I think it's high time for some less sad stuff. Enjoy, everyone!
Disclaimer: Not mine!
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Chapter Fifty-Four: Never Gonna Be Alone
When the prison fell, no one was prepared.
They had known the Governor was out there, alive somewhere, and as a group they had made some plans for what to do if the prison was attacked. Of everyone, Daryl was the most prepared. He had devised an escape route for each member of the group so they could meet up fifty miles away. If anything happened, Glenn would take Hershel, Maggie and Beth; Rick would take his children and Michonne; Daryl would grab Carol and head off on his bike. But this plan was made before the people from Woodbury were a consideration, so when walkers poured in through the prison fence, chaos erupted everywhere.
Rick and Michonne sprang into action immediately. They set about attacking the walkers while Beth grabbed Judith and Carl ushered the younger kids inside, shouting for Daryl. A few moments later, he appeared with his crossbow and began taking out walkers.
Five minutes later, they had barely made a dent and more were coming from beyond the trees. Fear seized Daryl as Rick screamed, "Fall back!"
Daryl heard Carol shout at him and it caught him off guard for a moment, and a moment was all it took. He felt a walker's rotting teeth sink into his arm and he bellowed in rage as his arm burned.
"Daryl!"
Carol saw the walker latch onto Daryl's arm and sink its teeth into his flesh. For a moment, she couldn't breathe. Then she swung into action. Nothing could touch her as she flew to Daryl. Moments before she reached him, he hit his knees. She thrust her knife into the walker's forehead and shoved it away from Daryl. "Glenn, watch my back!" she screamed. The young Korean boy dispatched several walkers around them as Carol shoved Daryl onto his back and straddled his waist. Clearly in shock, he lay there beneath her and stared up helplessly.
"Hang on, Daryl," she muttered as she tore a long strip from her shirt and tied it tightly just a few inches above the bite mark marring his skin. There was no time to think or discuss what she had to do. She grabbed a hatchet from the grass and brought it down with all of her strength.
Daryl screamed once before falling silent, twisting Carol's gut. It took two more swings before the infected limb was severed and she allowed the hatchet to fall from her bloody hand.
"We gotta get outta here!" Rick screamed. Carol looked up and saw even more walkers approaching the prison. Swearing, she pulled Daryl to his feet and held his uninjured arm around her shoulders. She met Rick's eyes briefly; they shared the same thought.
Get him out of here.
She pulled Daryl toward the prison gate. Maggie was in the tower picking off walkers and Carol was grateful when the young woman gave her a clear path to Daryl's truck. Daryl leaned more and more on her as she struggled toward his truck, but finally she was able to shove him into the cab and slam the door shut. One walker stood in her way as she darted toward the driver's side, but she easily took it out and got into the cab with Daryl. She locked the doors and looked over at her injured companion. He was slumped against the door; his eyes were closed and his complexion was pale.
Carol grabbed the hidden key from underneath the mat and started the truck. The engine roared to life and she slammed her foot against the gas pedal, sending dirt flying everywhere.
"Hang on, Daryl. I'm getting you out of here."
Carol drove for hours, stopping only occasionally to check on Daryl's condition. He remained unconscious but his skin was cool to her touch, lacking the beginning of a telltale fever. Cutting his arm off would be traumatic for him when he awoke, but it was much better than losing him entirely.
Just before sundown, she stopped again and turned toward Daryl. Her stomach churned as she unwrapped his arm and quickly wrapped it again with a clean rag. As she was securing it in place, his eyes flickered open.
"Carol…"
His thick drawl sent her heart into overdrive. With a watery smile, she gently brushed his damp hair out of his face. "Everything's okay, Daryl. Just close your eyes and sleep."
Nodding, he gave her a sleepy smile before his head lolled against the window again. She exhaled deeply and finished wrapping his arm before she started the truck again.
A little less than an hour later, Carol found the house where the group had agreed to meet if they were ever separated. She would stay there with Daryl for as long as she safely could, and if no one else arrived, the two of them would move on. The thought of losing their entire group was frightening and painful, but she couldn't help finding herself a little grateful for having Daryl there with her. They would keep each other safe.
Parking the truck, Carol climbed out with her gun and knife at the ready. The area seemed to be completely deserted; no stench of death or decay touched the air. She breathed in deeply and sighed, her body still tensed and ready to fight. Looking over her shoulder, she was satisfied to see Daryl still resting. Slowly she tucked the gun away and entered the two story house. There was no way she would bring Daryl inside before giving the place a thorough inspection. So she made her way from room to room, her eyes sharp and focused. Whoever had lived there before this all happened had left in a hurry. Family photos were missing from the walls, clothing was strewn about, and to Carol's delight, there was canned food and bottled water in the kitchen cupboards. After taking a moment to revel in her find, Carol headed upstairs. There was a layer of dust on everything, but there were no bodies upstairs, either. In the master bedroom was a king sized bed and a large bathroom complete with a bathtub. With a hopeful heart, Carol turned the faucet on. Rust colored water emerged first, followed by clean water. Carol laughed and turned the water back off. If she was lucky, maybe there would be a generator somewhere.
