Shadows of the Forgotten

Chapter 11 - It'll Take Time


When I woke, everything felt... Off. My body was throbbing, the back I my head felt like it had a knife in it, and I couldn't even open my eyes. For a while I felt as if I couldn't even move. Definitely not a good sign.

And then I remembered what had happened. The walkers getting in, Dale getting bit, the prison collapsing- shit, I was still in the prison. The building had collapsed and I was trapped under the rubble-

Oh shit, Sophia.

That finally got me moving, but it only forced a cry of pain from my lips. I was hurt bad, but I had to get up, had to get Sophia to safety, had to open my eyes.

I felt someone place their hands on my shoulders and I flinched back.

"Riley, you're fine. Relax."

The voice calmed me down and I finally opened my eyes, coming face to face with Nate. Wait, had none of that actually happened...? The prison, finding Daryl, my family...

My throat and eyes burned and I could feel tears threatening to fall.

"Hey now... Don't cry..." Nate's brows had turned upwards and his grip tightened on my arms comfortingly. "Daryl just went for some supplies, he'll be back soon."

My brows furrowed in confusion... Daryl was here...?

"Give her a second, Nate. I don't think she's all there yet."

The second voice was one I couldn't misplace.

"Aleah...?"

"In the flesh," she answered, taking a seat on the side of the bed I was on. "Do you remember what happened?"

I raked my mind, but I couldn't remember anything after the rubble started to fall.

"You and Sophia made it out of the prison," she informed. "And then you passed out."

I listened closely to her words, my mind slowly putting the pieces back together. That's right... I got Sophia out of the prison... And there weren't anymore walkers. We were safe.

I felt relief wash over me and Nate's lips finally pulled into a smile.

"There she is," he teased.

Aleah chuckled softy and placed her hand on my leg. "Get some rest, alright?"

As much as I wanted to sleep, I felt my brow raise in her direction. "Aren't you not supposed to sleep after a head injury?"

She shrugged. "Hershel said that as long as you're responsive it's fine. Rest will be good for you."

I gave her a nod, despite the questions that were still on the tip of my tongue. I wanted to ask about the others; who had made it and who hadn't, but at the same time, I was too scared to ask. She seemed to notice my hesitance.

"We'll tell you everything that happened later, okay?"

Aleah give me a smile at my grateful look and stood up before pulling Nate out of the room with her.

"Think she'll be okay?" He asked once they were clear from the room.

Aleah had put on a brave face while she was talking to Riley, but after all that had happened, her shoulders visibly dropped.

"Do you think any of us will be okay?" She countered.

Carol had become like a mother to her and now that woman was gone. Dale too, and Lori. They were all dead now and Aleah was starting to really feel the loss. Add that in with Tyreese and she was surprised she was able to keep it together for so long.

Earlier in the day, Tyreese had gone to get Nathan and herself to help him clear out the gym, but they hadn't expected so many walkers to be in there. At first they just let the walkers come to them so they could take them out safely, but Tyreese was being impatient and moved further into the room. It was only seconds before he was surrounded and the two had to get out before they got trapped as well.

"We'll get through this," Nathan told her.

Though that's what he was saying, she couldn't keep the tears from falling. Sure, in the end, they'd make it, but knowing the ones that didn't make it hurt.

Without another word, he pulled Aleah into his arms and held her closely.

"We'll get through this," he repeated quietly.

Neither moved until Aleah's sobbing had died down and even then, Nathan kept his arms around her, hoping to ease her even the slightest amount.

Once she was feeling better, she took a slow step back, her cheeks flushed from more than just the tears.

"Thanks, Nathan..."

He gave her a smile in return. "Just Nate's fine."

Not trusting her words, she nodded, then turned to make her way to the cell's main area. Nathan followed close behind, spotting Daryl and Maggie as they entered from the opposite side.

"Find anything?" Hershel asked.

He had finished looking over the newborn a short while ago and had handed her over to Beth. The young girl seemed to have a knack for keeping the baby calm and she even seemed to enjoy the newborn's presence.

"We should have enough supplies here for now," Maggie answered as she and Daryl put a few bags down. "How is she doing?"

"Very well, considering," Hershel replied.

It was tough to figure out how the baby was doing without any advanced technology, but from what Hershel could tell, the baby girl was as healthy as a baby could be.

"Beth can you help me get her things set up?"

The young blond nodded happily and followed after her sister with the baby securely in her arms.

The rest of the group was quiet, but even with that being the case, Daryl saw the look Aleah was sending him. With a sigh, he followed after her into the hall. He still had all of his gear on and he was tired. All he wanted to do was check on Riley and then get some sleep. Hopefully Tyreese would be up for playing leader for a few hours.

