||Chapter Sixteen||
||Daryl's POV||
Why did in the old days at the funerals they forced you to look at the body? It was just a reminder that the corpse was what they used to live in. Their body was what you smiled at when you were talking to them. It was what they carried around so they could touch lives.
Then one day their energy is ripped away from them which we call dead. You see them lying in their coffin cold, pale, and lifeless. Their smile will never form on their face again. Their eyes will remained closed. Or at least what's left of their body is revealed for you to at least get one last look.
There were too many conflicts floating around the prison. The Governor was on our ass along with Avery being mad at me. Also, Rick is on his edge and ready to kill anything that gets in his way.
Rick, Michonne, and Carl had gone out on a run for ammo so I held down the fort. I stared at the concrete below my feet. The steel stairs were uncomfortable to sit on, but I wasn't welcomed anywhere else. Avery is in the cafeteria helping out with the cooking while Merle is locked up with her. I could only imagine what he was doing trying to get to her. My heart twisted knowing that Avery probably won't listen to me ever again.
I heard the cafeteria gate creak open. The rusted hinges gave everyone the goosebumps because no good news waited on the other side. Avery walked out of the eating area and tried heading for the stairs. I was in the way so I scooted over slightly to let her pass. I shouldn't test my limits. At least right now. All I can do is let her be and comprehend what she was.
My stomach churned and I closed my eyes. My brain pounded like my head just hit it hard against the concrete. Avery probably has it worse. The only person that knew her condition fully was now dead because of me.
I was going to regret it, but I decided to confront her.
I rose from the stair case and took careful steps higher and closer to her room. I made it to her open door to see her hunched over the folder I gave her with her head in her hands. Her shoulders shook and it looked like she was crying. A small sniffle a from her irrupted making my heart twist. "Avery?" I whispered.
Her head snapped up to reveal her red nose and tears wetting her face. "Don't talk to me," she stuttered. Her whimpers kept her from talking straight. I saw anger in her eyes before she turned back to reading the manila folder. I hunched my shoulders before walking up to the stool and taking a seat. I was surprised that she didn't grab her bow that was beside her and knock an arrow.
Avery lay still before rubbing her eyes and looking up at me. "You know why I did it. I had to. It was to keep everyone safe. I wasn't going to let you die and let Stan put an unknown serum in everyone. It didn't make sense. He didn't know what he was doing," I sighed trying to meet her gaze that she was avoiding.
"But you didn't have to kill him. He was an innocent man," Avery said trying not to start crying again. "Who didn't care if you died. I know to get the cure from you we had to go deep, but it wasn't worth getting you killed. You're worth more when you're alive than dead," I shook my head disagreeing with her.
"Just go, Daryl," she whispered.
My heart stopped not wanting to beat again. Looks like my attempts to comfort her has failed yet once again. "Avery," I pushed on reaching out for her.
"Just go! I don't want you here!"
I snapped back slightly in my chair and brought my hand back. I knew there wasn't much more I could do since she was already yelling.
I followed her instructions and walked out of her room. My heart hurt. There was no way I could change what I did. It was stuck with me forever. Also, there's no way for Avery to forget or forgive me. I killed the only person she had left. Carol was one of them, but she's gone too.
I shut my eyes tight and shook my head thinking I could get those terrible memories out of my head. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't forget the painful past I had, especially the past few days.
I marched down the metal steps and glanced around the block. I hadn't talked to Merle much since he got here so I decided to pay him a visit.
He sat inside the square cell in the corner of the cafeteria. Rick put him in there so he was always under watch. I didn't trust him neither. Who knows how much he's changed since Atlanta?
"Well, well. How is it, baby brotha?" Merle snickered once he caught sight of me at the gates. I opened up the rusty hinges and made my way to his open cell. Rick would let him roam around, but made sure he didn't wander too far.
"I heard your lil' argument with your girl. What you do?" he continued as I sat on the stool in-between the bars. "That Stan guy,....I kinda killed him," I sighed trying to avoid my brother's gaze. He let out a scoff before saying,"I would be mad at you too."
"Shutup," I snarled preparing myself to get up and leave. "Hold on. Why'd you do it? He could get the cure from that girl," Merle sighed,"What is that girl to you?"
I gave him a look of one that showed I didn't want to explain the story again, but I did anyway. "He was gonna kill her. He was her doctor before all this and didn't care if she died. She was more useful alive than dead with her genes the only thing to be living. There wasn't a hundred percent chance of her living, Merle."
He nodded his head as if understanding my position. Most likely the next thing to come out of his mouth would be a snide comment. "What's she to you?" he asked more subtly than I thought he would. I narrowed my eyebrows at him in confusion. He used to never ask questions like that and in the rare times if he did, he didn't use that tone.
"I dunno. I guess... she saved my life," I sighed. Merle nodded his head and pursed his lips as he stared at the ground. I was about to say something more when the pounding of footsteps on the metal staircase tore my attention away from Merle.
Avery stomped her way past us with her bow and sheath of arrows in each hand. I let out a frustrated sighed as I got up and followed her. She didn't pay any attention to me and acted as if I wasn't even there.
We passed gates and doors until we reached the outside of the prison. "Avery, what the hell are you doin'?" I asked getting a little frustrated. She had every reason to be made, but now she's taking it too far. No answer came from her as she continued fast walking to wherever she was going.
"Just go away, Daryl," she snarled. I realized that she was heading for the gate for the fences. "Hey, I know you want to let off some steam, but hold up!" I shouted stepping in front of her. We weren't far from the exit, but I was going to convince her not to go through it.
"Don't jeopardize your life 'cause you want to loosen some muscles," I put my hands between us to keep her from moving further. She gave me a lethal look,"Move out of my way."
There was nothing more I could do. She had made her decision so I was going to let her go through with it. I stepped out of her way as her eyes followed mine. She bit her lip with her canine, but kept moving forward.
||Avery's POV||
My fingers brushed my cheek as I stared down the wooden stick attached to the string of my bow. The spot behind the deer's shoulder was in my sights. The around 120 pound, eight point buck nibbled at the grass in the middle of the pasture. The brush and briers stuck my sides and through my clothes. I didn't care about what was touching me, but only the animal in front of me.
I exhaled slowly before letting the string slip from my fingers. The whisper of the arrow flying dragged out before the tip inserted into the deer's corpse. It jumped slightly before limping to cover. A small smile crept onto my lips.
I waited about a minute or so for the deer to fall. I know I had the perfect shot since it was literally limping away. I wish it would have fallen right there so I wouldn't have to track, but at least I got one.
The blood from where I shot it led me straight to a trail of the deer's body fluids. I followed the tracks to see the buck laying on its side not too far from where I shot it, The arrow was poking out of it's side clearly lodged into it's heart behind the shoulder. I yanked out my weapon and smirked at the animal.
I made a a rectangle with my fingers before clicking my tongue indicating the sound a camera makes when it captures a picture.
Hold on, how am I going to take this back to the prison? That's when I remembered the rope in my bag. I took my belongings off my back and grasped out the nylon string in the bag. I wrapped the rope around the buck's back legs and tied a knot before doing the same to my waist. I picked up my weapons and trekked on. The rope tightened around my waist until the deer started to follow behind me.
I could only imagine what Daryl was going to say when I got back.