It was just two weeks after Sophia had died, or more accurately, had been found (she'd obviously been dead before they found her) and although Daryl tried to keep an eye on Carol, he was growing frustrated. She hadn't said much to anyone. Sure, after a few days, she'd started doing chores again, but didn't talk to anyone, not even him. Even though eye contact really wasn't his thing, he tried to catch her attention, but it was as if she were lost in a world all to herself. Even though Sophia wasn't his, and really, Carol was not more than someone he was living around now, Daryl still couldn't help but lose sleep over the whole thing.

He was getting to go on a run with Rick, when Lori approached them. "Daryl...wait," she grabbed his arm, and he pulled back. "What?"

"It's Carol...she was supposed to help do laundry. She wasn't around to make breakfast and I was wondering-we were wondering- if you knew..."

He looked at her long and hard. "Is that all she is to you all? Some housemaid, living to cook and clean? Damn it, her kid's dead. What the hell do you all want from her?"

Rick faced Daryl. "Look, I'm sure Lori didn't mean it like that. Come to think of it, I haven't seen much of Carol around...the women, they're worried, that's all."

Daryl spat on the ground. "If you all so worried about her, why don't you try talking to her yourselves, instead of coming through me? I ain't her husband. Then again, she had a husband...what good were you all to her, then, anyways?" As he started to pace, Lori looked at her husband, pleading with him to calm Daryl down.

"Daryl, come on, it ain't like that..."Rick started.

Daryl got in Rick's face. "What is it, then? What the hell do you know about Carol? You sure didn't know where you left Sophia, and how'd that work out for you? Oh, you're fine. You got your happy little family...but that little girl was the only person in the world who ever loved Carol...and you expect her to wash your dirty underwear man? Come on, that ain't cool and you know it!" he yelled, not knowing where the anger was coming from.

But like a spigot, once the anger had been turned on, it all just seemed to come pouring out. "And you," he glared at Lori. "Where have you been all this time Carol's been all alone, crying herself to sleep? I know you hear her...we all do. Did it ever occur to you to stop thinking about your problems, just for once? Maybe she needs someone to talk to once in a while. Maybe she ain't got half the men in camp acting idiots over her, but does that mean she don't count? Does it?"

Lori shook her head. "I know..we all know, how much time you put into finding Sophia. We all thank you for it. I am sure Carol is thankful for it..."

"Don't you be telling me about Carol! What do you know about her anyhow? Do you know how long it started before that asshole husband of hers started beating her? Do you know Sophia's birthday? Well...do you?"

"Rick, I can't deal with this...you can't let him talk to me like this..."

"What, what you want your husband to do? We all know how you are to him. You whisper your sweet nothins in his ear at night, but when he does make a decision, who cuts off his balls in front of everyone? You know what I think...I think you love the fighting these dudes are doing over you. And you know what...it's going to get more of us killed, you just watch." Daryl spat on the ground, not even trying to hide his disgust.

"Daryl..." Rick took a deep breath. "You're not thinking straight. It's understandable. This whole thing on Sophia, it's taken its toll on all of us..."

"Yeah. I guess so. I might have a better time believin' that you were losing sleep over this, cept for the fact that Sophia wouldn't have even gone missin' if it weren't for you!"

By this time, everyone had gathered around, not daring to say anything.

"Daryl, my husband is not to blame for this..." Lori protested.

"You..you claim to know your husband...well answer me this. Would he have left your boy in the woods, all scared and all by himself? Well...would he have?" Daryl yelled.

Neither Lori nor Rick could speak up.

So Dale decided to put his two cents in. "Now, Daryl, you can't be putting all this on Rick. That's just not fair, and I think you're smart enough to realize it..."

Daryl, more pissed than ever, turned to stare down Dale. "What'd you say to me, old man?"

"Daryl..."

"The hell with you. The hell with all of you! You so sure of how Rick and Lori are...tell me, Dale..." Daryl couldn't hide his disgust in his voice any longer. "You sure were right there, comforting Andrea when she lost her sister. But tell me this...when was the last time you looked in on Carol...when any of you looked in on her? Her damn daughter's dead, and all you all...yes, every damn one of you...been so caught up in your own shit, that you forget a little girl died. A child. Most of you sit around feeling sorry for yourselves over the stupidest shit. Oh, which man should I choose today?" Daryl looked at Lori. Then he turned to Andrea. "I want to play with the big boys so bad that I forgot how to be a friend...a friend to a woman who's lost more than any of ya'll will ever know. You all think Carol is just good for cleaning and cooking, and when she ain't there to do your dirty work, you all start pitching a bitch fit. Well ….what makes you all better than Ed? Any of you got something to say to me?" Daryl stared them all down, daring them to challenge him.

"Fuck this. I'm out of here. You all can do your own dirty laundry. There's a lady out there who's all alone. But you keep your little pity parties. I ain't joining you, not today."

With that, Daryl wandered off, and he wouldn't return until he found Carol. After what had just happened, he knew more than ever that while he let Sophia down in the worst way, he wouldn't let her mother down again. He owed it to both Sophia and to Carol, and in his own way, to himself, to make

this right.

All his life, everyone gave up on him, dismissed him like he was a nobody, a nothin'. He knew- he didn't know how- but he just knew that Carol had been treated the same way too. Hell, even Merle had probably given up on him by now, if he were still around.

For the first time in his life, he would do something for someone else, with no motive or expectation in return. It was the right thing to do, and he would find her. He didn't know what he'd say to her when he did find her, but all he knew was that there was a lady out there, all alone, lost more than anyone...she wouldn't be alone that day, not if he could help it.

Tbc

This will only be a short story, maybe one or two more chapters. I hope you like it.