Daryl returned just after sunset. A scowl crossed his face as he entered the camp. His short hunting trip only succeeded in less than a half dozen squirrels and a rabbit. Not enough to feed everyone. So far they had not been hurting for supplies but he knew sooner or later it would happen. Scavenging in the city was not a long term option though the group was more than happy to constantly send Glenn in for runs.
Ignoring everyone as he entered, he beelined straight for his tent. Not that anyone would stop to talk to him anyways. They already made their opinions known about the brothers.
His tent came into view and Merle was already sitting outside, cirgarette and beer in hand. Daryl scoffed quietly to himself as he dropped his kills by his chair. Grabbing his knife and leaving his crossbow within reach, he sat down and began the task of skinning the squirrels.
"How old ya think that one is?" Merle spoke, eyeing someone across the camp. Daryl glanced from his brother over to where he was looking. Off to the side of the RV, away from the group's curious eyes, sat Lori and Haisley. Daryl tensed as he watched the widow slowly unwrap the gaize on the girl's arms. Lori looked to be speaking, probably trying to keep her calm, but Haisley was staring off in the distance, her green eyes clouded even from this distance. "Get rid of those damn bandages and she's a sweet piece of ass."
Daryl grunted but said nothing as he watched them. From here he couldn't see the damage but he knew how bad it looked yesterday. He had been truly surprised there were no infections, yet. Her wounds were already days old and she had been laying on the forest floor the whole time. There may have been some luck for her yet.
Haisley wrote something down and after a second of reading it Lori nodded. She helped the girl up and Lori left for a moment to talk with Shane. Haisley leaned against the RV and waited patiently as she examined her arms. As if feeling him, her eyes snapped up and met Daryl's gaze. He was about to look away but the smile on her face caused him to pause. It was small but from the distance he could see how her whole face lit up.
Merle began laughing. "Look at the damn Dixon charm working again."
"Ain't like that."
"Put in a good word for ole Merle then. I'll show her how a real man is. Mmm-hmm. Girl like that probably made waves before all this shit started. Hey, think he messed with her tits? Be a dam-"
"Knock it off Merle," Daryl growled, whipping around to face his brother. The younger Dixon rarely spoke out against his brother and by Merle's expression, Daryl knew he crossed a line. "Girl just got here."
Merle laughed menacingly before standing and towering over Daryl. "You wanna start that shit again Darleena?"
Daryl dropped the squirrel and stood, fully prepared to face of his brother. Merle was definetly larger than Daryl, by height and mass, but the didn't stop the younger Dixon from staring him down. Fights between the two had started over less and Daryl knew he should just drop it but he had always been told a Dixon never backed down. The reprocutions for backing off were worse than taking the initial beating.
Merle began laughing and clasped his brother on the back, all anger gone. "Well, shit, baby brother. Guess I'll leave the damaged goods to ya. Plenty of ass here to go around."
Daryl watched his brother carefully until Merle was back in his seat. A sigh escaped him and he went back to the task at hand. He felt eyes on him and saw Haisley standing where she had been and Lori trying to motion her to follow. The blonde tilted her head to the side in confusion then disappeared with Lori.
"I'm heading out tomorrow morning," Daryl spoke. "Gonna get some real meat. Take two or three days. Find me a buck."
"There ain't shit in the woods."
"Gotta figure out something."
Merle chuckled. "Officer Douchebag over there set me up to go on the damn run to Atlanta. Talkin' some shit about havin' to pull my weight. Whole group of uppity bitches and I'm somehow the one gettin' bossed around. Hell, if I'm lucky I might be able to find a stash this time."
Daryl shook his head as Merle continued to ramble. Even after the fall Merle always managed to keep his high going. While the younger brother didn't agree with the choices, he also knew better than to fight. Afterall, Merle had always been, well, Merle. Nothing would change him and Daryl had long ago accepted it. All they had ever had were each other and Daryl wasn't gonna stir the pot.
Once he was done with the squirrels he looked over the camp. Everyone was separated with the families, together. He grimaced slightly and frowned when Lori and Haisley were not back yet. As if he conjured them up with his thoughts, the two women returned. Haisley had cleaned up, her long hair left down and still dripping. She still wore Amy's faded gray jeans and a loose fitting black tank top. The long sleeved shirt she had was gone and she was glancing around nervously as her hands ran over her arms. Lori touched her arm lightly, causing her to flinch away. Lori said something and Haisley nodded, relaxing only slightly.
