Double Crossbow (Daryl Dixon) [The Walking Dead]

Chapter 10 ↣ Would whiskey help?

"Don't kiss me if you're afraid of thunder. My life is a storm."

— Anita Krizzan

↣ ↢

Kathryn

WALKING BACK TOWARDS the road, Daryl was the only one still standing there. As I passed him, I saw him give Jim a nod. Only I didn't believe it was simply just a nod. It was a thank you, an apology, and a goodbye, all rolled into one simple gesture.

We were soon back on the road, which left me to think over what Jim had told me. There was a hidden meaning behind his words. Either that, or he was simply delirious. I couldn't convince myself that it was the latter, though.

"Ya look tired," Daryl mumbled.

I looked over at him. "Is that so?"

He glanced my way. "Yeah. Why don't you, um, try and get some sleep? We won't be there for at least a couple of hours."

I shifted nervously in my seat. "Maybe I will."

Daryl

Kathryn fell asleep not too long after we were back on the road. It was weird seeing her look so vulnerable for such a long period of time. Normally it was fleeting seconds that showed the other side of her.

I pulled to a stop a little ways away from a building with a sign reading Center for Disease Control. I hesitated before lightly placing my hand on Kathryn's shoulder. She bolted upright instantly her breathing uneven and heavy. My grip on her shoulder tightened. "It's all right," I said, the words feeling foreign on my tongue. I didn't make a habit of comforting people. Kathryn looked over at me. There was a split second of fear in her green eyes before they turned cold.

"Of course it is," she replied, like she didn't almost hyperventilate a second ago. Kathryn quickly shook off my hand and basically leapt out of my car.

Taking a step outside, I hit a wall of stench. I coughed and made sure to breathe through my mouth. I could hear Kathryn's coughing. Turning slightly, I saw she was approaching me with two crossbows in hand. After I grabbed mine, the both of us started walking towards the group.

"Let's go," Shane whispered, "stay quiet."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Kathryn muttered underneath her breath.

The smell got worse as we got closer to the building. I kept a lookout for any of the bodies to move, but thankfully none of them did.

"Stay together," Rick said over his shoulder when we got close to a door. It didn't seem like anyone was home. Shane and Rick tried to open the doors, but nothing happened. I knew this was a mistake.

"There's nobody here," T-Dog said.

"Then why are these shutters down?" Rick fired back.

Kathryn all of a sudden spoke up, "Walkers." Her sharp voice cut through the tension, bringing a whole new level of fear to the atmosphere. The kids started sobbing. Kathryn released an arrow, and it unsurprisingly hit its mark.

"You led us into a graveyard," I yelled at Rick.

"He made a call," Dale defended.

"It was the wrong damn call," Kathryn said lowly still looking around for walkers.

"Just shut up," Shane said.

Kathryn spun on her heel, and despite being an inch or two shorter than him, she got up in Shane's face. "You do not tell me what to do," she snarled. The venom in her voice even unnerved me a bit. "I didn't want to be in this group in the first place! I would've been fine on my own, not up shit creek. I have done nothing, but help this group. So show me a bit of respect, I think I've earned it, Deputy Walsh."