When Daryl woke up the next morning he looked over at Stella. She looked so beautiful sleeping there. She had said that she loved him last night. Daryl didn't think that anyone had ever told him that they loved him before. Maybe his mother had, but he didn't remember. He had no idea what to do about it. At least she hadn't looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to say it back. But did he love her? Daryl didn't know. What the fuck was love anyway? How could she even love him?
He had been such an ass the last few days. When he introduced her to Merle, he had seen the look on her face. 'Course Merle had just called her a cooze. Even Daryl had to admit that he had wanted to smack Merle for that one. Still, it had just brought back the fears he had about not being good enough for her. That she might look at him the way she had looked at Merle one day. And then Merle, everything he had said. For the last few days all Daryl had heard from him was how she was going to get tired of him, how he wasn't good enough for her.
Every time Daryl looked at Stella or she touched him, it hurt. He had started just waiting for her to tell him it was over. Looking over at her now, Daryl couldn't even believe how stupid he had acted. Being with her was the best thing in this world. But he had no idea what to do about what she said.
Daryl snuck out from under her arm and slid out of bed. He headed outside to grab some breakfast. He was surprised to see Rick outside so early. "What'cha doing out here already?"
Rick was looking at the line of cars surrounding the fences. "Merle said there'd be no way the governor would attack right away, and he was right. But are we putting to much faith in the fact that they wouldn't come in the dead of night like he said?"
Daryl looked across the field. "Maybe. We have mattresses up in the towers. We could start posting people in there. We could do two at a time, one to sleep one to keep watch. Only thing is that tired people aren't going to do as well in a fight. There's no good answer here."
Rick sighed heavily. "There's something else. Hershel said that we're going to have to make that run to the hospital. Between Stella and Glenn, we're pretty much out of pain killers. And we're real low on antibiotics. I'm tempted to put it off. Don't want to leave the prison so unprotected, but Hershel's right. If there is a fight, we'll lose more people if we can't treat them."
Rick put his hand on his hip and looked around the yard. "I doubt Woodbury has people posted here all night. If we go first thing, even if they came this afternoon to attack this evening, they probably wouldn't realize most of us were gone. Every day we wait, the more likely either someone clears out the hospital before us, or Woodbury comes."
"Jesus, we just can't catch a break can we?" Rick was right, to go to the hospital, to get as much stuff as they could, they'd have to take most everyone that could fight. They'd be vulnerable. "If we're gonna do it, let's get it done."
Breakfast was eaten and put away, the group that was going to the hospital clustered around Rick. "Axel, you and Carol take one of the cars and when we're all in position, drive down the driveway honking. That'll draw them all out. There's a circular drive so you won't get cornered. Should clear a path for us to get to this entrance here." Rick pointed to the sketch he had made earlier. "Once we're in the hospital Daryl, Stella, and myself will keep moving and getting doors open. Stella will mark what to pack. Glenn, Maggie, Tyreese, and Michonne you guys will pack up. Daryl, you and Tyreese are going to be muscle only. The rest of us will carry what we need." Rick looked around at everyone.
"I want everyone heavily armed in case we run into people from Woodbury. Otherwise silent weapons only. Alright, get what you need and get back here."
They all stepped over to get weapons and ammunition. Daryl grabbed Stella's arm. "Come with me." He tugged her away from everyone.
"Daryl, don't start with this. You know I have to go. No one else even knows what half of this stuff looks like." Stella's voice was filled with exasperation. "We can't keep having the same old argument."
Daryl smiled. "I'm not having an argument. I'm listening to you yell at me. I know you have to go. I just have a present for you." He reached into his backpack and pulled out five new arrows. "I noticed you were running a little low. We may not be able to retrieve ours today, so I thought this might be a good time to give them to you."
Stella ran her fingertips down the smooth wood. "How did you do this? When?"
Daryl cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well I had to do something the last few days."
Stella grabbed him and kissed him hard. He pressed his hands against the small of her back to hold her tight.
"Hey!" Merle called out. "Anytime you two are done playing footsie over there..."
Reluctantly Daryl pulled away. "Stay close alright?"
"I will." Stella tucked the arrows in her quiver and headed over to one of the waiting cars.
"Don't freak out," Daryl said to himself. After Woodbury it was hard knowing she'd be going someplace dangerous. Of course he didn't want her here either. Daryl was just going to make sure she didn't go more than five feet from him.
When Stella passed Merle, he reached out and grabbed her left wrist. "You know, baby brother over there learned all his tricks from me. If you ever want to learn from the master..."
Just as Daryl started forward, Stella's fist shot out catching Merle in the jaw. He staggered back a few steps. "You want to keep that other hand? You'll keep it off of me. I mean it Merle." Stella pivoted and climbed in the car.
"Jesus. Bitch can't even take a joke. You need to teach her some manners." Merle said to Daryl indignantly.
Daryl looked Merle up and down. "No Merle, I don't. Touch her again and I'll hold you down for her."
Daryl climbed in the car and sat down next to Stella. She was massaging her hand. Daryl gently picked it up and brushed his lips against it. "Next time, put your weight behind it."
Stella's laugh rang through the car as they drove out of the gate.