Daryl looked away once Lori began wrapping her arms again. The hell was he doing? Not his problem. Not his responsibility.
Haisley watched as Lori slowly wrapped the gauze around her arms. Thankfully Lori held her neutral expression and Haisley looked at the marks. On both arms the marks started on her inner wrist, slowly circling over her forearm and ended on the back of her shoulders. She knew her back matched but, in a way, she was lucky to not be able to see it. They would leave more nasty scars to litter her body. Her captor was surprisingly precise in his markings of her and found all the knicks and cuts on her arms were almost parallel to each other. She shuddered and surpressed the bile rising in her throat.
She tried not to remember those nights. Her mind worked to surpress the memories, the anger and pain she felt. One in particular stood out, it was the worst night with him, a night or two before she ended it. She had been weak and still had tried to fight him. Freedom had been itching through her and she had tried to flee. Anything was better than being stuck with him. But due to her weakened state she didn't get very far.
"Just another moment, okay? Almost done," Lori spoke soothingly. "Maybe only a few more days of this and you should be good. I just wish we had more antibiotics or something."
Haisley looked to her in concern.
"Just as a precaution," she specified. "We need more supplies in general."
Once done Lori laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder before heading back to the fire. Haisley looked down to her arms and wished for a jacket or sweater of some sort. In the tank top she felt over exposed. She already had seen the looks of pity from the group and she didn't want to encourage it. The chair her shirt had set on was now gone. She inwardly cursed and gazed at the group. She knew she needed to try and incorporate herself amongst the others but she truly did fear it. Obviously they had all been sheltered from the true evils of the world.
Maybe she was being too cynical about the whole thing but her only experience she had to go off of left a bitter taste in her mouth. Being with a group provided strength and she found herself over analyzing. Everyone was relaxed, no tensions lingered. Over the day she had been watching all of them. Just like now, they were not a threat. She tried to focus on their body language over everything else. Actions spoke louder than words. She reminded herself of that as she looked over to everyone.
Lori met her gaze again and motioned her forward. Haisley looked behind ber to the Dixon's camp and debated on heading there instead. However, based on what she saw before she headed to the quarry, she decided against it. She smiled to Daryl who wore his usual scowl and then made her way to Lori.
She gnawed on her lower lip as she sat down next to her bag. Everyone talked amongst themselves and she nervously stared down at her hands, trying to ignore the gauze starting at her wrists. Glenn nudged her shoulder lightly and her head jerked up, slightly flinching away from him. Concern flashed across his face and he carefully held a plate out to her.
Her lips pressed into a hard line and she nodded her head in thanks as her cheeks flushed red. Embarrassmemt flowed through her and she fought the urge to leave the circle. Instead she took the plate and slowly ate. She did her best to pace herself, knowing if she ate too quick she would make herself sick. It had been weeks since she had anything close to an actual meal. The beans were bland and as she tasted the meat she realized it was squirrel. Her eyes moved back to the Dixon's camp across from her and she saw the two brothers talking back and forth.
Glenn cleared his throat and everyone turned to him. "So any special requests for the next trip? Or just the usual?"
"We need everything we can find," Shane said from next to Lori. "Look, I know you don't like it, but you really should take a group this time."
"He's right," Andrea said before Glenn could argue. "More people means more supplies can be brought back."
"Yeah. And we're slower. We draw in more walkers," Glenn groaned.
"I know," Shane said, trying to pass off an aura of authority. "But we need all we can get. You're taking a group."
"I'll go," Andrea said, squeezing her sister's knee in reassurance. Amy protested but one look from Andrea and the girl quieted down.
"What the hell, I'm in," T-Dog sighed.
By the end it was Andrea, T-Dog, the father of the Morale's family, Jacqui, and Merle. Glenn argued against the eldest Dixon joining but Shane shut him down, saying Merle had to work for his spot here.
You have a lot of strong people going wih you, it'll be okay,Haisley wrote and showed to Glenn.
"It's just hard enough alone. More people complicates things. More can go wrong."
And more progress can be made.
He sighed at her note, looking unconvinced. "None of them have even been in the city yet. They're going in blind. That doesn't sit well with me."
When do you leave?
"I was planning on going the day after tomorrow. Leave once the sun's up. So I guess that's when the group will go."
