Daryl wakes and his usual sunny personality (NOT) makes him butt heads with Dr. Yang. Rick and Morgan's return with an extra man causes a problem when an ASZ resident reacts badly.

Warning: clinical discussion of physical trauma of rape.

Can You Love Me Again?

Now I'm rising from the ground
Rising up to you
Filled with all the strength I found
There's nothing I can't do!

I need to know now, know now
Can you love me again?

I told you once I can't do this again, do this again, oh, no

-Writer(s): John Newman, Stephen Andrew Booker
Copyright: B Unique Music Limited, Cake Records Ltd.

"She gonna be okay?" Daryl asked hoarsely, rising up on one elbow and forearm to look over at the younger of the two women in the infirmary beds across from him.

Erin looked up from the table near the door where she sat in front of a microscope, taking notes, logging test results, and frowned tiredly. She had made Carol go home to rest, promising they'd watch over Daryl and send someone for her when he woke up again. Tara was stationed on the front porch to screen visitors; it seemed half of Alexandria wanted to come and check on Daryl's progress or get a look at the new people or some combination of both.

Maggie was sitting in a chair next to the girl's bed, reading to her quietly, while the other sister, Brianna, lay in her bed listening, propped up on a couple of pillows, but staring over at Daryl, watching him sleep.

"Don't know yet." Maggie told him, looking over at what Erin was doing and then back at Daryl.

The girl, Riley, who it turned out was only seventeen, had been the subject of such depraved viciousness that even if she recovered from her serious physical injuries, she might never come back from the deep recesses she had fled to within her own mind. Rosita and Maggie had bathed her more thoroughly after her emergency surgery and spent almost an hour trying to untangle her long hair before giving up and trimming it back to a pixie style similar to Carol's. It was honey blonde without the red tones in her sister's, and she had blue eyes that stared sightlessly at times, and at others seemed to close in sleep.

Maggie reached down and brushed a lock of hair back behind Riley's ear, her mouth turned down in a sad bow. She knew the pale skin with bright spots of color on her cheeks meant the girl was fighting a fever. She set down the book and took the fever heated cloth off her forehead and rinsed it in the cold water basin on the small table next to her and reapplied it.

Daryl knew the girl was too much like Maggie's own sister not to make her think of Beth, but he pushed that thought away, unwilling to get caught in that additional undertow of guilt.

"She's a fighter." Brianna said, "She never gave up. Even when we had the chance, she wouldn't let me take the easy way out."

"Easy way?" Maggie frowned at her.

"Opt out." Daryl said, understanding perfectly.

"Make a rope out of what clothes they left us, use the bars, lean in—don't need to be something high up to jump off—you just lean in until it all goes dark..." Brianna said, sounding almost nostalgic, wistful.

Maggie's expression filled with so much pain that she looked like one of those big eyed girls in the kitschy paintings. The talk of suicide cut too close, too deep. She abruptly stood, leaving the book on the chair and hurried towards the door.

"I'll go tell Carol he's up." Maggie murmured to Erin, quick and low in passing and then she was gone.

Brianna seemed puzzled at her abrupt departure and looked to Daryl for an explanation.

Ignoring her, he pushed himself into a sitting position on the side of the bed where he was attached to the IV pole and pulled back the sheet and blanket covering him. He swung his legs over the side, but then gripped the side of the bed with both hands, closing his eyes as a wave of dizziness stopped him.

"Need my fuckin' pants." Daryl grunted as his bare toes brushed across the cold tile floor.

"No you don't." Erin said mildly.

"M' awake." Daryl said forcefully, "I wanna be ready to go when she gets here."

"You're not going anywhere unless it's to the toilet." Erin said acerbically. "I'd relish one less bed pan to empty."

Daryl did in fact have to piss like a racehorse from all the IV shit they'd been pumping into him, but he wasn't about to parade his bare ass in the damn hospital gown for the whole place to see while he did it. He fidgeted in the bed enough to make Erin sigh and push back from the desk to come help him.

She brought him a second gown to put on backwards, covering him more fully, accomplishing it while he was still sitting and then re-snapping the sleeve and shoulder to avoid the IV. When he stood he felt the gown slide down to cover him front and back and gave a little sigh of relief.

When the bathroom door closed behind them both, Daryl side-eyed her as he gripped the side of the sink. When she pulled two small plastic containers with lids out of the big pockets in her white coat he shook his head back and forth.

"No fuckin' way." he scowled. Couldn't a man even piss in peace?

