13. Wounded
"this isn't normal. this isn't the way normal people live."
☾
"I NEED A HOE." Dani mumbled to herself.
"What in the shit?" Abe bellowed behind her, making her jump.
"A garden hoe, Abe. For the weeds. Don't even start."
"Oh." He pressed his lips together, his moustache twitching. "You should be more clear on that."
She huffed a laugh as she dropped her things, wiping her dirty hands on the front of her jeans. "Busy today?" She asked, squinting and raising a hand to protect her eyes against the sun.
"Not really. Little construction here and there." He shrugged, his thumbs tucked under his belt as he assessed the area. She'd noticed he did that a lot. Always aware of his surroundings. A habit from his Sergeant days, she assumed.
As he headed off in another direction, Dani noticed the community leaders making their way around the perimeter. Her curiosity always winning the battle, she headed over catching the end of Rick's sentence.
"...signs that anyone climbed in from outside."
"Is that something we should worry about?" Dani tilted her head at the four of them, Rick sending her a soft smile with a shake of his head.
"You can move right up the supports." He told Deanna. "That's what I'd do. People are the real threat now." Dani nodded at his side.
"Rick, I know you think that we should all be armed within the walls. I... I can't do that." She said, her voice low.
"That's fine. You make these changes, we won't need to."
"Excuse me." Sasha called out as she approached. Dani smiled at her, which she weakly returned before glancing at the others. "I want to volunteer to be one of the lookouts in the clock tower."
"There are no lookouts in the clock tower." Deanna corrected.
"What?" Rick snapped.
"We saw someone up there earlier." Michonne furrowed her brows.
"That was an empty rifle my son, Spencer, put up there."
"Spencer?" Dani scrunched her nose. "There's another Aiden?"
"Yeah, he mans it sometimes, but not often." She explained, as Rick sighed. "Look, there hasn't been the need."
"We need a lookout in that tower right now, 24/7." Rick demanded.
"It's the only way we'll be able to see if someone's coming at us." Dani appreciated the underlining softness in Michonne's words. Her and Rick were a good team. They balanced each other out.
"Okay, okay, we'll make shifts." Deanna gave in.
Raising her hand, Dani shrugged a little. "I can take a shift. There's never that much to do in the garden after a couple hours anyways."
"I'll take some too, as many as possible." Sasha offered, with a slightly pleading tone.
Deanna took a second to assess the woman. "Why?"
"Sasha's one of our best shots. She can do it." Maggie defended.
"I'm gonna put Spencer up there today."
"Are you kidding?" Dani blurted. All eyes flicked to her and she shuffled uncomfortably under their stares. "I just mean... Sasha could hit a group of 20 walkers square in the forehead before this Spencer guy had even loaded his rifle. She's your best option."
As Sasha sent her an appreciative look, Deanna continued. "I'll consider you being our primary lookout, but I want something in return." The group watched her warily. "Tonight, I'm hosting a welcome for all of you at my home. I want you to be there."
"Why?"
"Come tonight. Then, we'll talk about it."
As Dani headed back to the home she shared with Lucia and Sasha, her thoughts ran wild. Is this what they'd been doing? While her and her family had been fighting to survive every single day, spilling blood they never wanted to, losing the people they loved, they had been here having parties and asking the neighbours if they had any sugar to spare.
Storming into the house, she let the door slam, causing Lucia's head to peek out the kitchen. She had always loved baking and this place was letting her get back what she loved. "Hey. Everything okay?"
"Oh yeah." She replied, sarcastically as she picked up one of the cookies Luci had baked. "Just dandy."
"They might taste a little different. Carol taught me to replace the eggs with applesauce but they're still good. Now, go on. Get it out." She beckoned with her spatula.
"You heard about the party?" She asked, taking a bite. As the food hit her tongue, it was like she was 9 years old again, giggling as she stole another chocolate chip from the bowl when her sister wasn't looking. It tasted like Saturday afternoons, watching movies with her father, and eating the sweet treats Lucia had baked until their stomachs hurts. The sickly taste of nostalgia turned bitter when her brain focused on her father's face: the crows feet beside his eyes, the lines on his forehead and his grin that showed every ounce of joy in his heart. She hated him. Hated him so much it hurt.
