A/N Thank you for the reviews, PM's and favourite story adds. I really appreciate all of your comments

Daryl clutched Carol's unconscious form against him, sobbing out her name as he patted her cheek. Sliding his hand over her face, he begged her to open her eyes. His palm cupped her shoulder, pushing down against it as he shook her, but she remained limp in his arms. Tears coursed over his cheeks as he looked desperately up at Rick, terrified and not knowing what he was supposed to do. After everything he'd learned in this whole fucked up world, he froze up, his senses blurring with nothing but chaotic fear.

"Carol?" Rick gasped her name and sank down to his knees beside his brother, his worried gaze flitting between Daryl and Carol's prone body. "What happened?"

Daryl shook his head, fear coursing through him when the heat from her body soaked into his. Beads of sweat littered her forehead and her complexion had slipped from slightly pale to ashen within seconds, causing Daryl's anxiety to heighten even more. Lifting a hand back up to her cheek, he drew in a breath when his palm caressed her heated skin, and he cast his terrified gaze onto the man beside him.

"She's burning up," Daryl hissed, his voice breaking as he looked towards his brother helplessly. "She was upset...and we were...I was yellin' at her...s'my fault…"

"Daryl, you need to calm down, brother," Rick told him as he laid the palm of his hand over Carol's forehead. Her face was pale but her cheeks were flushed red and slow panic started to burn its way through him. Swiveling himself around, he looked at Michonne, gasping out Rosita's name before she nodded quickly and backed out of the room.

"She ain't been right," Daryl's told him, his voice disjointed as his gaze fixated on her face, willing her to open her eyes. "I knew and I just…"

"Hey, don't think about that now, we need to get her onto the bed," getting to his feet, Rick moved to help Daryl lift her, but he shook him off with a dismissive grunt.

"I've got 'er."

"Okay," Rick nodded, hovering close as Daryl stumbled to his feet, holding Carol against him like she was his own precious cargo. Watching her head loll against Daryl's chest caused more fear to rise inside the former sheriff. He couldn't remember seeing Carol like this, not even at the quarry. She had been a force of nature and promoted a wall of strength to anyone who tried to hurt them. He'd seen his two friends growing closer over the years, but it was only now, seeing his brother so distraught that he realised just how deeply their feelings ran. Moving to the bed, he waited until Daryl had laid her onto the mattress and watched silently when he knelt by the side of the bed, his eyes never leaving her face.

The door burst open wider as Rosita came into the room, rushing towards the bed as she tried to manoeuvre Daryl out of the way. Her eyes dropped to the woman on the bed and then back to the distraught hunter, her voice rising when he didn't acknowledge her presence. "What happened?"

"She collapsed...she's got a fever," Rick told her when Daryl didn't respond, eyeing his brother worriedly when he wouldn't let go of Carol's hand.

Nodding her head, Rosita reached out to Carol's eyelids, lifting them in turn before drawing in a sharp breath. With meticulous exploration, she ran her eyes over Carol's body and lifted the edge of her tank top when she noticed that there was something bulky beneath the fabric. Pulling the material a little higher she hissed out a string of expletives before she yelled for Rick to get a car ready to take Carol to the Kingdom. She cursed whoever thought it was a good idea to have the main hospital for all three communities there, so far away.

Daryl's head shot up and followed the line of Rosita's hands, cursing under his breath. Hot tears sprung to his eyes when he saw the angry wound that revealed itself when Rosita peeled the poultice away. Sucking in a breath, he tore his eyes away from the jagged cut. He tried not to look at the pink inflamed skin that had puckered around the weeping wound, choosing instead to reach out to Carol's face, stroking her skin with his fingers in a desperate bid to keep his connection to her.

"Oh shit, this is bad," Rosita hissed when she pressed the edges of the wound to see how infected it was before she reached down to Carol's wrist to check her pulse. Shaking her head, she looked at the man who hadn't taken his eyes off of the woman on the bed and shook his shoulder, "Daryl, we need to get her to the kingdom."

"What?" he hissed out, suddenly panic stricken as he got to his feet but kept hold of Carol's hand. "Can't you help her here? Tell me what she needs and I'll find it...Anything..."

