Clouds under the sun
Merle was yet again gone and his dad was out who knew where. His mom was enjoying some wine and had sent him out to play. He ran after the other kids, most of them on bicycles. They played a while, but Daryl got tired of running after them, they were too fast. He sat on the pavement drawing circles a stick in the dust when he saw that pink bicycle stop in front of him.
"Wanna try?" the little girl said, waving her lashes around. She was so cute in her pink dress, with her pink bike, one could get diabetes just by looking at her.
Daryl looked at the girl's bicycle and was dying to give it a try, but that thing looked so girly.
"That's only for girls" he grunted even as a child.
"It's still a bicycle" she said getting off it. Daryl stood up and approached, getting on the bike. But he pushed the pedals two times and fell like a rock to his side.
"You don't know to ride" the girl rushed after him.
"Yes, I do, I just…" he looked at her and something made him stop. There was nothing judgmental in her eyes, they were friendly and playful.
"I'll show you how" she said happily. "I'm Carol, we are going to be very good friends".
"Daryl" he said somehow surprised.
Daryl puffed and laughed alone in the tent.
"What's so funny" Carol asked as she entered with some food.
"Nothing, just recalled how ya offered me to ride ya bicycle that day. That pink, damn bicycle that haunted my nightmares years after" he teased.
"I recall it being a very good bicycle and you enjoying riding it" she sat on the mattress, amused by his memories.
"Do you recall what ya said to me that day?"
"Not really, we were very young".
"You said ya name and then added that we are going to be very good friends".
"Really?" she laughed amused.
"Yeah, I can recall it like yesterday. It was easier in those days, right? We weren't afraid to say what we thought".
Carol looked at Daryl long.
"Not really. It was pretty hard to get anything out of you. I was the only one saying what I was thinking".
"Well, I never needed sayin' much as ya always got me before I opened my mouth" he smiled looking at her. " Why'd ya stick with me Carol? From all those children, why ya had such a pleasure running after me?"
"I wasn't running after you, it was the opposite around" she pinched him in the arm. He caught her hand and kissed the back of her palm.
Rick knocked and entered.
"I'm going to let the two of you talk" Carol stood up and left.
"Hey there. How're you feeling?" the former sheriff asked.
"Much better, gonna take a walk later on".
"You don't need to push yourself too much".
"Neah, I am just getting bored and this ain't something to hold me down. What are ya doing here anyway?"
"Just checking up on you" Rick smiled. "Glad you're better and moved back here".
He stood up and left the tent.
The little walk made Daryl good. By evening he was feeling much better and moving with more ease. Carol helped him undress.
"Still warm outside, but winter's around the corner" he said as Carol pulled his shirt off. She looked at his wound, it had stopped bleeding and the bandage was sitting tight. As she raised her eyes and looked into his, she felt her knees weaken. He pulled her closer and embraced her waist. Carol felt his body pressed against hers, but whatever she did she couldn't leave his eyes. They were looking deep into her like that night he asked her to prom and she realized the friendship between them was slowly developing into something more. She puffed and smiled. Lately she had recalled those years a lot…and how could she not it were her years with Daryl.
"Woman, this ain't the night. but wait until I get better and you ain't gonna wait long. For now, what ya say ya dance with me?"
"Now?"
"Ya waiting for a ball or something?" he joked and he started moving slowly. She followed his steps and supported her head on his shoulder. She wasn't even imagining to hear music, the sense of being in his arms was enough for her. His arms had embraced her tighter and, even if his wound was still paining a little, he hadn't felt that good in years.
That next morning Glenn was moving around without any rest. He walked from one side to the other, while Carol and T-Dog served food. Daryl was feeling almost like new.
"Guys, I need to tell you something" Glenn finally said stepping in the middle. They looked up at him, still eating. "The barn is full of walkers".
It took them several moments to react. They put their plates away and walked all to the barn. Shane looked inside and turned to Rick.
"You can't tell me you're all right with this!"
"No, I'm not, but this is his land!" Rick replied.
"We either get this place cleaned or we get out of here. We talked about Fort Benning…"
"We can't go" Rick said looking at Shane.
"Why, why not?"
Carol knew the reason. Lori was pregnant taking her out there again and with winter coming…
"Because winter is coming. We need a shelter we can't know what we'll find in Fort Benning" Carol said. Daryl looked at her understanding she had another reason.
"Just let me talk to Hershel".
"Talk what, man!?" Shane was getting angrier.
"This is his land, if we are doing this we need to talk first to him!"
