I stayed up all night looking after my brother and was tired as hell. I haven't been sleeping very well lately either. It was early the next day and he was still unconscious. I kept checking at random times to make sure he was still breathing. Everything was fine right now.

I decided that if I have to be taking care of my brother, I need to take care of myself, too. I poured myself a bowl of dry cereal. It wasn't enough but it was something. I ate it slowly. What else did I have to do?

I just sat down in a chair and realized Daryl had beads of sweat on his forehead. I got a rag and wiped them off, rung it out, then put it across his forehead. I just looked down at him sadly. "Ya better be okay, Daryl or I'm gonna beat yer ass."

The time passed slowly. I ate something for lunch then dinner later on. I finished the current book I was reading and started another. Eventually, though, I just sighed and put it aside. "When are ya gonna wake up, Daryl?" I said desperately. "I know I said ya deserve a rest, but…I still need ya. I don't know what I'd do without ya." I looked over towards the kitchen at the empty cans and bags of food I left. "We're low on food." I stated. "I'm gonna have to go on a run. I don't wanna leave ya, but I have to." I stood up and grabbed my gun.

I checked my brother to make sure he was okay before leaving. "I won't be gone long. Stay safe. I'll be fine." I said to him before closing the door behind me. I took the garbage with me before I left and chucked it in the dumpster.

There was a gas station nearby and also a grocery store. I decided to check the gas station first since it was closer.

I approached it and looked through the windows. I didn't see anything. I still pounded on the window first and waited like Daryl taught me. After a moment, a walker emerged from inside and banged against the glass. I almost just turned to leave, but something stopped me. "Ya cain't be scared." I told myself. "If Daryl don't make it, this is what it's gonna be like." I took a deep breath and pulled my knife out. I opened the door ajar, just enough that my hand could get in there and stabbed the walker in the head. Once it fell to the ground, I went inside.

There was very few snacks left in there. I found one bottle of water. I just put what I could find in my bag and left quickly. I headed to the grocery store.

It was so dark inside that I had second thoughts about going in there. I couldn't turn away, though. I took my advice from earlier and did the exact same thing I did at the gas station before going in.

I dug my flashlight out of my bag so I could see better. The store was a mess. Products off the shelf lay on the floor along with some dead bodies. There was dust and cobwebs everywhere. There was also mold on some things. I decided on getting a few things as quickly as possible and getting out.

Just like the gas station, there was very few food items left. I grabbed whatever I found. A lot of the food was expired. Some of it will still be all right, though. Like chips and stuff, I think those will be fine. I mean…they might taste a little gross, but they won't kill us. I found some batteries, too. We always need those.

As I walked deeper and deeper into the store, it became darker because I was away from the windows. I heard a groan in the distance and knew there was a walker nearby. I shined my flashlight around nervously while looking for it. It emerged suddenly and almost grabbed ahold of me but I was quicker. I spun around and stabbed it before it could do anything. I shined the flashlight down at it's emotionless body.

When I looked up right in front of me on the shelf, I saw the best thing that I saw in a while. It was a first aid kit. It was big and had a lot of equipment inside. It's perfect for right now. I quickly stuffed it in my bag and figured that was enough. I need to get back to Daryl and make sure he's okay. What if something happens to him? Or worse…he wakes up and I'm not there? I swallowed hard. I turned on my heel and ran toward the exit of the store.

I was stopped by a bunch of walkers, though. They literally came out of nowhere! I squealed. I backed up and pulled out my gun. I shot two of them then my pistol was empty. Shit! Why didn't I reload before I left? I cursed myself.

I ran around the store with the walkers following after me. One got too close and I had to kill it. I stabbed it in the head quickly. Another was behind it so I threw the dead one at it and they fell to the ground. But then one grabbed me from behind. Shit! I quickly spun trying to shake it off me. More of them were coming! I need my brother real bad! I almost started crying.

I struggled for a minute but eventually got that one off me and stabbed it in the head. I ran towards the exit again, one of them came out in front of me so I jumped up and stabbed it without even having to think.

