Big thank you to everyone for reading so far, also a big thanks to Jaded79 for betaing this for me. Hope you all enjoy, let me know your thoughts

Chapter 31

Clinging to life.

It had been two hours since they brought her in pale, bloody and barely alive, two long and excruciating hours since they had started working to save her life. He just needed to know what was going on, was she alright? Was she dying? He just needed something, anything, a crumb; but they wouldn't let him in and no one had come out.

People had come to see her, to make sure she was going to pull through, people littered the hospital hallways and they were spread out over the hospital grounds. She had touched so many lives, changed so much for so many, she had saved them and they couldn't imagine going on without her.

He held her engagement ring in his hand touching the gold band with his fingertips, telling himself she would make it, she had to. They had a daughter that needed her and she had to pull through to finally marry him. He was nothing without her, he had survived once believing she was dead and he knew he couldn't do it a second time; it would be the death of him. Just then the doctor emerged from the room, drawing them all to attention.

"Is she alright? Is she even alive?," his voice frantic.

"She's stable for the time being." They all breathed a sigh of relief but it was short-lived. "We were able to stop the bleeding, although she has lost a lot of blood so she will be needing a transfusion."

"Okay," Daryl nodded as the doctor continued.

"We removed the bullet; it went in the back, rehashed off one of her ribs, nicked the large intestine and lodged in her hip… the problem is when the bullet hit the rib a piece of bone broke off and lodged in one of her lungs which is why she couldn't catch her breath and was having problems speaking," he explained. "It took us longer then we would have liked to stabilise her breathing and with the minimal oxygen to the brain, we're worried there may be some brain damage but we won't know for sure until she wakes… if she wakes up." Daryl's head shot up at this.

"If she wakes up?," his voice shaking as he spoke, his eyes burned with tears.

"She is unconscious at the moment and there really isn't anything else we can do but wait, the rest is up to her… but you should know the longer it takes the less likely it is that she will wake up." Daryl couldn't stop the tears that fell from his eyes. "I'm so sorry, I wish there was more that I could do… Sophie saved me and my son from walkers a year ago, I can't imagine her not being here," the doctor whispered looking down.

"Thanks Doc… can I go in and see her?"

"Of course," the doctor nodded moving aside and allowing Daryl to walk through the doors.

Carol looked so small and frail on the bed before him, he wasn't used to it. He was used to this strong, powerful woman. She was hooked up to machines that beeped occasionally and had an IV hooked up to her left arm. Her hair was a mess, her face blending in with the dull white painted on the walls. She looked peaceful, like she was sleeping. Daryl approached the bed slowly and sat on the chair provided. He reached out and clasped her hand with his own, feeling that it was limp and slightly cold.

"Carol, can you hear me?" he asked feeling a little stupid. The doctor had told him she was unconscious, but at the same time he had heard that people in comas could hear it when their loved one talked to them. But he got no answer.

He stayed there like that all night and well into the day, people would come and go, stopping by to see if she was making any kind of progress; but they all left devastated when he told them there was no change. Daryl felt like he was dying, how did you say goodbye to someone you loved so completely? Someone you didn't know how to let go of?

He shifted grabbing the engagement ring out of his pocket looking at it. It seemed to be mocking him now, lying in his opened hand, like it was the constant reminder that he had hesitated. He had waited too long and now it was too late. He moved, slipping the ring onto her finger where it belonged. Placing her hand back onto her chest he watched as her chest rose and fell with her struggling breath, silent tears slipping from his eyes and running down his cheeks.

"Carol, I don't even know where to begin in saying goodbye to you so please don't make me, don't leave me, Rose and I need you, please come back to us," his voice begging her to wake up, to give him a sign she was there with him; but still there was nothing. He laid his head down on her side and wept. "Please I love you."

He didn't know how long he had laid there, holding her hand crying till no more tears would fall. Time didn't matter to him anymore. She was gone. All hope had been extinguished. Sucking in a deep breath, he lifted his head and looked at her. She still laid perfectly still, her eyes closed and her chest rising and falling softly. He sighed laying his head back on her chest once more.

"I remember seeing you again after that year, you were a vision and honestly you scare me a little," he laughed. "You were so strong and I was so scared you didn't need me anymore because I still needed you; but then slowly I started to see the other you was in there too, that soft, sweet and kind woman I fell in love with and between her and Sophie, I fell for you even harder, you're everything to me, you and Rose…. Please come back to us and I promise to make you happy… please," he sobbed hard, feeling like his pleas were falling on deaf ears but then he felt it. A soft hand stroking his hair. His head jerked up, her blue eyes looked back at him and a hundred different emotions seemed to hit him at once.

"Hi," she whispered softly. Her voice seemed to float to him, caressing him as it did so, filling him with all the warmth and hope in the world.

"Oh my god," he gasped. "You're alive."

"That's the second time you've said that to me, three times if you count that time you asked me how was I alive." He laughed at the memories – after she spent the night in the woods cause of Carl and after seeing her face after a year of thinking she was dead.

"I thought I had lost you for sure this time," he cried softly allowing his tears to fall freely and without shame. He ran his hand down her face before kissing her lips softly.

"Can't get rid of me that easily," she smiled. "Although I'll admit I thought I was gone for a moment too."

"Don't ever do that to me again," he couldn't help but growl. She laughed softly, regretting it almost immediately as hot pain shot through her. She couldn't help but groan. "You alright?"

"Yeah just don't make me laugh… I'm aching all over and I feel really tired." Daryl nodded understanding.

"The doctor gave you a transfusion, but he said you may need another, I'll call him in." She nodded rubbing her hands over her tired eyes, that's when she noticed it.

"Daryl, what's this?" she asked looking at the ring on her finger. He turned looking at her, taking a deep breath.

"It's your engagement ring and it's back where it belongs," he spoke, moving to sit back next to her. "I love you woman and you may be a bad ass now but I know you love me too… I just want to marry you, finally and for us to be a family." He smiled at her; she looked at him seriously.

"You're right Daryl… I am bad ass," she smiled and he couldn't help but laugh.

"You got a hole in your chest and you can still make a joke," he smiled, shaking his head at her.

"I love you Daryl, I never stopped and once I get out of this bed, I'm going to send you to get my dress and we will finally get married."

"No need I brought it with me."

"What?" she asked shocked.

"Oh I wasn't going anywhere till you married me woman." She laughed again hissing in pain.

"Right, doctor," he said standing, leaning over he kissed her passionately. "I love you Carol Dixon," he whispered looking into her eyes.

"I love you too Daryl Dixon," she smiled back at him, kissing him one last time before he went to get her doctor. They returned and he stood back as the doctor worked at setting up another transfusion and giving her something for the pain.

She had asked Daryl about Rose and he promised she was safe and that once she got more rest he would bring Rose in to see her. She fell asleep with a smile on her face and Daryl at her bedside, happy and loved and excited that once she was better they would become a family.