Chapter 1
All consuming, white hot tendrils of pain engulfed his entire body as he struggled to take even a single breath.
Daryl knew that whatever had happened in the past minute or so was far from good, and was further inclined to believe that this would be the end of his miserable life; lying in a crumpled heap on the dirt encrusted pharmacy floor they were currently raiding.
He felt his body violently shudder and each muscle involuntarily relax as the world around him dimmed slightly; his ears just about picked up the horrified shouts from somewhere nearby.
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Panic on the highest scale clouded Rick's mind and froze his weary limbs as terror crawled up his legs, like a coiled snake constricting its prey.
Frantically scanning the devastated pharmacy, his eyes zoned in on a boot clad leg with ripped up trousers and as white hot dread filled his heart he noticed a familiar crossbow hanging limply from a bloodied hand and that's when he knew he had found his target.
Sprinting across the blown up store, he skidded to halt and found his way to his knees to get a better look at his fallen brother.
Gently moving the hair out of his dazed eyes, he checked for a pulse and to his relief it was present, faint and stuttering, but there none the less.
"Daryl, can you hear me!? Daryl!"
Patting the unconscious man's cheek, desperately trying to find some sign of life; Rick sent a quick prayer to anyone willing to listen, that Daryl would make it out of this alive and well.
A short, sharp intake of breath and a spluttering cough had him letting out a huge breath he didn't realise he was holding.
Daryl's eyes fluttered open, slowly at first and then with more sense of urgency as the man came back to his senses.
"Daryl! Hey, hey, it's alright were going to get you out of here… back to the prison. Herschel can help you… fix you up in no time"
"J-Just leave me… not gonna make it"
Daryl whispered, sounding strangled and looked up at Rick with a sense of finality in his eyes, he thought he was going to die.
Rick knew the situation was bad and couldn't hide the slight tremor in his voice, not that Daryl would have picked up on it in his current condition.
"You'll be ok Daryl, you're not dying today!"
He mustered as much conviction as he could manage and couldn't believe how suddenly this day had turned into a nightmare.
The explosion had come out of nowhere, so unexpected and completely devastating. Not only had Daryl been caught in the blast after going in ahead of the others to check for loitering walkers but the remaining medical supplies they so desperately needed were now destroyed, nothing left to take back with them and definitely not worth loosing Daryl's life over.
"RICK! Have you found him!? We need to go man… there's a heard coming this way, the sound must of got their attention!"
Glenn's panicked shouts spurred Rick into action and he carefully as to not aggravate his wounds further, lifted Daryl into a fireman's lift and made his way on unsteady feet out into the fresh, smoke free air.
The car was ready and waiting, driver behind the wheel bouncing with anticipation of what was to come and the back doors open, ready to transport its newest patient back to the only home they had.
Carefully placing Daryl across the back seats and sitting beside him with his bloodied head cradled in his lap, the vehicle took off back in the direction it had come just as the first few un-dead uselessly scratched and banged the windows in attempt to devour another fresh meal.
