Hershel has bandaged up my ankle, confirming it wasn't broken just needing time to heal and tended to the wound in my side, cleaning it and handing me a bottle of antibiotics.
I thanked him gratefully before hobbling down the hallway of the Greene family home, determined to find out how Daryl was doing. I heard my Dad let out an exhausted breath before I saw him, he opened his arms and engulfed me in a bear hug.
"Don't you ever do anything like that again." He murmured into my hair, I pulled back to arms length so I could look him in the eye.
"If I hadn't done it Daryl wouldn't be with us anymore, Daryl's family now too. I'd do it all over again tomorrow if I had to."
Dad had sighed, nodding his head and placing a kiss on my forehead before continuing down the hall.
I knocked awkwardly on the door of Daryls room, I never pried with Daryl before, always talked when he started the conversation, let him come to me and let him end the conversation without explanation when he wanted to.
A growl sounded from the other side of the door, I took it as a queue to come in.
Gingerly stepping aside, what I hoped was a warm smile on my face, I peeped around the door.
Daryl was lying in the bed, the sheets pulled up to his chin, there was a bandage around his forehead but apart from that he looked good, healthy.
"Are we still keeping score on how many times I saved your ass?" I asked, jokingly. The ghost of a smirk appeared on his face before fading just as quickly.
"Reckon you outdid us both today," He grumbled, pulling the sheets closer to his chin as I moved towards him, taking a seat beside his bed.
An awkward silence filled the room as I studied the floorboards and he scowled at the blank wall opposite him.
"You're going to find her," My voice didn't come out quite as strong as I thought it would, clearing my throat I chanced a glance at him. "You're going to find her but please don't get yourself killed in the process."
Daryl was staring at me in a mixture of confusion and chagrin, his jaw was working furiously as he surveyed me, making me feel slightly uncomfortable, Daryl barely talked to people never mind looking right at them.
"Hershels pissed I took his damn horse." He grunted, I was grateful to him for changing the subject.
"I think you learned your lesson." I grinned. "How's your side? You lost a lot of blood."
"Fine." He lulled back into his normal behavior. "Reckon yours is worse."
"Nah, Carl will be pissed he think he's great cause him and Dad have matching gunshot wounds, wait till he hears we have matching scars from being impaled." I laughed lightly, my side tingling at the movement it caused.
A gently knock came on the door before Carols face appeared from behind it. She had a plate of food in her hand and informed me mine was on the table in the Dining room.
I threw Daryl one last smile before exiting the room and placing myself at the smaller table with Glenn, Maggie, Beth and Jimmy in the Dining Room. I felt like I was put sitting at the kids table at a wedding.
The only noise to be heard for the duration of dinner was the clinking of knives and forks, I felt like I could cut the tension with a butter knife.
It was no secret that Hershel didn't approve of us staying on his land and we were going through his medical supplies faster than intended.
"So does anyone know how to play guitar?" Glenn asked the group at large, the ever positive smile spread on his features. No one answered. "Dale found a pretty cool one, c'mon, someone's gotta know how to play."
For the first time I envied Carl and Daryl, being able to lie in their beds and not have to deal with the tension settling in between everyone.
"Otis did." Patricia muttered. The tension thickening ever so slightly.
"That's right," Hershel nodded gently. "And he was very good at it too."
The clinking of forks sounded again as the tension thickened once more, Glenn turned back towards his food. Looking more defeated than ever.
I hobbled out of my tent to be greeted with sun and everyone awake and working. "You should have woke me." I yawned to Mom as she walked by carrying a load of laundry.
"You need your rest after yesterday, keep all that strength you have to heal up good." She pointed matter of factly.
I found out Daryl had exited the Green household as early as he could, making his way to his own campsite, far away from ours.
"Do you think he'll ever mix with us?" I asked Glenn, gazing towards the distant shadow in the trees that was Daryl's tent.
"What? Who?" Glenn jumped slightly, his eyes filled with worry.
"Are you okay? You're acting weird?" I asked, concerned, Glenn was never worried.
"I'm not acting weird." He coughed. "Just didn't sleep well."
I watched Glenns back retreating from me before turning back to the shadow of Daryl's tent, my eyes narrowed as Andreas form emerged from it.
"Nikki can you come here please." I heard Dad calling, I scowled towards Andrea one last time before following Dads voice.
He, Dale, Shane and Mom were stood in a circle around Carl whose head was hanging low, concentrating on the ground.
Carl had been deemed well enough to move back outside with the rest of us this morning. I bit my lip to stop from laughing, trust him to be freed of house arrest only to be landed in trouble five minutes later.
"What did he do now?" I sighed, receiving a death glare from Carl.
"Your brother stole a gun." Mom informed me gravely, I could tell she was trying hard not to raise her voice, tensions were already high enough with Hershel's family we didn't need them knowing we were arming inexperienced kids.
"He asked me to train him, he wants to know how." Shane sighed, his hands resting on his hips.
"I say go for it." I shrugged, Mom huffed out a breath but didn't say anything.
"Nikki was about Carls age when we first started training her the basics, she was even younger than that when she was taught about how to hold a gun and use it safely." Dad tried to reason.
"Yeah which I was never told about!" Mom's temper was raising quickly, her breath quivering with the effort the restraint was causing her.
"Well I'm glad of it now," I laughed slightly. "There's not a chance I'd survive in this world if I didn't, I'm one more armed person to protect everyone else too. Shane was the best trainer around he taught kids way younger than Carl."
Mom shook her head in defeat before storming off towards the washing line.
"I think that's the closest thing to a blessing you're gonna get." I shrugged, looking between Shane and Dad.
The trucks were loaded up with every gun we had and people were finding a seat in each one. Dad and Shane had found a decent training spot for those wanting to learn to shoot.
I watched as Glenn muttered an excuse about not coming along, stuttering about mechanics and Dale.
I exchanged a worried glance with Dale as our truck left. It made me feel on edge when Glenn was jumpy, there was obviously something worrying him and that could never be a good thing.
