— 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡
( 𝘙𝘌𝘔𝘌𝘔𝘉𝘌𝘙. )
WEEKS HAD PASSED. The group was on its last leg. The sun was sweltering. The air was wet. The walkers were hungry. The people were broken. After losing Tyreese, they had lost all hope. They had no destination... no goal. Only survival was on their mind. But even that was proving difficult as the Virginian weather made the very notion impossible. They found themselves in the middle of nowhere during one of the worst droughts the state had experienced.
Murphy was struggling, as was everyone in the group. After Tyreese, the return to the camp still gave her nightmares. Sasha's screams when she saw her brother's lifeless body still plagued her thoughts. As the days went by, the group lost more and more hope. They fell into the same routine: wake up, search for food and water, walk, and sleep. They weren't living, they were simply surviving. They were no different than the walkers they feared.
Murphy and Daryl had spoken very little to each other. Both of them had snapped. They kept to themselves, wandering off and returning with nothing to say. But Murphy saw in Daryl's eyes that he needed something... someone. The rest of the group stuck with their individuals, but he made no effort to. He chose to be alone, even though Murphy knew he didn't want that.
Daryl could tell that she was different, that Tyreese's death had changed her. He hadn't seen her smile since they returned from Noah's neighborhood. When they did, she climbed out of the van in blood soaked clothes, her face wet with the tears she couldn't help but shed. He stepped forward as she stumbled through the group that had crowded around the van. Tyreese's body lay in the back seat.
"Murph," he had whispered, so softly that she did not hear. She shuffled past him, wandering into the woods... away from the people she believed she failed.
Since that day, she had slowly gotten back into the group's interactions, speaking in short conversation and making sure that everyone was getting by. They weren't, no one was. But it was the thought that mattered. Today, they had split up to search for water. They were dreadfully close to being out, and the panic was setting in. Were they going to die? One of the vans was still operational, but they still had tens of miles before they reached the next city. So when everyone returned, none of them with water, each person's hope began to crumble a little more.
Soon enough, the van had run out of sustenance as well. The tank was empty, and they had no choice but to continue on foot. Murphy carried her pack on her shoulders, her knife and gun tucked into their holsters around her waist. She was in jeans and a light tank top, her flannel wrapped around her middle. Thankfully, Maggie had a few spare items of clothing for Murphy. She didn't know what she would do if she had to wear the shirts stained with Tyreese's blood.
As they walked down the tarred road silently, the distant moans of walkers began to fill their ears. A small group of the dead were on their trail, a safe distance away, but followed them nonetheless. Murphy was shuffling beside Daryl and Rick, who was holding Judith in his arms. As the growling of the walkers behind them grew louder, the three of them turned around to see. Strands of Murphy's hair stuck to her sweaty face, even though she had attempted to pull back what she could.
"We're not at our strongest," Rick muttered, tightening his hold on the baby in his arms. "We'll get 'em when it's best. High ground, somethin' like that. They're not goin' anywhere."
The three walked in silence for a moment, and Murphy stared at her feet hitting the pavement. Judith began to fuss in Rick's arms, and Murphy's pained eyes shot to her. She worried for Judith, and her heart clenched as memories flooded back. As she stared at the fussing baby, Daryl's gravelly voice broke her thoughts.
"She's hungry," he said quietly, his eyes locked on the road ahead.
"She's okay," Rick assured, but only convinced himself. "She'll be okay."
"We need to find water, food," Daryl continued.
Rick looked at him, "Somethin'll come up. And it'll rain sooner or later."
They looked up to see dark clouds approaching. It was going to rain, and they could only wait and hope that it came as soon as possible. As Murphy's gaze fell from the sky back to the ground, someone approached her from behind.
"Murph," she heard someone mutter, Glenn. She turned to see him holding a bottle filled halfway with water. "Drink. I haven't seen you drink in days."
Her lips turned up in a quick smile as she took the plastic bottle in her hands and lifted it to her mouth. She let a small stream enter her parched mouth, a euphoric feeling. She carefully closed the bottle once more, handing it back, "Thanks."
Glenn nodded in response, a kind smile on his face. Rick had fallen back to Michonne and Carol behind them, so Glenn walked to Daryl's side next, holding the bottle out, "Daryl."
"No," Daryl grunted, quickening his pace. "I'm all right."
"Daryl," Glenn urged, holding the bottle closer to him.
"Don't," he responded sternly, his voice raising.
Murphy turned to face the two of them, concerned. Glenn lowered the bottle to his side, and spoke tiredly, "Hey, we can make it together. But we can only make it together."
With that, he slowed his pace and returned to his wife, leaving Murphy and Daryl together. The two shared a quick look with each other before staring ahead once more. Murphy opened her mouth to say something, desperate to talk to him, but she didn't know what to begin with. What could she say? He had lost someone dear to him... someone that she really didn't know. She wasn't doing well herself, so what could she tell him?
Daryl felt himself wishing she would say something, but couldn't bring himself to stay, "I'm gonna head out."
Murphy's forest green eyes searched his own, but he couldn't make eye contact. He adjusted his crossbow on his shoulder and turned away from her, not able to open up... not able to speak. She watched as he turned into the brush, alone. She wanted to stop him, call out to him, but she didn't. She looked behind at the group, Carol being the only one that returned her gaze. Murphy asked her what she should do, silently. Carol widened her eyes, pointing her head toward the woods that Daryl had walked into. Follow him, she said. Murphy nodded, making her way after him.
As she trudged through the thick foliage, she kept her eyes trained on the ground for footprints. The dirt was too dry for any imprints to be made. She noticed some broken branches near the ground, but besides that, Daryl was an expert at covering his tracks.
