traded my life [TWD]

『25』

I frown and cross my arms over myself as the group gathers to the vehicles. I was sitting on the hood of Morales' truck while they prepared.

"This should be all we need.. Think you can handle it?" Shane asks Glenn and T-Dog as he hands Glenn a list.

"We got a good group," T assures. "Bigger the numbers, better the chances, right?"

Glenn and I trade a look.

Ever since we got here, it's always been Glenn and I going on runs into the city. We knew the city best and we were the fastest. The smoothest. We worked great together with no issues at all.

"I can still go," I try. "I'm off the crutches now."

"You're still not fully healed. You're lucky to be putting weight on it already," Shane shoots it down.

I sigh and look at my stupid, useless ankle.

"Think you could use a spare hand?" Jacqui asks.

My eyes widen. "What?"

"Y'all need all the help you can get," she says. "I want to help."

"You sure you're ready for it?" Morales questions.

"It's best to go with the lot. Safer for training purposes, no?"

Jacqui looks up at me and smiles. I only pout more.

"I'll be safe. And then I'll come back," she promises.

I hold my arms out to her and she laughs, wrapping me in an oddly bent hug as I was still on the hood of a car. 

"You be safe up here," Jacqui says, kissing my cheek and pulling away.

"You, too," I worry.

Glenn is the next to give me a hug.

"Be careful," I plead in his ear.

"Aren't I always?"

"I'm not out there to watch your back.." I cast a look over to Merle Dixon who does a sly little smirk. "I hate it."

Glenn pats my knee. "I know. I won't push him. You don't push Daryl, yeah?"

"Merle's more dangerous," I remind in a hushed whisper. "Don't try to be a hero. Just get the shit and get back. And you and Jacqui take care of each other."

"Rest up," he says and points to my ankle. "Work on your phobia while we're gone."

I roll my eyes and flip him off as he climbs into the passenger seat. Jacqui waves out the backseat window and I blow her a kiss. I watch until the car is out of sight.

"You know you don't have to burden all the runs on your own, right?" Shane questions.

"It's different for people like us.. me, Glenn, Jacqui, T, Morales.."

"How so?"

"You're leading shit around here so you're exempt. Daryl and Merle hunt and keep us fed. No one really looks at Dale, Jim, or Ed to do anything."

"It's a race thing?"

"How long have we known each other?" I wonder. "Figure you would know stuff like that by now."

"Everyone here is equal. Society fell apart. Systems fell apart. Hell, I blame people that were racist and shit for the world falling apart."

"But, people like us are still trying to carry our weight tenfold so that we earn our place. You don't see Ed going on runs, do you? Dale stares at nothing up on that RV all day pretending like he's being useful. Would I not have to go on that run today even if my ankle wasn't screwed?"

"Not if you didn't want to."

"It's not a matter of want to or not," I sigh and pick at the buttons of my shirt.

"What are you thinking now?"

"That I feel useless for being injured."

"I understand what you're saying about having to work harder. You probably feel that both ways.. skin and sex."

"That sounds gross out of context," I joke.

Shane snorts and lightly punches my side. "Smartass."

"I do, though," I agree. "It's always been that way, though. I remember my Mom telling me that I have to work harder than every man in a building to be considered for a job there."

Shane nods, listening to the things I was saying.

"I guess I'm still holding onto old-world morals despite the old world going up in flames."

"Well, do you want to know what I think?"

I shrug and nod for him to continue.

"I think we would've died long before coming here without you. You saved Carl and Jacqui. Coming here was our joint idea."

I look around the quarry and smile a little. This was a usual spot Shane and I came to work out over the years. We liked jogging the tracks and taking in the scenery.

"And you and Glenn have kept supplies going. You bring back just as much if not more food than Merle and Daryl. Your team with Glenn is just as important- especially risking your lives in the city."

A heat rises up my neck and I shy away at the compliments.

"You bringing the ambulance has kept us medicated and safer. Injuries are treated with ease because you're there. Your skills have kept us alive, Hyejin. Don't sell yourself short because assholes like Merle Dixon and Ed Peletier are freeloaders."

I nod, letting him know I heard him out. We sit in silence for a little until I catch sight of Daryl Dixon readying for a hunt.

"Well.. If Merle Dixon is gonna switch teams and go with my Oppa.. I guess I'll go with Merle's dongsaeng."

I climb off the hood and steady myself on the shitty ankle.

"You're serious?" Shane questions.

"Gotta pull my weight," I say in regard to my previous words. "Tell Carl I'll be back later."

"You should tell him yourself."

"If I do, he won't let me go."

 𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈--

who is ready for the absolute chaos that is the daryl x hyejin bestie agenda

its the best agenda

its the only agenda

also someone commented about race and stuff so i wanted to make it clear of hyejin's standpoint 

it is based a lot on what steven yeun said about working on twd and how he felt the only reason an asian character was allowed for so long eas because he was only ever good and useful to the group

he wasn't allowed to have bad times or be questioned, he was just there to further everyone's stories around him

as a poc that stuck with me so so much and i want others to feel seen and heard in the way steven wants poc to be and in the way i didn't have growing up