I yelled out in pain as blinding pain burst through my head. I tried to move but something was holding me down. Trying to say something I brought my head up but only for it to be pushed right back down.
"Shhh, just let me cover it up and then you can do whatever you want." Carol's soft face appeared and wrapped something around my leg. Looking down I saw that a hole had been cut in my jeans around the thigh and the bandage that was now covering it kept in place with duct tape. A little confused I turned my head to the left only to see Daryl next to me.
"What the hell is going on?" I asked but no one answered me. He was just leaning back on the caravan wall polishing his cross bow. His eyes looked over to me for about three seconds before he kept looking at his bow. It was dark in the little room, the only light coming from a small battery operated lantern.
"All done." Carol held her hand out for the rag which Daryl gave her, rolling his eyes. She pressed it to my brow to get rid of the beads of sweat. "You can take her now, Daryl." She went outside and Daryl came over to me and put his arm under my shoulders to try and help me up making my breath hitch at him being so close. In the he whole time I'd known him he'd kept his distance and now he was against me, it felt so strange. Seeming to forget I had a hole in my leg I swung both over the side of the bed. I instantly regretted it. Pain worse than anything I could ever imagine shot from my leg to my head in a heartbeat. I reached out my hands and grabbed onto Daryl's arm. He flinched but only slightly at the sudden contact.
"Hold on." He picked me up in his arms and carried me outside but everyone else was in their tents. He put me down in front of a pile of embers that had once been small flames and we sat in silence for a while hardly able to comprehend what had happened. The bodies of the foul twice dead creatures surrounded us. A small mutter escaped Daryl's lips as he sat on one of the logs behind me to my left.
"I need pain killers, a drink, anything." I groaned as the cold started to get in my bones. The man next to me just sighed and slid down so he was on the ground as well his arm a mere inch from my own. He was getting so close tonight it really was unnerving. Silence answered me as we both just sat there waiting for the each other to do something, anything really.
"Rick said he's gonna leave tomorrow. Anyone who wants to go has to leave at dawn." I looked over at him and licked my lips, unsure of what to say. Neither of us were the best at talking and considering he has tried to send an arrow flying through my head not long ago I figured that it would be best not say anything. "I'm gonna go. I think you should too. Won't survive long on a leg like that by yourself. I didn't leave you in the woods the first time and I ain't gonna leave you now." I gave him a thin smile. Daryl was being so...nice. I think it was Merle's absence cause he hadn't been like this at all the last two weeks I'd known him. And I wanted it to last as long as possible.
"Don't think I have a choice then, do I?" Another wave of pain came surging through me and I must have cringed because Daryl stood me and himself up.
"Your bunking with me because I don't want you to die in ya sleep."
"Two nights in a row? To whom do I owe this pleasure?" I was mocking him and he knew it. There wasn't even a hint of humour in my voice, just coldness and pain. Letting me put an arm around his shoulders to support myself I hobbled along after the redneck. He took me over to his tent and helped me inside before helping me into his brothers cot. I snuggled in, basically asleep as my head hit the floor but something else got my attention. Daryl took off his shirt and climbed in his own make shift bed, his soft laboured breathing keeping me awake. I didn't mind in the least, being sort of wide awake so I waited until his breathing evened out signalling he had fallen asleep before closing my own eyes.
Next morning I woke to my name being called and a rush of cool air hitting my side. Daryl must have thrown the blanket off my body to wake me. I sighed in annoyance and turned to go back to sleep but I had forgotten about my leg, I had put all my body weight onto it by accident.
"Shit." Groaning I sat up and saw that the bandage wrapped around my leg was soaked in dark red blood. A bit disorientated I sat up and looked around to see Daryl buttoning up a red checked shirt with the sleeves ripped off. I don't know how long I was staring, I don't even know why I was staring, but he must have felt my gaze because he turned around to stare right back at me. Giving me a quick nod he turned to pack his bag and walked out of the tent leaving me alone with my thoughts. After gathering all my things in my bag which magically packed itself I slowly made my way to where everyone was meeting in front of the cars. Not knowing who to go over to I stood there awkwardly until Shane came up and took my bag from my fingers.
