Wow. I find those break lines where I just write BREAK really annoying, so I'm gong to put in te liney thingy to make it more atteactive. The reason I didn't before is because I'm normally struggling to make the bus, let alone update, so... Thank heavens for winter break! I slept until like, 11 this mornng. SO HAPPY!
"Hey." Carl had sat down in the lawn chair beside her bed and she smiled slightly.
"Hey. Daryl's gonna kick you out of that lawn chair when he gets back- he's claimed it."
"Oh. Hey- listen. I'm sorry about what my mom and Shane did."
She shrugged. "Not your fault."
"I... I have to tell you something. But you have to promise me... promise me you won't get mad." Carl said.
"I promise." Jamie said.
"I... I went into the woods. And I threw rocks at a walker stuck in the mud. And it got free. And it... it was the walker that killed Dale."
She sat up, looking shocked. "What!?"
"You promised you wouldn't get mad!" Carl said.
"I'm not mad, I'm just... Have you told anyone?"
Carl nodded. "Shane and my dad know, but you're the first girl. Even my mom doesn't know. Promise you won't tell anyone?"
She nodded. "I promise. I'm sorry I've been avoiding you. I just... I just don't want you to make me act like a kid again." she admitted.
"What? But why?" Carl asked.
"Because when I act like a kid I think I'm safe- I let my guard down and then something bad happens- like in that game of hide and seek. So I didn't let my guard down anymore."
Carl nodded. "I'm not playing anymore, either. No more kid stuff- my day gave me this." he pulled the gun from his pocket, showing it to her.
"That's Daryl's gun." Jamie said, narrowing her eyes at him.
"My Dad made sure Daryl had a new gun. I... I took it to go walker hunting." he admitted, a bit ashamed.
"What if Daryl had needed that gun? What if he died because he thought he had it and he didn't?" Jamie asked, hands clenching into fists.
"I know it was wrong, and I'm sorry..."
"Helluva time to be sorry!" she said, raising her voice, Carl looked hurt, and she quickly quieted down, not wanting Daryl to hear and come upstairs.
"Promise me you will NEVER do something like that again." she hissed.
"I promise." Carl said. He put the gun back in his waistband and they sat in awkward silence for a minute, before Carl reached out and felt her forehead.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Checking your fever. You can't die on me now." Carl said. "My Dad told me they had to put maggots on your foot?"
She nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah. To eat the rotting flesh. Wanna see?"
Carl nodded, and she gently pulled the sheet off her foot. The maggots had burrowed into the infected puncture wounds and some sat on top of her skin, gnawing on the puss-covered parts.
Carl winced. "Does it hurt?"
"No. I've had maggots in me before."
"I hope you feel better soon." Carl said. He gingerly leaned down and kissed her cheek.
As soon as he pulled back, Daryl entered. "Carl. Your mom's looking for you."
He nodded, and quickly left the room. Jamie was blushing furiously.
Daryl took his place in the lawn chair, noticing her foot and the maggots.
"It looks better." he said.
She nodded, but she was thinking about Carl. He'd kissed her. Should she have kissed back?
Daryl noticed her blush and mistook it for a feverish flush and reached out, touching her cheek lightly with the back of his hand.
"Fever's back up." He muttered. "Want me to go get Carol?"
She nodded. Maybe her fever had gone up, or maybe it was just the blush, but regardless, she needed someone female to talk to right about now.
"Are you okay, Honey?" Carol asked when she came in. Jamie nodded, and Carol went to get a wet cloth and dab at her forehead. She felt cold, all of a sudden, very cold...
"Get Hershel. This fever shouldn't be going up like this..." Carol ordered, and Daryl quickly obeyed, leaving them alone.
"Hey, Carol?" Jamie asked quietly.
"What is it sweetheart? You need some water, maybe some broth?"
She shook her head. "You ever been in love with somebody?"
The question caught Carol completely off-guard, and she dropped the wet washcloth on her face.
"I'm sorry, honey." Carol picked up the washcloth and dried her face on her shirt. "You just surprised me, is all... Yes. I've been in love before."
"What did it feel like?" she asked.
Carol smiled tenderly. "It's Carl, isn't it?"
She nodded. "He kissed me on the cheek. And it felt... good."
Carol brushed a stray lock of chestnut hair from the girl's face. "Has anyone told you about the birds and the bees?"
"What!? Yes! Please, I got the talk once, I don't need it twice..." she said, looking like Carol was telling her she was going to beat her with a stick.
Carol laughed. "Okay, then. Well, if it feels right, and if he treats you well, then it's okay. But if he ever puts his hands on you- just walk out. Because if you take it once, he'll know he can hit you, and he'll always do it..."
Jamie nodded, but she was still flying high, even if she was tired. Daryl returned a moment later, looking concerned, with Hershel.
He stuck a thermometer in her mouth and read the temperature- she didn't get a chance to see it. But she could tell it was high by the look on Daryl's face. She blinked, trying to stop feeling sleepy...
"That's good. Her body is starting to fight the infection again, now that the maggots are reducing the breeding ground for germs..." Hershel said, and Jamie blinked sleepily.
"Daryl?" She asked. Daryl was instantly beside her, taking her hand.
"Yeah, Jamie?"
"'M tired..." she mumbled.
Daryl nodded. "Just go to sleep. You'll feel better in the morning."
And she drifted off into a blissful sleep.
"She awake yet?" Carl asked, slightly anxious. He hadn't been allowed in her room for the past two days, and he was left to wonder if she was slipping away or not.
"No. Still asleep. Like you should be." Daryl said, before shutting the door, leaving Carl outside the room. He was getting unnerved by how persistent the kid was. Ever since he'd heard she'd gotten worse, he'd been inside the house and hadn't left. Normally, it was hard to get the kid to stay in, but now he was finding it hard to get him to leave.