"If you love her you need to do what I tell you," she snapped as she pulled Carol's top up a little higher to see how far the pinkish inflammation had spread. "I'm not qualified to treat this. She needs a real doctor...she needs fluids and antibiotics. We don't have anything strong enough here. So what I need from you is to carry her to the car," grabbing the edge of the comforter on the bed, she watched as Daryl released the hand he'd been holding and carefully scooped Carol up into his arms. His eyes were fixed on her pale face, only lifting his gaze when Rosita placed the comforter over the woman in his arms. Rick was back, gasping for breath as he stood in the doorway, his eyes filling with tears when he saw the scene before him.

"The car's ready, brother. You stay with her and I'll drive," Rick's voice echoed as he backed out of the room, heading towards the stairs as Daryl followed.

"When you get to the kingdom, tell the doc Carol has an infected laceration on her stomach and other wounds that haven't healed right. She has all the signs of early septicemia, but I don't know how advanced it is," Rosita reeled off as she followed behind Daryl. "She's been trying to treat it herself but the stitches are infected. Her temperature is elevated and her pulse is erratic."

"Okay…"

"Get her there as fast as you can." Rosita told him. "Don't stop for anything, not even if there's a herd."

Daryl didn't answer, all of his focus was on the woman he held in his arms as he carefully carried her down the stairs. His heart was thumping so loudly; the thrum pounding in his ears. She was so light, barely weighing anything at all...she shouldn't have hidden her wounds from him...if only she'd told him...but those thoughts were quashed the moment they broke free. She had tried to tell him. He'd known she was struggling before and after the war, but she had become a fearless warrior; a woman who had saved their lives over and over...his best friend...his confidante...and he loved her so damn much, it hurt.

When he carried her towards the car, Tonia and Tara were hovering beside the vehicle. Members of their family had gathered around, gasping through tears and sobs when they saw how Carol's body laid limp in Daryl's arms.

"Let me come with you," Tonia cried, surging towards Daryl's side. "I worked with the medic back home. I might be able to help."

"Get in," Rick nodded as he helped manoeuvre Carol into the back of the car so that Daryl could climb in beside her. Tonia turned to the woman who clutched tightly onto her hand before she untangled their fingers and reached out to hug her fiercely. Pulling back, she surged towards Tara, kissing her soundly before she released her and rushed to the passenger side and slid into the seat, slamming the door behind her. Rick started the car, his eyes darting to Michonne before he drove the car towards the opening gate, speeding through with the precious cargo he carried.

000

Rick sped through the roads that had been cleared months after the war had ended. The communities had come together to make direct routes between all of them, paving the way for emergencies such as this. Ezekiel had two doctors so it had been decided that the Kingdom would be the main hospital, but now that he was faced with an emergency of his own, Rick was beginning to curse his agreement with this arrangement. If the hilltop still had the facilities to treat serious cases then they would have been there by now, and the more Carol's condition deteriorated, the more he blamed himself for it.

Over an hour later, Tonia turned in her seat, looking over the woman in the back of the car, "How's she doing?"

Daryl didn't answer her, his eyes were on the woman in his arms as he stroked his fingers through her hair. Her skin was clammy and her breathing was becoming erratic, but he tried not to allow his fears to overcome him. Instead he leant closer, lowering his head until he was close to Carol's ear, whispering her name, over and over until tears replaced his words as he quietly sobbed against her.

"We're almost there brother," Rick promised, his eyes glancing in the rear view mirror as he pushed his foot down onto the accelerator, willing the car to go even faster. "Hold onto her."

Tonia tore her eyes away from the couple behind her and focussed on the road ahead. The rain had stopped a few minutes ago, but the storm had attracted a few walkers, stragglers that had broken away from larger herds.

When the kingdom came into view, Rick gestured towards the flashlight on the floor beside Tonia's feet.

"Turn it on," Rick told her hurriedly, "point it forward and turn it off and on three times."

Tonia looked at him questioningly as she picked the heavy flashlight up and turned it on, pointing it into the darkness. Following Rick's instructions, she turned it on and off, then pointed triumphantly when the signal came back.

The gates opened, and Rick drove into the compound only to slam on the brakes, skidding the vehicle to a stop. He was out of the car and running around the side even when Jerry came running towards them

"It's Carol," Rick yelled when he pulled the door open to help Daryl lift Carol out of the car. "She needs the doctor."

Jerry's cry echoed throughout the air as he barked orders to the other people on duty to inform the doctors and to wake the king from his bed.

000

The infirmary was a hive of activity when they arrived. Two women pulled sheets off the bed and raced around to prepare surgical instruments while one of the doctors scrubbed his hands. Daryl clutched Carol against his chest as her head bobbed against his shoulder. Her arm had dropped to hand limply at her side, swinging with the movements of his body as he practically ran with her towards the hospital bed.

