A/N: Hello Readers! This chapter has been stewing for a while on my laptop so I thought I'd post it. Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 6

The light that filtered the area around the entrance was blinding. All of us briefly stared at it in shock before Rick ran inside. Daryl pushed me along in front of him and we all scurried into the large entranceway, pulling the doors shut behind us.

The lobby was dimly lit and I couldn't see a fucking thing. We all stayed huddled close together and stared around us. It didn't appear that anyone was around. "Hello?" Rick said, creeping closer into the building. "Anyone there?" I could still hear the ragged moans of the walkers outside and I shuddered.

We all snapped to alert at the sound of a gun cocking. "What do you want?" Came the voice of a man from the corner of the lobby. Daryl grabbed my arm, pulling me behind him.

"A chance." Rick said, his voice weary. I squinted my eyes trying to see the man in the corner, but could only make out his shadow. I hoped there weren't twenty other people with guns behind him.

"That's asking a lot these days." The man muttered. "Are any of you infected?"

Rick shook his head. "One of our group was… he didn't make it."

The man finally stepped into view. He didn't look at all like someone who normally carried around a shotgun. He had nerd written all over him. He was looking at all of us and I shifted my feet nervously. Daryl's grip on my arm tightened. "You all submit to a blood test. That's the price of admission."

I felt a weight lifted off my chest and Rick nodded. "I think we can do that."

The man nodded and pointed towards the doors. "You got stuff you need to get, you do it now. Once these doors close, they won't open again."

Rick nodded and he, Daryl and Shane quickly ran out to grab our stuff. The rest of us stood awkwardly in the lobby while the mystery man continued to stare at us. I turned towards the front doors and stared out into the walker filled parking lot, watching for the guys to come back.

When I caught a glimpse of them running back towards the doors, bags in hand, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. They shut the doors behind them and Daryl handed me my bag. "Thanks." I muttered. Daryl nodded and we followed the others towards what looked like an elevator.

"Vi, seal the main entrance." The man said. The lights and power abruptly shut off and I jumped at the noise. It felt so strange to be around so much electricity and power. It almost felt wrong.

Rick held his hand out to the man. "Rick Grimes."

"Dr. Edwin Jenner." The man said, awkwardly not returning the handshake.

The giant elevator doors opened up and we all shuffled inside. Daryl and I stood against the back wall and I looked over at him as the elevator started to descend.

"Doctor's always go 'round packin' heat like that?" Daryl asked, pointing at the machine gun in Jenner's hand.

The doctor shrugged. "There were plenty left, I familiarized myself." He paused, looking at all of us once again. "You all seem harmless enough though," his eyes stopped when he looked down at Carl and he smiled. "Except you, I'll have to keep an eye on you." I rolled my eyes at his obvious attempt to lighten the mood.

Once we reached wherever we were going, the doors popped open and we all got out. Everything around us was so pristine, I felt like we all stood out like candles in a coal mine with our haggard appearance and dirty clothes. We all looked like fuckin' hobos off the street.

We eventually made our way into the main room and I was astonished at the size of it. There were probably about a hundred computers and various pieces of nerdy looking equipment lined up around the room, but I didn't see a single person. What the fuck was going on here? "Where are all the other doctor's?" Rick asked, reading my mind.

Jenner shrugged. "I'm it." We all raised our eyebrows in shock. This asshole was the only doctor left? While I listened to him explain that all the other doctors had either left to be with their families or killed themselves, I couldn't help but feel even more hopeless. This world would never return to the way it was and it was hard to accept that.

I continued to think about that while Jenner led us to what looked like a classroom so he could take our blood. We all lined up against the wall like it was a fuckin' lice check at school and waited our turn. Daryl put his crossbow on one of the desks in the room and sank down to the floor, leaning against the wall. I quickly followed suit, realizing all of a sudden that I was totally exhausted.

While the group went up one by one, I reveled in the silence of the room and the safety of it as well. There were no walkers in here, the place was clean and there was even air conditioning. I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes, taking it all in, enjoying the cool air on my sweaty skin. I was just beginning to drift off when I felt Daryl elbow me in the ribs. Pain shot through my side and I jerked up, glaring at him. "What the fuck?" I hissed, grabbing my sore ribs.

