A/N – Quick update. Okay, okay… I'm sorry, I'll get back on track with Daryl and Carol together scenes soon. I'm digressing a little bit but my muses keep wanting me to make Daryl funny. He is funny, especially when he's not trying to be. I really hope you like this and thank you, thank you, thank you for the reviews!

Chapter 11 – Jokes on You

I kissed Daryl Dixon. It was the first thought in her head as her eyes fluttered open. Followed quickly by, oh, God it hurts… but I kissed Daryl Dixon…oh my God. She felt the urge to curse out loud. She'd never been much for cursing, not that it offended her when other people did it, but she just never had done it much herself. Maybe before Sophia, but it was hard to remember a time before she had Sophia, the girl had been so ingrained in her life for so long.

Hershel's face swam into her line of vision. His mouth was moving, she couldn't make out the words. She was so hot, felt like she must have been sitting in the middle of a fire. I kissed Daryl Dixon… and it was… She opened her mouth to speak, "Unbelievable," she breathed out as everything went black.

It was morning now, the night had passed fairly uneventfully with little word on Carol. Daryl hadn't slept while he held vigil outside the tent.

"It's pretty bad. We've got to get more antibiotics into her. Stronger stuff. Better stuff than what I have."

"Let's go then. Ya tell me what, and I'll get wha'ever she needs," Daryl said, trying hard not wring his hands together like some stupid ass housewife. He felt like stupid fuckin' Lori pacin' over Rick when he went off anywhere's without her. The feuding couple had been talking – bout damn time – when he'd walked past on his way to Hershel's tent. He was sure they'd be fine and fuckin' dandy and screwin' before lunch if they could find some warm body to watch Carl.

"You can't go alone," said T-Dog.

"Like hell I can't."

"You're not going alone," Rick said striding away from Lori to check out the fuss, "None of us go anywhere alone." Daryl sighed. He didn't really much care whether he went alone or with an entire fuckin' football team – he just wanted to fucking go. Enough of this stupid ass talkin' shit. Let's do this. Time's a fuckin wastin'.

It was decided that T-Dog would go with Daryl and drive, because motherfuckin' Rick didn't think Daryl was calm enough to drive. Like hell I ain't calm. What the fuck that cop know bout calm.

Hershel's list wasn't terribly long, but Daryl didn't know what half the shit was he was lookin' for, so it took a while to get it all once they hit the closest pharmacy. Another ghost town, nearly forty minutes away from where they'd camped the night. There were only a few walkers – stragglers, really – and Daryl and T-Dog made light and quiet work of 'em.

T-Dog chattered on while Daryl searched. Can't ya look and jus' shut the fuck up bout it? Daryl tuned him out the best he could. He wasn't interested in making friends right now. What he was interested in was getting back and getting this medicine into his woman. My woman? Damn right, my woman. And if she don't like it, well to hell with 'er. I ain't givin' 'er no damn choices. She jus' goes and gits he'self into trouble when I do.

He tried to focus on the task at hand and not on the worry that had taken hold of him. He worried that she wouldn't wake up. He worried that she would wake up. He worried that she wouldn't want him once she did. He worried that she would want him once she did. He worried that he was once and for all turning into a damn woman just like Merle always said he would. Fuckin' focus!

Finally, all the items finally in hand, they loaded back into the vehicle. This time with Daryl driving and not taking 'no' for an answer.

"So what's going on with you and Carol, man?," T-Dog said.

Daryl kept his eyes on the road, "Nothin', what the fuck ya talkin' bout?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Daryl saw T-Dog purse his lips and crack a wide smile. Daryl tensed up as the next words came at him, "Oh, cool, cool. She's a real pretty lady. I was thinking might be nice to hit that sometime. Can't really be taking out a lady these days all date-like and official, but everybody's got needs, y'know wha I mean, man?"

Daryl hit the brakes hard, and T-Dog slammed forward, his hands smashing hard into the dash to keep his head from hitting the windshield. "Motherfuckin' squirrels...," Daryl muttered and glanced over, his eyes locking hard on T-Dog's, "should really be wearin' yer seatbelt, dawg. He emphasized that last word, drawing it out like it was at least three syllables in length.

T-Dog laughed. What the fuck this fucker be laughin' at!