? Find another small town where our problems were bound to find us. That man was a person, a living, breathing, person that would've been everywhere we went. There was no getting away from him." I said 'man' on purpose, Daryl hates it when I say 'dad' of 'father'
"I abandoned you, don't you get that. I left you with him and he could've hurt-"
"He didn't" Lies
"But he could've and I will never let myself live that down because of it." What would happen if he actually knew?
The rest of the drive was silent, after a while we stopped outside of Atlanta deciding it was timed to downsize.
Daryl took Merle's bike, we brought Carols Cherokee and of course the RV,but other than that we let all the other cars and headed off to our new unknown destination.
****
A/N - I feel terrible for not updating in over a month and ever worse because this isn't that great of a chapter.
But! On the bright side, school is out for the summer for me and I'm going to work very hard for weekly updates because I have the time now.
To make up for my crappy updating schedule lately I also decided to start a book of just Norman One-Shots. I just posted the first one called "Half of Me" so be sure to check that out, please and thank you!
~ Sydnie