Mac couldn't relax despite what Merle was saying and the rest of them. Merle had sauntered off tailing Maggie's pussy and usually he'd probably do the same considering there was a piece that would willingly give it up to him. But no; he couldn't relax not with Daryl out there and the sun dipping in the sky. He said he'd be back and Daryl stuck by his word. If he wasn't back by night fall something was wrong.
Rick walked towards him his eyes on the tree line. Mac took a second his eyes scanning for the mans son and seen him setting poking a stick into some flames in the Greens fire pit that some how always managed to stay lit. Carl was quieter than usual after the death of his mom. He figured the kid would bounce back though because fuck him and Daryl had been through some serious shit as kids and a mother dying...and not having to see it he'd took that over the shit that he had been handed.
Rick was another matter. He was putting on a strong face for his son but Mac could see the cracks forming. Shane was always there spilling his poison and Hershel already hated the guy. It didn't take long for the rest of the group to start avoiding Shane altogether. He was losing his shit more and more coupled with the death of that whore he seemed so fond of it seemed he blamed him and Rick both. It was only a matter of time before Shane found the brass to say something to them.
"I seen him leave at the least an hour or two before sun up." Rick's voice was quiet and only to him.
Mac shifted even more at the news not realizing Daryl had left so early. It made things worse. He had been exhausted yesterday and Carol said he'd not eaten when he got back to the house. No Daryl was pushing himself and it was starting to mess with him. That was all they needed was him out there without his head one hundred percent in the game.
Rick looked at him and then ran his hand over his forearm before sighing, "I know you've heard what Shane is saying and I don't agree with it. I don't blame you for what you done. You kept my boy alive and the group...Lo-" Rick sucked in a breath and let it out slowly, "Lori was never good at listening and she wasn't to fond of you so I can imagine trying to get her to listen in those situations."
Mac looked at him steadily, "Shane is dangerous." He leaned against the column of the porch and looked out to where Shane was at, "He's going to keep pushing till someone pushes back."
Rick looked to where Shane sat as well and he seen Rick's shoulders tense, "I can't just send him away...that is a death sentence."
"You can or Hershel will." Mac cut to the point. "He came on to Maggie."
Rick looked to him and then around searching for the girl, "Isn't she with your brother Merle?"
"Yes and the only reason Shane is still walking is cause Merle don't know about it, yet."
Mac pushed off the porch after that and started towards the field. He seen movement a minute ago along the tree line but the sun was to far down to really make out what it was. He was paranoid before the world went to hell and it had only gotten worse with this shit. The movement in the tree line showed again and Mac focused his eyes letting them track the movement and he growled. It wasn't an animal that much was clear no animal would be so careless to attract so much attention to itself.
Moving quicker when he was closer to the field he seen a figure step out of the woods struggling with another. Mac's chest tightened when he seen the figure slumped barely taking steps. Turning to a fast jog when the head lifted and he seen his brother's face coated in mud and blood he felt like he was having a hear attack. He was in a dead run with the sounds of people yelling behind him no doubt seeing him moving so fast vaulting over the fence.
Who the fuck had ahold of Daryl? Mac snarled nearing and seeing Daryl's knees buckle and his body drop heavily to the ground and go motionless. Eyes locking on the man as he neared he stepped back hands in the air. Mac was prepared to rip this man limb from limb if his brother wasn't breathing and he'd do it without a care in the world.
"You must be the brother he mentioned." The voice was deep and cautious.
"Who the fuck are you?" Mac barked nearing them and doing a quick sweep of the man as he dropped to his knees next to Daryl. Fingers hitting at his pulse he let out a breath when he felt the faint beat of his heart.
"Found him at the bottom of a ravine...he took a bad fall." The man moved a little closer, "He's bleeding pretty steadily from his side."
Mac growled and looked down his body and seen the blood that was coating almost his entire front. What the fuck had happened to his brother out there.
"MAC!" Rick's voice was worried.
Looking over his shoulder and ignoring "Help me get him the fuck up before he bleeds out."
Rick moved quickly to him and they had Daryl up a groan rolling through his body and then he heaved puking. He wasn't quite awake but he wasn't out either and his body was slack against Mac.
"Who are you?" Rick acknowledged the man, "Come with us."
