I know! It's been a few days, and I'm sorry. I had to ride home from florida, like 20 hours, with my annoying family, sleep, workout at Martial arts, sleep, school, martial arts, and now this before- guess what- sleep! Please review! Hugs! :)

Jamie was just walking out of the prison when she saw people crowded around someone. For what seemed like no reason, her heart jumped to her throat, and as the crowd parted she could see Carol and Rick, each with an arm of an unconscious Daryl slung over their shoulder as they dragged him towards the guard tower...

"Dad!" the scream was torn from her throat, suddenly replaced with pure terror. He was fine, he'd been fine all day,they'd even gone hunting together...

"What the hell happened!?" she demanded, running over to Rick.

"He just collapsed. Someone get Hershel!" He yelled to the crowd of onlookers from Woodbury.

"Dad..." They reached a relatively soft area of grass, they laid Daryl down...

"Why is he wearing a glove?" Jamie asked, noticing the one leather glove on his hand. She slowly peeled it off, shaking, terrified she'd find a bite wound, a death-sentence...

She nearly cried with relief when she saw it was a cut. An infected, disgusting cut, but he still had a chance, nonetheless.

He was sweating, hair plastered to his face with it, and she brushed the chestnut bangs away from his face, feeling the heat radiating off him and blaming herself. How had she not known?

She could hear Hershel's crutches on the concrete, but she didn't move. She just sat beside her father, stroking his hair. He moaned.

"Dad... why the hell didn't you tell me?" She whispered. A moan escaped Daryl's lips, and his eyelids fluttered. He was burning up.

"Hey Jamie..." he said, voice not as strong as usual. He blinked hard, trying to focus on her.

"What the hell, Dad?" she asked, sounding close to tears.

"Don' worry 'bout me, Jamie." he said simply, giving her small hand a gentle squeeze.

"D-dad... you can't leave me. You promised..." she said, struggling to fight back the tears.

"I won't, Jamie..." he promised, before his eyes fluttered closed again.

"Dammit! Dammit dad!" She blinked rapidly, and Hershel knelt in front of Daryl, checking his pulse and other things.

"He needs antibiotics." Hershel said simply when he was done.

"Where? Tell me where and I'll get them." Jamie said, looking up desperately.

"We have some." Hershel said simply.

"You can't let him die. Please..." Jamie looked into the old man's eyes on the verge of tears, her green, gem-like eyes no longer the fierce, sharp eyes of a hunter, but the pleading, terrified eyes of a child.

"I'll do what I can, sweetheart." Hershel said, and the look of relief she gave him spoke volumes.

"Is he going to die?" Mika asked, looked scared.

"Shh, Mika." Mika's father shushed her. Carol sat beside Jamie, and Rick stood near the group.

Carol looked down at Daryl worriedly. She'd always liked Daryl. Thank god this infection wasn't contagious.

Someone had dragged a mattress out onto the concrete of the yard, Rick and Jamie moved him onto it. Jamie tore off a piece of her sleeve with her teeth and knife, exposing a scarred shoulder. She wet down the the rag and dabbed at his forehead with it. Slowly, people continued going about their day, but Jamie sat with him, wiping his forehead. People shot her pitying glances, but she didn't notice. As far as she was concerned, time had stopped.

"Is it contagious?" Maggie asked calmly. The council had called an emergency meeting, and Hershel shook his head. "Daryl needs rest and antibiotics more than anything, now. I'm doing what I can."

"Is there any medicine he needs, anything we can go on a run to get?" they all looked up, surprised, to see Rick in the doorway. He hadn't set foot in council affairs since they'd taken in Woodbury.

"No. I have what I need to treat him here." Hershel said calmly.

"How's Jamie taking it?" Glenn asked, concerned.

"Hard to tell. She hasn't cried or anything, but Jamie never cries..."

"You've never seen her cry?" Sasha asked, surprised.

"She cried once. The day we had to shoot her older brother. Otherwise, I've never seen the kid shed a tear." Carol said calmly. "She's tough as nails- she's had to be. Wish there were more like her."