"Yeah, that should be nice."
"You don't think it feels a little... much?" She asked.
"Maybe... But it's nice of Deanna to do this for us." Lucia shrugged, whisking the batter.
Dani sighed and rested her hands on the counter. Her eyes rested on the knife block and she reached forward, grabbing the biggest one and storming away. "You're not gonna do something stupid, right?"
"No promises." She muttered before the door slammed.
☾
Rotting, chomping jaws, and white soulless eyes neared her, its snarls and stench filling the air. The walkers were an attack on all her senses, the only positive coming from the feeling of her knife sinking into its temple. She yanked it back out, the limp body collapsing to the ground with no control of its limbs.
Another approached and she copied the action, her eyes narrowing at the wound this one sported. In the centre of its forehead, the mark of a 'W' was carved into its flesh. The sight had chills running over her skin, her eyes flicking around the eerily silent woods. Someone had taken the time to vandalise the dead things skin with the initial. It wouldn't have made sense to carve it into a walker and not kill it, meaning it had probably been done before they turned. The thought sent goosebumps over her arms.
That's fucked up.
She had only come out here to clear her head and remind herself she wasn't going to be made weak by that place. Now she had a whole new thing to worry about. Just another thing to keep her up at night.
As long as this group, whoever they were, stayed far from Alexandria, far from her family, she'd have no problem.
Heading back before she missed the party and pissed everyone off, she glanced down at herself. Splatters of blood were scattered across her skin like stars in a night sky. It was odd that something so awful could resemble something beautiful but wasn't that most things nowadays? After all, if you see the dead form of a loved one, they still share the same features of the one you once knew.
A low groan rumbled to her left and she turned, her hand finding the knife she had tucked into her belt, and resting there. As it stumbled forward, trudging through the branches, she let go, choosing a different approach. It's decomposing arms reach out, dirt covered fingernails desperate to dig into her flesh and tear. Crouching down with her gaze locked firmly on it, she picked up a large rock and, once it was close enough, pushed down its arm and smashed the rock into his temple.
It stumbled and Dani took the advantage, hitting it again so it fell to the ground. A large dip in its head proved she was doing damage but the remaining moans and movements exhibited its life. Her knees fell either side of its rib cage, trapping its arms beneath her, as she lifted the rock high above her head. Letting her anger, frustration and overwhelming guilt take over, she brought it down on its skull repeatedly.
Hit.
For Bob.
Hit.
For Beth.
Hit.
For Tyreese.
Hit.
For Dani.
Dark blood splashed across her skin, so she kept her mouth tightly shut. She didn't need any infections now. The walkers head was nothing more than a mess of splattered flesh and blood, the smell bringing that ever present nausea back but she breathed through it. A few stray tears slipped down her cheeks as she let the rock slip from her grip, and she stood, her hands once again stained with scarlet.
The appearance of a monster.
When the trees infront of her rustled and she made out the quick flash of a person, her stomach dropped. They sprinted away, and soon enough had Dani following right behind them.
"Hey! Asshole!" She yelled as she ran, fear that it was one of the people she had just worried about.
The skinny man in front of her glanced behind him, his dirty blonde hair matted and cut to around his jaw if it wasn't tucked behind his ears. His thin face was all sharp angles and frown lines.
"Stop fucking running!" She yelled. Her lungs burned as the wind attacked her face.
The man reached into his pocket, flinging a small pocket-knife behind him and unfortunately his aim didn't suck. With the force he threw it paired with her speed, the knife embedded itself in her thigh, the sudden pain making her clatter to the floor with a cried out, "Fuck!"
He faltered at the noise, giving her enough time to launch another rock from the ground at his head, knocking him over. She pushed herself up, her legs trembling as she stalked forward. She wasn't going to remove the knife. That was the worst thing she could do.