Daryl nodded towards the front of the room. "It's yer turn."

I nodded and slowly got to my feet, realizing just how sore I was. All the adrenaline was quickly fading and the aches and pains were returning full force. I forced myself to stand up straight and walked to the front of the room and sat down in the chair next to Jenner.

I could feel his eyes on me, staring at the bruises and scrapes, probably making assumptions, and I instantly grew nervous. "What's under that bandage on your arm?" He asked, pointing at the bandage that covered my forearm.

I could feel the tension in the room ratchet up a few notches, and I sat up a little straighter. "Just a scrape." I said, meeting his eyes. He looked skeptical and I could feel myself starting to sweat.

"She ain't bit, doc." Daryl piped in, stepping towards us. He put his hand on my shoulder, ready to defend me.

Jenner nodded, still staring at the bandage. "Show me."

I quickly ripped at the tape that was holding the bandage to my forearm and peeled it off. The scrape underneath was clearly infected and angry looking, but definitely not a bite. Daryl scoffed from behind me as the doctor examined it closely. "Get a good look doc? Ain't no bite."

"I see that, I just have to be thorough." Jenner replied, looking slightly embarrassed. "I'll give you another bandage after I draw your blood."

I shook my head. "No need." I didn't need to draw any more attention to myself tonight. Daryl stood by my side the whole time like a guard dog, and when the doctor had his sample he led me back to our spot while the rest of the group had their blood drawn.

I zoned out for the next few minutes but perked right back up when I heard Jenner say, "Are you hungry?"

…

An hour later, we all sat around a large table eating the remains of a feast. Dale went around the table refilling wine glasses, and I happily accepted another. I leaned back in my chair feeling full from all the food and buzzed from the alcohol and listened to the conversation. Somehow, alcohol had a way of making all the pain go away and I almost felt like I was floating. "Why you nursin' that glass?" Daryl brought me out of my thoughts, slinging his arm over my shoulders.

"Ain't nursin' it!" I yelled, shoving him away. I looked up at Dale. "Dale! Tell this asshole how many times you refilled my glass!"

Dale counted on his fingers. "Let me think… one, two, three… too many to count!" Everyone laughed at that and Daryl ruffled my hair, standing up to grab more from the liquor cabinet.

"You know… I never realized how much I took for granted before all this. Like alcohol." Lori laughed, raising her glass to her lips.

"Workin' at the bar, I used to get so sick of lookin' at all the booze. I never thought I would miss it." I mused, thinking back to my drink mixing days.

"Are you even twenty one, pipsqueak?" Shane joked, raising his eyebrows at me.

"You bet yer ass I am! Want me to go get my ID and show ya?" I shot right back at Shane. He put his hands up and I laughed.

Daryl leaned against the bar near where Glenn was sitting and laughed. "You ain't seen nothin' yet. This girl is wild, you shoulda seen some of the shit – "

"Daryl!" I shouted, embarrassed. "Just drink yer booze and shut up."

"I'll drink to that!" Glenn shouted and the rest of the group chimed in. Crisis averted.

Pretty soon, everyone started to get tired from the huge meal and drinks, and I was ready to pass out. We all got up and followed Jenner down a long hallway. "The power's been shut down in most of the rooms, but the offices are still fully powered. Go ahead and pick a room but remember if you shower to go easy on the hot water."

At the mention of a shower I practically giggled in excitement. "Shower?" Glenn muttered, turning towards all of us with a huge smile on his face.

…

"Daryl!" I shouted, pounding on his door. I had been all ready to shower and realized I had nothing to change into. Daryl had all our stuff and of course the asshole had locked his door. I heard the sound of the shower and knew he was probably in the shower so he couldn't hear me. I sat down and leaned against his door, hoping he was quick.

I heard the door next to Daryl's open and Shane poked his head out, bottle of whiskey in hand. "The hell you doin' out here, Dixon?"

I shrugged. "Daryl's got all my stuff. I ain't puttin' on these dirty clothes after I shower."

Shane nodded, taking a swig out of his bottle. "Pipe down, I'm tryin' to drink in peace."

I stared at him for a couple seconds, trying to gauge if he was serious and then I burst out laughing. "I gotta ask you somethin', officer." I said, stumbling to my feet. I was definitely feeling all the wine I had drank.

