Destined to Lose: The 5th book

Chapter 14: Returned

We pull up to the Hilltop after nightfall. Everyone stops in a line and about half of them get out. As Dwight helps me out of the truck from the passenger side, Simon snickers, "keep her in the truck, we might need her."

"Ok." Dwight stops helping me down and helps me back up "stay down, I'll try and find you a time to get away."

I nod at him, and grab my leg to try and ease the pain. The walkie radios out loud as I hear Maggie ask to talk to Negan. Simon responds, "well, hello there. You are speaking to Negan, but my birth certificate says "Simon." With whom do I have the distinct displeasure of speaking?"

"Maggie. Maggie Rhee. The Widow." She replies flatly.

"Well, then. Hello again, Widow Rhee, and allow me to offer my condolences. For what's happened and what's about to happen. In case it's not already plain as Hilltop potatoes, yours truly is speaking on behalf of Negan this go 'round. And I assure you that the man himself personally received your care package next day delivery." Simon goes on, "I noticed it was the box that I gave you in good faith... Trick's on me. But the bill's come due, and you and your people are gonna have to pay. Quite dearly, I'm afraid."

He clicks off and Maggie instantly responds, "your 38 people are alive and breathing. Turn around and leave us be, and they stay that way. But if you don't, I have 38 bullets that I will personally fire into all of them."

She clicks off, but comes on soon with a male voice on, "It's too nice a night to spend it dyin' slow, don't you think, Simon?"

"How's this gonna go?" Maggie's asks him before clicking off.

"Well, Maggie Rhee," Simon answers without pausing, "this is highly regrettable, but the way I see it, the Saviors you're in possession of there are damaged goods. You know, they've got themselves into their own pickle, and this organization prizes those who, "A," avoid capture and, "B," figure out their own shit when said outcome eventuates. Which, in the end, is my way of saying screw them." He clicks off, and yells out to everyone, "Alright, people. Let's get this party started. And though we do not come bearing munitions, remember... The plan has changed. Our goal is not merely infection... it is conclusion. We are doing away with these people. All of 'em."

I hop out of the truck and towards him, I yell to him, "this isn't what he'd want. You know that, right? Negan could still be out there."

Dwight comes over, to try and drag me away, but agrees with me and yells to him, "she's right. Are you sure you wanna face that with him if he shows?"

"Better to beg forgiveness than ask permission, D. Future problems!" He retorts back, "get that bitch inside the truck!"  He directs him to move me.

As Dwight tries to pull me back, we all hear an engine and turn to look for the sound, it's quickly followed by two small lights and I drop to the ground and holler "Daryl!" as I see him whizz by shooting at us "Daryl!" I yell again, wondering if he hears me.

As Simon and everyone move in to attack, I stay low, trying to crawl out of the road and to the side of the building. I sit there, catching my breath and praying no one from the saviors comes over here looking for me. I don't know how long the the gunshots go off for but at one point, everything stops. It's quiet for a bit, a couple rustles here and there but silence mostly. Just when I think it might be safe for me to try get in, gunshots start again, and screams follow straight after. I wait there, until I see all the trucks the saviors brought in start to speed away. I wait some more, until I hear people behind the walls talking, hollering directions, putting things back together before I use the wall to get myself up. It takes me 10 minutes to get up and limp my way over to the gate. I knock on it, as hard as I can. Someone eventually yells down, "who goes there?"

I holler up, unable to see who it is, "it's Sadie. Sadie-Mae!

"Oh shit!" I can hear them grumble and move, "someone find Daryl."

When the door opens, Maggie is the first to greet me, "oh my god, Sadie! You're ok! You're here!" She looks me over and luckily she must be able to read how exhausted I look and scoops my arm around hers "oh, come on. Lean on me."

Rick is the next over to help, he wraps the other arm around himself and says, "it's so good to see you, Sadie."

We walk 3 steps into the hilltop when Daryl rounds a corner and freezes. He drops his bow and runs over, nudging Rick out of the way and scooping me up, "move, I got her." I hear him mutter, and I breathe easy being back in his arms.

When I wake up, I can feel Daryl's hand holding mine. I squeeze it to let him know I'm awake. He sits up to meet my eyes and I smile, and start to cry, "don't cry, you're alright."

"Daryl, I— I—" I try to say something but nothing is coming to my head right now. I know there's a lot we need to talk about, I know things aren't going to be what they used to. But I'm just too tired to do that right now.

Daryl helps me sit up and passes me a glass of water. After I sip down half of it, he says, "that glass shard missed the artery by a few inches. The doctor said it was smart you kept it in. Probably woulda bled out otherwise."

"One of the first things I learned while temping." I smile at him and he smirks back.

He looks around at all the other injured people in the room then quickly plants a kiss on my hand. He lowly says, "I wanted to be here when yew woke up, but I gotta go help the others. I'll come back in the morning."

"Daryl, please." I squeeze his hand before he can pull it away, "please don't leave me."

"I gotta help clean up." He insists. I give him a pleading glare, and he sighs and drops his head. "Why don't we move ya to where I sleep so when I'm done I can come be witch ya."

I nod and breathe a sigh of relief. Daryl helps me walk to the trailer he's been sleeping in and sets me up on the cot he sleeps in. Before he leaves, he turns around at the door and says, "I love you, Sadie-Mae."

"I love you too, Daryl Dixon." I return, closing my eyes to sleep.