Instead, she grasped the man's collar and pulled him up. "Who are you?" She spat each word venomously, her teeth gritted from the pain spreading throughout her leg.
"Just some guy." He responded, grasping at her wrist. A small trail of blood trickled down his forehead, staining the blonde of his hair.
She tightened her grip, shoving him down before yanking him back, hitting his head off the floor. That's for the knife, dick. "Who are you?!" She asked again.
"Don't hurt him!" A female voice cried, right before a body tackled her off of him. She fought back, getting in a few good hits matching the ones she received as she reached blindly for something to whack the woman with. She caught sight of her short red-headed pixie cut as she grasped the rock she had thrown at the blonde guy. With one hand gripping the woman's neck she made to swing but her hand was pinned down by one more person: a brunette, pretty. She yanked the arm holding the woman to the ground, keeping them spread out firmly to the floor. Dani's heart pounded in her chest as she realised she was outnumbered.
They're going to kill me.
The red-head on top of her reached down, her hand curling around the handle of the blade still wedged into her thigh.
"No. No, no, no. Don't you fucking dare." She pleaded, the threat in her voice still prominent.
Pixie-cut made eye contact as she twisted the knife, and Dani's scream cut through the air, birds flying off of branches nearby at the sound.
"That's gonna attract attention, Tina! Let's go!" The blonde man demanded. The red-head stood, sweat dripping off her forehead. She cringed at the state of Dani's thigh as she backed up, the blonde pushing her behind him. He offered a hand to the brunette, interlocking their fingers together as he pulled her up. "Don't follow us." He spat, pulling the two away.
Dani laid on the forest floor, tears sliding down her temples and her breathing rapid from the searing pain. She pushed herself up, a teary whimper clawing its way out her throat as she used the tree beside her to pull herself up. Covering her mouth to muffle her sobs, she limped through the woods. She'd attracted enough attention with that scream, surely luring the walkers right to her home. It was like she just couldn't fucking help herself. Had to cause more issues trying to be 'helpful'. Tears tracked down her cheeks as she glanced at the knife still in her leg, now in a different position.
Heavy footsteps swiftly approached her and panic struck through her heart. Throwing herself behind a tree, she kept her hand firmly over her mouth, holding her breath to keep herself silent. The tears continued to stream and her body trembled as they stepped closer. She didn't think she had anymore fight in her, not after that.
"Dani?" A familiar deep voice grunted.
"Daryl?" She sobbed out in relief.
When his dirtied form appeared in front of her, his skin coated in grime and shape so recognisable his silhouette would bring peace, she reached out, hand closing around his shoulder.
"Who did this?" He muttered as Dani shook her head, the tears still flowing freely.
"Doesn't matter. It's my fault. Okay. My fault. I— Fuck!" She screwed up her face. "It hurts. It really fucking hurts, Dare."
Biting his lip nervously, he nodded and crouched slightly, tugging her arm over his shoulder. The two moved at a slow pace, due to her condition, meeting back up with Aaron who looked at Dani in horror. Daryl shook his head. "Focus on getting back." He demanded.
When the gates rolled open with a loud screech, Dani saw two figures running over. The first was her sister. Ever the loyal one to her sibling, her brown waves bouncing as she hurried over, her shoulders visibly dipping from their tense state as she appeared alive.
The other person was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Worry written on every crease between her brows and slight downturn of her lips as she quickly made her way over to them. "Get her to the Doctor!" Daryl yelled at the people standing around.
They collectively made their way to the small room they had labelled the doctor's office. Pete Anderson moved things around, clearing a place to sit her. Aaron ran a hand over the back of Dani's head, trying to comfort her as Pete moved around the room, collecting supplies, and throwing an aspirin into his mouth.
"I'm gonna need more room. You're all in here giving me no breathing space." Pete said pointedly.
