Stand By Me (Daryl Dixon)

T w e n t y O n e

We finally make it to the next town and the amount of walker are slim compared to this morning. Few are scattered along the main road, now headed our way because of the noise of our engines. We pull up to a grocery shop for supplies and food.

"Hopefully it's not picked through like the closer ones." I say to Daryl before opening the door to the truck.

I jump out and pull my bow from behind my seat to take out closing in walkers coming from my side. I'll grab those arrows later. Throwing my bow on the seat I pull my knife out and follow Daryl and the rest of them to the front door. The dried dark bloody hand prints all over the walls indicate that someone was once held up here. Listening with our ears close to the dirty windows, no movement is heard. I watch as Aaron slowly pulls open the door and we all cringe as the sound of bells. We all file in and listen once more. The anticipation of someone or something coming out fills my stomach. A crash is heard from one of the far corners having Carol and a guard head in that direction. We all split up in hopes the shelves have some perishables and supplies.

I pick up a can with no label. Mystery food, hopefully it's peaches. But, the likeliness that will be is zero. Hopefully it's anything besides dog food. I place it into the basket I grabbed before our search and move to the next can down the aisle. Noodle soup.

"Drop it." A whisper says, and a gun barrel is placed at the back of my head, not again, "drop it and follow me, quietly. No one has to get hurt."

I calmly place the can back on the shelf and straighten upwards, turning and looking into the eyes of one of Negan's men. Motioning me to follow him towards the back. I obey and follow the shadow to the back of the store. I see a option to gather the others attention of this intruder. I bump the shelve, and the items crash to the ground. I'm left alone, with the debris at my feet when the others  run up.

"They're here." I simply say, panic in my low voice.

"Who?" Aaron asks.

"One of Negan's men was in here, I recognize him from the Sanctuary, they followed us. They followed us and he wanted me to follow him out through the back." I point in the direction.

"Daryl don't." Carol says as soon as he moves in that direction, "moving in the line of fire will get you killed! Don't be stupid!"

"Stupid! Ya want to talk about stupid! You are stupid thinking that ya can't handle being around death, when this whole world is full of it! That's why you keep leaving! You don't want to be around when someone ya care about dies!  You ran away! Ya ran away from me and your family." Carols face drops immediately.

"Daryl. We have bigger things to worry about." Aaron says as shot are fired from the front of the shop.

Glass shatters, and bullets fly through the air. We all duck, to avoid being shot. I grip my knife, this isn't going to help me! I'm going to need my bow. I shift slowly and make my way towards the back corner where we heard the crash before my own. Sneaking up the last aisle and stop before the opening to the front of the store. Peeking between the shelves to see three men pointing guns into the broken windows. I crawl behind the register and that when yelling begins. Someone back there was hit. Crunching of the glass on the other side of the counter, my heart is beating way out of control that it hurts. I stay still to avoid being caught. One man drops where I need to get out from behind the counter.

"Come out!"

I see Daryl at the end of the aisle coming up it, I peek through over the counter to see both men head into different aisles. This is my chance. I crouch forward around the counter to making sure that they are down the aisle before making my move. I look back at Daryl as he shakes his head. I look back to see that the one guy is now half way down the aisle as I stand an stumble out the from window I hear one last gun shot before I fall to the ground in shock.

The ringing in my ears muffles the yelling and guns shots going off in the shop. A splitting headache forms as I squeeze my eyes shut, opening them I see a walker from down the road sauntering this way. My stomach craps as I try to move. The cement and small rocks scrapes against the side of my faces. I scream as the growing pain churns my insides.

I cough out Daryl's name when I see him after I open my eyes. He takes out the walker coming for us, before sliding to the ground next to me.

"Shay!" He yells, lifting the back of my shirt up to see the damage. "You should have stayed!"

The tears block my vision and I screw them shut as I hear Daryl open the truck door above me. Rummaging through it. I scream when he applies pressure to the wound. Immediately pulling back.

"Daryl, I-I can't f-feel my legs." I studded.

More foot prints come towards me, "If she can't feel her legs that means the bullet is still in her back, and it's pressing on the spinal cord. She needs immediate care!"

Trying the lift myself up from the ground. The ground was rough under my palms. The smell of iron and musk fill my nose. Disgust wipes over me when I feel liquid against my cheek. My head is pounding and my hair is in a matted mess. The overwhelming pain in my lower spine sends me into convolutions.

"She's seizing, Carol! You have to take her back!" Daryl yells as the darkness swallows me whole.