Everyone's spirits were high as they drove back into the prison yard. They had gotten everything they wanted and more. It was a good thing they had taken all three cars.
Stella was like a kid in the candy store. "Hershel! You won't believe what we got. She started listing off various things whose names had too many syllables to count. "Oh! And look at this!" Stella started digging through everything until she found the bag she was looking for.
She pulled out a portable ultrasound machine. "It still works, it has a battery backup. And we can plug it in to the outlets in the Range Rover to charge it!" Daryl left her fawning over the supplies and walked over to where Rick was standing with Lori.
Daryl smiled down at the baby in Lori's arms. He reached out and tickled her cheek. He had to say, he had never really liked babies, they cried and smelled, but this one was pretty damn cute.
"I see you guys made out like bandits. How on earth did you manage to carry all that stuff?" Lori was looking at the items being pulled from the cars.
"Turns out you're husband's good for something. Thought to use the stretchers. Stella loaded 'em up till we could barely pick 'em up."
"That's my man, always using his head." Lori kissed Rick. She was moving away when Rick pulled her back in for second longer kiss.
Daryl gave them a moment, but when it looked like they weren't coming up for air anytime soon, he walked away to help unload.
He set the last box down on the table. Stella and Hershel were organizing everything on the shelves. They had gotten so much stuff they were having a hard time trying to decide where to put it. "Gonna be here a while?"
Stella looked up from the box she was unpacking. "Looks like. Got to get this all put away. I wish I had thought to grab some books though."
Daryl shook his head. "How do you think you were gonna get them out? You already had all of us loaded like pack mules. I'm surprised Maggie could even stand up." Hershel chuckled from the corner of the room where he was spreading various vials of medication out.
Stella shot him a dirty look. "Hey, I was just trying to make sure we didn't have to make another trip. Look at everything we got." Her eyes scanned the room and a smile lit up her face."
"Stella? You think we should organize this by class or alphabetical?" Hershel asked indicating the medication before him.
"Alphabetical I think. That way anyone will know where to get it if we ask."
Daryl looked down indulgently at her. She was so happy with the results of the excursion to the hospital. He could see there was no way he'd be able to pry her away from this.
Giving up on the idea of some time alone he said, "I'm gonna be in the tower, see you at dinner?" Stella nodded absent-mindedly. She was already digging back through the boxes.
Later, laying in bed he listened as Stella began outlining the plans that she and Hershel had come up with for the infirmary. "We want to install some hooks on the ceiling for the lanterns for better light. Also, if we can make some smaller tables, we should have enough room for two beds. Axel said there's a food cart in the kitchen that we can bring in to use as an instrument table. Oh, and did I tell you? He said that he thinks he can maybe get the generator going again. He checked it out this afternoon. If he can, then Hershel thinks we could bring in some basic blood work equipment, a microscope. If someone's sick we could at least run some tests. I mean, it would still all be really rudimentary, but it would be something." Her excitement over having the equipment was evident, and although Daryl didn't understand half of what she was saying when she started going over the different supplies, he found that he was content listening to her.
The next day it rained heavily. The only person that was excited about it was Hershel, who had been concerned about the lack of water for the crops. Everyone stayed inside working on projects. Daryl began sketching out a design for a smokehouse while Stella worked on a quilt. They sat across from each other in their room. Stella in one of the office chairs, while Daryl sat in the old chair from the guard tower. When he had first brought it in this morning Stella had protested.
"What are you doing bringing that ratty old thing in here?" She asked looking at the utilitarian, dirty, grey chair.
"It's a good chair," was Daryl's reply. He couldn't bring himself to admit that he wanted it for sentimental reasons.
She put her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look. "It's ugly and probably not that comfortable. There's plenty of descent chairs back in the basketball court, go pick one of those out."
He pushed his wet hair back from his face. "I like this chair. This is the chair I want." When she opened her mouth to argue Daryl cut her off. "Doesn't the guy always get to pick out his own chair?"
Stella gave him an exasperated look. "Yeah, after the woman's approved it. Besides it's usually not some gross old ugly thing that has about an inch of God know's what on it." She sniffed the air. "Jesus Daryl, it even smells bad."
Daryl looked down at the chair with its stains all over the seat and then over at Stella. "Maybe you should come try it out? You just have to sit in it for a few minutes, I'm sure you'll like it." He moved towards her.
She quickly back peddled until she was up against the wall. "Oh no, I'm not touching that thing. I want it out. I mean it Daryl. It's gross."
Daryl continued to advance slowly. Stella held up her hands to ward him off. "Don't you dare," she warned him. Suddenly his hand shot out, grabbing her wrist and he yanked her into his arms. She let out a little shriek of surprise.
Instead of depositing her on the chair, he tossed her onto the mattress and followed her down quickly. The chair stayed. Even though Daryl did have to clean it himself.
When the sun came out the next morning Daryl rose early to hunt. With everything that had been going on lately he missed the solitude.
Stella walked him down to the gate. "Stay close alright?" She smoothed out the strap on his crossbow. Then she started fiddling with the collar on his shirt.