I pushed another one out of my way and ran for the exit. I closed the door behind me. They wouldn't be able to get out now. I leaned against it panting while all the walkers inside came to the window. I listened to their gross moans. "Time to go." I told myself. I calmly walked away.

I passed a sign that said Holiday Camplands. Wonder what that is? I don't remember seeing that there before, but it must have been there for a while seeing as how dirty it is. I'll have to tell my brother about it.

As I was running back to the apartment, I noticed a truck parked behind one of the store buildings there. It said FEMA on it! I got excited. Maybe there's food! I decided to make one last stop before going back. I checked inside the small shelter. It was clear. However, it had a bunch of those ready to eat dinners! "Hell yeah." I said to myself. I stuffed as many as I could in my bag then carried the rest.

How lucky am I right now? I thought happily. I'm so proud of myself! Daryl is going to be so proud of me when he wakes up…If he wakes up. No, don't think like that. He's going to be fine. I nodded. He can't die. Certainly not from this. He's tougher than that. Although, it was a pretty big gash…and he did lose a lot of blood. I shook my head. "Stop it!" What if he stops breathing and I'm not there to do anything? All of a sudden, I started running. I ran all the way back to the apartment.

When I arrived back, I ran straight up the stairs and into our apartment. Well, Daryl's apartment. I threw down the stuff I just found and ran to my brother. "Daryl?" I said. "Ya okay?" He didn't respond. I checked him, he was still breathing. I sighed in relief.

"Ya won't believe what I found." I told him. "I got like a ton of food fer us. We're gonna be okay." I glanced back at him. "Why do I even bother? Ya cain't hear me." I grabbed one of the meals I found and heated it. I started eating. "Not bad." I said. "You should try this. I thank ya'd like it." I looked to my brother. "I'm doin' it again." I sighed and finished eating.

I got tired of sitting around later on and decided to clean up in here a little. It looks like my brother didn't do anything since I moved out. I cleaned up the dishes and put them away. I found empty cans and candy wrappers laying around. "Ya sure are lazy, big brother." I said out loud. I threw all the garbage away.

By the time I cleaned everything up, the damn garbage was filled again. We sure are pigs. I thought. I was about to just say screw it and leave it there, but then I just decided on walking it down to the dumpster. I mean…what else am I doing?

I pulled the bag out and tied it then put in a new garbage bag. I walked out the door with the filled one. I pulled the door closed and just as it shut, I realized I forgot the key. "No!" I yelled pushing on the door. It was too late, it closed. I tried turning the doorknob but it was locked. "Damn it!" I yelled. I sighed and looked around. I'll figure it out. I took the garbage down to the dumpster first.

When I came back up, I tried breaking the door down with my foot. It hurt me more than the door. "Enough of that." I said in pain. I looked around in the hallway for something I could use to break the doorknob. I spotted a fire extinguisher behind a little glass door on the wall at the end of the hall.

I kicked the glass as hard as I could causing it to break. "At least I could break something with my foot." I almost laughed. I took the fire extinguisher over to the door and began hitting the doorknob with it.

So far, I wasn't having much luck. I wasn't strong enough to damage it enough to get the door open. I sighed and paused for a moment. Then, I tried a few more times. It still wasn't working.

Sighing again, I stepped back against the wall and just stood there for a minute trying to think of what to do. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and tried to think of a plan. I gasped. "The fire escape!" That just might work.

I ran out the door to outside and to the stairs out on the side. I brought the fire extinguisher with me so I had something to break the window with. The ladder was too high up for me to reach. "Damn it." I looked around. There were empty trash bins down the street. I grabbed them and stacked them on top of each other. I would still have a bit of a reach, but if I jumped I think I could get it. I climbed up on the bins then jumped for the ladder. I grabbed it, but my weight pulled it down. The ladder went down with me on it.

