𝓗𝓮𝔂 𝓐𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓵 | 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝔂𝓵 𝓓𝓲𝔁𝓸𝓷

Chapter 9: Time's running out

The doctor was mad. Assuring us this was the right thing to do. That it was painless and the best way out. There was no hope. This was the end. The end of us and the end of humanity.

It was as this time I was grateful Rick was here. The only one with a level enough head to attempt to reason with him. Try and convince him to let us go.

With Daryl having another go at the door in the background the doctor finally gave into reason. He opened the doors. As much as I wanted to bolt I remembered what the Doctor said about keeping the computers on for as long as possible. I rushed back down to the doctor past Jacqui.

"Lilith lets go!" Rick called.

"I coming I promise just give me a second!" I called back shooting Rick a pleading look then turning my attention to the doctor.
"Where are the backups. The data on these computers has to be stored somewhere else. Surely?" I questioned whatever work he had done here could still be of use. I had to keep hope alive somehow.

"There's a drive on the desk over there plug it in and download it the files."

"Hurry up sweety you don't have long," Jacqui pushed.

I rushed across pressing in the drive with shaking hands with Dale attempting to reason with Andrea in the background I tapped my hand nervously on the desk.

"Come on, come on," I pleaded.

"Lilith come on we need to go!" It was Dale and Andrea.

"Go! It's nearly done." I had to stay and see this through. I just hope I wouldn't end up dead.

"Lilith! Lilith get your ass outa here now." It was the voice of the redneck I yanked out the drive and bolted not looking back. I saw Daryl in the doorway he grabbed onto my hand and dragged me out of there even faster shoving me through the broken window and out onto the corpse ridden ground towards tbe RV.

"Get down!" Rick yelled and Daryl yanked me behind a sandbag without second thought. I fell to the side of him feeling the sting of my hand being cut against the rough tarmac. My heart was pounding and ringing in my ears.

The sound of the explosion was massive almost deafening.

"The hell were you thinking?" He yelled at me shoving me away from him slightly. "Ya coulda gotten yourself killed. Ya coulda gotten me killed!" I felt hurt and guilty. I shouldn't have stayed that long but I would've never forgiven myself if I didn't get something that could help humanity.

"Well, I didn't ask you to come back!" I yelled back the hurt taking over the guilt. I brushed myself off getting off the floor watching as Dale and Andrea rushed into the RV.

"Yeah well, I ain't just gonna sit around and let ya die am I!" His voice settled and we both calmed down a little.

"I couldn't just leave all that information there. So many peoples legacies left to burn. Things that might help us in the future. I didn't want to be a reason why humanity lost.

"You know for a smart woman you're a complete dumbass sometimes," He grumbled shoving me in the direction of the truck.
"I don't know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment," I replied surveying the scene. rubble everywhere, the building practically erased save for the giant black cloud of billowing smoke.

Despite this disastrous situation that almost resulted in our obliteration, there was one positive to be found. That perhaps I was right and there was more to Daryl Dixon than first appeared.

We drove away from the CDC all crushed by the gravity of the situation and how hopeless everything now seemed but nevertheless we were still going now trying to get to fort Bennet in hopes of safety.

It wasn't long before we stopped for gas the truck Daryl and I were in at this point was running less than fumes. As the others scavenged for gas I helped him get the motorbike out of the bed of the trunk.

"Nice ride," I commented admiring it a little.
"You know anything bout motorbikes?"

"Not much but enough to know this is a modded Triumph TR6C," I replied grabbing mine and Daryl's things from the truck. He, like me, only really had a small bag of things most of which was merely essentials.

"You're just full of surprises ain't ya?" He commented though I could tell he was still a little annoyed with me, grabbing his things as I headed for the RV with my bag slung over my shoulder. The sun was scolding and it was getting harder to stick to the long shirts but the last thing I wanted at the moment was questions thrown at me because of scars.

"Hey, Dale!" I called giving a short wave.

"Hey, Lilith what can I do for Ya?" He smiled kindly. I still wasn't sure what to think of Dale. He was kind and reasonable but sometimes a little too much not that's necessarily a bad thing.

"I was just wondering if I could ride with you and the others in here. The trucks dead and I don't think Daryl will want me riding with him," I explained.

"Sure thing." He replied. "Shove your things somewhere I'm sure we'll be off soon."

Not long after that comment, we were heading back down the road. I was almost regretting my decision to ride in the RV. It was silent which I don't mind but the awkwardness and tension that hung in the air was practically suffocating.

It was clear the Andrea was not happy with Dale but Dale wasn't going to apologise anytime soon. He saved her in his eyes and so he had nothing to apologise for. So Andrea just sat there glaring and silent.

I decided to leave Andrea to her grouching for now and went to the front to sit with Glenn and Dale.

"Hey, I never asked you. How did you end up on that roof?" Glenn asked glancing back at me.

"Shit luck really. I heard that Atlanta was supposed to be safe and I hoped that there might be someone I knew. I mean they weren't much more than a work colleague but I would've been nice to see a familiar face."

"Dumb decision really. Everyone knew Atlanta was overrun," Andrea commented.

"Well, when I left Virginia it wasn't. Besides I still don't regret it I found who I was after in the end and you guys so.."

"Who were you looking for then?" Glen asked.

"Rick...and Shane. Mostly Rick. They became the closest things I'd had to friends in a while even though they didn't like me much in the beginning." I laughed.

"Well, I'm glad I was the one to find you on that roof." Glenn smiled.

"So am I."