"One is for urine, one is for feces." Erin said in a clinical but somehow sympathetic tone, setting them within his reach on the counter next to the toilet. "I need to see if there is any occult blood or any sign of infection in them. You had severe trauma to your torso, penis, testicles and anus. If there is internal injury to your kidneys and/or urinary tract, I need to know. This is one of the ways I will know, okay? I also need to know where you're having pain, anywhere, especially on elimination."

"It's gonna hurt like hell for about two weeks." Daryl said in a small colorless voice, looking anywhere but at her, leaning harder on the sink. "Stuff for whatta ya call 'em? Piles? Helps."

"Hemorrhoids." Erin said, nodding. "Preparation H; I think I saw some in the ointment bins." she stared at him, the unasked question, how he came by that particular bit of remedy knowledge, hanging between them until he finally turned his head back, glaring back at her.

"That it?" he bit out, willing his legs to stop trembling.

"Carol gave me your medical history, as much as she knows..." Erin said tentatively, "Claire is going to come by as well, now that you're up."

Daryl just stared back at her. Of course the head shrinker would want to get her claws into him sooner rather than later when all he wanted to do was just get on with it, his life. He'd been higher than a kite when he first woke up, but he knew Carol understood; she hadn't looked at him or treated him any differently and that was all that mattered. No matter what had happened, whatever devils either of them faced, they always had each other.

When Yang made no move to leave he started to realize that she was planning on staying there to watch him, or watch over him...

"Get out." Daryl snarled, "Ain't gonna fall over and ain't gonna off myself. Just want to piss and take a shit like a big boy, all by myself."

Erin looked over at the specimen cups with a question in her gaze.

"Know how to do it—had enough drug tests when my asshole brother got us arrested." Daryl said with derision.

"Call for me when you're done." Erin said, somewhat reluctantly agreeing to leave him unsupervised.

A knock on the door brought both their heads up.

"Occupied!" Daryl yelled, motioning again for Yang to leave.

"Daryl?" Carol's anxious voice came from behind the door.

Erin and he shared a look; he gave her a sharp back and forth shake of his head and the doctor pursed her lips, but she opened the door and slipped out, closing it before Carol could go in.

"He's fine—just wanted some privacy." Erin said reassuringly.

"Should he even be up?" Brianna asked, sounding concerned, but making both Erin and Carol smile and chuckle.

"With Daryl it's not so much a question of should he but how would you even try to stop him?" Carol said dryly.

Erin went back to her work, leaving Carol standing at the bathroom door. From the sounds within she could tell he was doing all right, no crashes or swear tirades, only a few small sounds of discomfort that made her wince with empathy. She knew exactly what he was going through.

"Care?" his quiet call for her, using what sounded like a pet version of her name, made her blink back tears. She took a deep breath and answered in a warm tone.

"Right here. What do you need?"

"You." he answered, sounding so weary she smiled a little.

Carol went inside and found him still sitting, his hands shaking so much he couldn't get the lid back on the second specimen cup. She gently helped him wash his hands and then stand, leaning heavily on her.

Daryl rested his chin on the top of her head and then leaned down, nuzzling her hair.

"Take me home." Daryl murmured, using the arm not hooked to the IV to hold her close.

"Soon as Erin says. She's taking good care of you. " Carol assured him and he made a low growling sound in his throat.

"Just want you." he pleaded and could feel the tears at the back of his throat trying to drown him, that undertone of guilt and pain dragging him down. "Wanna go home...with you...please..."

"I'll ask her." Carol conceded and felt him press a rough kiss to the side of her head and make a relieved sound. "Now let's get you back to bed."

"'K." he said mildly, and with a little grunt let her move him forward and out the door.

"Clear the gates!" Carl yelled from the watch tower platform. Aaron's red car was barreling down the road pulling a small U-Haul, heading for the ASZ entrance, but there were about a dozen walkers milling around it trying to claw their way in somehow. The church tower sniper started quickly taking them out as did Carl and Michonne, who was on the other gate platform.

When they were all down, Glenn opened the large metal gate far enough for the car to come through, quickly shutting it after them. The car shuddered to a stop and the driver side door flew open, disgorging Rick who immediately yelled for his son, who was halfway down the steps.

"Carl?" only the call sounded more like "coral" in his sandpaper rough twang.

The two other men got out of the car, witnessing the reunion between father and son, the crushing hug, with opposite reactions. One felt a bitter longing and the other a frisson of hope that he would soon have the same sort of greeting.

"Why the hell is he here?" Michonne said, drawing her sword to stop the former Wolf from taking another step forward.

