A/N: Sup? Sorry it's been such a long time since I last did an update, I've just been so busy with school and homework that I haven't had the time to write. Please don't hate me, because I know, being a fangirl myself, that when an author doesn't update. People are going to die.

Anyways the walking dead season 4 is amazing! Carols' little badass move by cremating Karen and Dave, damn girl. In the words of my dear friend kellie, they were crispy XD never laughed so much till I heard that.

Disclaimer: I don't own walking dead. FML ;) jks I love my life

*(by the way I have used the term lucid, meaning that a you are conscious and aware of your actions and surrounds.)*

Any who's hope y'all enjoy this chapter.

It had been just over a week now since the core prison group held their little party for Carol. A full week were Daryl and Carol made out with each other every time they saw the other. Literally. Carol's mouth was permanently swollen and bruised from the kisses. But it never bothered the pair, they were always too busy playing tonsil-tag with each other.

However in that time period Daryl started to notice that he was getting more and more exhausted each day, and he would often see black spots in his eyes. At first he had just shook it off as being tired. But after a week of this behaviour, and it getting worse, he finally decided to talk to Hershel about it.

"How long did you say this has been going on son?"

Hershel had just finished giving Daryl a look over, checking his temperature, pulse, and pupil dilation. It only took around 15 minutes and Hershel had managed to fill every second with questions on how he felt and how much he slept, how much he ate. Just mindless questions to him, but he answered each one accordingly.

"For about a week now. I only first really noticed it the day of Carols party, when I saw all the flipped tables and realised I hadn't even stirred when all of that was going on."

Dearly watched as Hershel's face scrunched up slightly in thought then relax.

"I believe you have a case of sleep deprivation. You're pushing yourself too hard, the best thing for you is to just get a long, and well deserved rest."

No matter how much Daryl hated the idea of dropping all his duties just to sleep, he knew it was true. He had been pushing himself too hard recently. Always volunteering to go on runs, doing extra night shifts, clearing out cell blocks, hunting, and just general work. Daryl nodded his head in agreement and mumbled a genuine thanks to Hershel. He walked out of the medical room and went straight out to find Rick and tell him what would need to happen.

"Yo Rick!"

He called across the court yard as he found the man he was looking for. Rick looked back at him as he jogged over to him. He excused himself from the conversation he was having with some women from Woodberry and met Daryl half way.

"What's wrong Daryl?"

"Rick I hate to do this but I need to take a day or two off to rest. I've barely been sleeping recently and working too much and it's finally started to catch up with me. I got Hershel to check me over and he says I need to rest. You know yourself I'm not keen to sit and do nothing, but I'm not prepared to challenge Hershel."

Daryl watched as Rick began to chuckle, knowing himself what it's like to challenge the old religious man. Rick grasped Daryl's shoulder and nodded his head.

"That's fine Daryl, you deserve a break. I'll get Sasha and Michonne to take over your night watch. Now go on 'fore I change my mind."

Rick said the last part with a wink and Daryl just smiled before turning around and jogging back inside, throwing a quick "thanks" over his shoulder.

As Daryl walked to the steps leading up to his cell, he felt as though all the energy in his body was suddenly being drained away. Black spots clouded his vision as he tried to grab onto the wall for support, but as he took one step he suddenly found himself falling to the ground, but he blacked out before hitting the ground.

Darkness. A thick darkness shrouded everything around him. He could hear voices faintly talking near him but he was too tired to open his eyes. His whole body felt as though it was made from lead and he was too weak to even try opening his eyes. So instead he lay there until he fell asleep again.

The next time Daryl woke up he was slightly more lucid. He could hear whispering outside his cell from, who he believed to be, Rick and Hershel. They were too far away for him to pick up what they were saying, and if he was being honest, he didn't want to know what they were saying. To the right of him he could hear breathing, and, crying? After much effect Daryl managed to crack an eye open and turn his head to the right slightly. The sight before him was something he never wanted to see. There lay Carol, all curled up in the corner of his cell, crying her eyes out as silently as possible. Mumbling every so often, something about "Daryl" and "needing him." After a minute or so he couldn't bare to watch the sight before him anymore, and he was convinced he would have enough energy to at least speak to her. Just as he opened his mouth a sharp scream sliced through the air. And all too suddenly Daryl saw dots cloud his vision. He faintly heard Carol shouting out his name, but no matter how much he wanted too, he couldn't respond to her pleads. Just before Daryl passed out he realised something, that scream came from him, a scream of pain. Then the darkness consumed him again.

"...Daryl... I need you... Wake up... Please... Wake up..."

Daryl stirred where he lay on the bed. Slowly but surely he cracked open and eye to see Carol kneeled at the side of his bed, silently crying and pleading for him to wake up. With much, much effort, Daryl managed to move his hand to lay it on top of hers. Her head snapped up quickly and stared at him in disbelief. Then to his surprise she calmly stood up and walked out of the room. Daryl didn't know how to react, should he be pissed or grateful she left, because he certainly didn't want a repeat of last time. Around five minutes later Daryl heard the sound of Hershel's crutches on his cell floor.