"You're coming with us, right? I mean, look at that leg." Shuffling a couple of steps closer I snatched my bag back from him.
"I am coming but I can easily carry one bag." Tossing it on my shoulder I slowly made my way to the closest car hood and put a hand against it to steady myself. Looking up I saw one family packed up but not seeming to be going with us while Rick was taping a map to a nearby tree for someone he apparently met before making it to Atlanta. Carl and Sophia were clinging into their mums who were glancing at each other in sadness.
"You getting in?" A booming voice made me jump but I instantly knew the accent.
"Give a girl time why don't ch'ya?" I challenged back with a slight smirk. He returned my attempt at friendliness with a face cold as stone. Daryl was behind the wheel of the ute I was leaning on. Looking in the back I spotted a beautiful black motor bike. "I swear I'll steal that thing one day." I nodded towards the bike as I hobbled around the car gripping tightly to the sides, finally making it to the passenger seat.
"Gotta keep it good for when he gets back." There was something slightly amiss in Daryl's voice that made me want to touch his shoulder, to tell him it was okay but I stopped myself in time. We both knew he was talking about Merle.
"Didn't find him, did you?" The question flew from my mouth making me wish I had tried comforting him instead. His hands gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turn white as ash. Deciding to leave it alone I looked out the window. Shane was standing with his back to us and I couldn't help but check him out.
"What's your story then? Ya never told me." The southern accent cut through my concentration making me whip my head around to stare straight into his green eyes.
"Now you're suddenly interested in talking to me? You didn't even bother to give me a farewell wave when you left." He raised his hands and smacked them back on the wheel in defeat, started the engine and left us in awkward silence. Hardly moving a muscle for what seemed like hours I shifted in my seat as I started to go stiff. Wiggling my leg was the biggest mistake as I felt like my leg was being seared off.
"Stupid fuckin'…" I spoke gritting my teeth which turned the rest of my sentence into a growling mumble. A hard chuckle sounded next to me. "Dick." I spat, my eyes darting to the side, but it only made his gruff voice laugh harder. "Spit it out then, what's so funny?"
"Sound like Merle." Everything fell quiet so we just kept our eyes on the RV in front of us. Unfortunately for us the other vehicles seemed to stop so we sat in the idle car. "You can get out if ya like." Daryl tossed his head to Lori and Carol who seemed to be talking while Sophia and Carl stretched their legs.
"I would love to but I can't…" I could suddenly feel his eyes looking at my leg.
"That bad, huh?" I couldn't reply before another wave hit me and I felt like I could have spewed everywhere. "Let me look." Not a moment later his hand pulled the thick tape back and revealed my cut. Just seeing it made my head so fuzzy I had to grab onto his shoulder. We were stuck now since our arms were crossed. Peeking back I saw the stab wound had turned a sick looking black with yellow starting to scab around it.
"Feels worse than it looks, trust me on that." I spoke squeezing my eyes shut as Daryl stuck the bandage back on. I kept my hand on his shoulder more for comfort than anything else. He was the closest person I had physically been near besides walkers since earth turned into living hell.
"Ya know if ya don't get outta the car the cuts gonna heal like that and ya won't be moving at all. I think ya needa get outta, move around." The logical part of my brain agreed with him but there was still a part that wanted to punch him in the nose and tell him to leave me alone. It might have been his eyes that helped me chose, the way they had let hidden worry slip into his steady gaze.
"Alright but only if you find me some kind of drug." A sly grin slid over his firm lips and I could already tell that it was extremely rare to see. Unfortunatly it seemed to disappear in the same second. Practically jumping out the car I heard him shuffle around on the back where the bike was before he was suddenly at the passenger side window. In his open palm were two white tablets.
"Here ya go." Downing them without water scratched my throat dry but keeping my mind focused on how much pain they would ebb made me do it without hesitation. My car door was quickly open before I remembered my deal. Grabbing Daryl's hands I moved forward in the seat but it pulled at the already healing tissue on my leg causing me to yell in pain.