"I ain't sitting here with these geeks ready to bite my ass off".
"Hershel thinks of them as people. Sick people. His wife, his son…" Dale said.
"You knew?" Rick asked.
"I found out yesterday and talked to Hershel".
"And you didn't say anything?" Shane was on the verge of exploding into Dale's face.
"Hey, man, calm down" Daryl stepped in.
"You shut the fuck up! You're either with us or not. Who the fuck knows what you've been doing out there that you returned with that wound and those geek ears hanging down your neck".
"What the fuck did you think I was doing?" Daryl angered as well almost jumping to Shane's neck, but Rick interfered and so did everybody else.
"Look, I'll talk to Hershel, ok? Just let me talk to him and we'll sort things out!"
The door of the barn started being pushed by the walkers, the noise and smell of people attracted them.
"Come on" Carol said to Lori and Carl. "Let them sort this out".
The three walked away.
"Would you help me break some branches for the fire?" she asked Carl. "I have to wash some things and the water is getting colder".
"Sure" Carl agreed.
"We can't leave this place" Lori sat down.
"We won't" Carol bent to her, stroking her arm. "They are going to sort this out, Hershel will have to understand. Why don't you spend some time with Carl? It will get your mind off it".
Lori smiled and nodded. Carol walked to the fountain to get some water to boil. Daryl followed her.
"There's something ya ain't telling me. You're protecting something, someone" he said as he helped her get water.
"Lori is pregnant. We can't leave now. With winter coming…where will she have the baby? You've seen her, she is very thin and pale, she might even be anemic. She needs shelter and food".
"Oh…whose baby is it?"
"Daryl!" Carol looked harsh at him.
"I get ya point. I'm gonna talk to Rick, we'll sort things out. We need to stay here".
She smiled.
"I'll manage with this, you'd better hold an eye on Shane and Rick".
Daryl nodded and left. But by the time he looked for Rick he had gone out doing something with Hershel. And Shane was missing as well together with Dale.
A few hours passed and everybody started worrying.
"Where's everybody?" Daryl asked as they all gathered around in front of Hershel's house. "We…" he turned and saw Shane approached with the bag full of munitions.
"You're in this with me?" Shane asked Daryl.
He looked at Carol and everybody else. Safety first.
"Yeah" he said grabbing a gun.
"Time to grow up!" Shane said, handing guns around.
"If you do this my father will have you out by sun set!" Maggie tried talking them out. Shane ignored her handing a gun to Glenn.
"We have to stay, Shane" Carl said.
"What is this?" Lori approached.
"We ain't going anywhere. Now Hershel will have to understand".
He walked to Carl and bent to him, handing him a pistol.
"I want you to take this and keep your mother safe with any cost".
Lori stepped in pushing Carl aside.
"Rick said no guns. This is not your call! This is not your decision to make!"
"Oh shit!" T-Dog called out interrupting them. They all looked at Rick, Hershel and Jimmy bringing two walkers, holding them on a leash.
"What is that?" Shane said and started running. They all started running after him.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Shane yelled.
"Shane, just back off" Rick asked of him.
"Why do you people have guns?" Hershel asked.
"Are you kidding me? You see what their holding on to?" Shane angered.
"I see who I am holding on" Hershel said.
"This is not going to end well" Carol whispered to Lori.
They watched Shane shoot the walker Hershel was holding, in its heart and lungs trying to prove to Hershel they weren't alive anymore. Shane went out of his mind and broke the chain from the barn, waiting for the walkers to come out, one by one. They all started shooting at the walkers there was no other option. Hershel fell to his knees; Maggie was trying to hold him.
Carol placed an arm around Lori and the other on Carl. One by one the walkers went down. All that was left was a pile of bodies and a very shocked Hershel. He stood up and went back into the house, Rick running after him.
"Hey, why don't I take Carl to rest a little? We can play that game we played in the car. You need to take your mind off of this" Carol said to the boy who nodded. "And Rick needs you now, Lori" she added.
"Thank you" Lori said.
Carol walked away with Carl. She could see the boy was under some kind of light shock, but he was also realizing that this was his day by day reality. It was clear for her that Carl wasn't going to remain a child for much longer. He would grow up faster than anyone wished for him. After talking to him for a while, Carol got him to his tent and he lied down. She looked at him and smiled.
"Ya pretty good with children" Daryl said from behind her. She turned to face him.
"I worked with children after I left town" she said to him.
"There are many things I ain't knowing yet about the new Carol" the corner of his lips smiled.
"What's going on there?"