"Son. Son, hey how are you feeling?"

"Honestly. I feel like shit and I'm starving."

His voice was horse and his throat felt like sand paper, but he didn't feel any pain so he was happy. At Daryl's reply Hershel let out a chuckle and his face seemed to light up from the fact that Daryl was still his usual self. He leaned over and gave Daryl a drink of water before replying.

"Well that's to be expected."

Hershel's face turned serious suddenly before he continued.

"Do you know how long you've been out?"

Daryl scrunched his face up in concentration, thinking as hard as he could. Trying to work out how long it was possible for him to have been out.

"I don't know, two, three days tops?"

Hershel looked at Daryl with sad eyes that told him he was wrong. He suddenly felt worried and sick at the same time for how long it could have been possible for him to be out, just from a little tiredness.

"No son. You've been out for a week now. We tried to get some food into you but couldn't wake you up. You were basically in a coma."

Not only did this information snap Daryl awake, it also scared him half to death. A whole week he had been unconscious. Daryl had obviously underestimated how serious his condition had been.

"Now for the next couple of days I want you to just rest and eat. Now I believe Carol left to go get you something to eat. I'll go see if she's ready yet."

With that Hershel left his cell, and left him alone with his thoughts. He was still trying to process the information. Basically in a coma, that's what Hershel had told him, and no matter how much Daryl tried to convince himself that it wasn't true, he knew it was it was. The guilt began to set into him. He had done this to himself, for being too stubborn and refusing to take a break, and now he was the biggest burden in the group. Just as he was self-loathing Carol chose that moment to walk in, carrying a bowl of some sort of stew with a large chunk of bread sticking out of the side. Daryl slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position, and, once he was comfortable, Carol set the plate on his lap. She walked away then, heading for the door, and that's when Daryl knew something was wrong and he needed to fix it, and now.

"Carol what's wrong? Ever since I woke up you've been avoiding me like the plague."

She stopped walked and just stood there for a moment before slowly turning around to look at him. Her eyes were all red and puffy, signifying that she had been crying, but she didn't speak, just stared at him. Neither of them spoke for what felt like an eternity, and Daryl found himself growing uncomfortable under her stare. Just as he was ready to give up and eat his meal she spoke.

"Do you know the hell I've been through? I have spent the last week wondering if you were evergoing to wake up Daryl! YOU put me through hell! Why didn't you tell me!"

Carol sounded furious with him, and he was completely shocked at how much hatred her voice held. Daryl just sat quietly on his bed as she stood and continued to stare at him, and he had no idea if he even had the right to speak at this moment in time.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He had to strain to hear what Carol had said, she had said it that quietly. Daryl thought about that. Why didn't I tell her? Daryl certainly hadn't done it intentionally, because he would never want to hurt her. He had made a vow to never hurt her ever again after that night on the farm.

"I- I didn't know how serious it was. I thought I was just tired. 'm sorry I didn't tell ya. Just don't hate me for it."

Daryl mumbled the last of his sentence before eating a spoonful of stew. He really didn't want Carol to hate him, he loved her far too much for that. He knew himself now that he loved her, but he had still yet to tell her, for fear she would laugh and reject him. As Daryl swallowed his second mouthful of stew he heard shuffling in his cell before there was a sudden shift of weight on his bed.

"I don't hate you Daryl, I never could. It's just," Carol sighed before continuing, "I was worried that I would lose you, I was angry that you felt you couldn't tell me that you weren't sleeping, but I don't hate you. I could never hate you."

Carol had a sad smile on her face as she spoke those words softly to him, a drastic change from when she last spoke to him. Daryl watched as a single tear rolled down her face. Daryl placed his bowl on the floor before he brought his hand to her face and tentatively wiped away the tear with his thumb. Carol smiled and leaned into his touch. Daryl took a deep breath and spoke.

"I love you Carol."

He watched as she froze and stared at him in disbelief. Daryl swore he felt his heart breaking into a million pieces when she looked at him with an unreadable expression. Daryl removed his hand from her face and mumbled and apology before sitting back on his bed. He went to move further down into the sheets so he could sleep his rejection away. Carol suddenly grabbed his hand to prevent him from moving away from her. Daryl nervously looked up at her just as she leaned in and kissed him as though her life depended on it. After a very long and passionate make-out session Carol pulled away and rested her forehead on top of his.

"I love you too."

A/N: So what did you think of my little cutesy ending? I thought it was pretty cute ;) Again I apologise for the delay in chapters but I promise I will try to post more frequently.

As always reviews are greatly appreciated both constructive and destructive

Love ya guys. Terig x