"Merle used to be the biggest dick 'round, probably still is, but he did have one thing goin' for him. He had his drugs that he always kept balled up in his bike, in the pouch on the side near the back." Thinking about Daryl's brother and concentrating on what he was telling me distracted me from the task at hand. Before I knew it both legs were swung round the side of the car but now the real challenge would be standing. "You can't go 'round tellin' the others 'bout it, not even Merle can know that you've had at his personal stash." My eyes widened when I realised where he had gotten the tablets from. Oh my good lord, I knew Merle was a nutcase but a nutcase on crack?
"You gave me actual fuckin' drugs?!" I hissed but bit my cheek as I slipped and my good leg hit the floor. Unlocking my jaw that was set in pain I bit my lips and inched my other foot to the ground. Every move felt like it was ripping it. A metallic taste hit my tongue.
"Just somethin' to help with the pain, nothing bad." Putting all my weight on my good leg and Daryl's hands I managed to stand without my infected leg touching the ground. "Come on, darlin' you gotta walk some time." Noticing the way Daryl's eyes were amost twinkling I couldn't help but grin.
"Not if I can help it." I knew he would be an ass and walk away forcing me to use my leg so I quickly grabbed the car door and manoeuvred myself back into the passenger seat.
"Your real stubborn, aren't ya?" Daryl rolled his eyes and shut my door before getting back behind the wheel. "Are you ever going to tell me your story? How about the first walker ya killed?" A heavy sigh left my lips. Flashes went through my head of my brother lunging at me, trying to rip my flesh from my bones. His milky yellow soulless eyes fixed on me.
"The first walker I killed was my brother. I've seen enough cheesy zombie movies to know it had to be the brain."
"The first walker I saw was my dad. I didn't have the balls to shoot him so someone else did." My gut tightened. This man had been through the same thing as me except I shot my whole family. There wasn't anyone else to do it for me and I couldn't leave them like they were.
"I shot my dad and mum too. Didn't have no one else to do it for me."
"We'll survive. Amy was never gonna be strong enough but the people like us are the ones who'll survive." Daryl spoke the truest words I'd probably ever heard. My head agreed with him though my heart told me to hang on and have even a little hope for the other people who had taken us in. I was already starting to care about them.
"It'll be easier if I just leave. People die and anyone who cares gets hurt. I don't wanna get hurt again. When I was walk properly I'm gone. I don't know why I didn't just leave when you found me." I don't think Daryl had any words to reply with cause he just sort of sat and stared out the windscreen.
"I couldn't leave ya out there." Before I could even reply Shane came over to the window so I opened the door.
"Thought you'd need this. How's the leg?" He passed me a half full plastic bottle of water that must have been sitting in one of there cars. I was really pissed for a reason I wasn't quite sure of and I unfortunately wasn't in the chatting mood. I say unfortunately because he is pretty damn cute.
"Fine, thanks." I stared straight ahead just as Daryl was doing and you could have bottled up the awkward it as so thick.
"So, I'll, uh, leave you guys to it." Shane rubbed his hand over his head he walked off looking back at us with a confused look. Out of the corner of my eye I could see him say something to Glenn who looked at me weirdly.
"So, I should tell ya I'm sorry bout what I did before." My still cold stare met him.
"Making me relive the past I've tried so hard to forget?" Not able to meet my eyes he toyed with the steering wheel.
"Nah, I meant when I almost put a bolt through your head."
"Daryl, that was nothing. Seriously, forget it. I woulda done the same thing." After what seemed like forever he finally looked at me, right in the eyes and it felt like he could see into my soul. It was unnerving.
"Ya promise?" The corners of my mouth scrunched up as I frowned and he knew what I was thinking; he was crazy, right?
"Do I promise to try and kill you...?" I spoke slowly making sure he knew what he was asking.
"If I get bit I wanna make sure I die. If you do it for me, I'll do it for you." I thought about this. I wouldn't want somebody to shoot me, I was perfectly capable to end my own suffering. But there was something about this man that just caught my attention in a different way...
"Sounds fair." Giving him a thin two second smile to show him I really did agree to what he proposed I turned my head to the window as we started on the road again.