She nodded and lost herself in thought. Atlanta had to be completely gone at this point. Scavenging there was not a smart option for the group. Though she hadn't dealt too much with the undead, she knew in large numbers they were a serious threat. However, from what Daryl had told her, these people didn't have a lot of survival skills tucked in their belts. By watching them she already had a grasp on who they were, or at least how they coped. By taking the group to Atlanta they were taking away all the fighters. It would leave behind only those who had never faced a true threat yet.
A shiver ran through her and she suddenly did not wish to stay here for that. Staying here, alone, with the children, the weaker of the women, and those who had never fought settled uneasily in her. Helplessness was something she no longer wanted to feel. Slowly her hand rested on the blade Daryl had given to her and she gripped the handle tightly. She was no longer back there, she was no longer helpless. For the time she may be weaker due to her malnutrition but that was temporary. If she worked to it she could get back to her healthy self.
As everyone began dividing off to bed, Glenn stood up last and raised an eyebrow to Haisley. She waved him off and sat until she was the only one left around the fire. They had stared at her in concern but she just gave them reassuring smiles and they eventually let her be. Her body begged her for sleep but her mind continued in circles. She knew she wouldn't be sleeping well tonight.
"Go to bed," someone said in passing. She flinched and turned, hand on her blade, before realizing it was only Daryl. His expression was unreadable and she did her best to show him she was sorry.
Why are you still up?
"Someone's gotta keep watch. None of these pricks will do it."
She smirked slightly and drew her knees to her chest. Her arms attempted to wrap around her legs but the gauze left her stiff and unable to bend. She groaned and fell back onto the cool ground. This was going to get annoying and she could feel her frustration building. The gauze was stiff and uncomfortable, it made her movements jerky and uncontrolled. It left her itchy and it irritated her aleady sensitive cuts.
"You ain't sleeping out here." A boot hit the bottom of her foot and she opened her eyes slightly so she could see him. One eyebrow was raised and he jerked his head towards her shared tent with Glenn. "Get in."
She snorted. I won't be able to sleep anyways. Damn gauze. I'm a modern day mummy.
"Is it bad?" She could have sworn she heard concern in his voice but waved it off.
Gauze is itchy. Arms hurt. But I feel better than I have in a long time.
She heard him grunt then listened to his footfalls as he walked away. Slowly she pulled herself up and watched as he climbed to the top of the RV. Dale passed of the rifle and climbed down after a few words, though Daryl didn't seem to take much from the conversation. Dale noticed her by the fire and stopped a few feet from her.
"You know, it must be hard adjusting to a new area, especially after all you've been through. But giving yourself time to rest may not be a bad plan," he paused, looking thoughtfully out to the forest. "If you ever need anything, anything at all, just let me know. I've been told I'm a good listener. Or reader, if that works better."
She smiled kindly to let him know she heard him and he waved her farewell before disappearing into the camper. Something about Dale reassured her she was safe. The man had a calming essence to him and she found herself breathing a little easier. It wasn't that she had any real issues with the group over the past day, but there were way too many of them. Before the undead she had only a small close knit group of friends. Her inability to talk often left her unable to communicate. Because of that anxieties rose in her whenever she was within a large group.
A shiver ran through her and she remembered she was left only in her tank top. Georgian nights were far from cold but a chill lingered over the area. Looking around she recalled everyone had long went to bed. Then she gazed to the RV. A quiet debate ran through her head before she hauled herself up the ladder. Daryl didn't look to her and instead stayed focused on the forest as he took a hit off of a cigarette. She walked lightly until she was next to him.
Finally, when he glanced to her, she began signing. Everyone's asleep. I don't have anything of my own. Do you know where I can get a shirt?
He didn't respond and she suddenly felt stupid for seeking him out. He hadn't necessarily gone out of his way to be mean to her but he wasn't openly fond of her either. A sigh slipped past her lips and she turned to leave. Something tapped her arm and caused her to stop. She looked to him and saw him holding the rifle out to her. She grabbed it in confusion.
"Ya know how to shoot?"
She nodded.
"Good. Don't. Just keep an eye out."
She stared in confusion until she saw him descend down the ladder. Once he was out of sight she held the rifle up, allowing herself to adjust to the weight. She stood in front of the chair Daryl had sat in and looked to the trees. It was quiet out here. Peaceful. Instead of feeling calm, she was now on edge. Every area she had been to before was never quiet like this. The undead were always a constant noise around her. Echoes of Atlanta rang through her head and she found the trees shifting until she was staring across at the broken skyscrapers instead. She looked away and tried to center herself. Looking back the city was gone and the forest was back.
