Chapter 10: Blood Is Thicker Than Water
They found a gas station a few miles down the road and Daryl stopped just down the road from it. Abby slid out of the truck and waited for Daryl who was making sure his crossbow was ready, just in case. They walked side by side down the road till they came to the gas station,
' You ok to do this?' Daryl asked looking around
' I'm fine…lets just get this over with' she said shouldering a bag, they picked up the jerry cans and crossed the forecourt to the pumps.
They were both relieved to find there was still gas. Abby filled the cans while Daryl watched her back,
' So how'd you meet preggo?' Daryl said after a long silence
' I assume you mean Carrie…she lived down the street from me and I treated her in hospital a few times'
' Why…her old man an asshole too?'
' Nope…she was a cheerleader'
' Oh yeah well that is a dangerous profession' he muttered, Abby smiled
' Not a jock in school then Dixon?'
' What do you think prom queen?' he said smirking
' Oh please…prom queen'
' What you telling me you weren't queen at some point in high school?' he said raising a smirking eyebrow,
' Nope…more of an outsider' she said twisting the cap back onto one of the full jerry cans, he looked at her with an unreadable expression,
' What's that look for?' she said standing up
' Just surprised…you seem to normal to have been an outsider'
' You keep yourself to yourself when you don't want people to ask questions like where'd you get that bruise or was that your old man I saw kicking the shit out of that guy in the street' she said picking up one of the cans, Daryl grabbed the other two cans and they walked back to the truck.
They loaded the other cans into the truck and headed back with a couple of bags to see if there was anything they could take back at the station,
' So what is merle like?' she said as they walked back, he looked at her and squinted as the sunlight hit his eyes,
' Sorry…sore subject' she said quietly
' Nah it's just…you asked what he is like not what was he like…merle is…kinda hard to answer he's my brother, I know he didn't get on with everyone but…you know…'
' Bloods thicker than water' she said quietly, he nodded and looked at her, eyes still squinting from the light, and kicked a stone in the road,
' Yeah…I admit he's got faults…pretty big faults…but who hasn't?' she nodded,
' Hey you're talking to a former stripper I cant comment on anyone' she said smiling, Daryl laughed quietly.
Daryl went first; he pushed the door open slowly and looked around before he moved in far enough for Abby to follow him. He put his hand up to keep her back and began looking round the small store and checking they were safe. When he was happy he waved her forwards and they began to fill the bags with bottles and any food that hadn't gone off,
' I'm gonna check the back, stay close' he said giving her a stern look, she nodded and continued throwing bottles of water into a bag.
Abby put her gun on the now empty shelf and pushed her hair out of her damp face, the store was roasting and she could have happily emptied a few of the bottles then and there.
She reclined her head back and closed her eyes.
Abby hit the hard, shiny floor and instantly began to struggle. She looked down and saw the walker gripping tightly to her ankle; her gun was up on the shelf out of reach.
She aimed a few kicks at him but he was strong, he let out his strangled growls as he attempted to take a chunk out of her leg,
' DARYLLL!' she screamed hoarsely as she struggled and kicked at the walker. She thrashed about on the floor, determined not to keep still long enough for him to sink his teeth into her, she let out a few more hoarse screams and grabbed the edge of the metal shelf as she tried desperately to pull herself free of his vice like grip.
She heard the twang and air whipped above her.
The grip on her ankle lapsed and she unclenched her eyes and looked down. A familiar arrow was sticking out of the walkers' head; she looked up and saw Daryl standing over her his crossbow still raised as though he'd frozen.
He didn't say a word. He put the crossbow down and grabbed both her hands. He gently pulled her away from the grey hand that had seconds ago been pulling her to the jaws of the walker.
He let go of her and she scrambled back until her back hit the wall, he crouched at her feet and picked up the leg the walker had grabbed. He ran his rough hands over her leg to check she hadn't been bitten. Abby found it oddly soothing,
' You ok?' he said quietly still holding and looking at her leg, she nodded feeling slightly numb. She didn't quite trust her voice not to give her away and show how scared she was. Daryl stood up and picked up his crossbow, he walked over to the wall and sank down next to her,
' It's ok Abby…you're ok…' he put his free arm round her shoulders. It was a rare moment for him to allow himself to be this caring around someone; he'd been looking out for himself for so long it felt strange to do it for someone else. Abby let her head loll to the side and rest on his shoulder as she took a few shaky breaths and continued to stare at the walker.
They sat still for a while; Daryl occasionally rubbed the top of Abby's arm until she stopped shaking. He stood up and pulled her up after him,
' That's enough…let's head back' he said quietly, she nodded and looked at the bag that was lying close to the walker. Daryl squeezed her shoulder and walked over to it and picked it up, he shouldered it before he plucked the arrow out of the walkers' head and grabbed her gun off the shelf.
She sat in Daryl's truck while he tossed the bags into the back. He climbed in and looked over at her; she was staring dead ahead at the gas station. He reached over hesitantly and squeezed her knee; she turned to look at him slowly before she quickly slid across the seat. She was right next to him, he was about to speak when she put a hand on his cheek and kissed him…
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