A/N: Sorry for the delay. Enjoy.
13.
Daryl knew it couldn't be much further until he reached the car.
Every breath draw a sharp pain from his lungs and he'd walked into more than his fair of trees as he struggled to navigate his way in the dark.
He could hear the walkers behind him. Had to hope that he was doing a good enough job of drawing them away from Carl and Judith.
He scraped his hand yet again against the bark of a tree and he let out a mumbled curse as he guided himself around it warily.
If he didn't reach the road soon, he knew he'd not make it. His vision was swimming and even though it was dark, the moonlight was helping him make his way, but every now and then it all went dark and his hearing seemed to fail him.
He thought he'd have a warning. Maybe his knees would give out first.
Instead of that he pitched forward and fell face first into the ground, his body unable to go on.
Carl was torn.
He wanted to keep Judith safe and he knew getting her to the prison, finding some of the others would be the best idea.
But the more he thought about it, the more he wondered if he should turn back. Leaving Daryl when he was hurt so badly didn't sit well with him.
And there was also the explosion. What if there was no prison left?
He'd set off the flares and he figured if anyone was left, they'd head towards them. He could head back to the car. He didn't imagine Daryl would drive back tonight, if he made it. They could meet up and wait for the others to join them.
A fear in his gut made him get up and head back towards where he'd left Daryl.
Tyresse could hear the walkers and was about to turn round and find cover when he saw Daryl stagger from round behind a tree.
"Daryl?" he called but the other man seemed to pay no attention. He watched in horror as seconds later the injured hunter fell to the ground and didn't move. "Shit!" he cursed to himself as he surged forward all to aware of the walkers that were close by.
A couple were close by as he reached Daryl and he quickly dispatched of them before he heaved Daryl up by the arm. Daryl moaned at being moved around and Tyresse tried to rouse the man, knowing it'd be easier if Daryl was able to move under his own power.
But once he had a better hold of Daryl, he could feel the heat radiating off the man. If that wasn't bad enough, Daryl was either soaked with sweat, or he was bleeding badly.
Realising that even if he got Daryl conscious he'd be little help, Tyresse hefted the injured man on to his shoulder in a fireman's carry and took off as fast as he could back towards the road.
He had no idea how many walkers were behind him but he couldn't fight them off out here.
He just had to make it there first.
TBC...