When it stopped, I fell off and hit the ground. "Ow?" I said. I slowly got up and dusted myself off. "Well…at least it worked." I quickly climbed up the ladder then the stairs until I found the right window. I peeked in and saw my brother laying there on the couch.

I stepped back against the landing then threw the fire extinguisher as hard as I could at the window. It, of course, broke and I hopped inside. I put my hands on my knees and bent trying to catch my breath. Still breathing heavily, I glanced over at Daryl. "If ya only knew what I just went through to get to ya." I told him.

I walked closer to him and checked him. He was still breathing. Exhaling in relief, I slowly slid down to the floor. "You'd probably be laughin' right now." I gently smacked his leg with the back of my hand. Then, glanced at his wound. "I should change yer bandage."

I fixed my brother's bandage real nice and cleaned it. "There ya go." I said standing up. I disposed of the bad one.

I sat down in a chair and tried to relax for the first time in a while. I started to feel extremely tired as I was sitting there. "I cain't fall asleep." I told myself. It was getting harder and harder. I actually dozed off for a few minutes then woke myself up. "I said no sleepin'." I scolded myself.

I needed something to keep me awake. I looked around the room and spotted my book on the coffee table. I didn't actually feel like reading at the moment, but something was telling me to read. I picked it up and returned to my seat.

The chapter I was reading was pretty boring. I just wanted to finish it so I could move onto the next one. However, I read something inside that was pretty ironic. This little girl's father was in a coma and this woman told her that they can still hear you when you're in a coma. The ones who had people sit and talk with them held on longer. I slowly lifted my head and looked at my brother. Maybe I could try that with him?

I slid my chair closer to him. "Hey, Daryl. I don't know if ya can really hear me, but if ya can…I'm gonna read to ya." I cleared my throat and sat up. I started reading where I left off.

I only read about two pages before I stopped and looked at him. "Okay, this ain't workin'. You wouldn't be interested in'is story." I closed it and threw it aside then sat there with my head in my hands. I sighed.

Suddenly, I had a thought. I looked back up at him. I sat up straight and tall then cleared my throat. I started singing.

"I'm cornered in fire so break out the secrets

I hope ya know that ya were worth it all along

I'm tired, yer angry, and everyone looks blurry

I love ya, I'm leavin'; so long

Hey, little one

I'm so scared of what this could have been

I know that today I lost my only friend

My little one

The places I took you, they seem so fuckin' empty

I have trouble goin' anywhere at all

'specially my own bedroom

And it stays awake to haunt me

So pass out, black out, drunk in another bathroom stall

Hey, little one

I'm so scared of what this could have been

I know that today I lost my only friend

How long must I justify my pain through these songs?

How long, how long?

Hey, little one

I'm so scared of what this could have been

I know that today I lost my only little one

I'm so scared of what this could have been

I know that today I lost my only friend

How long must I talk about my pain in these songs?

How long?

It's rainin', it's sunny

It doesn't make a difference

I don't care about anythang at all

It's rainin', it's sunny

It doesn't make a difference

I don't care about anythang at all"

I finished singing and just sat there a moment before saying anything. "That was called, Little One by Highly Suspect." I stated. "I hope ya like it. Sorry fer swearin'. It's their words not mine." I paused for a long time. I was suddenly overtaken by emotions and started to tear up. "Hey, Daryl?" I sniffled. I grabbed his hand. "Um…I really hope yer okay…and that ya wake up soon." I cried. "I…I really miss you. I cain't do this myself. I almost died today. I need you. I'm sorry to put that on ya, but I still need ya." A sob escaped. "Please, please wake up. Please." I put my head down and cried. And I didn't care if I looked like a stupid, little kid.

After a while of me sitting there crying, I felt my brother gently squeeze my hand. I looked at him wide-eyed. Then, he seemed to stir in his sleep. "Daryl?" I questioned. "Daryl?"

Hello everyone! I hope you're enjoying this story so far! :D Please leave a review and tell me if you think Daryl will be alive or a walker! :O

Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows! It's much appreciated! Also, this story only has a few more chapters left :(: