Chapter 11

"Open the gate!" I heard a holler from the other side of the gate, I looked up at Sasha.

"Hurry open it!" She said hastily, I quickly yanked the gates open, seeing the truck Daryl, Denise, and Rosita had taken, quickly they drove in. I shut the gates, turning to look at the truck, seeing Abraham and Daryl sitting in the truck bed, with Eugene laying between them. I ran after them, catching up with them at the infirmary, as Daryl and Abraham carried Eugene inside.

"Rosita what happened?" I questioned.

"I'll have to explain later, right now I need your help patching up Eugene." Rosita tightened her ponytail, leading me into the infirmary.

"Eugene." I spoke softly, as I grabbed my wounded friend's hand, trying to comfort him anyway I could. Rosita ripped open Eugene's shirt, checking his wound, sighing relieved.

"It's just a surface wounds." She placed some gauze over the wound. "Grab me a suture kit, and those tweezer things." She ordered, I quickly did so, returning to Eugene's side.

"Where's Denise?" Everyone remained silent, no one would look at me. "Daryl?" Eugene sucked in a sharp breath, distracting me from the subject for the moment. What had happened out there and why weren't they telling me?

When Eugene was patched up and resting, I approached Daryl with caution. "Daryl." I reached out to touch his shoulder. Rick burst through the door, Daryl quickly grabbed my arm, and led me out of the infirmary, down the street. "What happened?" I yanked my arm free after several minutes of being dragged through town, stopping us in the gazebo. "Daryl, I'm sick of asking, what happened, you can tell me."

"The day I found you." Daryl cleared his throat. "A guy and his wife, stole my bike and my crossbow, everyday after I told myself I should've killed him, and I was right, that guy found us, and killed Denise." Chills went down my spine. "If it wasn't for Abraham and Eugene I'd probably be laying next to her." Daryl said calloused, until I saw his chin tremble. "I have to go back and get her, before the walkers-" He choked up, he couldn't finish the sentence.

Daryl fell into my shoulder, his shoulders shaking, as he cried. I rubbed his back, trying my best to soothe him, I wasn't the best when it came to sympathy. I felt uncomfortable around people who were crying, I wasn't much of a hugger either, weird I know. I know I sound dead inside, the only emotion I liked to share and show was my happiness, it rubbed off on people, and made them happy. Since the world turned to shit, I've had my emotions shut off for years, and I was starting to realize I needed to reprogram myself. With Daryl it was different though, we hugged and sometimes kissed, it was like Daryl was helping me turn my emotions back on.

An hour or so later Abraham and Daryl returned with Denise's body. I had a connection with Denise, it wasn't anything too major, but she was a friend. I was about to follow Daryl and Abraham to the graveyard, where Daryl and I had dug a grave prior, but Carol stopped me.

"Hazel?" Carol said gently. I turned around slowly, this woman scared me. "Do you mind if I help Daryl bury Denise?" I handed her my shovel no questions asked. Her and Daryl were friends long before I showed up, if she wanted to talk to him, she could talk to him, she didn't need my permission.

"Eugene needs me anyway." I smiled politely. I began walking toward the infirmary to sit with Eugene. I walked into the infirmary, a smile immediately appearing on Eugene's face when he saw me.

"Hello miss Hazel." He attempted to sit up straighter.

"Hey lay back, don't tear your stitches." I pushed his shoulders down onto the mattress.

"Yes ma'am." Eugene gave me a nod.

"Eugene, you know I don't like when you call me that." I shook my head as I smiled at him.

"I remember, but it is not to upset you miss Hazel I am simply addressing you as a matter of respect." He stated simply.

"Well you don't have to alright?" I sat down in a chair by his bed. "So tell me more about your adventures Eugene." I smiled.

"Love to miss Hazel." Eugene said flattered, as he began to tell me the things him and Abraham went through. They lost multiple people, when they found Rosita, and then on. "I liked Tara, unfortunately I wasn't her type, the female form is more her type." Eugene informed.

"Huh, I guess I should've known, seeing's how her and Denise were always together..." I felt my breath catch in my lungs at the mention of her name.

"Miss Hazel are you alright?" Eugene tried to catch my attention.

"Wow, it's getting late, um, I gotta go check on Daryl." I quickly got to my feet. "It was good talking to you Eugene." I bent down kissing him on the forehead, leaving swiftly.