"We are going to burn the bodies; Hershel has jumped into his car and is gone. Rick left after him".
"He knows where Hershel left?"
"Maggie said he must have left to the bar in town".
Carol nodded thinking.
"Ya ok?" Daryl asked.
"This is our day by day reality, Daryl. We can't pretend otherwise. And I am ok as long as I finish the day without a bite and you are by my side. Now let's do this".
He had to smirk as he saw her grab a shovel.
Carol cooked something to eat with Maggie later. Beth was in some kind of catatonic shock, up in her room and Rick hadn't returned with Glenn and Hershel yet.
They all came to dinner inside the house, but as Carol was calling Lori she realized the woman was missing. They searched for her everywhere, until they realized another car was also missing. Shane left after her without a second thought.
Carol walked around on the porch of the house. Daryl joined her.
"Ya should come inside" he said.
"I can't. Rick, Glenn, Hershel and now Lori. What are these people thinking leaving Carl behind and…"
"Hey" Daryl placed his arm around Carol's neck, pulling her closer. "Ain't never easy to take these decisions" he said looking into her eyes. "Ya think I like being out here the first night I feel better, than rather with ya in that tent?"
Carol puffed into laugh.
"That's what I wanna see on ya. That smile". He kissed her lips and embraced her. They were interrupted by the sound of Shane's car.
"Oh, thank the heaven!" Carol said running towards Lori. She noticed the wound on her forehead. "You're ok?"
"Yes, I am fine. Where's Rick?"
"R…Rick?"
"Shane said they have returned" Lori looked a little desperate at Carol.
Carol blinked confused.
"Mom!" Carl ran out of the house.
"He's not back?" Lori asked Carl after embracing him. Carl shook his head, worried and Lori looked with hatred at Shane. She entered with her boy.
"What was I going to say to her? The truth? She had a car accident, I had to bring her back here" Shane explained himself to Carol and Daryl. He entered inside not needing any reply from them. Daryl placed his palm on Carol's shoulder.
"Ya should be with her in these moments" he said to her.
She nodded and turned to leave, but he caught her wrist.
"Not so fast, woman" he smiled turning her towards him. "Get here and kiss me first".
"Daryl you're such a…" she didn't finish as his lips closed her mouth. He kissed her long.
"What ya gonna say?" he asked as he finally pulled away.
"You think I remember after such a kiss?" she arched her eyebrow and smiled. Then she turned and entered the house. He looked long after her, with a pleased look on his face.
Daryl remained outside staring into the night for any trace of Rick and the others. He sat on the porch and didn't move from there all night long. At some point Carol came with a blanket, with which she covered his shoulders.
"When my mom died, it was ya dad who took me in that night, remember? Merle was gone like always and my dad was going insane" Daryl said as Carol sat down. "He fed me and gave me clothes to change, a bed to sleep in. All I wished for that night was for him to take me in for good. But Merle popped up the next day and moved my ass home".
"My dad always liked you. But he had a bad tooth for Merle and your dad, I'm gonna give you that. He always used to say about you: good material in bad hands to mold" she smiled looking at him. "But I was bad material in good hands to mold".
"Why ya saying that?" he frowned.
"Because it was like that. I ended up remaining pregnant at the age of 19 and marrying a bully but you could eventually pull away from your dad".
"Yeah, with Merle's help. That's why he said that to ya, that I won't return. He wanted me out of there".
"Things have evolved for the best. Would you have remained in town…you would have ended under your dad's influence. So it was better for you that I ended up with Ed".
He frowned again.
"Bullshit. Why ya always saying that?"
"'Cause it's the truth".
"No, it ain't! Ya took that decision then for ya. It has nothing to do with me".
"I never said that. Just that…it was after all better like that".
"And if we hadn't met again, Carol? Would you have still thought like that?"
She thought a second and nodded.
"Ya know what? Yeah, ya get me. But ya gotta stop thinking for me, what's best for me. I decide that. And ya never asked me then and babble nonsense now!"
"I'm not babbling nonsense Daryl, just that…"
"Ya don't always have to sacrifice y'self for everybody else and play the victim! Ok? I speak for me and what was, is and will be best for me. Ya know what? Just go inside and stay with Lori".
"Daryl…" she said, her voice leaving her.
"Just go!" he demanded, jumping to his feet and walking a few steps away from her.
Carol stood up and looked after him. She went inside without a word. Daryl was angered.
Note: Guess fixing wounds isn't that easy in a broken world. Time will tell. Thanks for reading!