Another few minutes passed and then she could hear Daryl climbing back up the ladder. She stood awkwardly, holding the rifle as she waited for him to speak. He took the rifle from her with one hand and handed her a shirt wih the other. An eyebrow raised as she looked to the flannel in hand.
"It's clean. It'll get you through tonight."
She nodded and shoved her arms through the sleeves. Instantly she felt better, not only warmer but not so vulnerable. Unlike the other shirts she had seen, this one still had sleeves and she had to roll up them up slightly so her hands could peek through. A smile slipped onto her lips and she quickly buttoned it up.
Daryl watched her the whole time, unconciously biting he skin on his thumb. Dealing with females was not his fortè but with Haisley it was tolerable. Maybe it was due to her silence she was forced with that caused him to stay calm. The sight of her now, in his shirt, almost caused him to smirk but, instead, he moved to the front of the RV.
He heard her move around and glanced at her as she sat in one if the lawn chairs. Her legs were pulled up to her chest and her chin rested on her knees. Quickly he averted his eyes before she noticed and went back to watch. He hadn't openly noticed before, but she was always in his sight. Whether she just happened to be there or he sought her out.
Are you going to Atlanta too? she asked when he moved to the back of the RV.
"Nah. No point going there now." He paused as he peered out into the trees, trying to see anything. Paranoia ran through him. The quarry was not somewhere he would have picked, not with this group. "Going hunting. Take a day or two. Get us a deer. Cook up some venison."
Do you have to go tomorrow? Can someone at least go wih you?
"Group needs food, Haisley. Especially you. Canned food ain't gonna do you much good," he replied as he continued a full round on the RV. He looked to her, already expecting her to reply. Over the past forty eight hours, whether he wanted to admit it or not, she had grown on him. If only slightly. She hadn't expected anything from him. Never demanded him to do something or behave differently. In a sense, they were the same in the group. The outcast. While she had seemed to merge well with the other members, she could only speak freely around him. She didn't seem upset by that, actually she felt the opposite. Though Daryl was rough around the edges, she found a certain charm to him.
Can't Merle at least go with you?
"Can't. He's doing that Atlanta trip."
She shuddered. At the mere thought of the city her skin crawled. Both of you are stupid.
"Gotta survive somehow, girl. Nothing kills a Dixon but a Dixon."
They fell into a comfortable silence as he sat beside her and he began working on his crossbow. Tonight was calm for the group. Everyone settled down for the night and, if she didn't know any better, she'd say the dead weren't actually walking. For the first time since this whole thing began, she felt at peace. She glanced to Daryl and smiled. The man had saved her. He brought her back from Hell and she didn't know how to repay him. She only wished the others would truly see him. Sure he was a little harsh, a little crass. She would never deny that Daryl could be an absolute jerk, but at the same time he was also so much more.
Sometime throughout the night she began to fall asleep. It was fitful at best. She managed to maintain an sense of sane among the group, but in her head, her dreams, she was shattered. Broken. Tied to a being that was slowly destroying her...
"Haisley, you truly are beautiful," he cooed as he dug the blade along her ribs. Silent whimpers passed her lips but she held her tears at bay. "You've always been gorgeous, you know that?"
He moved the blade slowly across her ribs and moved over to her arms. His face contorted, shifting to a sickly sweet smile as he dug deep into her forearms. The time had passed agonizingly slow for the young girl. Has it been months at this point? Weeks? Days? She did not know. She prayed for death. Whether it was his or her own she did not care. All she wanted was for him to suffer. To live in pain and fear just like she was. Only, now, she was too weak to move. Too weak to even lift her head.
"My sweet, sweet Haisley... Where would you be without me? I am your protector. Your savior. Just as you are my everything, soon you will realize I am all you have."
She jerked awake as a hand rested on her shoulder. For a moment she struggled before the hunting knife was in hand, only not aimed at any monsters that hunted her. No, it was aimed to Daryl. A whimper escaped her and the blade slipped from her grasp. It landed with a thud on the roof and tears welled up in her eyes. She looked away, embarrassment joining in with the fear radiating through her. Her fingers lightly trailed over the bandages and she tried to push the memories deeper within her. All she wanted was to forget. Quietly she begged any higher power to rid her of this past, of what had shattered what was left of her. While she wanted to look to Daryl, she could not move her gaze.
