THANK YOU FOR READING! Crazy episode last night! Sorry about the wait, busy busy weekend! I will also be having a busy week, so heads up! I will try to get at least a few chapters out though, because you are the best readers ever. So, just to clarify, this is obviously going to be set before they go to the prison. Feel free to review, it makes my day. And lastly, ENJOY!

15: Concussion

I woke up early the next day and got ready. It was all I could do to stop the incessant buzzing of my thoughts, and when the daily knock came I was relieved. Relieved to just go out and hunt. Simple and easy.

I locked the gate, "Back here at noon-ish." He gave a nod and we went our separate ways. I wandered around for a while; picking off the occasional squirrel, almost snagging a bird of some sort but it got spooked and flew off. Then I saw some tracks. They looked human, but I wasn't entirely sure how fresh they were. I wasn't even sure if they weren't mine until I stepped down beside them to check. Then I noticed there were more than one set, potentially. I wasn't the best at tracking yet. I took off at a soft jog to follow them, arrow poised and ready to be released. When I heard rustling and grunting I picked up my pace.

Walkers. Five of them standing, plus three that had been dealt with on the ground. I shot one, then another. That's when I saw Daryl being accosted by the other three. Once I had a clear shot I let the arrow fly, running up after with my knife drawn. I pulled one off, while kicking the other away. Knife to face. He took care of the other one. "You okay?" I hunched over to catch my breath.

"I thought I said I didn't need your help." I could tell he was trying to be angry, but something was off.

"Psh, and let you have all the fun?" I looked him over from a couple yards away. "You're bleeding. Were you bit?" His hand went to the back of his head. I walked over cautiously to check, "Shit, what did you hit this on?" I looked towards where the scrape happened and saw a bloody rock on the ground. "No worries, I can patch that up when we get back." I paused, expecting a resistant comment, but none came. I gathered the arrows and we walked back. I dropped the squirrels off in the kitchen, grabbed some water and then took him to the garage. "Sit down." He did. "First I gotta clean this up. It will sting." I began to work. The gash was deeper than I had originally thought, but not fatal. "Now for some stitches." I went to work and after a few minutes the wound was looking better. I put a bandage on it, grabbing the small flashlight from the counter. I passed the beam in front of his eyes a few times. "You have a concussion, so you'll have to take it easy for a few days." I walked over to the fridge, "Can you throw me that towel?" He did. Concussed Daryl was so obedient. I took some ice from the freezer and put it in the towel. "You'll want to keep this on there for about a half hour." Gently, I placed the ice over the bandaged area.

"Do I have to stay awake?"

"You probably should for a little while, just in case."

He nodded, and the noise from inside the house picked up. He held his head. "Where's quiet?"

"Probably my room or the roof would be quietest. At least for now."

"The roof." He didn't get mad when I helped him up the stairs and through the window.

"Holler if you need anything." I crouched down to get back inside.

"You're not staying?"

I looked over at him, and for a second I wasn't entirely sure if he had actually said that or if it was just my imagination. "I can stay." I grabbed the binoculars from the table just inside the window and sat beside him.

"I saw you and Carol talking last night."

"Yep, she said some interesting things." Out of the corner of my eye I saw his eyebrows raise in question, "Just stuff about that night I got shot, how she didn't want Hershel to help me." I rubbed the now healed wound.

"I tried to tell 'em."

"I know," I patted his knee. "Thanks." Silence crept around us, except for the now soft murmur inside the house. "What did you say, by the way?"

"I don't know, I was just trying to tell them you'd be useful to have around."

"I guess it all worked out in the end," I laughed.

He nodded, "You really showed them." The rest of the afternoon we were silent, except for the occasional bit of small talk or the songs I hummed from time to time. I decided to enjoy it all I could; by this time tomorrow the head trauma would wear off and he would be back to his abrasiveness.