Daryl folded his arms, resting his back against the wall, clearly refusing to move. The others started to exit, filing out until Dani glanced at the door. "Tara." She whispered. Her voice was so quiet but she heard it. Of course she did. She could probably tell the rhythm of Dani's heartbeat simply because her own played the same song.
"I'm here." She nodded.
"Shut that door please." Pete nodded, Tara doing as he said. She waited beside Daryl as Pete safely removed the blade and did his best to repair the wound. "You're extremely lucky, Danica." Pete said, wrapping the wound in the appropriate bandage. "Whoever threw that knife narrowly missed your femoral artery. You're gonna be fine. Just take it easy on that leg for a few days: no extreme exercise or running after strangers outside the wall, yeah?"
Dani nodded with a weak smile. She was pant-less in front of two men and the woman she's currently obsessed with and yet no part of her was embarrassed about it. Instead, she was thinking about those people. She'd really hurt them, all because she'd jumped to conclusions and look where that got her. They could've killed her. And yet...
Tara handed the woman her dirty, blood stained jeans as Pete left the room and she shoved them on, careful over the wound. Perched on the edge of the bed, her hands clinging to the sheets, she looked up into the woman's eyes as Tara let her own trail over her form for anymore cuts and bruises.
Her hand found her face, thumb trailing over her cheekbone where the skin was sure to bruise from the hit by the redhead. Her hand fell quickly, glancing over to where Daryl stood, his eyes on the floor.
Dani reached forward, her hand finding Tara's jaw with a soft smile on her face. "I don't care." She muttered, kissing her cheek.
Tara inhaled, her eyes a little teary as she pressed a kiss to Dani's forehead. "I was so scared. You were just gone." She muttered against her skin.
"Only a stab wound. Nothing out of the normal, right?" She glanced to the left and smiled appreciatively at Daryl. "Thank you."
"Don't needa thank me." He shrugged. "I gotta go back out with Aaron: we were chasing a horse but... Just talk to me later, okay?"
Dani nodded. He nodded to the door and as his hand wrapped around the handle, he paused. "I won't... I won't say anything. 'Bout you two."
She nodded gratefully as he left, shutting the door behind him. As soon as the door clicked, Tara's hands were cupping her jaw and bringing their lips together. Rushed and needy, their hands grasped at the other where they could, Tara avoiding her thigh like it was poisonous. "Don't ever run off like that again. Don't put yourself in danger like that." She got out between kisses.
"You know I can't promise that. Poor decisions and all." She laughed breathlessly. Tara smiled against her lips. Moving away and tucking Dani's hair back, she carefully pulled her up.
"No one would blame you if you missed Deanna's thing tonight, you know? You were stabbed." Tara said.
"You mean I should miss the apocalypse party?" She deadpanned. "How awful."
Tara beamed, glad to see she was still herself before guiding her to her house. She mumbled a 'See you later' in her ear as she passed to get to her door, finding Lucia just as worried inside. She scooped the girl into a hug, Dani chuckling at her actions. "It was a stab to the leg, I didn't just wake from a coma."
"I don't care. You were here and then you were gone and you didn't come back and they told me you left the walls and I thought— oh god I thought you'd—"
"Luci." She placed her hands on her shoulders. "I'm okay. I gotta get changed though because this is not the look for a welcome party."
"You're still going to that thing?"
"You know," Dani shook her head as she focused on her task of climbing the steps. The porch steps were one thing but a whole staircase was another mission entirely. "I'm starting to think you people don't want me there with the amount I'm being told I don't have to go."
"Funny, huh?"
She paused and glanced back at her sister. "Always." She grinned.
☾
Her home wasn't too far from where Rick's was so she headed there first, wanting to arrive at the party with the people she liked the most. If she didn't have someone she actually knew and liked there she'd have stood in a corner until someone arrived and that just wasn't desirable right now.
Rick talked to Dani about what happened and promised they'd go through it at a later time. She knew he wouldn't let her leave it but his stern tone was another thing entirely. Like she didn't have a choice in that matter. She knew he just wanted to protect his family but those people couldn't have been that much of a threat if they left her alive. And with no 'W' on her forehead. Still. She'd caused enough issues. She wasn't about to add one more.
