Just when you thought it couldn't get anymore complicated...

.::.

"Wake up and face me,

Don't play dead, 'cause maybe,

Some day I will away and say,

You fuckin' disappoint me. Maybe you're better off this way."

- "Passive" by A Perfect Circle

.::.

.::.

We buried her body that night, along with Hershel's wife and step-son. We burned the rest.

And since then, I had been spendin' the last couple days outside. As far away from the house as I could get without puttin' myself in too much danger. Right now, I hated these people. Every one of 'em. I hated that they gave up on that little girl as fast as they did. Talked about how they were missin' her 'till they were blue in the face but they didn't hardly do a damn thing to prove it. I hated myself for not tryin' harder. And not just with her, but with Molly too. I felt lost.

I lit up my last cigarette and inhaled deeply, exhaling through my nostrils. I could see the lights on in the house and a small fire burning at the makeshift campground not too far off. Everyone seemed to have already shrugged it off. Carol, included. I had apologized for what I had said to her the other day, but that still don't mean I was happy with the fact that she had given up on that little girl just like the rest of 'em.

I rubbed my head in frustration. I felt purposeless. I had been so consumed in my search for Sophia that I had pushed everything else aside. And now I had nothing. I had been doin' the best I could to keep my mind off of Molly, and the issues surrounding our...relationship. She had hardly spoken more than five words to me since she had been here, and she had been keepin' to herself for the most part. She had been real quiet. It just wasn't like her. She had changed.

Then again, we all had. This group was broken.

.::.

I took my time lookin' around, makin' sure I was alone as I fumbled through my brother's bag of goodies. Anytime else I woulda felt guilty, but after bein' beat up on (mentally and physically) for the last couple days, I just didn't give a fuck tonight. I wanted to stop thinkin' 'bout anything and everything, but I couldn't do it on my own.

I reached my hand in, feelin' around for a small, blue pill in one of the containers. I smoothed my thumb on the surface of one in particular and decided it would do for the night. I dropped it onto my tongue.

It was my shitty luck that Molly appeared right in front of me at the exact same time. I stuffed the container in my pocket, along with the baggie. It was too late. She saw.

"What the fuck are you doing?" She narrowed her eyes in on me.

Fuck's sake.

"Daryl. What the fuck are you doing?"

"Nothin'. I ain't doin' nothin'."

"Bullshit. I recognize that bag. Show me." She held her hand out and swallowed hard. She was just as nervous as I am.

Shit. This ain't no good. "What, are you like the fuckin' DEA around here? You know what? Ain't none of yer fuckin' business what I'm doin' out here. Take yer ass inside and talk to somebody who cares." I took a step forward, and as soon as I did, the small container of pills fell from my pocket. I obviously hadn't shoved it in far enough.

Fuck. Me. Sideways.

Molly bent over and retrieved it from the ground before I could. She held it in front of her face to examine it, and suddenly her eyes went white. "Daryl, what the fuck is this?!" She screamed loudly.

Lori, Rick, Andrea, Carol, and Shane were now starting to approach us, wondering what the hell was going on.

"Ay! Keep it down-" I tried to snatch the orange container from her hand, but she was too quick.

She popped the lid and shook a few into the palm of her hand.

"Are you fucking serious? Out here getting high off your ass?" She shouted, shoving me as hard as she could into a nearby tree.

"Hey, keep yer fuckin' hands off of me, woman!" I shoved her right back and she stumbled backwards but caught herself before she fell to the ground.

I saw Rick runnin' towards me and suddenly he pushed me back. "Don't you put your hands on a woman!" He shouted.

"Man, get the fuck off of me! She pushed my ass first!" I shoved him back.

"Ay, what the hell is going on?" Shane interjected as he stood between myself and Rick.

I glanced at Molly. Her eyes were glowing with anger, but I wasn't no happy camper either.

"Why don't you fucking tell 'em, Daryl? He's poppin' pills out here by the fuckin' woods. You could pass out and get yourself killed, you dumb son of a bitch!"