"Shoot." Shane said, stepping into the hallway.

"How do you know everything?" I said, laughing at the thought. Shane raised his eyebrows and I went on. "Oh, come on! You know what I'm talkin' about. How did you know about my dad?"

Shane leaned against the wall. "I was a cop for cryin' out loud, it's my job! Plus, I seen yer scars. All three of ya have 'em, I just put the pieces together." Before I could respond, Daryl ripped open his door.

"Fuck's goin' on here?" He asked, rubbing his damp hair with a towel.

Shane rolled his eyes. "Ain't nothin' goin' on here, Dixon." He turned to me. "You should take a shower, you smell like shit."

I laughed, moving past Daryl to walk into his room. "Sorry fer stinkin' up the hallway."

"Whatever." I heard Shane mutter as Daryl slammed the door.

"How come you ain't showered yet?" Daryl asked as he hunted through his bag for a clean shirt.

"You got all my stuff and your door was locked." I replied. I opened my bag and rifled through it for some clean clothes. After I had found some reasonably clean things to put on, I searched for my shampoo and soap. "Sunavabitch where's my shampoo and soap?"

"I used it, it's in the shower." I rolled my eyes and stood up while Daryl dried his damp hair with his towel.

"Fuck it then, I'm usin' yer shower." I walked into his bathroom, still unsteady on my feet.

Just before I slammed the door, Daryl added, "Hey, you sweet on that cop out there?"

I laughed out loud, leaning against the door frame, staring at him, his hair all mussed up from the towel. "Why you so curious 'bout my love life, huh bro?"

"Jus' wonderin'," Daryl said, rummaging in his bag for something.

"Nah, he ain't my type. Its just outta anyone here, he's helped me out the most, ya know? When you were gone lookin' for Merle…" I hesitated, hating that I could barely say Merle's name, even as drunk as I was. "Fuck, I dunno, he just helped me out. Ain't nothin' between us or nothin' though." Daryl nodded, looking slightly relieved. Weirdo. "You know I'm holdin' out for that Asian kid, Glenn, though, right?" Daryl's jaw just about hit the floor. I couldn't keep a straight face. "I'm kidding! Take a joke, Daryl!"

"Aw hell," Daryl said, winding up to throw his dirty shirt at me. I slammed the door, dodging the gross shirt. I laughed while I threw my clean clothes on the toilet. I quickly stripped all my dirty clothes off and threw them on the floor in the corner. Before I could step in the shower I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror.

I looked terrible. I stopped laughing all together and stared at my reflection. I hadn't realized the bruise on my face was so huge. The whole left side of my face was black and blue and my hair was really wild, falling out of the ponytail that loosely held it together. I stood back from the mirror so I could really get a good look at myself. My ribs were a smattering of dark bruising on one side, and they were sticking out more than I ever remembered. Not eating consistently over the last couple months had really taken its toll.

I slowly peeled the bandages off my knees and the skin underneath was raw and a little bloody looking. I grimaced at the sight, wishing I had left the bandages on. At least I would be able to get them clean this way. I stepped into the shower and turned the water on, cranking the hot water up. I laughed out loud as the warm water beat down on my back. I was still happily buzzed and this shower was the best thing that happened to me in a long time.

By the time I stepped out, I had washed my hair and my body three times and all of the dirt and grime from the past months was miraculously gone. I felt like a new woman. I shrugged into the oversized t-shirt and shorts I brought and wandered out of the bathroom. It seemed like a cloud of steam rolled out of the bathroom along with me. Daryl was laid out on the couch, a bottle of something clutched in his hand. "Whatcha got there?" I asked, while I rummaged for a comb so I could get the tangles out of my snarled hair. "I'm losin' my buzz over here." I muttered, walking towards him.

Daryl just handed me the bottle of Southern Comfort. I shoved his feet off the couch and plopped down, taking a swig of the alcohol. I curled up into the arm rest, enjoying the warmth in my stomach. "You look like a cat over there." Daryl muttered.

"Well if yer big ass self wasn't takin' up so much room I could spread out a little too!" I responded, laughing. I sat up and began working the comb through my hair, getting the tangles out. My hair had grown a couple inches since the last time I had brushed it and it seemed so much longer.