The group consisting of: Rick, Carol, Carl, Judith, Lucia and Dani entered Deanna's place, the house full of laughter and music way before they had arrived. Deanna's bright smile as they walked through the door was a lot more of a comfort than they expected. She crossed the room. "Welcome!"
"Hi." Carol beamed. Her innocent act always made Dani want to laugh, knowing the force of a woman beneath it but she controlled herself.
"Oh, it's so good to see you. Hi, Carl. Dani, you're a star for showing up even after today. Thank you for coming." She smiled at Rick. "You know, I didn't get a chance to interview this one." Deanna joked, smiling at Judith in the man's arms. He was dressed in a crisp white shirt, his curls styled in a way that really complimented him. Seriously. Dani wasn't even into guys and she thought he looked hot. "I envy her." Deanna said.
"Why?"
"She'll get to see what this place will become. Come on in."
Dani kept her arm linked with her sister's, not wanting to separate and have to socialise with the locals. They entered further into the room and Dani glanced at the door as Abe and Rosita walked in. She waved at them slightly and they smiled softly before whispering to one another about the party.
Lucia clung to Dani's arm like a lifeline. She's okay. She had to repeat it to herself on a loop. Dani was reckless, hot-headed and a force of nature so whatever had happened out there couldn't have been good, whether they were defending themselves or not. She wouldn't attack someone for no reason. There was some kind of explanation, she just couldn't figure it out.
Eventually, more people had arrived and the sisters had drifted off to other places. Whilst Lucia stood with Rosita and Abraham, Dani stood on her own against a wall, similar to Noah who wasn't so far away. She shot him a smile when they looked at one another, that he returned a little weakly, but he was soon accompanied by Glenn and Maggie. Her gaze flicked over the group, her heart a little heavy.
She'd had one person approach her. A young boy, Sam Anderson, who pointed out her bare hand. "Do you want a stamp, miss? Everyone's getting one!"
She grinned down at him with her hands on her hips. "Well if everyone's getting one..." She stuck out her hand and let him press the red inked 'A' onto her skin. The letter reminded her of the 'W' and, for a split second, she was back on that forest floor again.
After that, she'd been alone. With everyone talking in groups, joining one would feel like she was intruding. She hated that.
I miss Tara.
She hadn't seen her anywhere yet which was odd since there was no way this house was that big. A tap on her shoulder had her spinning quickly, just to be greeted with Violet's perfect face. Her smile fell a little.
"Don't look too disappointed." She joked.
"No it's just... nevermind." She shook her head. "How are you?"
"I should be asking you that. Pete said you were stabbed?" Right. Her sister was married to him.
She laughed nervously. "Yep. Got the hole in my leg to prove it."
Violet chuckled and burst into a story about god knows what. Tara couldn't hear from across the room. She folded her arms over her chest as she watched the two talk, Dani reaching out to touch the blonde's elbow as she laughed.
Lucia joined Tara's side, her eyes on the sight Tara couldn't yank her own from. "There's no way she's that funny, right?"
"She might be." Lucia shrugged.
"Not helpful."
"Even if she is, it doesn't change anything. I've seen the way she looks at you. I've never seen my sister look at anyone like that."
She glanced at the woman, searching her eyes for any hint of a lie before turning back to the two. Through her cloud of jealousy, she hadn't taken the time to actually look at Dani. She was in a white dress, straps tied with bows over her shoulders and fabric clinging to her torso, with a skirt that flowed freely. It was so soft of an outfit, so contrasting to the Danica Myers that she knew, she couldn't figure out if the sight was perfect or completely wrong. Her eyes raked over the woman, from the sharp point of her collar bones to the tan legs beneath the skirt.
Definitely perfect.
She'd chosen the dress to save the pain of tight clothing over her thigh but it was making Tara's brain 'short-circuit'. It took her way too long to realise Lucia had been talking to her.