I made my way to my house, where Daryl sat on the steps smoking a cigarette, he remained still as I approached and sat down next to him. He sniffled as he took a puff from his cigarette, the smell of sweat wafted off of him, I didn't mind it, it was a comforting smell. "Are you okay?" I broke the silence.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Daryl grumbled.

"Just wondering." I spoke softly as I rubbed my arm.

I got to my feet, going inside. I kicked off my shoes, and made my way for the couch, sighing heavily as I sank into the cushions. I kicked my feet up onto the coffee table, Daryl came inside quietly. He smoothly made his way over to the couch, and placed his head on my lap. I didn't move for a moment as he made himself comfortable, then I gently twirled strands of his hair around my fingers. Soon I heard his quiet snores, making a smile rise on my lips, he was every type of exhausted. I would let him rest anyway he wanted for as long as he wanted, and if it was on me, then I would stay here all night. I managed to lean over and turn off the lamp, allowing the moon to be the light in the house. I looked out the large window in front of me, looking out at the street. I was unsure who was patrolling tonight, but I assumed it was the people that lived here before us. They didn't seem to have a sense of urgency when it came to patrols and other things.

As I started to become tired I could've sworn I saw someone moving swiftly through the street, but because I was tired I assumed I imagined it. When I felt the sun on my face I opened my eyes, feeling that Daryl was gone. I stretched my stiff muscles, then heard a motorcycle engine rev up outside.

"Oh shit." I jumped to my feet quickly pulling my zip up hoodie on, and my shoes, grabbing my weapons and dashed out the door, getting there just in time to see Daryl drive off, everybody just standing there. "What's going on?"

"Come on you can talk sense into him." Glenn patted my shoulder. He climbed into the large van behind us, Michonne climbing in as well. Glenn was about to take off when Abraham ran in front of us.

"Whoa, make room for my freckled ass!" He yelled.

"No, stay here and take my watch." Rosita ordered.

"We should keep numbers here." Glenn added with concern.

"I know where he's going." Rosita climbed into the van next to me, and Glenn drove off. All of us keeping an eye out for Daryl just in case he went somewhere else then what Rosita thought.

We soon arrived at a specific spot on the Railroad tracks where a handful of walkers were devouring old bodies. Michonne marched ahead taking out the walkers with her sword, Glenn and I cautiously walking the tracks behind Rosita. She came to a halt staring at a blood stain on the tracks.

"That's where she died." Rosita stated. I looked away, why would she even say that, I felt it was unnecessary.

"Alright so he had to start from here." Glenn sighed as he looked around, I followed Michonne as she made her way over to a bush. She lifted the heavy branches and leaves revealing Daryl's bike.

"He did." Michonne stated looking at Glenn.

"Which way did Dwight run?" Glenn pointed the question to Rosita, who was still lost in her thoughts. "Rosita." Glenn forced her back to reality.

"We should let him do this." Rosita stated, Glenn staring at her surprised.

"He doesn't know what he's doing, we don't. Maybe him trying this makes you feel better about it right now. Maybe they keep knowing more about us than we know about them, or maybe Daryl's gonna get himself killed." Chills went down my spine at this statement, losing Daryl? "Which way did Dwight run?" Glenn asked again, Rosita gestured with her head in a certain direction.

We walked for quite awhile before spotting Daryl, as I was trying to walk around a tree my foot slid through wet leaves, alerting Daryl. He shot a bolt at us, landing it in the tree next to Rosita.

"Watch the hell out asshole." Rosita growled pulling his bolt out of the tree.

"I did." He snatched his bolt from Rosita's hand. "You shouldn't 've come!" He growled as he marched off.

"You shouldn't have left." Michonne barked back. Daryl sighed as he turned to look at us again, mainly me.

"When I split off from Sasha and Abraham, he was out there in the woods, in that burned-out forest with them girls." He was talking about the day he found me. "Put a gun to my head, tied me up!" His face twitched in frustration. "I even tried to help him." He turned away again, making his way through the trees all of us following after him.

"So, you think it's your fault?" Glenn spoke up.

"Yeah, I know it is." Daryl stated, facing Glenn. "I'm gonna go do what I should've done before."

"What for her? She's gone man. You're doing this for you." Glenn spat. Glenn and Daryl were silent for a moment as they looked at each other.

"Man, I don't give a shit." Daryl started off again.

