♤

No one slept and everyone was exhausted as the process of moving the bodies began. There had been a decision made on what to do; burn those we didn't know, bury those we loved.

Andrea hadn't moved away from Amy's body the whole night. She stayed, towering over it like a guardian angel. I didn't blame her. If it'd happened to Charlie I don't know what I'd have done, I don't even know if I'd have been able to continue.

The sound could be heard from Daryl's pickax as he swung it into every walkers head and when it collided, it made a crunching sound. I had told Charlie he could help make the graves, write nice messages and draw nice pictures to go on them. He didn't want to but he agreed.

Daryl hadn't told him about Merle, he was planning on doing it after everything was cleaned up. He said he felt it'd be the best time. I didn't want to argue, in honesty, I didn't care when he did it, I was just glad it wouldn't be me breaking the bad news.

Slowly, I lifted up the feet and hauled it over to the pile of bodies that we planned to burn. Morales smiled and nodded at me as we repeated this for a while.

♤

The group gathered in a huddle to discuss Amy. "Y'all can't be serious. Let that girl hamstring us? The girl's a time bomb" Daryl grumbled.

"What do you suggest?!" Rick snapped.

"Take the shot." Daryl replied immediately. "Clean, in the brain from here. Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance"

Lori shook her head. "No. For God's sakes, let her be!" 

♤

We carried on moving the bodies. I watched as Daryl and Morales dragged a body and dumped it into the pile full of strangers. "What are you guys doing?" Glenn shouted as I took a sip of water. "This is for geeks! Our people go over there. We don't burn them! We bury them! Understand?" Glenn ordered, his voice shaking as he spoke.

"What's the difference? They're all infected" Daryl countered.

Glenn stood his ground. "Our people go in that row over there" He yelled.

Slowly and reluctantly, Daryl helped Morales move the body into the other row to await a pickax to the face. "You reap what you sow" Daryl mumbled to himself.

"You know what? Shut up, man" Morales snarled at Daryl. 

Daryl paced about before he responded. "Y'all left my brother for dead! You had this comin'" He growled.

I lunged forward and stormed over to Daryl, dragging him away from the rest of the group. "Daryl, this isn't about you or Merle. This is about those we lost last night, okay? Just respect that!" Rage poured out into my words as he fell silent.

It took a few seconds until he nodded. "A walker got him! A walker bit Jim!" Jacqui yelled which drew my attention, as well as the rest of camps. Charlie came running over into my side, tucking himself away.

"Show it to us! Show it!" Daryl ordered but Jim shook his head and backed away.

"Easy Jim.." Shane cooed.

"Grab him!" Daryl yelled. Jim picked up the shovel on the floor and held it up.

T came up from behind him and grabbed his arms, causing him to drop the shovel. Daryl quickly raced forwards and lifted Jim's shirt up revealing a bite. Charlie grappled onto my leg tighter as Jim sunk to the floor. "I'm okay. I'm okay." He repeated, his voice getting quieter with each one.

♤ 

Everyone was gathered in a huddle once more as we all discussed Jim's case.

"I say we put a pickax in his head and the dead girl's and be done with it" Daryl growled at everyone.

Shane had his hands on his hips. "Is that what you'd want if it were you?"

Daryl nodded. "Yeah, and I'd thank you while you did it!"

Dale sighed. "I hate to say it, I never thought I would, but, maybe Daryl's right-"

"-Jim's not a monster, Dale, or some rabid dog" Rick said, eyeing Dale and Daryl up.

"He's dangerous" I mumbled.

"I'm not suggesting that-" Dale started.

Rick stepped forward. "He's sick. A sick man. We start down that road, where do we draw the line?"

I folded my arms in discomfort as the discussion continued. "The line's pretty clear, zero tolerance for walkers, or them to be" Daryl snarled.

"What if we can get him help? I heard the C.D.C was working on a cure.." Rick looked over at Shane for confirmation.

Shane sighed. "I heard that too. Heard a lot of things before the world went to Hell"

Rick had hope in his eyes and fire in his words. "What is the C.D.C is still up and running?"

Shane shook his head, clearly doubting it. "Man, that is a stretch right there.."

"Why? If there's any government let, any structure at all, they'd protect the C.D.C at all costs, wouldn't they? I think it's our best shot. Shelter, protection.." Rick displayed his case for all to hear, but I shook my head. The chances that the C.D.C was still operational, were slim.

Shane seemed to share my opinion as he pitched his idea. "Okay, Rick, you want those things, alright? I do too, okay? Now if they exist, they're at the army base. Fort Benning"

"That's a 100 miles in the opposite direction.." Lori breathed heavily.

Shane nodded, clearly already knowing the route. "This is right. But it's away from the hot zone. Now listen to me. If that place is operational, it'll be heavily armed. We'd be safe there"

"If it's operational" I mumbled.

Rick nodded at me. "The military were on the front lines of this thing. They got overrun. We've all seen that. The C.D.C is our best choice and Jim's only chance!" Rick exclaimed.

"You go looking for aspirin, do what you need to do. Someone needs to have some balls and take care of this damn problem!" Daryl yelled as he raised his pickax above his head and lunged towards Jim.

Rick didn't hesitate before he pulled out his gun and pointed it at Daryl's head. "We don't kill the living!"

Daryl lowered it and turned around. "That's funny, coming from a man who just put a gun to my head" Daryl wasn't particularly dumb, he was smart when he applied his knowledge to the right places and coming back at Rick tended to be where he applied his knowledge.

Daryl slopped off back to the tent and I watched. "He wouldn't have done it.." I grumbled at Rick as I passed by.

In truth, I wasn't sure whether Daryl would've done it or not, I didn't want to believe he would, but, I also wasn't sure. Daryl wasn't an easy person to read, no matter how much you study his body language.