They were moving but Mac didn't have the patience to deal with these motherfuckers. He was firing on all cylinders seeing his brother like this. It was too close to home. It was to fucking close to their childhood. Mac Pulled Daryl more solidly into his body and heaved him high bending at the knees and taking his brother fully from Rick. It wasn't the first time he'd had to get his brother like this after finding him bloody. He'd hoped it'd be the fucking last but life fucking hated them.
Daryl groaned and Mac's name rumbled through his chest knowing his brother's presence without opening his eyes. Mac grunting his stride long and powerful almost losing Rick and the man behind.
"Names Martinez. I was out there and heard him crashing through the brush...when I got there he had a walker going for him. Put it down and then got him awake..."
Mac tuned him out as they neared the fence and Rick swung it wide for him. He had a moment where his eyes met Rick's and he seen worry loud and clear all over Rick's entire body. He was actually worried for his brother. It was a strange feeling for a person who wasn't blood to Daryl to worry for him. For the longest time it had been just him and Mac despite having Merle and the Greens and their grandfather.
He seen Merle before anyone else and was thankful for it. He didn't think he could handle having seen Silver Fox or Kit before he got Daryl in the house and some of the blood off him. Merle was quick and at his side barking questions and glaring daggers at the man who was with them.
"What the fuck is going on? Who is this motherfucker? Did he do this to Daryl?" Merle's use of Daryl's real name had Mac meeting his eyes and he seen his own rage mirrored.
"Get Hershel."
Daryl was put on the bed with Hershel and Mac stripping him of his clothes. Merle was out there with Rick and the new guy. He was telling them all what happened. He could hear Shane out there but his mind was focused on Daryl. If something happened to his brother, to Daryl...he'd be done. Fuck it all if he wouldn't be done. They had a bond not even Merle touched. Being so close through the years was one things but it felt like Daryl was a part of him.
"He's lost a lot of blood." Hershel was speaking low.
Annette was in the room suddenly her eyes wide, "Is...is he going to be okay?"
Hershel met her eyes and gave her a sad smile, "I won't know till we get him cleaned up and I can really look him over."
"Why isn't he waking up?" Mac's voice was hoarse.
Annette was at his side her hand setting on his back as he cut the shirt away from his brother's body. He cringed knowing that Daryl would be horrified at the thought of even Hershel and Annette seeing his scars but there was no way around it. Annette made no comment but she wouldn't have anyways...she knew about them just never had seen them.
"Where is he?" Kit's voice was loud almost a wail.
Mac hissed through his teeth, "She can't come in here...her or her mama."
Annette nodded, "I'll handle them Mac you just help Hershel and keep him calm when he wakes."
The door shut and the sounds of arguing started when Kit realized where Daryl was. She wanted in there but no one was letting her through. She was almost in full hysterics and Mac sucked in a breath. He felt something for that little shit despite himself. It felt almost like she was Daryl's kid in a way with the attachment he felt for her. If something happened here to Daryl it wouldn't only be him losing him. It'd be Merle, Hershel, Maggie, Annette, Carol, and her girl...Daryl had to make it.
"Mac when we get him cleaned up you're gonna need to get cleaned up before we go out there. Don't let them see like that and with all that blood on you." Hershel's voice was focused as Daryl's wounds were exposed.
Mac raised a brow at the place on his side and shook his head when he seen a broke piece of fletching sticking to the tackyness of the blood on Daryl's lower stomach almost his hip bone. "Must've took a bolt to his side when he fell."
"I'm not worried about that so much...it's clean through." Hershel was cleaning him up quickly.
By the time they had Daryl stripped of his jeans almost deciding to cut them away when they realized the dry blood was trying to glue them to his body. He was a mess of bruises and it was making Mac feel sick. He hated seeing his brother like this.
Mac set heavily on the bed at the foot his back to the door as Hershel exited. There was nothing else they could do with Daryl being knocked out. Hershel told him he had to have a concussion and on further inspection there was a deep cut that ran across his temple and a good bruise forming just down from that. He'd taken a good hit to the head. Hershel left him with instructions that if he came to that he needed to come and get him immediately.
He wasn't sure how long he set there looking at his hands before he heard the door open. Looking over his shoulder he sighed seeing Carol. Daryl was covered as far up to his hips since they'd only left him in his boxers. Mac wasn't sure where things were with them and if Daryl would be alright with her seeing his marred skin. Daryl had never allowed anyone besides him to see them so he didn't know where Carol stood with him on that.
