To many mistakes

ch. 20

Nothing felt the same sense Dale's passing. Andrea took it the hardest and I've been trying to comfort her the best I can.

Everything changed.

"Dale could- could get under your skin. He sure got under mine. Because he wants afraid to say excactly what he thought, how he felt. That kind of honesty is rare, and brave, whenever I'd make a decision, I'd look at Dale. He'd be looking back at me with that look he had, we've all seen it one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could read us. He saw people for who they were, he knew things about us, the truth, who we really are. In the end he was talking about losing our humanity. He said this group is broken. The best way to honor him is to unbrake it, set aside our differences and pull together. Stop feeling sorry for ourselves, and take control of our lives, our safety, our future. We're not broken, were gonna prove him wrong. From now on, where gonna do it his way, that's how we honor Dale." Rick preached.

We stand in front of Dale's grave listening to Rick say all the things we couldn't.

Slowly we all walked away to our own copeing mechanisms. Daryl and I walked into the woods and sat down on the log. I layed me head on his shoulder and he closed his eyes for a second, a moment of silence.

-------

I walked up to Rick and Hershel with Daryl by my side who where speaking by a blue pick up truck.

"It'll be tight, 14 people in one house". Rick mentioned

"Dont worry about that, with the swamp hardening, the creek drying up..." Hershel started.

"With 50 head of cattle on the property, we might as well be ringing the damn dinner bell." Maggie finished.

"Wait are we moving into the house?" I ask no one in particular.

"We should of moved you in a while ago." Hershel said looking around at us.

"All right let's move the vehicles near each of the doors, facing out towards the road." Rick pointed the direction.

"We'll build a lookout in the windmill, another in the barn loft. That should give us sightlines both sides of the property."

I moved closer to Ricky which Daryl followed in suit.

"T-Dog, you take the perimeter around the house. Keep track of everyone coming and going." I told him.

He walked up to me, " What about standing guard?"

Shane cocked his head, triggered that Rick didn't ask him.

I looked towards Rick, "I need you and Daryl on double duty." He said.

"Gotcha." He patted my arm as him and Daryl left.

I crossed my arms awaiting my duty.

"I'll stock the basement with food and water, enough that we can all survive there a few days if need be." Hershel stated.

I nodded.

"What about patrols?" Andrea asked.

"Let's get this area locked down first. After that Shane will assign shifts while me, Kelsey and Daryl take Randall offsite and, cut him loose." I nodded in response and smile.

Rick and Shane shared a heated moment that didnt go unnoticed.

"We back to that now?" Shane scoffed.

"It was the right plan first time around, poor execution!" I argued back.

"That's a slight understatement."