FALLEN ANGEL ➵ DARYL DIXON [1] ✓

Chapter Seventeen: Starved For Help

Chapter 17

"We'll rest here for a couple of days. The last thing we want to do is to exhaust ourselves," Lance explains around the fire, eating the cooked meat with everyone.

"I agree," Dwight says, chomping down on the meat holding baby Alex close to his chest. The meat tasted like the best meal they have ever had, everyone happy and satisfied. The night was surprisingly warm, crickets singing their melody and and an owl hooting in the background.

"We could plant our own vegetables down there," Jane states and everyone agrees with her. "It will be like our own little farm."

"That could work," Lance says to Jane. "But first, we need to get into the main building, kill of the remaining walkers. Let's give it a couple of days though. Enjoy what we have now."

Jane smiles, hugging into Kai for warmth. Kai lifts up his arm and he wraps it around her, bringing her in closer.

Fava leans against Lance who is beside her, twirling her knife in her little hands and Tamiko's head rested on her dress. She pats her gently, stroking her jet black fur down. Tamiko licks Fava's hand, her eyes the same colour as the roaring fire right in front of her.

"We're all infected," Lance suddenly announces. Everyone's heads snap up from their gaze, Kai dropping his last remaining food onto the ground, feeling perturbed and horrified.

"The hell you just say?" Kai says in distress. Fava flings herself onto her wolf, hugging her tightly. Sherry and Jane exchange traumatizing peers.

"We're all infected," Lance echos. But this time, it's louder and more clearer, getting the message through.

"How?" Jane asks worryingly, getting up from Kai.

"Jenner told me back at the CDC. It's gonna happen to all of us... Whether we like it or not. What ever it is, it travels in the air so we're all vulnerable. Once we die, no matter what, we come back as one of them. Unless we destroy the brain, you'll be roaming the streets and the woods again...There's a walker inside us all."

There is a deadly silence, everyone choking and suffocating on Lance's words, processing it all. "Holy shit, man," Dwight whispers, his eyes wide and mouth gaping ajar.

"How come you didn't tell us this before?" A little voice mumbles. Fava. Lance sighs, looking down at Fava.

"Didn't think it was necessary."

"But now is?" Fava snaps back, moving away from Lance and moving closer to Tamiko.

"The kid has a point," Kai shrugs. "I mean, why?"

"Like I said," Lance says, looking straight in front of him, the flames covering Kai's sculpted face. "Didn't think it was necessary."

"Man-" Dwight starts but Lance soon ends it

"Look!" Lance says in anger. "I didn't ask for this! I don't even know why use people look up to me, like I'm some type of leader. Like I have all the answers. Like I know the ins and outs of everything! Well let me tell ya something... I don't! I'm just, one guy in- in the same situation as you! Living... Breathing... Thinking. Surviving! I might not make the best calls or the best decisions, but I do what has to be done! To make it right! You all might not see it, but I care about everyone of you sitting around this fucking fire pit. Of course I care about what happens to all of us! But at the end of the day, I'm just a man. So stop treating me like I committed the biggest goddamn crime in history! I did what I thought was right. And that so happened to be not letting use all know. I was going to tell you eventually! I thought about it... Long and hard... And I had a gut feeling... That I had to tell you people now. You were going to find out sooner or later. And I wanted it to be later... This isn't a democracy anymore." Lance goes back to eating his food, the group dumbfounded and moved by his performance.