Stray // Daryl Dixon

Deterioration of the Fight or Flight Response

"Someone is gonna have to tell Beth," I said quietly, hanging my head low as I twiddled my thumbs together. I couldn't get Zach's cries for help out of my head.

"Tell Beth what?" Mark asked, staring at me through the rearview mirror from the driver's seat.

"Zach was her boyfriend. Who is going to tell her?" I responded. We had done so well, thirty days without an accident and one simple run to a superstore ruined that.

"Daryl said he would," Linc said, trying to ease my concern.

After that we were quiet for a while, I leaned my head on the back window staring out at the passing trees as we whizzed by them. I was growing tired as the green blur put me in a calming trance.

"Fuck, I missed the exit," Mark cursed under his breath, breaking the silence. It seemed as if we all zoned out. I looked out the window across from me, watching as our other two cars and Daryl leading on his motorcycle took the ramp off of the highway.

"There's another one coming up in about 3 kilometres, we can take that back," Lincoln pointed up at one of the hanging signs as we drove underneath it.

"Or just turn around," I said lazily, the side of my head vibrating against the window as we drove over the uneven pavement. 

"It's fine, I can see it right up ahead. Plus it's a much more scenic route," Linc joked, trying to lighten my mood.

"Everything is scenic now," I moaned, although I couldn't help the tiniest of smirk to slide up my face. 

Being separated from the group was causing anxious thoughts to arise, but the silence fell among us once again. It didn't take long for us to reach the next exit which wouldn't put us too far behind the rest of the group. My butt shifted in my seat as I felt Mark enter the off-ramp, pulling the steering wheel hard to the right around the bend.

"What the hell?" Mark muttered, causing me to bring my attention to the front windshield.

"They're coming right at us!" Lincoln shouted, reaching over to grip the steering wheel. 

A red SUV came speeding towards us on the off-ramp going in the wrong direction, we were both going so fast that it was like the car appeared out of nowhere.

Lincoln spun the steering wheel so hard toward himself to try and avoid the other vehicle, but it was already too late. Our car jolted to the right, sending the back end spinning around to our left side, coming into direct contact with the other car. Mark slammed down on the breaks as our two cars ricocheted off one another. I jolted forward in my seat as my window shattered, slamming my head against the back of Mark's chair from the car skidding to a sideways stop. The smell of burning rubber wafted into my nose before my body was finally swung backwards against my own seat again, our car crashing into the ramp's metal barrier. My eyes grew heavy from my head aching, my lids slowly shutting as my vision became unclear. A stream of blood leaked into my eye, I shut them hard to try and blink it away. They didn't open again after that.

------

My eyes slowly blinked open, and my recollection of what just happened was foggy. I was laying down on the back seat of the car, my seat belt digging into my side and bruising it. I choked as I sucked in the air, coughing on heavy smoke. I brought my hand up to my forehead as it felt like the skin on my scalp was pulsating. My fingers then brushed against a shard of glass that had been embedded under the skin of my hairline. I winced in pain at the light touch of it.

"Lincoln?" I croaked out, wondering where my brother was. My eyesight then focused on the two front seats, both Lincoln and Mark still sat there unconscious. I reached my hand forward, checking both of their pulses to make sure they were still alive. I exhaled, relieved to find out that they were.

I coughed again, choking on the air when I realized a flame was seeping out through the hood of the car, smoking us out from the inside. The sight of that kicked me into gear, my fight or flight response pushing me to act fast.

I unbuckled my seat belt, freeing myself from my seat. "Linc! Lincoln!" I said harshly, placing my hand on my brother's shoulder and attempting to shake him awake. There was no response, instead, his head flopped to the side. I took the same approach with Mark, both remained unconscious.

Realizing I was going to have to do this myself, I scooted over and opened up my car side door, the remaining glass from my window crumbling to the ground. I clutched my bruised abdomen as my feet hit the ground. Getting out of the car I could now see the other SUV rolled over onto its side across the road. A teenage girl lay sprawled out on the pavement beside it while a walker dangled over her, ripping out her insides.

Snapping out of it, I jogged to Lincoln's side, swinging open his door to get to him. I unbuckled his seat belt, his right arm dropped down and his torso slouched to the right, I had to catch him from falling out the side of the car. His face had been all cut up from the glass that flew when the windshield shattered and he had a deep wound on the bridge of his nose from the airbags deploying. I was surprised that they still worked, they were most likely the only reason they were still alive.

I linked my arms underneath his armpits, putting the majority of his weight on my arms as I started to pull him out. The further he slid out of the car the heavier he became. My legs began to wobble underneath me, my knees buckling from his limp body.

Then I heard a groan followed by a cough. "Mark! Oh god, Mark, get up! Thank god," I breathed out, urgency in my tone as I struggled to hold onto Linc. I watched as he rubbed his eyes, just as confused as to what was going on.

"What happened?" he groaned, trying to take in his surroundings.

"Mark, we don't have time. The car is on fire, you need to get out of the car," I instructed him.

His eyes locked in on the flame coming from the hood, I could see the fright flash across his face when his brain finally caught up with him. I continued to pull Lincoln out as Mark undid his seat belt to get out of the car. He had his hand on the car latch when a walker slammed up against the window, its bloody palms smearing the teenager's guts across the glass. The abruptness of it triggered us to both jump back, although it caused me to trip backwards, my brother's limp body falling on top of me as my back hit the grass.

I squirmed out from under Lincoln, now needing to help Mark. I gasped for air as I got to my feet, staying low as I crouched my way around the back of the car. Something in the hood of the car made an exploding noise, like an exhaust pipe when a driver revved their engine. The flames were expanding and it was only a matter of time before this thing blew.

I peeked my head around the side of the car, the walker still continued wailing as it slammed its face into the window, its instincts telling it to bite down at the sight of another living thing. I had to get Mark out, but I had no weapon. My eyes scanned the vicinity and without a second thought as soon as I spotted it, I grabbed it. Lunging forward I picked up one of the shards of glass from the pavement, the edges of it slicing into my palm as I squeezed on tight to it. I shouted as I threw my arm behind my head before bringing it down on the centre of the walker's skull, dropping it to the floor. I grabbed the door handle, covering it in blood as I swung it open, freeing Mark.

"Come on, we gotta move Linc!" I said, ushering him out of the car.

We both ran around to where Linc still lay on the grass unconscious. Mark hoisted him up with my help, throwing one of his arms over his shoulders as I did the same. We carried him as best we could away from our car, his feet dragging on the grass as Mark held the majority of his weight. We managed to drag him about fifty feet away before the car finally blew. It was like one quick bang, a popping sound so loud that it made your ears ring. The explosion from it sent flames puffing up over our heads, the jolt sending all three of us down to the ground.

The rest of the group had to have been miles away by now.