They sat me down in the living room, trying to get me to calm down. Everyone kept saying that he was fine and I needed to catch my breath, but I refused to listen. The only person left in this world that cared about me was in horrible condition. Any normal person would be half as worried as I was.

The wait was the worst part of this. Eventually, my eyes couldn't make any more tears so the tears stopped. I was in more of a shock than anything. All I did was sit there, staring at the door that Hershel and Daryl were behind. I didn't speak. I hardly blinked. All I did was stare.

It felt like years had gone by when it was an hour or two. Hershel finally emerged from the room, wiping his hands with a white cloth.

I stood up quickly. "How is he?"

Hershel placed his hand out in front of himself, signaling that there was no need for worry. "He's fine. Something, probably one of his arrows, pierced his side. That was what needed the most repairing. The bullet just grazed his head, so there was no major damage. That needed stitches. He passed out when the bullet struck him and he hasn't woken up yet, but he will soon. You're welcome to sit in there and wait if you like."

Hearing everything that happened to him caused me to go stiff. All of that pain that he must have felt was killing me. Why was it him that had to go through this? After everything he had done, this was something that he did not deserve.

The entire lot of people were crowded around in the living room. T-Dog showed everyone the doll that Daryl had brought back with him. It was Sophia's. Carol started crying again and Lori moved away from me to calm her. The two exited the house.

Rick grabbed the doll. "We'll make sure to ask him about it when he wakes."

I disregarded everything that was happening around me. I turned to Rick in a fiery. "Who did this?"

The group fell silent. "Who did this?" I repeated, slower this time.

"Rosalyn, we don't have to talk about this now," Rick told me as he set down the doll.

"Yes, we do. Now tell me. Who the hell shot him?" I wasn't in a patient frame of mind right at that moment.

Andrea stepped forward. " I did."

My eyes shot to the blonde woman. "How dare you? You couldn't just let them handle it!" I was starting to scream, not caring that we were in the Greene's home.

I stepped forward as I spoke. Shane grabbed my arm. "Rosalyn, calm down."

I snapped my arm away. "Keep your hands off of me, Shane." I turned back to Andrea. "Why do you insist on trying to prove yourself to the group? You could have killed him. Do you realize that?"

She turned a little snotty. "Well, he wasn't in the best of shape before."

"And you didn't make it any better by shooting him! You should be ashamed of yourself. Next time you feel like being a hero, back off! You obviously will screw that up, too. Stop trying to be one of the men, Andrea. You aren't. Why don't you just sit in the corner before you make more of a mess." I didn't wait for her to respond. I turned away from her, tired of seeing her face.

Rick was standing by Daryl's door. "Rosalyn, wait." I pushed past him, ignoring his words.

I entered the room where Daryl was lying on the bed and closed the door. I didn't want any of them to come in here and try to get me to come out and talk. I was done talking. If Andrea every tried to talk to me or do anything like that again, I was going to kill her with my own bare hands.

I sat on the floor next to the door. I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs. That was the worst thing I had ever said to anyone, but I didn't regret it. I could have said worse, but then I would have felt responsible if she tried something like kill herself again.

"Ya know, I don't think I ever heard you ever scream so loud." Daryl was staring down at me from the bed.

His voice scared me, but I was pleased to see him awake. "That bitch deserved every word. I thought you were sleeping."

"Your screaming woke me up. Thought you were in trouble, but as I listened, I knew you were perfectly fine. I'm proud of you."

"For what?" I asked.

"For takin' care of yourself."

I smiled. "I learned from the best."

I crawled over to the edge of the bed. I laid my head on the bed by his. I stared at the wall as my back relaxed against the side of the bed. "How are you doing?" I asked Daryl.

"Been better," he replied.

I turned and rested my arms on the bed, my head on my arms. I lifted my hand and punched him in the arm as hard as I could. "You could have died."

He rubbed his arm, pretending that I hurt him. "Yeah, but I didn'."

Although I was happy to see him awake, there were things that we needed to discuss. "If you brought someone like I told you, I'm 99% sure that this wouldn't have happened."