Daryl laughed, "Yeah, whatever." We sat in comfortable silence, exchanging the bottle back and forth for a little while. The silence was nice and I was slowly unwinding with the alcohol. Once my hair was combed out, I braided it loosely down the middle so it would be out of my face and leaned back against the couch. Suddenly, Daryl sighed. "Can't stop thinkin' 'bout that damn roof." He said, throwing his arm over his eyes.

I sat up, wanting to hear more. "You gonna tell me what happened?" I asked, wishing I wasn't so drunk.

Daryl was quiet for a few minutes and just when I thought that was all he'd say about it, he began talking again. "Place was overrun by walkers when we got there. We made it through the mall and when we got to the roof the door was still chained. I assumed he'd just be sittin' there…but…" Daryl suddenly stood up and started pacing. I sat still, trying to stay silent and let him work through it in his head. "He fuckin' sawed off his hand… that's all that was there." Daryl said, throwing up his hands. I put my hand over my mouth, shocked and horrified by the image in my head. "I mean…why…why didn't he wait for me?" Daryl said, his voice slightly cracking.

"Daryl," I said, standing up to go to him. I swayed slightly, feeling dizzy. I couldn't tell if it was the booze or the thought of Merle cutting his hand off. "I'm so sorry…it was me…it was my fault." I felt like I was about to start crying. The happy buzz was long gone.

Daryl shook his head, "I wanted to blame it on you, but I just can't. It's like he…he jus' lost it. We both put up with it for so long and I guess…this was the end, right?"

I nodded, "He could still be alive, right?" I wanted him to be alive, I really didn't want this to be the end.

"I tracked him as far as I could. Someone took the van, my guess is he did it. We all thought he was headed to camp. I thought he was gonna go back and kill you or somethin'. Turns out he didn't go back for either of us." Daryl sat down on the couch again and put his head in his hands.

I sat next to him. "I guess he thought we left him, right?" I had no idea what Merle was thinking.

Daryl shook his head. "Nah, he's the one that left us. Just like he did when we were kids. I mean I was just a kid, and you were so fuckin' little and he left us with that son of a bitch…" Daryl trailed off, taking a deep breath to stop himself.

"No sense goin' down that road tonight. What's done is done." I leaned my head against his shoulder. "You think we'll ever see him again? Merle?"

Daryl threw his arm around my shoulder. "World's a lot smaller now. 'Sides, no one can kill Merle but Merle, right?"

I laughed. "Yeah, guess so."

We sat for a couple minutes before Daryl nudged me away from him. "Jesus, you and this alcohol are makin' me all sappy tonight. Get outta here 'fore we start singin' lullabies to each other or some shit like that." I laughed and gathered my stuff. I left the room, waving goodbye over my shoulder.

…

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get myself to relax once I was by myself, tucked into bed with the lights turned off. I had grown so used to sleeping in the small tent with Daryl and Merle that it felt strange to not have them close to me. God, was I pathetic or what?

Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore so I grabbed my pillow and blanket and crept out into the hallway. I quietly opened Daryl's door and poked my head in. Daryl sat up as soon as he saw the light and I could tell he wasn't sleeping either. I shut the door and walked over towards the couch. I threw my pillow on the ground. "Just shut up, you don't gotta say anythin'," I muttered towards Daryl. I knew he would have some snarky comment.

I laid down on the carpet and adjusted my pillow, trying to get comfortable. Daryl sighed and I heard him stand up. "Take the couch." Daryl said in a no nonsense tone.

"If you insist…" I said, standing up to switch places. It was a hell of a lot more comfortable, that's for sure.

As soon as I got situated, I could feel myself getting tired. I was just about to fall asleep when Daryl snorted in laughter. "Jesus, it's like yer five years old again, huh? Can't sleep by yerself?" He laughed.

"Shut up," I said, groaning. "It's not like you were sleepin' either!"

"Yah whatever," Daryl said, yawning. "G'night, Lil."

"Night, Daryl." I rolled over and it seemed like I was asleep in seconds.

…

It was the middle of the night and our house was quiet. The only sounds that could be heard were the occasional creaking noises from the floorboards and the wind whistling in from the windows. I wished I could go to sleep like everyone else but I just didn't feel good. I was so cold my little five year old body was shaking and no matter how tight I wrapped my blanket around me, I was still cold. On top of that my nose was running and my body hurt.