Grayson anxiously scanned the forming crowd, but saw no signs of his sister.

"He might have family here." Rick said to her and then returned his gaze to his son. "Where's Enid?"

"Garden, digging potatoes." Carl said, looking over at the young man that had come back with them. "Who's he?"

"Might be her brother—she say anything about another one? Not just a baby?" Rick asked.

"She doesn't talk much about her family." Carl shook his head. All he really knew was that she had her mom's knife and her little brother was dead.

"All right—you go get her and bring her home—don't tell her why. Take her inside and I'll bring him to the porch so she can see him without him seeing her, that way if he's not who he says he is she doesn't get her hopes up." Rick told him.

Carl nodded; pleased his father was taking Enid's feelings into consideration. He knew she, Ron and he had a long way to go before they earned everyone's trust back after what they had done.

As soon as he took off running, the last person that they wanted knowing about their new arrival charged onto the scene.

"What the fuck is one of them doing here?" an anguished, furious Spencer Monroe yelled. Morgan and Michonne bodily blocked him from attacking Grayson and Rick moved in, putting his hand on the young man's back, trying to calm him.

"You don't want to do this, Spencer." Rick said, his voice full of compassion.

The fist he got in reply glanced off his jaw, knocking his head back. Morgan sprang into action, getting an arm around Spencer's throat and kicking the back of his knees, swiftly taking him down and holding him there on his knees, struggling.

"You need to calm down, son." Morgan said calmly, applying a little more pressure to his choke hold.

Michonne stood, sword still up, in a defensive posture in front of the other young man, frowning at the scene, but on board with what Rick was trying to do in reuniting a family.

"Lemme go! These monsters killed my mother, tortured Daryl and Aaron! Why did you bring him here?" Spencer gasped, struggling against Morgan's arm.

"You gonna stop fighting and listen to what the man has to say?" Morgan asked' "Or do you need to take a little nap?"

The very real threat made Spencer stop. Rick squatted down in front of him so he could be eye to eye.

"You're entitled. You lost everyone. I know that." Rick said, putting his hand on Spencer's shoulder, giving him that good old boy sincere sheriff look, a little eye squint, a little sad frown. Then he tilted his head to the side and continued. "But this boy didn't kill your mother. They took him just like they took Daryl and Aaron. He helped us."

"I'm sorry...about your mom." Grayson said suddenly, looking around Michonne. "I lost everybody too...except maybe not my sister—she might be here. I just want to know...if she's alive..."

Spencer didn't respond, but he did visibly relax Morgan's hold on him.

Morgan looked to Rick, seeing if he agreed to release Monroe and Rick nodded in assent. Spencer stood and turned to face Grayson.

"Your sister?" Spencer asked, and when the other young man nodded, he added in an Antarctic voice, "I hope she's dead." and then he stalked away, heading towards the cemetery, where his family waited.

"Follow him." Rick said to Michonne, who nodded and sheathed her katana before moving after Monroe. He tossed the car keys to Glenn. "Got lots of good stuff."

"On it." Glenn said, catching the keys out of the air.

"Wait ten minutes and then bring him to my house." Rick said to Morgan, indicating Grayson. Then he headed out, striding down the street.

"He the boss now?" Grayson asked, running a shaky hand through his hair.

"We'll see." Morgan said, his narrowed eyes following Rick.

"It's potato and leek soup." Olivia said, smiling at Tara. "I pureed the vegetables in the batch for Daryl and the girls though—Eugene said chewing might be hard for them—I brought regular for you and Erin and Maggie, and some of today's bread."

"Maggie left, Carol's here now." Tara said, inhaling the tantalizing aroma of the bread escaping from the towel covered wicker laundry basket Olivia had used to transport her bounty.

"Oh good!" Olivia said. "How is she feeling? She needs to eat more—eating for two—she's too thin! Don't you think so? Not knowing if Daryl was dead or alive was so stressful for her!"

"Um—go ahead in." Tara said, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the woman's chatter.

"I'll bring your soup back out in a bit, honey." Olivia said, smiling brightly as she walked on by and headed inside.

"Not happening. As a matter of fact I should keep both of you here." Erin said, caught in mid-argument by Olivia's entrance.

Carol was standing in front of Erin, both of them next to Daryl's bed where he sat, refusing to lie back down.

Daryl looked more closely at Carol, noticing for the first time how pale and thin her face was, the dark circles under her eyes. Before he had left she was back to wearing the boots he loved and more form fitting clothes, but now she could hardly see her body, hidden by the bulky flannel shirt she wore.