Maggie looked over to Hershel, concerned.

"How bad is the infection?"

"Bad. The fever could kill him, if nothing else. He's strong, but I'm not sure..."

"If he dies, he'll turn." Carol said matter-of-factly. "We'll post an armed guard with a pistol, just incase."

"Like hell you will."

Rick turned and Carl walked in, looking pissed as all hell. "You put someone from Woodbury out there, they'll get scared if he moves and put a bullet into him while he's still alive."

"I hate to say it, but Carl's right." Karen said quietly. "People from Woodbury haven't had to go through what you have- they spook easily."

"Let me do it." Everyone turned, shocked, when Jamie walked in. "Give me a gun."

"Jamie, you don't have to..." Rick said, looking at her, pity in his eyes.

"Shut up." Jamie said coldly, hands clenched into fists. "He's my Dad, dammit, and if he dies, I put him down. He'd do it for me, if it came to that." her green eyes were blazing, and she looked around the room, daring anyone to challenge her.

"Rick." Jamie shes aid firmly, not turning around. Rick went to his cell, returning with his pistol.

"You know how to use it?" he asked hesitantly.

"I was raised on a farm. The fuck do you think?" she asked, voice laced with venom. Rick handed it to her, and she stopped scowling for a moment, nodding to him before tucking it into her pocket, heading for the door.

"Jamie- I hope you don't have to use that." Rick said simply. She'd stopped in the doorway when he said her name, but she didn't turn. "Neither do I."

Carl couldn't sit beside her for too long- they didn't want anyone to know they were in a relationship. He brought her lunch, a sandwich, which she didn't touch.

"It's not your fault, you know." he said quietly.

"How the hell is it not my fault? He's my DAD- I should've noticed. Should've DONE something..."

"He didn't tell you. It's his own fault." Carl said quietly.

"Shut... the fuck... up." Jamie ground out through grit teeth.

Carl looked over at her. "I'm sorry. I know you don't wanna hear it, but he didn't tell you, didn't ask for help, so you can't go blaming yourself. How are you feeling?" he asked quietly.

"Like I'm gonna cry. Does it look like it?" she asked, suddenly anxious, looking up at him, worried. "I-I can't let them see me weak. Dixons don't cry. Show weakness and you'll be killed, either by the living or the dead..." she repeated the last sentence. On the road, it'd been true, so true.

"No. You look scary as hell, like always." Carl said, his hand brushing hers quietly. She gave him a wane smile. "Thanks."

"No problem. I have to go make sure Lizzy doesn't make friends with some walkers- hang in there for me, alright?"

She nodded, brushing a stray lock of chestnut hair from her face before devoting her full attention to Daryl once again.

She never left him, simply wiping his face and giving him water whenever he woke up.

He woke up for a fifteen minute stretch during the darkness, while everyone else was at the fire.

"You pissed?" he asked. She gave him a glare that would kill Medusa as an answer.

"I didn't want you to worry. You were... happy 'bout stuff."

The past few days, aside from killing the walker and her small breakdown earlier that day, had all been a blur of happiness, her just dreaming about when she'd get to talk to Carl again...

"Think I give a shit? You're a hell of a lot more important than me livin in a fool's paradise."

Daryl gave her a smile before starting to cough. She handed him the glass of water, which he gratefully accepted.

"I got a gun." she said quietly. "The pussies from Woodbury are afraid you'd die and turn- took it so they'd stop bitchin'."

Daryl nodded, looking seriously at her. "If you gotta use it..."

"I won't have to use it! You ain't dyin', dammit!" she said, voice sharp with fear.

"Yeah but... if you gotta, if I turn... do it."

"It ain't gonna come to that." Jamie said firmly.

"But if it does..."

"But it ain't!" Jamie said fiercely.

"Jamie. You gotta do it, if it happens when you're nearby. I ain't been teaching you to survive just so's I can kill you when I turn..."

"Jamie..." He broke out coughing, then, his fevered body was wracked by the fit. "Just... just promise me, alright?"

"I promise." she said, voice barely above a whisper.