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She was breathing heavily and hard as she ran through the woods. She was hot and tired but she knew she couldn't stop. She needed space between herself and the walkers. She was tired but she knew they wouldn't stop, they never stopped because walkers didn't get tired. They'd continued walking and coming after her until they reached her, until they reached anyone.
She noticed a clearing up ahead and took off running faster. If she could find a tree with tall branches she could crawl up and rest for a while. But once she reached the middle of the field she felt her legs give way and she tumbled forward. She hit the ground and panted as she landed on her hands and knees. She heard a swoosh sound go over her head and it had her jump. She looked up and saw a man standing not far ahead of her. He had a cross bow up and aimed in her direction. She looked behind her and saw the walker falling back. She hadn't know one was following her but she should have figured.
She looked back at the man as she struggled to caught her breath. He lowed the cross bow as he started towards her. She was still on her hands and knees. She looked down at the ground as she heard him coming closer. She closed her eyes and fought to caught her breath. She knew she should move, that she should get up and thank him but all her will to move was gone.
" You been bit?" His voice reached her. Jillian glanced up to see he standing almost in front of her. "Can you talk?" He asked when she didn't respond to him.
" Please," She almost whispered. He frowned as he squinted in the sun. He shifted his weight to his right leg as he rested his cross bow against that leg.
" What'd you say?" He asked. She looked down at the ground again.
" Please help me." Her voice was completely breathless as she closed her eyes.
" You been bit?" He asked again. She shook her head as she looked up at him. He looked around then back at her. " Than get up, ain't safe out here in the open." She nodded and started to stand.
Daryl watched as she stood up to her 5 foot 1 inch height. As soon she stood completely up her knees buckled and her eyes rolled back in her head as she started to pass out. Daryl dropped his cross bow and caught her by her waist before she hit the ground. He swept her up, fireman style, as her head fell back. He frowned as he looked at her pale face.
" Fuck." He said simply. He quickly tossed her over his shoulder so her chest went against his back. He bent down and picked up his cross bow. He turned and walked back to the small camp he had set up for hunting. Her arms were dangling, slightly brushing against his back as he walked. She was the lightest thing he had ever hauled around. He figured she couldn't have weight more then 115. He trudged through the woods towards his camp site, his left arm around her legs.
He hadn't brought his tent out with him hunting, had left it with the original camp. All he had with him with a pillow and a sleeping bag. He set his cross bow down when he reached his stuff. He dropped to his knees by his sleeping bag and took a hold of her. He leaned her forward and laid her down carefully. He moved the hair from her face. He took her chin in his hand and turned her face from one side to another to check her for bites. He took a hold of one of her arms, checking it and then the other. He looked down her jeans, checking for rips and tears. He turned her over slightly to check her back and when he was satisfied he couldn't see any bites, he laid her back on her back and covered her up. He sighed and moved to his fire.
Jillian felt the soft blanket around her and heard the crackle of a fire. She sighed and slowly opened her eyes. She shook her head to clear it. She looked down at the sleeping bag she was tucked into. She looked to her right and saw the fire. Sitting across the fire was the man from the clearing. He was watching her with a pair of bright blue eyes. She shook her head and sat up.
" You feel alright?" He asked. Jillian ran her hand through her long hair and pulled it up into a bun as she nodded.
" Where are we?" She asked. She noticed it was dark around them.
" I brought you to my camp when you passed out." He said. She rubbed her arms as she pulled her legs out of the sleeping bag.
" Thank you." She said softly. He nodded.
" Where'd you come from?" He asked. She pulled her legs against her chest and wrapped her arms around them.
" An army fort. It was supposed to be safe but the fences fell and the walkers just started taking over. I took off before any of them got to me but I'm pretty sure everyone else was bitten or shot themselves." She said.
" What's your name?" He asked.
" Jillian." She said softly.
" Ain't you got a last name?" He asked.
" Of course I do but what's the point of last names now? They are as useless as praying." She said, making Daryl smirk. He felt the same way and had said as much to his group but they looked at him like he was crazy. In fact, he had pissed a bunch of them off with that statement. " What's your name?"
" Daryl." He said.
" Do you know of others that are alive?" She asked. He nodded as he tossed a lose stick into his fire.
" Yeah. I'm huntin for a group of jackasses I'm stayin with." He said. She looked uncertain as she met his eyes.
" Can I stay with you?" She asked. He shrugged.
" Guess so. Guess it's better then bein on your own." Daryl said. " Kind of late, lay down and sleep. We got a hike ahead of us tomorrow." She looked around then.
" This is your bed." She said. He nodded.
" Take it. It's warm tonight, I don't need it." He said
" Are you sure?" She asked. He nodded.
" Yeah. You look cold." He said.
" You want the pillow?" She asked as she picked it up. He was taken back for a minute. No one usually cared about his comfort.
" Sure." He said. Jillian picked up and tossed it to him before she laid back down. She hadn't realized how tired she really was. She had been running most of the day. She was asleep within ten minutes.