And that's when he realized Tyreese wasn't around. That couldn't be good...

"Where is he?"

Aleah fidgeted slightly, avoiding Daryl's eyes. "We were clearing out the gym, but Tyreese went crazy and ran in... He got surrounded, so we had to bail."

Daryl's eyes narrowed slightly and he felt his body tense. He was never a fan of Tyreese, but he was part of their group. A loss is a loss.

"Did you see his body?"

Aleah's brows furrowed and she looked up at him sceptically. "He was surrounded by walkers. There's no way he made it."

"But you don't know?" Daryl clarified.

Nathan shook his head, instantly having to dodge Daryl as he drew his crossbow and marched past them.

"We have'ta know for sure. If he's dead then we make sure he stays that way."

His logic made perfect sense, so both Aleah and Nathan followed after him. When they got to the gym, they quickly removed the chains off the doors and pushed them open. They would have never expected to see Tyreese sitting against the wall beside a pile of dead walkers. There was blood and guts everywhere, but Tyreese was alive.

"Took you guys long enough."

I wasn't sure how long I had been out for, but as I sat up, I could hear the group moving around in the other room... And I could smell food. My stomach growled in anticipation, but I doubted I'd be moving that quickly to get there.

"You like that, huh, Sweetie?"

The voice was faint, and to be honest, I hadn't recognized it at first, but it was Daryl's voice. And he was... Cooing? What the hell...?

With whatever strength I could muster, I slid off the bed and wandered onto the perch of the cell block. From the second floor, I could see everyone in the area, but it was Daryl that my eyes glued themselves too- him and the baby in his arms. That would definitely explain the cooing.

I couldn't help the smile that spread on my lips at the sight of him feeding the small baby. He was smiling too and I felt myself swoon. If I wasn't already in love with him, I would have been the moment I saw this.

"It's good, ain't it, Little Asskicker?"

He looked around the room briefly for everyone's reaction to the name, but when his eyes found mine, his smile widened. Without another word, he carefully handed the baby to Beth then started walking in my direction.

The others had noticed I was there and offered me a smile or two of recognition. Once Daryl was in front of me though, they turned their attention elsewhere.

"How are you feeling?"

Daryl was the first to speak and I felt myself craving his embrace. Before answering, I moved into his arms and rested my head against his shoulder.

"Not too bad, it could be worse."

I felt him nod before he pulled me closer.

"You scared the crap out'ta me, you know that?" He questioned.

Pressing a kiss to his jaw, I mumbled a sorry and stepped back slowly. I had made it out with a few injuries, but I knew others hadn't. Now was as good a time as any to hear the bad news.

He must have understood my expression because he took my hand and lead the way back to our room. Once we were there, he sat down on the bed and pulled me beside him.

"Carol, Dale, Lori, and the mu- Thor..."

That's all I needed to hear to understand what he meant. They had all been lost during the attack, gone from our lives just like that.

Before I knew it, tears streaked my cheeks and I found myself in Daryl's arms once more. While he probably thought this was just for me, I hoped I could comfort him as well. I knew that he and Carol had gotten close over the months and that he must be hurting too. He wouldn't show it, but the way his breath quickened gave it away.

"How's everyone else...?" I asked after a short while.

Daryl's gaze wandered into the hall in thought. "They seem to be holdin' it together... Except for Rick. He's... He's takin' it hard. Ran off into the catacombs on his own a few hours ago."

I nodded slowly, worry working its way to my features.

"I'm gon'na go look for him if he doesn't show soon," he told me when he saw my look. "I think Hershel already talked to him earlier."

Once more, I nodded, then leaned into Daryl's side. I knew I'd have to deal with our friends' deaths and move on, but for now I wanted to just stay here and mourn our loss. In this world, we rarely had the opportunity to do so, and I wasn't going to let this one slip by.

Daryl seemed to hold the same sentiment as he lay down and let me rest my head on his chest. We needed the down time desperately. It was only a matter of time before something else would hit the group and we were going to be prepared this time around.


Footnote:

Welp, that was an interesting roller-coaster of moods lol Also, I must bring to attention that scene with Daryl and Little Asskicker. I'm pretty sure ovaries across the world exploded from that episode and girls of all ages swooned XD

And if you're wondering why the hell I'm posting (and awake for that matter) at this time, it's because I have to work at 9 and its either I post now or at 6pm x.x Wednesday and Friday are going to be the same deal. Just a heads up~