Title: As Dawn Breaks
Summary: Carol wakes up after the survivors are bought back from Woodbury.
Notes: A little Carylish friendship. Inspired by Collide - Howie Day
The sun beaming in through the barred windows of the prison was what woke her.
She was a little disorientated as to where she was, what had happened and she lay still, feeling someone close by.
Then it started to come back to her. The attack of the prison, Rick, Daryl and Michonne going after The Governor and coming back with a bus full of people and Andrea's body. She shuddered at the memory.
She looked next to her, at the body tangled up with hers, an arm across hers and bodies close together and she immediately recognised Daryl. In all honestly, she'd have been worried if it hadn't been him beside her.
His body was still grimey from digging the grave for Andrea's body, dirt and sweat streaked his skin, but it was cool in the mornings and she saw his hairs standing up with the coldness surrounding them. It didn't help that they were on the floor in the cell block. Trying to get all the new people settled in, Daryl had given up his cell to help house them all. They'd sort things out better soon, but for now, it would have to do.
Daryl moved a little closer to her in his sleep and she shuffled closer herself, wanting to feel Daryl beside her. He turned his head so it was facing her way, his eyes were closed still and she marvelled at how innocent he managed to look when he was asleep. Although she'd seen his vulnerable side before on occasion. None more so than when he'd come back from going after Merle two days ago.
He'd put on a front. Done his best to look like it didn't hurt him, but she knew.
They all did. It was his brother.
She couldn't imagine having to go through the lose of Sophia alone. Everyone had been witness to her grief. Sophia's shambling corpse exiting that barn and everyone just gawping at her.
of course she'd tried to run to her, wanted to hold her little girl once more if it was the last thing she ever did. It would have been too if Daryl hadn't stopped her.
She thought about it sometimes. How of all the people it had been Daryl who had wrapped his arms around her and had held her while she cried at the loss of her daughter.
She'd shoved him away and ran but he came back to her still. Wanted to be there even if he didn't know what to do or say. He just stayed close.
So she'd have to do the same thing for him.
She remembered with regret the way she pushed him away, how hurt he'd been when she wouldn't watch her daughter be committed to the ground. And how angry he'd been when she went to him. When she tried to pull him back into the group that she'd driven him from.
She chuckled to herself. Look at them now.
But Daryl had gone through his loss so differently from hers. Sophia's end was like a theatre production, everyone stood around watching it. Daryl's was private and as far as she knew, he was still the only person to know what had happened at the end of his brothers life.
Still the only one to know how it ended for him. He might have told Rick, but she didn't think so. They hadn't had much time to talk.
She wondered what had happened to Merle herself. Whether Daryl had been confronted with his dying brother, or his dead brother. Had Merle turned. Had he already been disposed off?
She couldn't ask Daryl. It was too much. Too personal to ask. And it would hurt him.
She looked down at Daryl's sleeping form.
He looked so peaceful, but she knew beyond it, there was so much hurt. Merle being just the latest in a long line of grief to befall Daryl.
He didn't deserve it. Hardship now was one thing. They all went through it. It was what made them strong.
But he hadn't been lucky before the world they knew ended. Carol knew she'd had a rough time with Ed, but her childhood had been happy.
It helped her to get by in this new world, knowing someone who'd been through so many dark days like Daryl had, could still be such a good person.
It made her certain that people were just born good or bad in this world because if anyone had a right to be ruthless and vengeful, it was Daryl. And yet he'd stood beside the people who left his brother behind, put his life at risk more than once for them too.
Yes, she believed people were inherently good or bad. And life might challenge them, but they would always be what they were born to be.
Daryl muttered beside her just as his eyes opened.
Confusion was evident as he looked at her so close beside him. She smiled at him, at his confusion.
"You gave up your cell for the new people," she told him. "Fell asleep out here late last night."
They'd all been sat huddled together. Clinging to one another at least figuratively.
Daryl wasn't usually the first to get to sleep. It spoke of how emotionally exhausted the poor man had been. He'd barely had a moment since Merle to gather himself.
He noticed his arm across hers and rolled from his side onto his back. "Sorry," he muttered, his cheeks a little flushed with embarrassment.
He yawned tiredly. He wasn't ready to move yet. Didn't really feel awake enough. "It's cold out here," Daryl muttered.
"Should have got a blanket," Carol agreed. Their arms were pressed against one another and she felt the gooseflesh on his cool skin.
"Hey," a quiet voice above drew their attention as Maggie looked down from the cell's above. She threw a blanket down towards them. They both reached out to grab it as it fluttered down towards them. Daryl passed it across to her.
"Don't wanna share?" she asked. But she could tell Daryl was embarrassed at having been caught by Magggie together with her, even when they were just sat there, innocently.
He shook his head. He went to sit up and she grabbed his arm. "Hey, it's early, no one's up yet. Relax. We're just sitting here."
"I should get up. Go hunt or somethin'."
She smiled at him. Didn't want to push it any further. "You want me to get you something to eat before you go?"
He shook his head. "I'm good."
"Be careful." And Daryl nodded as he left.