So you know what's the best feeling ever? Having people follow your story and leaving reviews on it! It's an amazing feeling. I just wanted to take this chance to thank everyone who has followed so far and especially those kind enough to leave me some feedback that makes me feel like I'm doing something right. :) You have no idea how much it means and I hope everyone continues to enjoy these next few chapters!
Also since I haven't said so in a while, I don't own The Walking Dead universe, it's characters, or it's places. Just having some fun with the material.
Well, this day sucked and he was pretty damn tired. His head was pounding and there was a ringing in his ears that seemed to get louder and louder. He would open his eyes every once in a while, sometimes Rick was there, saying something to him that he couldn't make out or Hershel would be standing over him poking at his stomach. His eyes were open now, but he was still feeling disoriented. That ringing was as loud as ever and everything looked a little blurry. Daryl knew he was in bad shape and groaned at the thought of being this way for much longer. He blinked a few times, trying to focus, to get a clear picture. He saw Sarah now, standing at the foot of the bed, her arms crossed and her wide eyes looking at him. What the hell was she doing in here? Was he dreaming again, hallucinating? Probably. He thought she was talking to him, but he couldn't make out anything. He thought he heard her say his name, but then her voice just turned into mumbles again.
She wasn't really there, he was sure it was just his mind playing with him. Like it had with Merle. He wondered why he'd even seen Merle anyways. Not like his brother ever did anything for him. He'd always been on his own for as long as he could remember. Merle hadn't done shit for him. Maybe gotten him into trouble a few dozen times, almost got him killed a few others. He didn't know why he would see him when he was that far up shit creek now. He'd been there before after all, and Merle was never anywhere to be found. Daryl turned over once again not wanting to think about that right now. He tried to focus on the soft voice mumbling to him. He finally allowed himself to fall back into unconsciousness.
When he woke up next it was still light outside, but it didn't look like it would be for much longer. He was still wrapped up in the covers and he could feel a cool breeze circulating in the room from the open window to the side of his bed. His head wasn't pounding as bad anymore and the ringing in his ears was gone. He looked around the room and saw that he was alone. The door wasn't completely shut, but it was only slightly cracked open. He stretched and flinched from the pain in his side. That damn arrow had gone straight through, and he was really feeling it now, almost more so then when it had actually happened. He heard someone talking on the porch. At first he didn't pay much attention to it, until he heard his name.
"I shot Daryl..." Andrea, of course. He didn't blame her so much for shooting him. The others had thought he was a walker too, so he could understand it he guessed. She was just trying to protect the camp. Wouldn't kill her to look a little more closely through that damn scope though. "Don't beat yourself up over it too much. We've all wanted to shoot Daryl." Dale. Daryl scoffed, and was about to shout out something about him shooting at them, and having better aim when he did too, but then Andrea's voice reached his ears again. She sounded relieved. "Sarah! Daryl is going to be just fine, he's going to be ok." Daryl froze as he listened. Whatever he had thought about saying before had left him, he was more interested in their conversation now.
"I know he's going to be ok." Her voice was different. It wasn't soft and stuttering with giggles thrown in ever other word. She was speaking evenly and she sounded annoyed. She didn't skip a beat when she said "If a bunch of stupid walkers couldn't kill him, I don't think we need to worry about some stupid bitch doing it either." What the hell? He heard her heavy footsteps as she crossed the porch. "Hey now! That's completely uncalled for! She-" The creaking stopped immediately and he heard that unfamiliar voice again when she cut Dale off, only this time she was getting a little bit louder. "She didn't listen and she didn't think. She should have let the men handle it, because they were perfectly capable of doing so. She shouldn't have wasted a bullet or risked anymore walkers hearing the shot. We have almost lost two people in the group because of her. She was careless and didn't think, she never does." The screen door slammed shut and now he heard those angry footsteps coming towards his room. He froze for a second before he remembered to pull the blankets up and around his neck. He had done it just in time, because she was suddenly in the room, closing the door as quietly as she could and leaning her back against it. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Then he saw her walk over to the window, where Dale's comforting words could be heard and saw her slam it shut. She was breathing heavily and she looked pissed. It was strange seeing her that way. She was always nice to everyone and smiling. All that coming out of her? He couldn't believe it.
"Shouldn't be so mad at her. She was just tryin' to help." He looked at her from where he lay and she turned at the sound of his voice and looked right at him. At first she looked surprised, those wide eyes he was more use to seeing popping out at him, but then she narrowed them. She looked back out the window and glared, at Andrea he was guessing.