"Damn it," she whispered, swiveling her head to catch any sight of him in the open forest.
Just as she was about to return to the group, she caught sight of a flash of black in the distance. She quickened her pace to catch up with him. Her boots cracked in the dry leaves and brittle sticks below her feet. She made her way in the direction that she saw him, and soon enough, a clearing came into her view. A path led to a small yard with a barn that stood in the center. Murphy stepped forward, expecting Daryl to be somewhere nearby. Soon enough, she saw him.
He sat with his back against a tree, facing the wooden building. Murphy slowly walked toward him, knowing that he could feel her presence. He didn't move, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Murphy stopped as she reached his side, and sat down. Her knee brushed his, and she leaned back on her arms that were propped behind her. They both kept their gaze on the barn.
"She smiled at me."
Daryl's eyes snapped from the barn to her as her voice reached his ears. It had seemed like forever since her words were directed to him. He let out a puff of smoke from his lips as her eyes flicked to him.
"I didn't know her, but she smiled at me," she continued, her voice shaking. "And... it felt like- like I did know her. Then she was gone. It's like I met her and she was ripped away from me so fast. And then there was Tyreese. We had one conversation, but it meant so much. And then... the next time a saw him he was already gone. I tried to save him, but I couldn't. "
She quickly raised her hands to her eyes, wiping the tears that began to fall. Daryl sat, his eyes squinted as he watched the woman beside him. His eyes watered, but he tried desperately to hold the tears back. She sniffed, taking a deep breath before locking eyes with him once more.
"I couldn't save him," she whispered. "And I know I shouldn't blame myself, but I do. And I know you blame yourself."
Daryl's eyes fell to the cigarette in his hand that slowly burned to a small stump. He blinked frantically as tears began to fall down his dirty cheeks. Murphy leaned closer to him, their arms touching.
"Listen to me. Listen to me, Daryl," she pleaded, and his eyes finally locked with hers. His lips trembled as he did so. "You can't blame yourself. You can't. It'll kill you. Do you understand me? It'll kill you. It takes over your thoughts. It's all you can think about. You don't think about them, you think about what you could've done to save them. Do you see what I mean?"
Daryl's shaking fingers dropped the cigarette in his hand as quiet whimpers began to fall from his mouth, his head hanging low. Murphy set a hand on his arm as he broke before her. She hated seeing him like this, but he needed to hear it. He needed to hear it so badly. Her face was wet with fallen tears as her sweet voice continued.
"Remember her, Daryl. Feel it. You need to remember her smile, the same one she gave me. I know I will. Remember her voice... her laugh. Remember her words, what she told you. What she said about you, remember that. Don't blame yourself for what happened. Accept what happened, and feel it. You need to, I know you do," she ended.
She was silent as Daryl processed her wise words. He suddenly raised his head, his eyes tracing her face. He spoke quietly, his voice breaking as he did so, "She said I was gonna be the last man standin'."
Murphy shifted so she faced him completely as he continued, "She said I was gonna miss her when she was gone, an' she's gone."
Murphy raised her hand to her mouth as he cried, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs. The next words fell from his lips, and Daryl felt a release as he said them. They were words that held so much truth, but ones that he hadn't been able to admit to himself before Murphy came, "An' I miss her so much."
With that, Murphy wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him. At first, Daryl didn't know what to do. Tears clouded his vision as he felt her warm breaths on his neck, her own tears dripping from her eyes onto his leather-clad shoulder. Slowly, his arms found themselves wrapping around her waist, his head resting between her neck and shoulder. His chest rose and fell with deep breaths as he felt himself melt in her grasp.
Murphy felt his tight shoulders relax under her touch, her hands resting on the tops of the wings of his vest. She felt strands of his hair tickle the side of her face as he buried his head into her shoulder. He needed this... god he needed it. He needed a release, someone to talk to. To show his emotions to even when he felt like he couldn't. He needed to know that someone cared enough to feel those emotions with him. And now he knew that there was someone who felt the same... who understood. And that was the most amazing realization that he'd ever experienced.
Murphy slowly pulled away from him, keeping her hands on his shoulders, staring into his blue eyes, "You'll always have people, Daryl. I know you'll never admit it, but you need them. You need to talk, to feel their presence. You can't be on your own, you shouldn't be on your own. So please, don't shut yourself out. You have Carol. You have Rick. You have Glenn. You have me."
Daryl released a shuddered breath as he felt his crying near its end. Murphy sent him a smile, her eyes red and her hair falling in strands around her face. Her hands slid from his shoulders and fell to her sides. Her gaze fell from his to land on the barn once more. Daryl stared at his hands that were propped on his bent knees, sniffing.
"Why're you here?" he whispered to her. "I don' understand."
Murphy thought for a moment before answering with one sentence, "I didn't want you to be alone."
Daryl wrung his hands together as he nodded. He raised his head to look at her from under his strands of hair, "Thank you."
Murphy gave him a smile in return, the first time she'd felt herself open up in the weeks since everything happened. It felt perfect... it felt right. So she sat with Daryl near the abandoned barn in the thick Virginia forest, her body just barely brushing his. And for the first time in what felt like forever, they truly felt all right.
AUTHOR'S NOTE — ajdhusjfisksn my babies are opening up to each other and healing 🥺🥺 my heart is about to burst. i hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter as much as i did writing it. unfortunately, my first day of online learning is tomorrow, so updates may be irregular from now on. but i'll try my best to write as often as i can, because i'm having the best time with this story. thank you all so much. please comment, it really warms my heart to see your feedback. love you all!! xx