"Would you just shut the fuck up? It ain't none a ya'lls goddamn business what I'm doin' out here! I been busting my ass for ya'll sons a bitches every damn day- lookin' for Sophia, huntin' ya'lls dinner, playin' errand boy for every single fuckin' one a you...so if I wanna come out here and be alone, lemme be the fuck alone!" My body was shaking with anger and I was ready to sucker punch the next motherfucker that crossed me.

"Alright." Rick held up his hand in attempt to calm everyone down. "Everyone needs to stay calm. All this yellin' is bound to attract somethin we don't want no part of." I hunched over, catching my breath as he waved the rest of the group off. Molly and Shane stayed put.

"Molly..." Rick struggled to find the words. "You can't get in this man's business like that. He does somethin' you don't like, you approach him calmly. You talk to him like an adult. This ain't the way to handle things."

She folded her arms across her chest like a scorned teenager. "And Daryl," he addressed me, "You don't need to be doin' this in the first place. Especially not out here when you're alone. You oughtta know better than that."

"Look-ain't nobody askin' for none a yall's opinion. Ya need to get yer asses on back in the house and leave me be!" I stared at Rick straight in the eye. "Leave me be."

He hesitated for a brief moment, then swallowed and nodded his head. "You two, c'mon." He gestured towards Molly and Shane.

"I'm staying right here." Molly kept still with her arms folded. She had never looked away from me.

"Go on with yer ass, woman. Ain't you done enough?" I spat on the ground, shaking my head.

"Me?" She widened her eyes. "Have I done enough?"

"Ya heard me. Out here preachin' at me like yer some sorta saint. Didn't you used to be a fuckin' stripper?"

Her mouth dropped open. I could tell that hit her hard and she had to take a moment to collect herself. Her eyes began to water. A few seconds later she said, "Just because I want a better life for you does not mean I'm preaching." She was shaking now and I watched a few tears trickle down her dewy cheeks.

"A better life for me?" I snorted. "What the fuck do you care? You been mean as a damn junkyard dog for the past week. Anytime I try to talk to you and patch things up you jus fuckin' snap on me."

"Oh, you're right, Daryl!" She threw her hands on her hips. "Sorry I didn't get down on my knees and suck your dick as soon as you rescued me. Sorry that I'm still bitter about the fact that you left my ass high-and-dry with your meth-head brother."

I rolled my eyes at her, frustrated as hell. The high had only lasted for a split second, and all the commotion was startin' to make me feel nauseous. "Why the fuck do you honestly even care about what I'm out here doin'? Go learn how to bake some goddamn brownies that don't taste like a camel's fuckin' asshole!"

She furrowed her brow with confusion, but it slowly turned to rage. "Oh, nice!... You wanna know why I care, Daryl?!"

I widened my eyes, tellin' her to spit it out.

She licked her lips, anxiously. "You really wanna know?"

"That's what I said, woman. Say it!"

She stared at me quietly for only a moment. "Because I'm fucking pregnant."

My brain literally exploded right then and there. I was in shock. I didn't even know how to react.

"What the fuck you mean, yer pregnant?"

"I mean that you're gonna be a fucking daddy, Daryl! What the fuck do you think it means?"

I hunched over and tried to catch my breath. I tried to process the information. "You...ya sayin' it's mine?" I asked calmy.

"Well who the fuck else's would it be? A walker? You're the only fucking one." She wasn't as calm. In fact, she looked purely scorned and purely evil. Rick and Shane stood there, just as motionless and baffled as I was. They knew better than to even speak.

She started to storm off, but before she got too far she turned around and charged at me, shoving me one last time just as hard as she could. I didn't even notice, to be completely honest. My brain had just shut off. Shane went to grab a hold of her but she pushed him too. "I'm fuckin' going. Don't fucking touch me! CONGRATU-FUCKING-LATIONS, DARYL."

The three of us watched her walk away. I hunched over again, feelin' like I was fixin' to throw up. I didn't even know what the fuck to think. I felt like I was gonna be sick. I felt like I was gonna pass out. I felt like I wanted to fix it. I felt like I wanted to run away. I felt everything and nothing all at once.

After a minute or two of spittin' excess saliva onto the ground, Rick patted me on the shoulder and then walked away along with Shane, leaving me to myself.

Seconds later, I passed out.