Chapter 38

Kasey, Carl, Lori, Violet, Greta and I waited silently in the holding area for the three men. The sun was high in the sky when Rick ran towards the locked door and Carl opened it for him quickly. My body grew stiff when walkers slammed into the locked gate and I realized Rick was alone. I think I was in shock because I couldn't make myself ask the questions that needed to be asked. Soon a hysterical Violet started yelling all the things that were running through my head. "Where are they? What happened? Are they okay? Did you find Glenn and Maggie?" Rick just stood there panting with his hands on his knees. "Rick! What the Fuck's goin on?!" Her yelling Rick's name snapped me out of whatever daze I was in and I hopped down off of the table. I walked over to Violet and put my hand on her shoulder.

"Vi, ya have to calm down. Getting Hysterical doesn't solve anything." She nodded at me with tear filled eyes. I turned to Kasey who was standing close behind me. "Kasey do me a favor?" she looked at me timidly. "Will ya go to yer cell and stay there until I come and get ya." She had tears wailing up in her eyes.

"Where's Daddy?" Oh god how do I answer that question with out knowing the truth myself?

"I don't know baby, but I want ya to remember something." She never took her eyes off of me. "Yer daddy is a very strong man." I hoped that was good enough. "Now go to yer cell like I asked ya to okay?" She nodded her head and left the room. Once she was out of earshot I turned to Rick and put my hands on my hips. "Rick?" I asked in almost a whisper. Lori was standing behind him with a hand on his back and another oh her slightly swollen belly. She dropped her hand when he finally stood up straight to look at me. I hoped the look on his face wasn't what I thought it was, because it looked defeated and sad. "What happened out there? We need to know."

He ran his hand through his hair while blowing out a breath. "I honestly don't know." He was starting to aggravate me. "We found Glenn and Maggie held up in the cafeteria. They said they were on their way back last night when they were cut off by a group of geeks." Did Glenn not have a weapon on him? "We were on our way back here when everything got Crazy." Violet asked him once again where Merle was. "I don't know. Everyone got split up. I know for sure that Daryl and Merle are together where ever they are. I'm not sure which way Maggie and Glenn went." He got quiet after that and looked at Greta. His eyes were a bit watered and he shook his head. He opened his mouth to say something only to shut it again. Greta's sobs stung my ears like nails down a chalk board as she sunk to her knees on the floor with her head in her hands. I couldn't make myself move.

George was dead. I couldn't get my head around that. I could only watch as Violet, now calm, walked over to Greta sat down next to her and wrapped her arm around the woman. Lori was the person to pull me out of this daze. "Rick I know you're tired, but you have to go back out there and find them." Rick looked at her like he was going to lash out at her, but instead he turned to me.

"I know you are going to want to go, but your ankle's still too messed up." The rest of the group came into the room at that point, save Kasey who I'm sure was still in the cell. "I'm sure those walkers didn't just come out of nowhere. Some one is playing games." The look of sadness that was on his face was replaced with anger as he looked over the crowd. "Let me interrogate the prisoners, see what I can find out, then T-Dog, Hershel and I will go see what we can do." I didn't care if someone was "playing games" I just wanted Daryl back. I wanted everyone back here, safe and sound like they were supposed to be.

"Rick, do you really think they are going to tell you anything? Besides, what would they know? They've been locked in the cafeteria for months." Rick didn't look amused. I guess he thought I was trying to take over control, but I wasn't. It was my family and my family's family that was lost out there, not his. His family was safe and sound like they were supposed to be. So of coarse he wouldn't be in a rush to get back out there and find them.

"Lyla let me do my job. No one is stopping you from going out there yourself, but I strongly advise against it." He said it with a warning tone that suggested the direct opposite of what he said. I wanted so bad so say "Oh really jack ass?" but I kept my cocky mouth shut. Instead of talking I simply motioned him to the door into the main room and raised my eyebrows at him giving him a look that seemed to say "Well?"