"No. She was trying to make a point. She's been bitching about not carrying a gun she doesn't even know how to use for the past week. Now that someone gives her one she almost shoots you, you, of all the people in the camp!" She shook her head and then turned and looked right back at him. "No. She needs to stop being so damn selfish." Daryl watched her as she took a deep breath and then walked over to a chair that was right at the head of the bed. She sat in it and put her arms on her knees and her chin in her hands. "How are you feeling? You ok?" She didn't look angry anymore. He didn't know what she was lookin' at him like. He didn't like it though, he felt awkward.
"How do you think I feel? I just been shot in the head and impaled on an arrow!" She smiled at him then, it was a sweet smile and still, it made him feel very uncomfortable.
"Well, that sounded pretty Daryl-like to me. You had me worried there for a while."
"What? What are you talking about?" He narrowed his eyes.
"You would come in and out for a while there. I told Rick I'd stay with you in case you needed anything. I'm not much of a cook so I think Carol and Lori were glad to get rid of me. Anyways, sometimes you'd say something, and I had no idea what you were talking about." She chuckled. "Had me thinking that fall had done some real damage for a while there." It took all he had to keep an even face. He'd been talking? Shit.
"Yeah? What was I sayin'?" His voice cracked a little bit on the last word. He was hoping she hadn't noticed.
She had. She smiled at him again, this time there was something else in her eyes. "Wouldn't you like to know." She winked at him as she stood up from the chair and made her way back over to the door. "I'll go get you something to eat and drink. You need to rest, Hershel's orders." With that she walked out of the room and left him alone, mulling over what he'd just heard and all the things he could have possibly said.
Sarah was cutting up some tomatoes and cucumbers. It would be a light meal, but she was sure it'd be different then anything he'd had in a long time. Dinner was still being prepared though, so she just made him a small plate. An appetizer, she thought to herself. She smiled at the thought. A few days ago, they had nothing, barely enough for one person to get a decent meal, let alone eight. Now they had enough to make a large dinner for almost fifteen. Hershel and his family were truly a blessing. Not only because they had a safe haven and food, but because he was able to repair everyone's injuries.
She'd been so upset when they had brought Daryl in. She hadn't freaked out like that over anyone in a long time. What was that stupid woman thinking? Daryl was the only one who brought in food, he was the only one who could hunt. Daryl was one of the protectors in camp. He'd saved her life alone about three times now, and he was the only one who was out looking for Sophia. And Andrea tried to blow his brains out.
She was seething again just at the thought of it. Her and Lori had talked about it more then once since they'd been to the farm, Carol hadn't said much on her own but she sure as hell never stuck up for Andrea either. She had forgotten her place in helping the camp. She'd sit up on the RV all day working on her tan, pretending she was doing something important. She never helped with the cooking, the laundry, or the cleaning up that the women always had to take care of. Sarah didn't mind picking up after all the guys, they did something, they contributed, they kept them safe. But her, she didn't do a damn thing. Just followed them around like an annoying puppy that just wont leave you alone. She eats more then they do because she claims she needs the energy from being in the sun. It's the stupidest thing. She didn't mind helping out, she really didn't. It gave her something to do, and was a way for her to help out and have some kind of routine, some normalcy in her life. But she would be damned if she was going to wash the clothes of that useless, lazy woman.
When she was done chopping she placed the knife and cutting board in the sink, she'd take care of them in a moment. She got a glass of iced tea ready and began carrying them back towards the guest bedroom where he was resting. When she entered he was snuggled up again, almost completely covered up under the blankets. "Alright, now listen up. Hershel has you on bed rest for at least three days. Tonight you'll be sleeping in here, we'll move you out to the RV, or your tent, tomorrow but for tonight you stay in here. Dinner will be ready in another hour or so, so this is just something to get food in your belly. Eat it now, because it will make you feel better. I'll let you rest now, but I'll be back up when dinner is ready. If you need anything, holler. I'm just right down the hall. I'll hear you."
He looked at her like she had said something crazy. "What the hell are you? My mother? I don't need you-" She laughed, causing him to stop. "What? Mind tellin' me what you think is so funny?" She set the plate down on the chair and held the ice tea out to him. He took it but he was still looking at her like she had just come from the loony bin.
"I know how stubborn you are, but this is something someone needs to make sure you do. If you don't get your rest you're going to be out of action for even longer and do even more damage. We can't afford that Daryl. You are too important to lose because no one is going to tell you how it is. You do so much for us anyways, you deserve a few days off. Shane and Rick are going to be looking for Sophia. Me and Glen too I'm sure. So you just relax ok. Let us take care of you for once."
His face was blank now. He looked down at the tea in his hands and when he finally did look up at her, he didn't nod or respond at all. Just let his eyes meet hers. She smiled at him then and nodded. "Right, so like I said. Just holler ok?" She waited for him to nod in response before she quietly slipped out of the room gently closing the door behind her.