Finally dragging her eyes away, she looked to Luci. "What did you say?"
The woman pressed to lips together to suppress her grin and shook her head. "Nevermind. I'm gonna go find Sasha, okay? Go talk to her."
"She's busy."
"I need to know my injured sister is okay, Tara. Talk to her." She raised a brow knowingly at her before walking away.
Violet leaned over, muttering into Dani's ear as she approached.
"Between you and me, Spencer is an ass." She explained.
Dani chuckled and nodded, observing the man in question. "Duly noted."
Her eyes roamed the room again, freezing entirely at the sight of Tara almost at her side. "Can I steal her for a sec?" She asked Violet once she arrived, a little awkwardly.
"Go ahead." The woman smiled kindly. "See you later, Myers." She said, heading off to look for her sister.
Dani inhaled heavily as she looked at Tara, the heat in her gaze warming her skin. "Hi." She whispered.
"Hey." She blinked. "You look— Yeah."
She snorted a laugh. "That good, huh?"
"The words will come to me eventually." Her fingers tangled with Dani's, safely hidden by their angles to the room. "How's the leg?"
"Hurts like a bitch, actually."
"Do you wanna sit down somewhere?"
"No." Dani hurried out, her free hand on Tara's arm to bring her back in front of her. "I wanna be here with you."
A smile curved Tara's lips as she glanced around the room, huffing slightly.
"I really wanna kiss you right now." She murmured, her tone bringing back the butterflies in Dani's stomach.
Smiling, she breathed out, "So do it."
Tara's eyes widened. "But we—"
"I don't care." She whispered, her wide beam making Tara's heart stutter. "Just shut up and kiss me."
Tara took a step closer, her heartbeat in her ears. And yet before the two could even think about leaning closer, Sasha's voice broke through the moment.
"That's what you worry about?!" She snapped at the resident, her brows furrowed. Dani's heart cracked in two as she realised the little attention she'd been paying to the people she called family. She was struggling sure, but so was everyone else. She lived with Sasha, for fuck sake. She watched as Sasha stormed out of the house, the disapproving stares of the Alexandrian's watching her go.
Anger. Frustration. A whole lot of irritation simmered beneath Dani's skin at the looks, like she was wrong for saying what the rest of them were thinking.
Fucking bullshit.
☾
"I'll see you later, Jess." Violet smiled at her sister, closing the door behind her.
She headed down the porch steps, tucking her hair behind her ears and basking in the falling sun.
"Vi. You got a sec?" Pete called out, shutting the door once again and catching up to his sister-in-law. If that even still existed anymore.
"Yeah, sure. What's up?" She asked. She didn't think one way or the other about her sister's husband. She'd always felt Jessie could do so much better but she'd never say that. She didn't want to upset her.
"Just wanted to know," He started, his eyes glancing around suspiciously before he leaned closer, his voice lower. "What do you think about these new guys?"
"They seem good. I like Maggie. Glenn and Michonne are cool. Dani too. Why?"
Pete shook his head. "What about Rick?"
"Rick? He seems like he cares a lot about his people but other than that I don't know... Why?"
"I don't trust him. I think—"
Violet narrowed her eyes. She may not think he was good enough for her sister but he was still technically family. "What's the matter, Pete?" She asked, concerned.
"I think he's gonna kill us all."
Violet's heart dropped. No way. He wouldn't do that... right? She'd heard he had killed a lot of people before they arrived but...
"You're plotting something." She stated, noticing the out of place gleam of determination in his eye.
"I think we need to get him out of here. Get him exiled. To protect Jessie and the boys." He said, using the woman's weakness against her.
Violet sighed heavily, glancing at the few people still strolling the streets and sending them nervous smiles. "What's your plan?"
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
okay please don't question the physics regarding the knife we're gonna have to stay creative on that one. also i have no idea if i got that medical stuff right so i do apologise! this is going to be a very frustrating era i'm not gonna lie but it's gonna work out i promise. tysm for reading! <3