Backing out of the bathroom, she continued to explore the house. She found three bedrooms in addition to the master bedroom, an attic, and two more bedrooms downstairs as well as a living room and a small library. Whoever had owned this home was clearly very well-off. Finally feeling the house was safe, she went back outside and to the truck to retrieve Daryl.
Daryl was still sleeping when Carol opened the door. Leaning up, she placed her hand against the side of his face. "Daryl?"
He grumbled and shifted, muttering softly.
A smile touched her lips. "Come on, Daryl. I found a real bed for you."
One cerulean eye cracked open. "Huh?"
"A bed." She held out her arms to him. "Just come with me unless you want to sleep in the truck all night."
He nodded and finally began to move. Carol watched his movements like a hawk, her body tensed and ready to grab him if he fell. Slowly he climbed from the cab, but as his foot came down, he lost his balance and tumbled into Carol's arms. Carol instinctively locked her arms around him and hugged him tightly to her as he breathed hard into her neck.
This was going to be harder than she thought.
She gave him a few minutes in that position before she began guiding him into the house. She wasn't sure he could make it upstairs after the blood loss he had suffered, so she took him to the bedroom closest to the kitchen. The bed wasn't very clean but after she stripped it of the blankets and sheets, she found the mattress itself was still in good shape. Since the air was hot, almost stifling, she helped Daryl to the bed before she went to the windows and opened them to allow a cool breeze into the room. By the time she turned around, Daryl was sound asleep on the bed. Carol allowed herself a moment of watching him before she gathered the blankets and sheets and quietly left the room.
If she was lucky, there would be laundry detergent somewhere.
Carol spent the night alternating between watching for the rest of their group and monitoring Daryl's condition. He slept well for a change, only waking when she checked his wound and brought him water. By dawn she was exhausted and her hope was crumbling. If anyone else had survived, surely they would have made it to the house by now.
When she brought water to Daryl again, to her surprise, he was awake and watching for her. She saw relief in his beautiful eyes when she entered the room. "Hey."
"Hey," he gruffed.
Opening the bottle of water, she sat down on the edge of the bed and held the bottle to his lips. He begrudgingly latched on and emptied the water quickly. When it was gone, she set the bottle aside and stifled a yawn.
He gave her a hard look. "Ya haven't slept," he accused lightly.
"You needed the sleep more," she countered.
"'m awake now." He slapped the bed with his good hand. "Ya need to sleep, too."
"Daryl-"
"Don' argue with me." His eyes were fierce and full of challenge.
Sighing, Carol looked longingly at the empty space by his side. She hadn't slept in a real bed since this whole nightmare had started.
"Carol…"
Surrendering, Carol stretched out alongside Daryl and tucked her arm under her head. She was close enough to feel his warmth and she was reassured. He was going to be okay. "Daryl?"
"Hmm?"
She pressed her forehead against his hip. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
He was quiet for a long time. "Don' be sorry," he finally growled. "Ya saved my life. I owe ya."
"You don't owe me anything. You survived, Daryl." She buried her face in his hip and rested her hand on his thigh. "You survived."
His next move shocked her. He placed his hand on her head and slowly began stroking her short hair. The touch thrilled and soothed her, and before she realized what was happening, she was fast asleep tucked against his side.
The sound of voices awoke Carol from her sleep and she instinctively reached for Daryl. His side of the bed was cold and she reluctantly opened her eyes and sat up.
"Mornin', Sleepin' Beauty."
She turned her head toward the door and smiled. Daryl was standing in the doorway, looking relaxed and very much at home in his bare feet and a clean change of clothes. Obviously he'd had a few problems; his button up shirt was left open and his jeans were unbuttoned. Carol decided she didn't mind the view at all.
"Like what ya see?"
"Stop it," she shot back as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. "How long was I out?"
"A while. The rest of the group found us."
Hope swelled in her chest. "Who made it?"
"Rick and the kids, Glenn, Maggie and Beth."
"Hershel?"
He gave a small shake of his head and her heart dropped a little. "Didn't make it."
Judith's cry echoed through the house. Carol crossed the floor and paused by Daryl. They had suffered so much pain and loss, but in that brief moment as their eyes met, Carol had an epiphany of sorts. No matter what happened, she would have him and he would have her. She had removed his arm to save his life, and she had no doubts about what lengths he would go to for her in the same situation. They would always protect each other because they were really the only family they had left in this twisted world.
On an impulse, Carol leaned up and kissed Daryl's lips softly. As she withdrew, she noticed his eyes were wide and wild.
"The hell was that for?"
She just smiled.
"Because with you, I'm never going to be alone."
She left Daryl standing there, holding his fingers to his mouth and wondering just what had shifted between the two of them.
The End.