"Hello!" Olivia said, looking around the room uncertainly, but deciding to brazen through the tension she felt, she smiled brightly and lifted her basket. "Soup's on!"

Erin looked at her gratefully and nodded, going over to check on Riley.

"We're not done." Carol warned Erin and pursed her lips. She went over to Daryl and fixed his pillows so he could sit up with his back against the headboard, helping him adjust his position by putting his legs back up on the bed. Then she pulled the chair there closer and sat, talking with him in a low voice and holding his hand.

In the meantime, Olivia moved into the kitchen area, washing her hands and then taking out a loaf of crusty already sliced bread and two small crock pots of soup which she plugged into the wall so they'd stay hot. Next she got out the spoons and big low mugs to be used as bowls and started dishing out the portions. After loading them on a serving tray, she went to Erin first, then Brianna, both of whom thanked her. She gave Riley a sad glance before going to Carol and Daryl.

"It's so nice to see you feeling better!" Olivia said to Daryl somewhat timidly, "We're glad to have you home." She held out a mug of soup to him, but he didn't take it.

Daryl's struggle to remain civil showed on his face, but he was able to manage a terse thank you and a brief glance up at her.

Carol felt his hand shaking and knew he didn't want to show that weakness to the other woman by reaching for the soup, so she lifted her free hand and took the cup instead. Unfortunately as soon as she did, the smell hit her.

It was a lovely soup, delicious with a warm chicken stock broth, a bit of finely chopped ham and oniony leeks to liven it up without being too spicy, but when it hit her nose Carol's stomach immediately rejected the whole basic concept of soup. She pulled her hand from Daryl's, shoved the mug back at Olivia and covering her mouth, bolted for the bathroom.

"Carol?" Daryl tried to go after her, but Erin was there, pushing him back down.

"Your IV!" the doctor reminded him and he swore, threatening to pull it out.

"Fuck it! What the hell's wrong with her?" Daryl demanded, "She looks like shit!"

"Glad to see you finally noticed!" Erin said scathingly.

The sound of Carol's retching in the bathroom filled the silence that followed.

"She's sick?" Daryl asked, looking up at Erin with cold fear, imagining cancer or any number of other incurable things that would make Carol look and act that way.

Erin stared back, knowing it was Carol's news to tell him, but wanting to dispel his worry.

"She'll be fine, but you two need to talk." Erin looked over at Olivia and Brianna, both looking at Daryl, brimming to blurt out the truth that they had already heard but he hadn't, and knew she needed to get them out of the room.

The sound of the toilet flushing and bathroom sink water running pushed her to action.

"I think we'll have our supper in the actual dining room tonight, ladies." Erin said with a meaningful look to the other women. After another quick check of Riley's vitals showed she was stable, Brianna was quickly loaded into a wheelchair and the food gathered up so that when Carol finally emerged, Daryl was the only awake person in the room.

Carol made her way back to Daryl's bedside and sat down next to him, drawing her legs up to stretch them out beside his. She took his hand and now it was a toss-up as to whose was shaking more.

"Just tell me." Daryl said.

Keeping her eyes on his, Carol lifted his hand and placed it palm down on the swell of her abdomen.

Daryl flinched, unable to believe what she seemed to be telling him. He found the hem of her shirt and lifted it, sliding his hand underneath until he found the soft taut skin of her belly, spreading his fingers wide over the rounded expanse and looking at her with hope and fear.

Her face scrunched up in a smile that fought with tears and she nodded yes.

Daryl's breath came out all in a rush and he looked down at her middle, his hand gently resting over the early evidence of their child inside. Then he looked back up at her, his eyes full of worry.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Gotta be." she teased back their standard evasive answer to the question.

"You sure?" he said, knowing she would understand that he meant more than just her health. She'd told him she couldn't do this again; she couldn't find room in her heart for another child. But that had been before Sam had somehow found a way through her walls.

"I'm happy." she told him, and then gave a choked laugh, "and terrified."

"Yeah." Daryl agreed, smiling back at her ruefully, "That about sums it up."

They stared at each other, the love they each felt reflected back at them.

"Can I see?" he asked shyly, rubbing a circle over her there with his big hand.

Carol pulled her shirt up so he could see the little potbelly and he removed his hand, leaned closer and kissed her there, right above her belly button and then rested his cheek against it. She put her hand on his head in her lap, playing her fingers through the soft thick strands of his mane of hair.

"We're okay."

AN: Yes, I snuck a little lap scene in there right at the end. I think it seemed appropriate;-)

Thanks for reading!