-a not-so-dead walker bites Andy as he's clearing the perimeter-

Andy yelled out in pain. Danny whipped around, but not fast enough. He raised Charlotte and shot the dead that had a hold of his brother. For a second, panic showed on his face as it fell to the ground. This wasn't first time they turned the fence off prematurely, causing some of the dead to be not so dead.

He shook his head, clicking his tongue and taking a step closer to his brother. "Are you alright?"

Andy wasn't looking at him. He was far enough away from the fence to feel safer, but he was clutching his arm tightly.

"Shit." Danny stated, glancing at him harshly from his arm. "Andy, tell me that blood's from the barbed wire.." He took a hesitant step side ways, trying to look him in the face.

There was a strained pause as the older brother grunted lightly. "..It ain't." There was another pause, and Danny slung his gun over his shoulder, forcefully moving Andy's arms and lifting his sleeve up to inspect the wound.

His eyebrows hitched and he stared in disbelief for a good three seconds before he composed himself—for his brothers sake. "You've been bit."

It was kind of an obvious statement by now, but it needed to be said.

A silence followed it, though. The wind on the trees their only attachment to reality.

They both stared at the ground. Awkwardly glancing at the bloody wound and each other briefly.

"We gotta tell Mama."

Danny grimaced. "And then what, Andy? Jesus, you saw what happened to Daddy. To our farmhands!" He threw his arms out in anger, waiting for a response. None came, and he crossed his arms.

"We're not tellin' Momma. It'd break her."

Andy furrowed his brow and flexed his arm a little bit, looking down. "Then..?" his voice was quiet, but Danny heard the emotion in it. His expression softened.

"I'm thinkin'."

His brother shook his head.

"I don't wanna become one of them."

Danny frowned and swallowed as he followed his brothers gaze past the fence and to the numerous dead that littered the once peaceful paths.

"Don't worry,"

His voice was low, Andy looked at him but he was still staring out. "I've got your back."

After more silence and no answers, Andy shuddered. He stumbled and fell over, his eyes closed.

As much as Danny's instincts—and emotions—told him to get down to check his pulse, to see if he was okay, he took a good few steps back and raised his gun right at him.

He cocked it, and waited.

After what he thought were the most painful minutes of his life, Andy opened his eyes and groaned. Not dead. Danny sighed in relief, taking his finger off the trigger.

"Andy, you can't do that."

He looked up at him from his spot on the ground. Any and all emotion he had held in to be strong for his little brother showing.

Danny shook his head and scoffed as he put Charlotte away and knelt down to him. "As great and all as it is that you're bein' a tough guy, like ya always been.." he paused, his eyes still harsh. "if you're ever gonna cry about this, now would be as good a time as any."

So he did. It was not often either of them let down their defenses like this.

So younger brother held older as the two of them grieved for their impending loss.

"You boys are goin' out already? It's almost supper time!"

Danny shrugged, looking his mother in the eyes. "It's as good a time as any, Momma." he internally cringed, but kept his face straight.

"Is Andy all right with this?"

Danny nodded as he turned to leave. "Yeah, Momma, he's the one who suggested it."

"Well all right then, but be back before it gets dark! You two get lost when y'all can't see."

Danny agreed and walked away from the house. He helped Andy carry the shovel and bear trap as they set off into the forest.

Andy flexed his arm again, and Danny questioned him almost immediately. "How are you feelin'?" he asked for probably the tenth time today. Andy grunted.

"It burns real bad," he frowned, not looking at his brother and clearing his throat. "but it ain't unbearable."

"How's your head?"

As he was about to reply, he blacked out again.

Danny dropped his things and raised Charlotte again, cringing as he steadied his breath. He wasn't down for long, and this time Danny helped him up and brushed him off.

Andy apologized, and Danny brushed that off too.

"Let's get to work."

And by that, he meant he'd get to work while he forced Andy to sit down. He threw the trap somewhere and got to digging. He never turned his back to him, so he made sure he was turned toward him.