"You should go take care of your girl." Mac's voice was gruff.
Carol ignored him and pulled her chair next to the bed her fingers tracing the veins that ran just under the skin of Daryl's hand and forearm. She never looked way from Daryl's face and he had expected to see her crying or looking upset. Instead he was met with the determined look it was almost demanding as she looked down at Daryl.
"I'm not going anywhere Mac." Her voice was firm.
Mac shook his head, "Carol-"
Her eyes snapped to his, "NO you listen to me Mac I told you I'm not going anywhere and I meant it. I'll be here when he wakes up or needs something so deal with it."
He eyed her just as hard and gave her a swift nod and pushed himself standing, "I need to change...I'll be back as soon as I'm done."
Carol didn't look at him but gave a nod to him her fingers still running over his brother's arm. Daryl made a noise in his throat and shifted slightly a pinch of pain contorting his features from the motion. Mac moved to still him but Carol beat him to it her shushing Daryl quietly with low words meant for only his brother. Her hand settled on his arm again and Daryl shifted again and Mac realized he was unconsciously trying to move towards her in his sleep.
When Mac snapped awake the room was starting to get faint tendrils of light shining in the room. His eyes sought out his brother but landed on Carol. Her head was resting on the bed as she leaned over her arms folded and against Daryl's uninjured side. She had been true to her word and never left Daryl's side last night. He had went and showered cleaning his brother's blood away from his body and changed not saying shit. The man was still here and from what Merle had said it seemed he had saved Daryl in a way keeping him from getting bit out there. For that Mac would swallow down any hostility he was feeling at the man and focus on getting Daryl back on his feet.
What they hadn't expected was the man mentioning the girl Daryl was dead set on checking on. Turns out he had indeed found Beth...only it was too late. Mac wasn't sure what had happened to her and Rick and Merle had went to where the man had showed them. Those three got Beth home and a grave was dug for her. Mac had to force himself away from the room Daryl was in but he did. Annette was a mess with the news and Hershel was silent and he had a faraway look to his eyes. He knew that look and he couldn't meet his or Merle's eyes.
Hershel also didn't linger in the room if Sophia was there or Carol for that matter. When he had come in to check on Daryl both times his eyes had been on only his brother or his own hands. Hershel was letting the thought that Daryl got hurt looking for his daughter take on that blaming guilt that could destroy a man from the inside out. He wasn't at fault here and the second Daryl's opened he knew Hershel's conscience would get better.
They had to eventually let Sophia in the room to calm her down. She didn't believe them despite what they said about him being alive. She had wanted her mother and she wanted Daryl. Nothing was calming her and they relented. The second she seen his pale still form the girl broke down and crawled right on the bed close but not touching his hurt side her tiny hand grabbing at his and dragging it to her chest. She had cried herself to sleep before Merle and Maggie had come in and Merle carried her back to the living room letting her sleep it off on the couch. Carol was still adamant about not leaving Daryl's side and no one pushed her.
When his eyes finally adjusted to the light he noticed Daryl's fingers tangled in Carol's hair. Lifting his eyes he was met with the mirror image of his own and he nearly jumped to his feet in his haste to stand. Daryl smirked at him slightly and Mac moved towards him.
"How you feel?"
Daryl raised a brow, "Like I fell down a goddamned ravine." His voice was rough and groggy.
Carol made a noise and both of their eyes went to her as she shifted.
"She's been here since we got done cleaning you up." Mac's voice was amused. "She damn near ripped my dick off over you."
Daryl snorted and then winced his breath hissing out, "Fuck."
Carol's head snapped up and she looked at him and set up quickly. "You're awake! Mac did you let Hershel know?"
Mac winced at her calling him out for forgetting to tell the man and moved for the door. Looking over his shoulder he seen Carol setting next to Daryl's hips speaking to him quietly. Daryl wasn't even looking at him but focused on Carol in front of him. He also noticed his brother made no move to cover his marred skin from her and he smiled. Daryl was healing. It had taken decades but this woman had found a way beyond the walls his brother built around himself and was breaking them down. She was giving him something him and Merle never could and he felt indebted to her.