"Rose, c'mon. I'm fine. Stop it with that." He was aggravated that I kept telling him to bring someone along with him.

"Promise me you won't ever go out on your own again and I'll stop." I stared at his eyes as I made my demand. He was silent. "Promise me."

Daryl sighed, knowing I was right. "I promise."

I nodded. "Good." After this serious moment, I thought it was the perfect time to ask the question that had been haunting me. "There's something I want to know."

Daryl raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Why do you keep calling me Rose?"

He chuckled. "Is it really that important?"

"Yes. To me, it is. You are the only person to ever call me Rose. I want to know why."

"'Cause Rosalyn is too damn long," he joked.

I wasn't very happy with his answer. I knew he was lying. I kept a straight face. "Tell me the truth, Dixon."

He sighed. "I'm not telling you my real reason."

"Why not? It's my name. I deserve to know what it means. I mean, if it's something bad, then I want to know so I can make you stop calling me that."

He didn't see this as big of an issue as I did, but he gave in. He knew that if he didn't tell me, then I would never drop the subject. "It's kinda embarrassing."

"Please. When have I ever laughed at something that you were embarrassed about?"

Daryl looked at me with that you're-such-a-liar kind of look. "Okay, that was one time," I smiled. "You having an itchy ass is kinda funny. Please. I promise that I won't laugh."

"Alright." Daryl took a deep breath before he unveiled his secret. "I call ya Rose 'cause it's shorter and roses are beautiful." He lowered his voice. "Like you."

I had nothing to say. That was the beautiful thing anyone had ever say to me. There was nothing for me to say in response. I had nothing that beautiful. My words were caught in my throat.

The door opened. Hershel stepped in. "Good, you're awake." He looked down at me. "Rosalyn, could you go get Rick and tell him that Daryl is awake. He wanted to talk to him."

I cleared my throat. "Yeah, sure." I stood up and left Daryl. I felt horrible. He had just laid that most precious line on me and I had nothing to say back. I just left. I'm just a horrible person.

Rick was sitting at the picnic table outside with Shane. "Hey, Rick. He's awake."

I didn't wait for him. I knew that he would follow. I just wanted to get back to Daryl. I was confused about my feelings about him and this just made it much worse. My heart yearned to be with him, but my mind was constantly repeating that now wasn't the time. I wasn't sure which one to listen to anymore.

I was the first to reach the room. "Rick's on his way," I told Daryl. There was a chair in the corner of the room. I placed myself there as Rick and Shane came into the room to question Daryl about the doll.

"I found it washed up on the creek bed right there." Daryl pointed down at the map that Rick laid in front of him as Hershel changed his bandages. "She must have dropped it crossing there somewhere."

There was another chair next to me. Shane sat there as Rick turned to him. "Cuts the grid almost in half."

Daryl watched Hershel. "Yeah, you're welcome."

"How's he looking?" Rick asked Hershel.

"I had no idea we'd be going through the antibiotics so quickly." Hershel tipped a bottle on a cloth and cleaned the wounds on Daryl's side. "Any idea what happened to my horse?"

"Yeah, the one who almost killed me?" The word 'kill' didn't sit well with me when Daryl said it. I hated thinking about it. "If it's smart, it left the country."

Hershel washed his hands in the bowl of water. "We call that one Nelly, as in nervous Nelly. I could have told you she'd throw you if you'd bother to ask. It's a wonder you people have survived this long."

Rick and Shane thanked Daryl for his information and left the room. Hershel finished up quickly and was ready to leave.

I got up from my seat and stopped him. "Hershel." I wrapped my arms around his neck for a small hug. "Thank you."

When I released him, he nodded a 'you're welcome'. I followed him out. Daryl needed his rest and they needed my help in the kitchen. Dinner wasn't going to cook itself.

I needed to think, anyway. I can't keep pushing my feelings for Daryl back any farther. I knew that he needed answers and he couldn't keep waiting. But is 'us' a good idea?