"What, you don't want to talk to them this time?" he asked sarcastically as he walked past me and through the door.

I crossed my arms across my chest and walked behind him. "Nope." I stopped at the base of the stairs as he headed up them. "Just do yer fuckin job and bring my family back." I yelled up at him before I spun on my heel and started walking hastily to Kasey's cell.

"Is dad back?" Kasey asked perking up a little when I entered the cell. Her face fell when I told her that he wasn't. "But he will be right?" she asked in a small scared voice. I shrugged my shoulders not knowing what to say before I sat down on the bed and pulled her into my lap. She laid her head on my shoulder and whispered in my ear. "Sing the song to me?" I wasn't in the mood to sing, but I wasn't going to tell her no. So I snuggled my head against hers and began to sing.

"Come stop yer crying, it will be alright. Just take my hand, hold it tight." She slid her hand into mine and squeezed it. "I will protect ya from all around you. I will be here don't ya cry. For one so small, ya seem so strong. My arms will hold ya, keep ya safe and warm. This bond between us can't be broken. I will be here don't ya cry." About that time violet came into the doorway of the cell.

"I don't mean to interrupt but Rick wanted me to tell you that he didn't find anything out from the prisoners. They are about to go looking for them. I didn't know if you would want to give T-Dog and Hershel your best wishes before they left." She came in and sat down on the bed.

"Uh, yeah I guess I should. Do you mind sitting here with her for a minute?" I asked and she said she would. I walked out of the cell and into the holding area where Beth was giving Hershel a hug and Lori was talking to T-Dog. I walked slowly over to T-Dog when Lori was finished talking to him and held out my hand. He grabbed it and pulled me into the comforting hug only a friend could give. "Please be safe and bring him back to me." I whispered with closed eyes.

"I'll do my best." He whispered back before he released me and walked to the now walker free exit. I walked over the Hershel as Beth released him.

"I wish there was more I could do than sit around and wait." I told him with pleading eyes and he put his hand on my shoulder. I looked around and saw Rick talking to Lori.

"Don't be mad at him." I looked from Rick to Hershel. "It's not his fault. There's no one to blame here." I let out a huffed breath and put my hand on his. "Besides you'd only be putting yourself in danger if you went and we can't have that."

"Yeah I know." I patted his hand then dropped mine to my side. "Enough talk." I turned my back and walked to the doorway to the main room before I turned to look at the three men that stood at the exit. "Y'all be safe out there." They all gave me a single nod and I watched their backs as they walked into the darkness of the hall.

I went back to Kasey and Violet to find them playing a game of go fish. We sat there and played different card games for what seemed like hours. Eventually the sun started to set and the men still were not back. The mood around the prison was grim. Violet went to check on Greta while Lori, Beth and I figured out how and what to cook. I was pressing out hot water cornbread patties when I heard the squeaking of a door being pushed open followed by the sound of heavy footsteps. I dropped the corn patty into the bowl before I jumped to my feet and rushed to the holding area with the rest of the group on my heels. I skidded to a halt when I saw him. He was dirty bloody and clearly tired, but what I noticed most was the deep bloody gash on his cheek. Beth ran to Hershel and Maggie, Carl ran to Rick and Violet threw herself into Merle's arms. I walked slowly over to Daryl. He took one of my hands in his and pulled me into the biggest tightest hug anyone had ever given me. "Did you get bit?" I whispered quietly in his ear and I felt him shake his head no.

He didn't say anything else, because words were no longer needed. The way he held me at that moment said everything and more. The way one of his hands rested on my head pressing my face into his shoulder and his other arm snaked around my back and gripped my waist holding me against him as he breathed heavily against my neck. These things said it all. The room was clear of people when we finally released each other. He wiped the happy tears off of my cheeks. I smiled at him and he winced when he smirked back. It took his chin in my hand and turned his face so that I could look at the gash on his cheek. "What happened?" I asked with a frown and he told me Rick would explain everything after they all got some rest.