First off, sorry for taking soooo long to get this next chapter out and second I wrote this story before the third episode of the fourth season came out damn it. I don't own walking dead and I don't own Daryl Dixon.
The guys got up early and made their way quickly back to where they found Daryls crossbow. That where they restarted their search.
Glenn whistled long and hard, hoping Rick was in earshot. He and T-Dog were standing together near a small stream. Rick came running in from another part of the woods, concern clear upon his face. He was filled with hope and fear, all mixed up together in a cluster fuck mess. As he got closer he saw T-Dog kneeling down next to a small pile of leaves and his feelings turned towards confusion. When he reached them he finally saw what they had called him over for.
"Is that Daryl's shirt I'm looking at?" Rick asked, kneeling down to examine the fabric. Glen nodded; hands crossed him front of him,
"Ya, ya it is, and I have no idea why it is here and not on Daryl." Rick stood up holding the shirt, examining it closely.
"No blood. No rips or tears. All the buttons are still intact." Rick sighed "He took this off, and it's still damp. He is sweating hard, with no water in him that we know at. That fever must be getting to him, we gotta step this up. We need to find him and quick, another night out here and I don't think even Daryl could survive it in his condition."
T-Dog re shouldered his pack, ready to head out.
Let's find him before his sick; crazy ass takes off anymore clothes. I'm in no mood to fight Daryl naked, especially if he is outta his mind.
"Agreed" said Glen. He shuddered to think of how Daryl could be in a fevered state.
"He's sick, not flying high guys. He is weak and most likely delirious right now. He won't have much fight in him when we find him." Rick stated as he shoved Daryl's shirt into his pack. The three men fanned out, and head further into the woods.
"Hey there little brother, see anything yet?" Merle climbed up into the deer stand sitting down next to Daryl.
"Naw" Daryl sniffled, "Nothing yet this morning…or last night" He scowled at his older brother, "where were you, you left up here again!"
"Awww, baby brother well I'm touched." Merle teased rubbing Daryl on the back, "Did you miss me? No, tell me…were ya scared up here? All alone… in the dark?" He laughed at Daryl, slapping him on the back.
"Knock it off..MERLE! QUIT IT!" Daryl hit Merle in the shoulder to shut him up.
"Cool your jets baby brother, I'm just yanking ya, no need to get all riled up." Merle replied with a shit eating grin on his face. They say for a while in silence, waiting for something to come their way. Daryl cleared his throat, wincing at the pain and coughed a few times, as quietly as he could. He hoped Merle hadn't noticed, but it was never that easy with Merle.
"Well, well, well." He leaned over, resting his elbows on his knees, focusing hard on Daryl, "What's all that about little brother, don't think I didn't hear you try and sneak that by."
"It's nothing" Daryl mumbled, but Merle wasn't gonna give in that easily.
"Nothing, oh that didn't sound like nothing. You going south on me, catch yourself a little cold baby brother? Was sitting up here all night to much for you?" He leaned in close and started to rub Daryl's shoulders, "Do you need me to make you some soup, tuck ya in all nice and tight for some bed rest?" Daryl was steaming and trying to ignore the tickle building in his chest. He jumped up and shoved Merle towards the back of the deer stand.
"LAY OF MERLE! I AINT SICK, AND I AINT GETTING SICK!". Again Merle just laughs at him, as Daryl stood there, red in the face and fuming.
"Alright, calm down Daryl. Sit your ass down and let's bag us a deer. Come on sit on back down here." Daryl glowered at his older brother as he sat back down and leveled out his bow. They sat and waited and the tightness in Daryl's chest grew more and more uncomfterable. Suddenly a sound came from the left. Both brothers perked up at the sound of underbrush being broken. A moment passed before twelve point buck revealed himself. Both held their breath as Daryl got him in the sights.
"You ready little brother?" Merle whispered. Daryl nodded, slowly expelling his breath and drawing in a deep slow breath. He immediately regretted it. His eyes opened wide as his breath hitched several times as he fought to keep his cough containing. Holding his breath he whispered to his brother.
"Merle…Take the bow" He struggled to get the words out, "Merle".
"What's your damn problem Daryl, shoot it. Stop fucking around and shoot it. What the hell!" Daryl shoved his cross bow into Merle's hands and doubled over into a loud coughing fit. Taking another deep breath in, he sat down as another fit over took him. The whole time Merle was shouting at him since the deer took off. When the coughing came to an end, Daryl leaned back and rubbed his face sighing.
"Sorry, I couldn't keep it in" He coughed lightly a few times, "I don't know what that was, dust or something I guess". He kept his eyes averted hoping Merle would buy the excuse. Again never that easy with Merle.
"You're sorry, what the hell is the matter with you boy. We've been waiting all day for a damn deer and you couldn't man up and keep your damn sniffles to yourself when the time needed it."
"I'm fine, I'm fine" Daryl tried to wave him off, " let's just go to another stand or start tracking it, we'll find it soon enough."
"No, no, no ,no, little brother. You get outta here, I'm not gonna wait on another deer all day, just to have your sick ass scare it off again."
"I aint sick Merle" Daryl yelled back at his brother, causing more coughs to come out. Merle eyed him up.
"Oh ya, I can see your real spunky right now, baby brother. Now I said get outta here. I gotta deer to track. I'll find ya when you useful again. Now get!
Daryl's eyes opened slowly, his vision was blurry and his head was pounding. He feels blankets on top of him and a soft bed beneath him. He tries to get out from under the blankets, but each muscle in his body screams at him to lay still. He gives up, burnt out on the very act of trying to get out of bed. Closing his eyes, Daryl tries to escape from the shifting world around him. He hears a door open and close and feels a weight settle on the bed. He groggily opens his eyes as he feel a cool hand caress the side of his face, working up to his forehead.
"Hey, are you with me?" A young girl asks. Daryl just stares up at her, eyes glazed over, fever burning him out.
"Hey", she tries again, "What's your name", no response. "I didn't think you would be able to answer me right now and I doubt that you will remember any of this. Here you need to drink and". She held up a cup with a straw. Daryl vision starts blacking out and he starts to fade out.
"Hey, hey, no passing out again till you drink some water." She pulled him up forward into a makeshift seating position. Daryl groaned loudly in protest as his world spun, muscles ached and head pounded from the movement. The motion brought him to thou and she was able to get him to down some water before settling him back down to the bed. As he started to fall back into fevered darkness the girl said,
"You're safe"
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