I slowly eased myself off my bed, sliding on my stomach until my toes touched the floor. I grabbed my blanket and dragged it behind me as I crept towards my door, trying to be as quiet as possible. If Daddy heard me walking around, he would be really mad.

Slowly and carefully, I made my way down the hallway, being careful to avoid the creaky spots. Finally, I made it to Daryl and Merle's room and I opened the door as quiet as I could. It was pitch black in their room and I stood in the doorway for a second while my eyes adjusted. Once I could see better, I crept into the room being careful to avoid the dirty clothes and shoes that littered the floor.

Merle's bed was on the far side of the room, furthest from the door, and Daryl's bed was on the side closest to the door. I made my way over to Daryl's bed, careful not to be too loud. I didn't wanna wake Merle up. Once I made it to Daryl's bed I saw that he was sound asleep, lying on his side. "Daryl," I whispered, poking his shoulder. We were pretty much eye to eye since I was so short and his bed was so high up. He stirred but didn't really wake up and I bit my lip. I didn't wanna be so loud that Merle woke up too. Then he would be mad.

"Daryl!" I whispered a little louder, poking him some more. His eyes shot open and he blinked a few times.

"What's wrong?" He said sleepily, flipping onto his back and rubbing his eyes.

"I don't feel good." I said, my voice breaking at the end. I sniffled as the waterworks started coming.

Daryl turned towards me again, squinting at me in the dark. "You sick or somethin'?"

I nodded. "Yeah." I gripped my blanket tightly as I wiped some more tears and snot off my face. Daryl leaned over and grabbed my shoulder, pulling me closer to the bed. I could make out his face in the darkness, squinting at me.

"Shit, kid I can't even see ya." Daryl said. He abruptly threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, grabbing me under the arms and lifting me. I dropped my blanket on the floor and clung to his neck as he carried me out of his room and shut the door, walking quietly towards the bathroom. Once he shut the bathroom door he sat me down on the counter and turned on the light. We both squinted at the brightness for a few seconds before Daryl really looked at me.

"I'm cold." I whispered, wrapping my arms around myself.

Daryl put his hand to my forehead and groaned. "You got a fever fer sure." He ran a hand through his hair and searched through our cabinets. "We ain't got nothing fer fevers here. Can ya stick it out till morning, Lil? I'll get ya somethin' as soon as I can." He grabbed some toilet paper and mopped up my snotty face.

"Guess so…" I muttered, still shivering.

"Alright then." Daryl said, picking me up off the counter. He brought me to his and Merle's room and put me on his bed, grabbing my blanket off the floor and wrapping it around me tightly. "Try to sleep now, Lil. I'll be right here." Daryl said as he lay down on the floor beside his bed. He was quiet after that and I snuggled into his pillows, still freezing cold and feverish. Eventually I drifted off into a fitful sleep, taking comfort in the fact that my big brother was right beside me.

…

I woke up early, as I usually did after a night of heavy drinking. There weren't any windows in the room but I could tell it was just after dawn. Daryl was still sleeping, sprawled out on the floor below me, so I carefully eased myself off the couch, trying not to step on him, and made my way to the bathroom.

As I washed my face in the sink, I marveled at how much more relaxed I felt after a good night's sleep. Even though I felt slightly hung over and had a headache, I felt better than I'd felt in a long time. When I opened the door, the light from the bathroom flooded the room and Daryl rolled over, squinting at me. "Put out that light, girl…" he muttered, shielding his eyes. No doubt he was feeling hung over as well.

"Sorry," I said, shutting the light off. The room was still dark, but I could see what I was doing as I leaned over my bag, searching for an outfit to wear. "gotta wash some clothes today." I said, noting that I only had a single clean shirt and pair of shorts." Daryl grunted in response as he stood up, stretching a little before making his way to the bathroom. I heard the shower go on as I continued organizing my bag, putting the dirty clothes aside to be washed.

By the time I had everything all organized, Daryl had emerged from the bathroom, looking much more himself. "You gonna wash my clothes too?" He asked, throwing on a flannel shirt with his jeans.

"You'd be so lucky." I shot back, smirking at him. He rolled his eyes, moving towards the door.

"Let's go find somethin' to eat."

…