I sat on the roof of the RV with Andrea, bored to tears and wondering why I hadn't thought to bring a book. I'd spent the morning helping with chores in the house, unable to go look for Sophia because of my ankle. Everyone but Daryl had returned from the search, and I was worried he'd been hurt. Maggie had been pissed when she realized he'd taken a horse without asking and said it was a nervous one that was likely to bolt if it got spooked. Maggie had warmed up to me a little, but she was still very wary of the group as a whole.

Andrea jumped to her feet and pointed at the tree line. "Walker!" she yelled. Shane and Rick ran toward it, and Andrea sighted the rifle. "Andrea, stop!" I yelled. "You'll shoot Rick or Shane! You don't know what you're doing yet!" She ignored me, dropping down to take aim. "Andrea! Fuck!" I scrambled down the ladder of the RV just as I heard the shot ring out, and Rick yell in horror, and I just knew it was Daryl. I could see Rick and Shane picking him up and pulling him toward the house, Glenn and T-Dog right behind them.

I ran toward the porch, yelling for Herschel, who took one look at Daryl and prepared his surgery room. Once Daryl was behind closed doors I sank down on the steps of the house and buried my face in my hands. I was pretty sure he wasn't dead, but he'd obviously been hurt even before the bullet grazed his head, and while Herschel seemed competent, his guest room wasn't exactly a first-rate medical facility.

I lifted my head to find Andrea hesitantly approaching the house. "Any news?" A wave of anger rush over me and I got to my feet. "Are you fucking kidding me? Get the fuck away from here Andrea! You acted like an idiot - again - and now Daryl is in there having surgery. I TOLD you not to take that shot! You could have killed him!" I rarely yelled, but I was terrified for Daryl and beyond calm discussion. Andrea had backed up slightly as I yelled at her, but she put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "I was just doing my part to protect the group. He looked like a walker!"

Her defiance was the last straw and I completely lost it. All I could think about was how Daryl had put more effort into looking for Sophia and providing for the group than anyone else, and how no one seemed to appreciate it except maybe Carol. My clenched fist connected with her face and she stumbled back and lost her balance, landing on her ass in the dirt.

I shook out my stinging hand and strode back to my tent to get away from the stunned faces of Glenn, Carol, and Lori who had watched it all go down. Dale was hurrying toward Andrea to help her up and I was sure he'd piss me off even more if I heard him placate her. I'd never hit anyone like that, and I felt like I was losing it just a little.

Lori and Carol had cooked dinner in the house for everyone that night, so we all sat around for an awkward meal. I saw Carol take Daryl a tray of food, and waited until she'd left before going into his room. Herschel had promised he'd be fine ("tough enough to survive almost anything, that one") but I needed to see for myself. He was sitting up and eating and looked up at me without pausing.

I sat on the side of the bed while he finished and took his plate from him when he was done. "Daryl, I'm so sorry you got hurt," I started, trying to keep my voice steady. "I tried to stop Andrea from shooting but she didn't listen. If you'd died I just don't know what . . ." I trailed off and bit my lip, willing the tears in my eyes not to fall.

Daryl shifted on the pillows uncomfortably. "Not yer fault. An' she was just tryin' to protect the camp. Stupid, but I guess she won't do it again. Just pissed I can't go out tomorrow and search more where I found the doll." Rick had told us about Daryl's find, and I nodded. "I'll go out and look tomorrow, and I'm sure a bunch of others will too. It's not all on you, you know."

Daryl rubbed at his bandaged head and laid back further. "Still. I'll be fine in a day, and I can get back out there." He rolled over and I stood to leave. The bedside lamp threw the scars on his back into sharp relief, but I didn't let my eyes linger. He wouldn't appreciate any comments or questions about something so personal.

Dale cornered me as I came out of the house and asked me to go for a walk. "I know you're upset about Daryl, and I get that he's special to you. But Andrea feels terrible, and you know it was an accident. You need to patch things up with her." I shook my head and faced him.

"Dale, it's not just the whole thing with Andrea. And it's not that Daryl is special to me; we're barely friends. It's just that no one seems to see how hard he's working to find Sophia, or how much work he did to feed the group back at camp. He contributes more than anyone, but you all write him off as a hothead redneck who's going to take off at any moment. That hurts him, whether he shows it or not. I don't know him very well, but he took me in when he didn't have to, and he even promised my kids he'd keep me safe. He's a good guy."

I knew my remarks had hit home by the guilt on Dale's face. He sighed. "You're right. You're absolutely right. That is how we've seen Daryl. I'll be honest though, I've been impressed by him since we left the CDC. There's a lot more to him than meets the eye and as long as he keeps that temper under control he's an incredible asset to the group. I'll try harder to get to know him, okay?"

I nodded and rubbed my forehead tiredly. "And I'll talk to Andrea. I know I shouldn't have hit her, regardless of what she did." Dale smiled. "Yeah, but it was a pretty impressive shot. Knocked her right on her ass." I grinned and rubbed my sore hand. "Hurts like a bitch though. I don't think I'm going to get into MMA any time soon."