Once he was close to the bed, he was suddenly surrounded by a flurry of people who snatched her from his arms, and he found himself being pushed away from her. Panic surged through him and he tried to return to her side, but the more he tried the angrier he became.

"Get the fuck offa me," he growled, shoving one of the kingdom's guards off his arm as he tried to get to Carol's side.

"Get him out of here," the doctor yelled at anyone who was listening as he hissed out orders to the other nursing staff in the room. Tonia pushed her way into the room, squeezing his arm before she rushed to wash her hands, her voice echoing around the room as she offered to help.

Daryl froze when he caught a glimpse of the woman he loved, gasping in a breath when someone just cut her clothes away and tossed them to the side, exposing her skin to everyone. He knew she would hate being so exposed like this...she had scars just like he did, but he couldn't let these people judge her like everyone judged him. His eyes filled with tears as he cried out her name, his sorrow giving way to anger as he pushed back, fighting whoever was trying to yank him away from her side.

"DARYL," it was Rick's voice that broke through his anger; his words seeping through his sorrow addled mind. "Stop...they're trying to help her."

Daryl yanked his arm away from Rick, his eyes swimming with so much turmoil that Rick stepped closer and held his hand up in surrender. As he moved close enough to touch him, Rick laid a hand on Daryl's shoulder and watched his brother's resolve crumble before his eyes.

"I can't…" he gasped, his voice breaking as he swallowed heavily, unable to get the words out without breaking down completely.

Rick nodded and squeezed his arm as he maneuvered him towards one of the plastic benches and sat him down onto it. He didn't know what to say to him to make him feel any better about this, so he chose to sit in silence, hoping that his presence was enough to stem the worry from the man beside him.

After what seemed like hours, Rick laid his hand on his brother's back, worry creasing his brow. Daryl had his elbows rested on his knees and his head buried in his hands, frozen in the same position while they waited for word on the woman they both loved. Rick moved his hand up, squeezing Daryl's shoulder before he pulled away and sat back to lean against the wall.

"Why's it takin' so long?" Daryl asked as he lifted his head to focus on the door that remained firmly closed. Shaking his head in frustration, he got to his feet, only to move across to the opposite wall to lean towards it with his elbows pressed against the smooth surface. Huffing out a breath he lowered his forehead onto his linked hands and tried not to succumb to the fear that he was going to lose the most important person in his life.

A rustle of movement caused him to lift his head as he looked across to see Ezekiel with two of his guards and Jerry, moving into the hall. His eyes met the king's and he shook his head, knowing that Ezekiel cared about the woman inside the room. Dropping his arms, Daryl stood back from the wall and retook his place by his brother's side, needing to feel some kind of reassurance that Carol was going to make it through this.

"Is there any news?" Ezekiel asked, his slow movements etched with sorrow when he moved a little closer towards them. "Please...is she…"

"She's tough," Rick told him, trying to keep his voice reassuring as he spoke. "She's a survivor."

The man beside him sucked in a sudden breath and turned towards him with blazing, tear filled eyes. The anger within his deep blue depths spiralled when he sprang to his feet, shoving Rick's reaching hand away from him. His whole body was shaking, a mixture of devastation and unresolved anger coursing through him when he remembered the last time his brother had spoken those very same words. As if realising his mistake, Rick shook his head in apology and got to his feet, his own emotions spilling over onto his cheeks.

Taking a step back, Daryl turned away from him to move towards the far wall once more, leaning his forehead against the cool surface. He couldn't take this, not again. He thought the pain of losing her the first two times couldn't feel any worse, but then he'd lost her for a third time when she got rammed by that damn car...and then when he got her back it was as if she wasn't the same person anymore. Something had changed her when Rick abandoned her on the side of the road, and the more he thought about it, the more his anger escalated. Turning back around, he glowered at his brother with a fierce glare, knowing that the man before him was feeling just as broken as he was right now...but he couldn't stop.

"Yeah...that what ya said when ya threw her out like she was last week's trash?" he seethed, his own tears falling unchecked over his cheeks. "Ya knew how much I...how we…"

"I know," Rick's voice faltered when he stepped closer, reaching out to clasp his brother's shoulder. "And I'm so sorry. If I could take it all back and do over, I would...but I can't…"

"Ya knew how it was with us," Daryl growled, pulling away from Rick before he could reach for him again. "Ya knew...and ya waited 'till I weren't there so ya could throw her ass out."