He looked down at her. "I'll be back before noon, I won't go far." He could tell she didn't like him going out alone. "I just have to check the snares me and Merle set the other day."
"Noon? Alright. I love you. Stay safe." She held him tight for a moment before walking back up the hill.
Daryl turned and walked out the gate. He still felt the jolt every time she said that. It made him feel as though he couldn't catch his breath.
Daryl was headed back the prison from hunting he came across some sets of footprints. The ground in the area was trampled, the rain from yesterday leaving the ground soft. It looked as if someone had been walking back and forth. He blew out a breath. It was beginning, Woodbury was going to be coming.
After scanning the area surrounding the prison carefully, he made a run for the gate. Quickly he dropped the small game he had caught at the cooking area and headed down to where Rick and Carl were talking by the fields.
"Are you sure?" Rick was asking.
Carl nodded. "Beth saw it too. At least two, over by the tree line there."
Rick looked over at Daryl. "Scouts. Did you catch anything?"
"Enough for a day, maybe two if we stretch it."
Rick looked disappointed. "Well, we can finish off the rest of the boar tonight, and Maggie and Glenn were able to scavenge some things. Between that and what's left in the kitchen we'll be alright for maybe a week. I don't want anyone going out hunting till this is done."
"Saw another set of prints over there," he indicated the area with his eyes. Didn't want to give away the fact that they knew people were out there.
"They'll be coming soon, tonight, maybe tomorrow. I think we should have everyone sleep in the cells tonight."
"Should see if we can get people to volunteer to be lookouts. Maybe figure out a way to stash some guns in the guard towers. Everyone's clear on what area they should be covering when it starts?"
Rick looked down at his feet. "Yeah, there's just one thing that's changed. Stella's not going to be in the infirmary. She came to me a few days ago and we talked about it. Hershel and Beth will be down there and if it gets to the point where more help is needed, it means we've already lost. She's too good of a shot. I moved her over to the guard tower with Carol. She's going to take one of the sniper rifles."
Daryl ground his teeth. He supposed he should have seen this coming. Fool woman couldn't help but put herself in danger. His nostrils flared as he sucked in air. "Put her with me."
Rick shook his head. "I can't Daryl. You've got to stay with Merle. You're the only one I trust Merle not to knife in the back. Otherwise I'll have to stick him in a cell till it's over and we really need the man power."
Daryl began to pace. The tension coming off of him was palpable.
"I know how you feel Daryl. Lori's going to be out there to. Do you remember what you said to me the day T-Dog died? You said that a man that's distracted is a man that's going make mistakes. Get himself killed. You're going to have to find a way to put it out of your head."
"Fuck!" Daryl exploded. Carl took a step back, startled. Daryl didn't know what to do. Then the realization hit him. There was nothing he could do about it. Except one thing. He stomped away to go find her.
He finally found her in the bathroom scrubbing the showers. As he entered she looked up. As soon as she saw him she sighed and throwing down her cleaning brush took off her gloves. "You talked to Rick."
Without saying a word he grabbed her and dragged her back to their room. As soon as she was in he slammed the door shut. She stood there silently waiting.
Finally Daryl turned to her. "You will wear every weapon and every piece of equipment that I tell you. You will keep your head down. And if I tell you to run, you're going to haul ass out of here. You will not wait for anyone, you will not go back for anyone, not even Gertie. You will go straight to the marsh and wait for me there. If I'm not there within a day, you will leave. You will not come back to the prison." He was breathing heavily.
"Okay," she said softly.
Daryl nodded, his jaw still tight. "There's tracks around the prison. They'll be coming." Daryl started digging through her clothes. "I have a feeling it'll be tonight, but who knows." He pulled out dark jeans and a black shirt. He tossed them to her. "Put on your hiking boots. Gonna find you another knife," He started rummaging through his collection. He was looking for one that she could wear on her leg. When he found one that would work he turned. And stopped dead in his tracks.
She had gotten undressed, all the way undressed. "If they're coming tonight, I can think of something I'd rather do than talk about weapons." She closed the gap between them.
When they returned it was apparent that Rick had told everyone that there had been scouts in the area. Everyone was quiet, working on various tasks.
Daryl and Stella paused at the door to the yard. They looked out at everyone clustered in various groups. Daryl squeezed her hand gently. "We're not all going to come through this, are we?" she asked.
Daryl pressed his lips together. "I hope we all will. I just don't know. We've done everything we could." The people in the yard had become like his family, he had even begun to respect most of the new arrivals, Michonne and Tyreese in particular.
"You know," Stella said, "I think that if we do make it through this, some things may be changing around here."
Daryl looked at her sharply. "What do you mean?"
Stella laughed, "Daryl, if you're not observant enough to notice, I'm not going to tell you."
She started down towards where some of the other women had started prepping for dinner. Daryl trailed after her. "Stella! Come on!" She simply smiled over her shoulder at him.
Last night I couldn't sleep. I wrote three new chapters. I posted one already, and was going to hold on to the this chapter and the next in case there was a day I couldn't write. But I decided that I'd rather share them with you guys now. I still have to go over the next chapter, do a quick edit. I will say that I reread a couple of chapters yesterday and I have to apologize for my poor editing. I do try. Honestly.