The knife dug into the ground; it was small in his hand, but still dangerous… just like she had been.
Don't think on that right now…
Daryl blew a breath through his nose… no, he shouldn't be thinking like that… had to take a step back…
He brought the blade back down on the stone floor… cause that's what he had to do… just keep stabbing until it was dead; keep going until it didn't move any more.
It ain't really her, Merle reminded him, it's just wearing her face… she died and this thing crawled into the space she left behind…
She was dead…
A sob broke through Daryls chest…
He had known this day might come… every clearance he did in the prison block, he had prepared himself to meet the reanimated Carol Peletier and figured that she would probably be intent on ripping him apart…
Daryl figured he'd have been able to do it then… heat of the moment and life-or-death.
This was, somehow, worse.
They hadn't come across Carol's body and there was only one room left…
He stabbed at the ground again…
You can do this, boy!
He gave an exaggerated huff, trying to clear his lungs and work himself up… because he could do this; he had to do this… he would want her to do this for him…
The knife drove into the floor…
She would do it for him – she wouldn't let him turn, so he was going to do this…
The last door in the prison pushed open and shut against the fallen body blocking it… open and closed, open and closed…
Stab the floor; think of Carol...
Open and closed…
He could do this for her…
Stab the floor; go for the brain…
Open and closed…
You can do this boy…
Breathe and stab the floor…
Open and closed…
She needed him one last time…
Open and closed…
Stab the floor… stab the wall…
Get it done!
Daryl cried out… stabbing the wall as he dragged himself to his feet and kicked the door in rage…
You can do this!
Open and closed…
Pace and think; go for the brain…
It ain't her…
He was ready…
The body was easy to move and Daryl grabbed the door, ripping it open, fully prepared for the rush of the undead, desperate to tear into him…
It never came.
…
Then he saw movement…
Carol was slumped in the doorway, blinking up at him, hardly aware…
Daryl tried to stop the sick feeling in his stomach working its way up his throat; she was alive?!
Before he knew it, his hand was out to touch her face and make sure he wasn't dreaming…
Check she ain't a biter, dummy!
Daryl startled; moving the tender touch into more of an inquisitive check of her skin and eyes… perfect peach and bright blue, if a little dazed and weak.
She was alive!
Woooohoooo! Merle hollered in his ear, Well, what are you waitin' for, boy? Get her back to the cell block and get the lady some water!
"I got you," he told her.
Carol didn't say a word, just smiled and hugged herself tighter into his frame as he lifted her from the floor, feeling ten feet tall… and anything could have happened at that moment because he felt invincible, not even recalling how he had gotten them back to the cell block and into a chamber as he laid her on a bed and sank to the ground beside her, stroking her face…
"You need anythin'?" He asked…
She shook her head, leaning to his touch…
It melted him inside; she needed to feel him there more than anything else in that moment.
Daryl draped himself on the side of the bed, gazing into those blue eyes, so unbelievably grateful just to look at her and see her there instead of the creature he was expecting to see.
After a time, she stirred and brushed her cheek against his fingers as they stroked her face… she swallowed hard and opened her eyes to ask… "Water…"
He was on his feet in an instant, placing a kiss on her forehead in an apology for having to leave as he rushed to the taps, grabbing a plastic cup and filling it…
When he got back to the bed, Carol was trying, and failing, to sit up… so, clumsily, Daryl scooped her forward on the bed and clambered in behind her… allowing her to rest back on his body…
Made the most sense, he thought to himself as she wriggled back into him and he guided her hands around the beaker to bring the water to her lips…
Damned comfortable too, I'll bet!
Daryl grinned in response to Merles tone… yeah, it was comfortable… and Carol didn't seem to be complaining as she gulped the water and couched a little…
He tensed his body about hers, leaning her forward and rubbing her back before she settled back into him and he moved the motion to her arms…
Just hold her, Dummy, Merle sighed, it's all she needs…
So he listened to his brother and brought his arms around her.
Carol murmured something… and, focused on fetching her whatever she needed, Daryl asked, "What?"
She snuggled back into him and said, "Thank you."
What?
Was she thanking him for her being alive against all odds?
Daryl almost laughed in joy… but couldn't find the words… so squeezed her a little tighter.
He didn't know how long they stayed there like that; could have been hours… but he knew she was asleep and he wasn't going to wake her by moving. In fact, should anyone have noticed his absence, they would have found him asleep, holding a miracle in his arms.
()()()
Daryl woke in Carol's cell not certain how long they had slept for but certain it had been the most restful slumber he had had for weeks.
Still sleeping in his arms, Carol shifted and wriggled back into the warmth of his chest; he tried not to enjoy the sensation too much, knowing that it couldn't always be this way and they would soon be joined by the others and swallowed up in another crisis…
Enjoying it for the moment wasn't really such a bad thing though…
Daryl breathed in and laughed a little; she needed a shower!
Then, he thought, he probably didn't smell all too sweet himself! So what did it matter…
Maybe you should both have a shower…
Shut-up Merle!
His brother chuckled in his head… Just sayin-
Daryl shook himself, trying to silence Merle… he didn't need to have any other thoughts about the woman in his arms right now; it was enough to have Carol back without trying to push.
Perhaps he was the soft-one his brother always accused him of being.
Perhaps he didn't care how it looked; he wasn't going to let her go until she wanted him to…
"Daryl…" Carol mumbled…
"I'm here," he said into her hair, letting it trace over his lips, glad of the feeling…
"How long..?"
Daryl shrugged, "A while… the others will be back soon…" then he moved a little to try and see her face, "You want to get up?"
"No," she said quickly.
Relief washed through him and he rewarded himself with a little squeeze of her.
Silence again, but he was cool with it; even liked it.
And still, as with everything that was nice and good these days, it ended.
Carol needed food and water, so Daryl fetched them and realized the others had to be near…
So he cleaned himself up some and went in search of them.