He shifted next to her and after a short few seconds something prodded at her leg. She glanced over, keeping her eyes down, and saw the handle to her knife. Tentatively she reached out and her fingers wrapped around it. She swallowed passed the lump in her throat and slowly placed it back into the sheath.
Instead of speaking he stayed silently next to her. A lighter clicked and soon the smell of tabaccoo took over. She focused on everythig around her. The way the shirt hung loosely on her. The feel of the cooled wind. The smell of smoke. Anything to ground her. Anything to distract her distraught brain.
Out of the corner of her eye, Daryl's hand came next to her. Between his fingers was the lit cigarette. She glanced to him but his gaze was off towards the trees. With shaky hands she took it, moving it to her lips and inhaling deeply. She hadn't been a constant smoker, usually only enjoying one in the morning and before bed. But as she took in the nicotine, she felt herself start to relax. She kept the cigarette for a few more hits before giving it back to him. This time, his blue eyes met hers.
Time passed again in a haze. Her mind focused on everything and nothing at once. Neither had spoken and she quietly craved to hear her companions deep voice, a new distraction to keep the demons at bay.
Her eyes moved to Daryl and she was grateful for his presence. For once he had finally cleaned up and she admired him. His broad shoulders, his tousled hair, the way he relaxed as he scanned the area. This Daryl was different than the one who interracted with the group. She was grateful he allowed her to see this part of him. Again, she could only assume he saw himself in her as she saw herself in him. Two broken people drawn together.
How long until someone takes over?
"Glenn's coming up here soon."
She nodded and ran her hands up her arms, attempting to spread some warmth to her. While it was not necessarily too cold out now, she was still gaining back her weight and strength. While she hated feeling so helpless she knew she could not rush the process. If food supplies could be kept up she could gain back what she lost. One of the reasons the young Dixon was going out. Though he would never admit it, she could tell when he had spoken to her before.
They sat for awhile, neither speaking, and Haisley felt herself growing tired by the minute. She was determined to stay up but her body was shutting down. Her head leaned back against the seat and her eyes finally closed.
Daryl noticed this out of the corner of his eye and sighed. Haisley should have been resting this entire time but instead refused to sit. Based on her one full day at camp, she was always up to something. Even in her state, she did more in one day than half the people here. It proved more and more that she was a true survivor. He couldn't help but admire her, in a way. Yesterday, after she had cleaned up and finally relaxed, he realized how beautiful she actually was. Despite the bandages that had lined her arms and chest, her eyes shown in wonder and pure joy. Her emerald greens met his on multiple occasions. No matter the circumstance she never looked to him in fear or concern. A smile lit up her entire face whenever she saw him.
The first time he noticed it he had easily wrote it off. Obviously it was due to the fact he was the first to meet her. He tried to avoid her after that. He didn't need the girl hanging around. Distance was always safe. But then her eyes sought him out. Even with his harsh tone and short words, she chose to treat him with the same kindness, unlike the others. Unfamiliar emotions raged through him. A protective side he had never known rose to the surface. Even if he had only known her for a short time, there was a bond he tried not to awknowlege. He was a Dixon. Dixon's didn't know friendship. They didn't know love. They knew to survive. Anything else was weakness.
He tried to ignore looking to her and focused on the treeline, keeping his eyes trained for any kind of movement or somehing out of the ordinary. The quarry has been surprisingly safe so far but, unlike the others, Daryl did not want to trust it. Anything that was too good to be true usually was. He had learned that lesson early in life as things never worked out for the Dixon family. However, everyone else seemed fine with pretending it wasn't the end of the world.
After another half hour Glenn climbed up the ladder and froze once he reached the top. He glanced between the two and shuffled awkwardly. Daryl rolled his eyes and reached over to gently shake Haisley awake. She jolted away from him but when she realized it was only the hunter she relaxed. She turned and smiled sheepishley to Glenn before making her way to the ladder. Daryl followed a few feet behind her and scowled when he saw the asian's eyes trailing over her, lingering when she wasn't looking.
When Glenn looked back to Daryl a blush rose to his cheeks when he was caught watching the girl.
"Quiet night?" he tried.
Daryl just grunted in response and thrust the rifle into the other man's hands. He tried to ignore the irritarion building in him. Afterall, she wasn't his girl. The thought caused him to pause at the bottom of the ladder. His girl?He scowled again and pushed the thoughts as deep into his mind as he could. Distance. He needed distance from that infuriating girl.