Jamie had been asleep for two solid days, now. She was getting fluids from an IV, but her fever had stayed at a steady 103, which as starting to get to him. Sure, she was getting water from the IV, but she'd need to eat sometime. Carol had kicked him out of the room twenty minutes ago, insisting it wasn't healthy for him to just sit here, so he'd gone for a short walk before coming back.
"Anything?" he asked.
Carol shook her head, and Daryl sighed. "What the hell, Jamie? Why are you doing this to me? Just wake up." he flickered a glance at her, but she didn't stir.
She moaned, before starting to thrash- it'd happened before, and Daryl moved to hold her down and keep her from hurting herself and ripping out the IV. He didn't know what she was reliving, but it wasn't anything good. She'd sometimes scream for Lily, or Ryder, or her parents, but this time, she was silent...
She was still, then, and he looked down to see her eyes open. "Daryl?"
"Welcome back to the land of the living, kid." he grinned, and Carol smiled.
"What the hell- how long have I been out for?" she asked.
"Two days. Your foot's cleaned out pretty good, all the maggots died off."
She nodded, looking down to see her foot in sterile bandages.
"Can I walk?" she asked, hopeful.
"Not until your fever breaks." Carol said firmly.
"Carol..." she complained.
"No. I'm not budging, You've almost died too many times since you got here, you stay in this bed and hope your fever breaks before you go stir crazy." Carol said, and she sighed, laying back.
Rick entered then. "Daryl- how is she?" he asked, concern etched in his features. he stopped when he saw Jamie looking at him.
"Hi." she said, smiling weakly.
Rick smiled, coming to perch on the end of her bed. "Hey. Good to see you're awake- we thought we'd lost you for a bit there."
She shrugged. "Nope. I don't leave that easy. Now if only Carol lets me out of this goddamn bed..."
"Not until your fever breaks." Carol said, and Jamie sighed.
"Rick, you're almost out of venison, aren't you?" Daryl asked. It had just occurred to him he'd been so busy with Jamie, he hadn't hunted.
"Yeah, but you were busy..." Rick said.
Daryl shook his head. "I'll go."
Jamie looked remorseful, knowing there was no way she was going on this hunting trip. "Be back by dark, or I'll go out looking for you." she threatened.
Daryl nodded. "Don't worry, kid. I'll be back before that."
And she was left alone with Carol.
"Want something to eat, sweetie? Some broth, maybe?" she asked.
Jamie was about to refuse when she realized she was starving. She nodded, humbled. She would only let Carol do this, she decided. Only Carol and Daryl would see the weak side of her, since she trusted them.
Carol got up and left the room to go and get it. A moment later, Carl entered. There was a smudge of dirt around his jawline, but he grinned.
"They wouldn't let me see you. Glad you're awake."
She nodded. "Me too."
"I missed you. How's the foot?" his eyes lingered on the sterile bandages, and he grinned. "They going to let you out anytime soon?"
She shook her head. "Carol says not until the fever's gone."
"Maybe this will help." Carl leaned down to kiss her cheek again, but she was there first, and their lips met in a hot flash of glory, like they'd both been struck by lightening. They finally pulled away, both wide-eyed and staring at the other.
They heard Carol's footsteps on the stairs. "I better go. Get better soon." Carl said breathlessly, before slipping out of the room.
Carol smiled when she saw Jamie laying with her eyes closed. "Don't go to sleep just yet, Jamie. We have to get some food into you." She settled down in the chair beside the bed, and Jamie reached shakily for the bowl.
"Ah-ah-ah." Carol said. "You're my baby bird until your fever breaks. I get to feed you. Besides- it's hot. Wouldn't want you to burn yourself."
Jamie rolled her eyes, but she was smiling a little, and she opened her mouth and allowed Carol to spoon feed her. She remembered her mother doing this to her when she was ten and had the flu- she'd been so shaky she couldn't lift a glass of water to her lips, and her mother, her beautiful mother, had sat down with a mug of broth and spoon fed her when she woke up.
She kept her eyes closed, simply waiting for Carol to out the next spoonful of broth into her mouth, before she was full and gently laid back.
Carol stroked her hair gently until she fell asleep.
Daryl strode through the woods silently, crossbow loaded, ready. Hunting seemed less attractive without Jamie there with him. He'd promised her he'd be back before dark, and he needed something to bring home...
He heard the moaning and whirled, putting an arrow through the walker's head.
It was then he heard another moan behind him, and one to his left, and right... At least fifteen walkers emerged from the brush, making him wish he had Jamie with him. They were closing in, he received an inspiration, swinging up into the tree, pulling a leaf from Jamie's book.
The walkers below him clawed frantically at the trunk, but he stood. He took aim and fired off his bow, dropping one. He had three arrows left, and his knife. He hung onto a branch above for stability and sank the knife into the frothing walker's head, bringing it to the ground. He would fight them all day if he had to- he was doing this for Jamie.
"M' back." Daryl muttered a few hours later. It was almost dusk. He dropped his game line in camp, six squirrels, two rabbits, and a woodchuck he'd found running around. He turned back towards the house, leaving his bow outside- Patricia didn't like it when he brought it inside- before heading upstairs.
He laid his hand on her forehead- she was asleep, but her skin was cool- he smiled at Carol. "Fever broke."
She nodded. "But that means tomorrow she'll be wanting to get up and out of bed."
Daryl smiled. "Let her. I know she' ready- I just hope the world is."
Carol chuckled and shook her head before standing and leaving him alone with her- Daryl Dixon was something else.