Daryl was nowhere to be found at breakfast but showed up to gather a group for a run to a nearby town shortly afterward. We were low on formula, and I'd asked if they could look for some bulk spices and salt the next time they were at a grocery store. I often went along, especially for specific things I needed for food prep, but Herschel had asked me and Maggie to help him inventory the medical supplies, for a pharmacy run later in the week. Glenn and Daryl took some of the Woodbury folks with them instead, including Ben.

I enjoyed spending the morning with Herschel and Maggie and was reminded again of how much the larger group exhausted me. I loved the mission of our community, building a life for folks in the middle of an apocalypse, but at the end of the day, I wanted to just sit with the ones I considered family, and forget about everyone else.

We'd finished up our list of medical supply requests when we heard the vehicles returning to the prison yard and went outside to see what they'd brought back. Daryl jumped out of the driver's seat of our box truck and grabbed his crossbow before storming past us into the prison. Glenn followed more slowly, and I saw Ben and the others climb out of the back of the truck and begin unloading boxes. "What happened?" Maggie asked Glenn worriedly and he shook his head, confused.

"I'm not sure. I went with Ben to get formula and he decided to check another shelf, which was fine. I had a close brush with a walker though, and I guess Daryl thought Ben should have stayed with me. He totally lost it and punched him."

We all looked to where Ben was carrying a bag of supplies toward the kitchen and sure enough, the left side of his face was puffy and red, well on its way to a black eye. Maggie narrowed her eyes in his direction. "Remind me to thank Daryl later," she said, and Glenn shook his head. "Seriously, it wasn't that big of a deal. He was just trying to help and happened to step away at the wrong time." Maggie wasn't listening, but Glenn was clearly fine and I thought Daryl had probably overreacted.

I went to the kitchen to help put away the supplies and found Ben unpacking some spices. "Hey there," I said, taking the bag from him. "Looks like you guys found some great stuff." He looked up at me and I could see his eye was beginning to swell shut so I dug through the cupboards for some arnica salve I'd made. "You should probably have Herschel take a look at that," I said. "For now, put this on."

Ben shook his head and closed his eyes as he unscrewed the jar and began dabbing the greasy concoction on his injury. "I know he's useful, but that redneck asshole is also a danger to everyone in this group." Before I could answer, another box of dry goods was dropped onto the countertop next to me and I spun around to find Daryl already heading back for the door. Ben's eyes flew open and he exhaled sharply. "Well, that's not going to help. I think I need to talk to Rick about him. My kids shouldn't see folks in charge behave like that."

I put the jar of salve back in the cupboard and slammed it shut. "You don't know a damn thing about Daryl," I said, voice shaking in anger. "He's the reason we're all still alive, and if you put Glenn in danger because you don't understand how to have someone's back out there, you deserved a lot more than a black eye." I walked away from Ben's shocked face, looking for the familiar wings on Daryl's vest amongst the group outside but he was nowhere to be found.

I eventually tracked him down in the outbuilding we'd repurposed as a space for car repair, tinkering with a motorcycle he'd been working on. "Sounds like it got a little dicey out there," I ventured. "I guess some of these Woodbury folks need more training before we let them protect our own." Daryl shrugged without looking up at me, and I couldn't think of how to bridge the gap that had developed between us.

I moved closer and reached out to put my hand on his arm. "Daryl," I started, but he jerked his arm free and moved around to the other side of the bike. "Jesus woman, can't you see I'm busy," he growled. "Don' feel like talkin' about shit that already happened. Go patch up that douchebag and leave me alone."

I shook my head. "I just told that douchebag that he deserved more than a black eye for putting Glenn in danger and talking about you like that, so I'd rather not, thanks." He looked up at that, but just shook his head and went back to tinkering. "S'fine. Don' need you to defend me, and neither does Glenn. You get that list from Herschel?" The quick subject change prevented any further discussion, so I gave him the list and turned to leave.

I hesitated in the doorway. "Will I see you tonight?" I asked tentatively, looking at his head bowed over the bike. He grunted noncommittally and I waited for a moment but he didn't offer anything else or look at me, so I walked slowly back to the kitchen, my stomach in knots.