"Daryl..." Glenn ran after him, getting in his face. "We need to get back there and figure this out from home. Our home. We need you, and everyone back there needs us right now. It's-it's gonna go wrong out there." Glenn said sincerely.

"We'll square it, I will." Michonne said determined. "I promise you, just come back."

"I can't." Daryl sighed, trying to walk passed Glenn.

"Daryl." Glenn begged.

"Man I can't!" Daryl looked at me then walked off in a huff.

"Sorry." I walked passed my friends following after Daryl, soon after hearing Rosita follow after us. Daryl turned slightly to look at me, then continued walking with his crossbow in hand, I readied my slingshot.

"What the hell are you going to do with that?" Rosita growled at me.

"Don't question the slingshot." I whispered defensively.

We continued through the many endless trees, until Daryl stopped crouching a little lower, the smell of a campfire filling my nose. We made our way through the trees and dry leaves as quietly as possible. Soon the camp was clearly in sight, where we saw Glenn and Michonne tied up next to a campfire, what happened? Glenn started grunting and squirming the second he saw us, he shook his head violently, what was he doing?

"Hi Daryl." I heard a gun hammer click, instant fear filling my chest. I looked at Daryl out of the corner of my eye, he then turned to look at the man, but the man instantly shot. Blood splattered all over me, Daryl's blood. In that instant I turned and swung at the man that shot my friend, quickly I was thrown to the ground, and whaled on. Punched in the face several times, kicked in the sides, until finally it stopped and I was laying on the ground next to Daryl who was okay for the most part.

"Tie 'em up, get 'em to camp." The douche that shot my friend ordered. The men surrounding us closed in and dragged us over to their camp, tightly tying us up, and taking our weapons.

"Are you okay?" Daryl whispered through a pained grunt.

"I should be asking you that." I whispered back, through a fat lip.

"I'll be fine." Daryl's facade wavering, his face becoming extremely pale.

"Daryl?" I began to panic.

"Hey shut up over there!" One of them yelled at us.

"He's gonna bleed to death if you don't do something!" I yelled back at the man.

"Ah hell, Dwight?" The man looked to the douche that shot my friend.

"What?" Dwight came over looking at us. The man pointed at Daryl who could barely keep upright. Dwight grabbed an old looking blanket, and threw it on Daryl, pressing the material firmly against his wound, causing Daryl to hiss in pain. "Can't have you dyin' before you meet Negan." Dwight said darkly looking all of us over before walking away.

We sat there for what felt like hours until I heard a garbled voice over one of their walkies. Dwight looked at us, then nodded to his men, they moved in quickly, taking Michonne's vest, also cutting a chunk of locks from her head, and two of Daryl's bolts. "Load 'em up let's move." I wasn't sure what they were going to do with those items, but I didn't like it. They untied us, then shoved us into the back of a dark van, visibility was almost nothing, we had small holes of light coming from the doors of the van, more than likely bullet holes.

I sat next to the door, looking through the holes as the van started to move, honestly could barely see anything. Daryl leaned against me weakly, I turned my attention to him, not worried about where they were taking us at this point. The blanket was stuck to Daryl's wound now, taking it off would just start the bleeding again.

"How do we get out of this?" Rosita finally broke the silence between us.

"We don't." Glenn said harshly.

"What?" Michonne looked at him angrily.

"They might be taking us to a base, we need to find out more about these people, then we escape." Glenn ordered.

"What about Daryl?" I asked. "They only plan on keeping him alive until we meet Negan, we need to get out of here and to the Hilltop." I demanded.

"Hazel, I know you're worried, but I think if we just do what they say we'll all get out of this." Glenn reassured me. He was right, no possible way we could currently get out of this, our best bet was to wait and see.

"Are you okay?" Michonne looked at me, right I probably looked horrible.

"I'm fine, I've had worse." I shrugged. Even though the bruises and cuts on my body and face throbbed, it was nothing I couldn't handle. Glenn looked out the holes in the door again.

"Sounds like gravel, this may be our stop." It was dark outside, we had been sitting in this van for hours now, with no sign of an end.

At this point Daryl was resting against my shoulder, I'd check to see if he was breathing every now and then. This was scary, not knowing, these people had a twisted way of thinking from what we had seen. I was more afraid for my friends then myself, if something happened to them, I don't know what I'd do. It's been a long time since I've lost anyone, Denise being the first in a while, the others that were here with me, they all had someone waiting for them back home, I hoped they would make it back home.