They were silent, until Andy spoke up with a small smile on his face. He looked tired. "Y'know, Dan, I always thought you were diggin' your own grave," he paused to laugh as Danny looked up at him. "but here ya are, diggin' mine." he shrugged, and his brother shook his head and continued.

"Are you sure you're alright with this?"

He stopped to move the hair out of his face, watching his brother carefully.

Andy shrugged in his spot against a tree. "I'd rather it be like this."

There was a small pause. "Alright."

When the hole was deep enough, Danny helped his brother up and sat him down by it. He frowned. He was pale—paler than he'd ever been.

"I'm not gonna make it, man."

"Yeah."

Andy smiled again. "I always thought I'd outlive ya," he grunted. "maybe on normal circumstances."

Danny frowned more. "That's a little rude."

Andy raised his eyebrows. "I'm sorry." he paused.

They stared at each other and for once, Danny instigated it. He wrapped his arms around his brother and hugged him tightly.

He was quiet as Andy returned the embrace weakly.

"I know, Dan. I'm gonna miss you too."

Danny moved slightly, burying his face into his brother. He made sure to lose himself in his scent just once before he moved away for the last time. Andy did the same.

Danny took a couple steps back, and then one more, before almost hesitantly taking Charlotte into his hands. He raised her and pointed right at his brothers head.

Andy looked down in resignation.

Danny frowned, tense. "Dammit, look at me, Andrew!"

Andy hitched his eyebrows and looked up at his brother, past the barrel of his gun.

There was silence as Danny's vision blurred. He closed his eyes tightly, ridding himself of the problem.

Andy's face softened as his brother was slowly breaking down. He thought it best not to apologize, again, so as last effort at being his older brother, he straightened up.

"Now, Daniel!" he said firmly, and just as it left his lips, the trigger was pulled.

Andy fell limp.

Danny dropped Charlotte.

There was no movement.

Not for a while. Danny whipped his face and swore and her moved toward his brother. The plan as for him to fall in. That didn't work so well, so he grabbed him and helped him in with a grunt.

After a pause, he cursed loudly as he grabbed the shovel.

"You're a fuckin' PRICK!" He screamed into hole. "Momma's gonna hate me no matterwhat," he ranted, shoveling dirt into the hole. "she's gonna blame me!" he threw more dirt in.

It got to the point where he could just kick the dirt into the hole, so he did.

"I can't believe you," he glared where he presumed his brother was. "I can't believe," he choked. "you thought I could handle this!" he sat himself down forcefully as he finally let himself slip, sobbing into his hands.

"I hate you!" he screamed. "I can't do this!"

He didn't get much time to himself, though. All his noise brought about the dead, so he had to pick himself up, as well as Charlotte, and get himself home.

"What happened!?"

She was practically screaming at him now, tears in her eyes. He came home panicked, gave her a full story on how there was an ambush with the bandits, how they were surrounded, how he got shot in the head. He was dead.

And still she asked him what happened.

Maybe it was a mothers instinct, or maybe she was just in denial.

She sobbed, screaming at him, asking him why he didn't do anything to save him.

He frowned, deciding it was the latter.

"I couldn't, Momma! I'm lucky to have my life right now, you—"

"Don't tell me how to feel, Danny!"

And for a second, Danny was scared. He thought she would push him, hit him, and when she didn't, when she walked away to her room to cry, he felt like she should have hit him. He probably deserved it.

"I can't believe this!" Brenda cried out. "I lost Terry and now…now.."

Danny was silent, his gaze falling to the floor. Brenda sobbed loudly.

"..I," his throat was dry, and he dropped his voice to a mere whisper. "I can't either."

He didn't move for a while, and when he did, Brenda yelled again. Sobbing at first, but then he heard her words.

"I can't believe you!"

He shrugged, lugging himself upstairs.

"Yeah, I know."