"Brother…"

"Ya knew didn't ya?" Old remnant fury burned a path inside him, causing him to pace back and forth. Nothing else registered outside of his emotional walls...anger, hurt and utter desolation fuelled his movements. He couldn't focus, couldn't seem to move out of the aching loss that had encompassed him that first time he'd lost the most precious person in his life.

"I...I was wrong…"

"Damn right ya was wrong," Daryl growled, stopping his pacing to shove an accusing finger in his brother's face. "She ain't ever done anythin' that weren't for us, and you knew that. She was gettin' strong and that's why ya threw her out, ya didn't want her ta challenge ya almighty leadership did ya?"

Ezekiel's sudden intake of breath broke through Daryl's rage and he pulled back from Rick to turn away from him, surging towards the wall. Drawing his arm back he ploughed his clenched fist into the hard surface, wincing when the pain instantly blossomed through his hand. Gasping in a sob, his eyes dropped down to his bruised fingers as tears filled his eyes once more. Shaking his head he pressed his back against the wall, uncaring that Ezekiel and Jerry were watching him unravelling before their eyes. Drawing in a shuddering breath, Daryl focused on his throbbing hand before he slid down the wall, dropping to the floor with a resigned thud before he drew his knees up to his chest and lowered his head to rest his forehead against them.

Rick sniffed and swiped at his eyes when he saw his brother so broken. Lifting a hand up to silence Ezekiel's questions, he moved closer to his brother and sank down onto the floor beside him.

"I can't take back what I did," he told him, his voice wavering as he spoke. "And you're right, I did send her away when you weren't there. I don't know why...I…"

"Cuz ya knew damn well I woulda gone with 'er," Daryl told him, his voice muffled against his knees.

"Daryl…"

"If I lose 'er…"

"You listen to me, Daryl," Rick growled, reaching out to lay a hand on his shoulder as he looked towards the closed door. "That woman in there is strong. She came back to Alexandria for you brother. She loves you so much that she fought beside you...she took down Negan because he threatened us, but when he threatened you she didn't hesitate...now I can't take back what I did, but I am sorry."

Daryl lifted his head and swallowed at the ball of emotions that had stuck in his throat. He leant his head back against the wall and tried to control his breathing as he looked up at the ceiling.

"She was upset and ramblin' on about Beth..." Daryl closed his eyes against another onslaught of tears, but they spilled over anyway, stuttering his voice as he tried to speak. "Said she was leavin' again...and then she just...fell.."

"She's gonna be okay, brother," Rick told him softly, feeling so helpless as he watched the man beside him fall apart. "We're gonna take her home with us."

The door to the infirmary suddenly swung open and Daryl was on his feet within seconds. His eyes blinked furiously as he swiped at the wetness on his face before he moved towards the doctor who turned to look at him with eyes brimming with apologies for taking so long.

"She...no…" Daryl shook his head from side to side, suddenly feeling the world become so much smaller around him. Stepping forward, he reached out, needing to grab hold of something to steady himself, but when he saw the doctor move towards him, he stopped when he realised he was talking.

"Your wife is stable," the doctor told him reassuringly, his voice slowly registering in Daryl's sorrow addled mind. "She's not out of the woods yet by any means, but she has a good chance."

"I need to see 'er," Daryl told him, his voice shaking as he spoke. "I…"

"In a few minutes," the doctor promised as he patted Daryl's shoulder reassuringly. "We're just making her comfortable and I'll send someone to come and find you, okay?"

Daryl nodded numbly, his heart thundering in his chest. All he could do was watch on helplessly as the doctor turned away from him to make his way back into the room before he heard Rick's voice beside him, coaxing him backwards to sit down on the bench. Neither of them mentioned the doctor's comment about Carol being Daryl's wife, and neither of them had corrected him either...and as they sat, both of them watching the closed door, neither of them saw the king's disappointment when he realised that the intriguing woman he'd fallen so hard for, was already taken.

Jerry watched Ezekiel curiously as he took a step towards the two brothers and gestured towards the seat beside them.

"May I join you?"

Daryl nodded silently, his eyes never leaving the wooden barrier that kept him away from the woman he loved. He wasn't going to lose her again, never again...and if it took forever to make her see that there was never anything more than friendship with Beth, then he would do whatever it took to make her believe him. He wasn't leaving her side, ever again.

tbc