The suffocating heat surrounded the group as they pressed forward down the road, the recent burial of Tyreese lingering in their minds; combine that with the loss of Beth and the group were both physically and mentally exhausted.
Daryl in particular was trudging and stumbling along on autopilot, his focus locked in his mind as the images of Beth laying in his arms, still and cold, as though a statue simply frozen in time. He could still see her blood stained on his hands, the fact that it had actually been washed off was irrelevant. He could still see it even if the others couldn't.
Tyreese's death had been an addition to the guilt Daryl already felt, what if he'd tried harder to find food? Water? Maybe as a result Tyreese would have been stronger, able to fight off the walkers. Maybe he'd still be here. The thoughts plagued him every minute of every day… Maybe if he tried harder he could have saved Beth?
A hand grabbed Daryl's and just through the complete shock of contact he was given a moments respite from his ever growing guilt.
"Hey," A voice called to him. It took him a moment to realize that it was the voice connected to the hand, the hand in which from sheer mental exhaustion he didn't pull away but wrapped his fingers around theirs, relishing in the comfort of not being alone. Daryl looked up to meet their worried eyes. Tara. He thought it was Carol, other than the occasional friendly pat on the back from Rick, its usually only Carol that actually initiates contact with him.
"You need to drink," She said thrusting one of the remaining water bottles into his hand.
"Nah," he replied gruffly, "Y'all need it more, little asskicker needs it more."
Rick looked over to them and at first wanted to protest that Daryl is constantly hunting and needs the water, but at the sound of Daryl's voice his little asskicker extended her hands towards Daryl in grabbing motions wanting to be held by him, babbling away in the way babies do. Ricks attention was drawn back to Judith and he also knew that Daryl was right, Judith did need it and Rick felt like the worst father in the world as he couldn't even provide his daughter with things she basically needs.
Daryl sighed as the water was put back into Tara's bag, ready to be added to formula later for the baby. Judith was still reaching for Daryl and began to get teary eyed as her demands for Daryl weren't met but Daryl didn't even know if in this frame of mind he'd be able to protect her at all and so left her in her brothers arms where she'd be more safe.
It had taken a while but he slowly managed to repress the thoughts of the deaths of the group, not letting himself feel anything towards the situation, it was the only way he'd be able to protect the group and stop any more death occurring. His goal right now was to keep the others alive and well, and if refusing some water and food meant they could have more than so be it. He ate and drank enough to keep him up and moving, but the few squirrels he'd managed to catch didn't go far around in a large group and when Carl's stomach began to rumble and the boy's cheeks grew slightly pink in embarrassment, Daryl didn't have the heart to eat the rest of his meat and promptly gave it to the kid.
Tara, unbeknownst to the majority of the group had been keeping a close eye on Daryl, her and Carol purposefully giving Daryl slightly more food and water, knowing that most of his share was going to other members of the group. It took a comment from Maggie about Daryl's lack of rest however, to make the rest of the group fully see how exhausted Daryl was and how much he'd been doing for them and Rick refused to let Daryl take watch that night and closely made sure that Daryl ate his share.
However, that night when Daryl had only managed a few minutes of rest he was interrupted by Glenn who shouted at them all to wake up. Walkers. The group had stayed on the side of the road and not taken cover in the trees, simply for better visibility in case of a herd. There wasn't too many, but enough to need more than just Glenn to deal with them. Daryl jumped up quickly, causing his vision to blur slightly but he dismissed it and grabbed his crossbow.
It was quick work dealing with the walkers but as Rick turned back around to look over the rest of the group his eyes instantly caught the figure slumped on the ground, crossbow laying at his side. Ironically, it wasn't the walkers who directly injured Daryl, through perhaps biting or scratching, but a rock by the road that in his exhausted, heat driven haze and the extra weight of a walker reaching towards him, mouth wide open caused him to stumble. That stumble escalated and his head slammed against the rock with a deafening thud. Tara was by his side in an instant berating herself under her breath for not forcing him to drink more, sure they all needed the few bottles of remaining water, but without Daryl they'd all pretty much be dead anyway. Everything he does for this group and she couldn't even give him water as thanks.
Daryl's eyes opened and he squeezed them shut again as light poured in, he could have sworn that it was night but by the day sky he could see through the doorway he guessed not. Doorway? He though confusedly, he thought they were still by the roadside. In honesty Daryl didn't know where he was or what had happened. He didn't know that Rick and Abraham had carried him to the barn that he had been telling Rick about the previous day, or that Carol had been sitting by his side anxiously for the past five hours dabbing his bloody forehead with the rag from his back pocket. He didn't know that Judith had been crying nonstop for the rest of that night, even her young mind knowing that something was wrong and reaching for Daryl every time she caught a glimpse of him.
And Carol was not going to tell him.
She knew that he wouldn't associate these acts as positive or loving, but they would add to his feelings of guilt that he had used the groups time. She was however, going to address the burn-like raised scar on the side of his hand, that she knew wasn't there the morning previous.
Daryl once again opened his eyes and the whispering in the room stopped as everyone turned to him, realizing he was awake. He tried to call out, to ask what was going on "What…" the words croaked and dried in his mouth and Glenn came forward and heaved Daryl into a sitting position, his back leaning against Glenn's chest. Glenn held a half empty bottle of water to Daryl's mouth, and Daryl lacking his usual fight just drank a few sips before he gathered the energy to talk but before he could Rick interrupted him.
"We were worried, man, you just went down."
To that Daryl had no reply, but just grabbed the water tentatively off Glenn and held it for himself-finishing it. Glenn re-positioned him so he was leaning against the barn wall, as to not embarrass Daryl further and Daryl nodded in thanks.
As if somehow she knew that Daryl was now okay, his little asskicker once again let out her protest as she reached towards Daryl, and Carl obliged and passed her over. She rested her head on Daryl's chest and snuggled in, her downy hair brushing against Daryl's leather vest. He couldn't help but let out one of his rare smiles, the first one since Beth, and gently stroke her cheek with his thumb. She was content to stay in Daryl's arms, her favourite 'uncle' of the group and began to fall asleep. But little Judith opened his eyes in surprise as a boom of thunder echoed through the barn and rain began to pour down. Rick let out an excited laugh as if mesmerized, and the group ran outside with Michonne grabbing there now empty water bottles ready to refill.
Daryl however, stayed with Judith in his arms and nodded to Tara who delayed behind the others to look back at Daryl and make sure he truly was okay before racing out into the rain.
A/N This is a response to a prompt: I'm such a sucker for Daryl h/c so: Any filler for the time after the hospital. Like seen in 5x10 Daryl doesn't rest (Maggie had to remind him that it is okay to do so), refuses to drink the spare ration water, eats not enough etc. OP would love anything with Daryl reaching his limits and the others (while totally at their limits themselves) taking care of him. (I can also imagine the "newbies" realizing it first, because Glenn is concerned with Maggie, Rick with Judith & Carl ... )
Hope you like it