Through heavy eyelids, I saw that Daryl was running through the woods. I didn't know where to, but I hoped he wouldn't get us killed…if the snakebite wasn't killing me already.
By the time Daryl slowed down to a walk, the drowsiness passed. Now, my leg was tingling, like it was asleep.
Daryl made his way through a clearing with a neat cabin in the middle of it. Without hesitation, he carried me in and sat me down on the ground.
As I wiped some sweat from my face, Daryl stooped down to look at my leg.
"Swellin's goin' down." He stated, gently touching the wound. "How you feeling?"
I sighed as I tried catching my breath. "Like my leg's been asleep for a few hours, and I'm thirsty."
"Ya need to rest for a while. Keep that thing below your heart, else you'll have a real problem." He told me.
I nodded, leaning my head against a cabinet.
"I'm gonna check this place out. You be alright?" He asked, grabbing his crossbow.
I reached in my bag for one of my guns. "Yeah. I'll be fine."
He nodded and he went to investigate the house.
Daryl was gone for a good while. But the cool breeze blowing told me that there was another door on this floor that was open. Maybe Daryl was just checking the door out.
As I strained my ears, I heard someone walk into the room and heard voices. Was he talking to someone?
Before long, Daryl made his way over to me, with a smirk on his face.
"What're you so happy about?" I huffed out.
He then stepped aside and revealed a small, dirty girl.
"S—Sophia?"
The kid nodded and went to my side.
I hugged the girl and looked to Daryl.
"Hidin' in the cupboard. Thought we were walkers." He explained.
I looked back at the girl. This had to be a dream.
"What about Sena?" I asked, feeling really tired again.
Sophia looked at Daryl
"She's fine." He said. "You need to rest."
I nodded and gave in to the returning drowsiness due to the bite.
Third Person POV
He carried her through the woods, with the child at his side.
Guilt ate away at him. He had lied to her. He'd made the kid lie to her.
As he came back to the farm, a crowd gathered around him.
They were unsure of what to feel.
Sophia was there, and seemed fine! But…Lyla was in Daryl's arms, looking lifeless.
The oldest Greene daughter motioned for him to bring her into the house and have her father look at her.
"What happened?" The old guy demanded.
"Snake bit her. Rattler I'm pretty sure." Daryl responded.
Hershel unwrapped the gross looking wound and felt around.
"It looks like the tobacco brought down most of the swelling." He commented.
"Only thing I knew to do." Daryl admitted, worrying for the girl. If she died, it'd be his fault.
Hershel then demanded some antivenin from Otis's girl.
"You keep that around your house?" Rick questioned.
"When you live on a farm and have animals, they tend to get tangled up with snakes. More than once I would have lost one of my cows if I hadn't given them antivenin." Hershel responded, readying the shot of medicine.
Once Hershel administered the drug, he demanded that she be left to rest.
Rick and Daryl went out on the porch, Rick wanting answers.
"We were combing the woods, looking for the girls. She saw a snake too late. It bit her, then the walkers came. Found this lil house; saw someone was living there. Opened the pantry up and there was the kid, scared out of her mind." Daryl spilled.
"You didn't find Sena?"
Daryl shook his head. "Nah, but I was thinking bout asking Sophia. She might know something."
Rick nodded and went back inside while Daryl went to the RV where Carol and Sophia were reunited.
He saw them sitting on the couch, smiling. Sophia looked a bit cleaner and she had some new clothes on.
Quietly, he placed a beer bottle on the table. In the bottle was a flower, a special one.
"A flower?" Carol asked in confusion.
"A Cherokee Rose." He clarified. "The story is that when American soldiers were moving Indians off their land on the Trail of Tears the Cherokee mothers were grieving and crying so much cause they were losing their little ones along the way from exposure and disease and starvation. A lot of them just disappeared. So the elders, they said a prayer; asked for a sign to uplift the mothers' spirits, give them strength, and hope. Next day, this rose started to grow right where the mothers' tears fell."
Carol and the girl just looked at him, astonished.
Daryl, embarrassed, shook his head. "I'm not fool enough to think there's any flowers blooming for my brother. But, I believe this one, bloomed for your little girl."
Through her tears, Carol graciously thanked him for finding Sophia.
Sophia then went to hug Daryl. It was one of the first physical touches he'd received that didn't cause him physical pain. But it caused him emotional pain.
There was still a missing kid out there. And her cousin almost died cuz of him; cuz he'd been reckless and selfish.
Just then, Glenn popped his head into the vehicle. "Guys, Lyla's awake."
Sophia reluctantly let go of Daryl. "Can I come? I wanna say thank you."
Daryl nodded and went to the house with Carol and Sophia in tow.
Lyla's POV
I looked around in confusion. I thought Daryl and I were still at that cabin with Sophia and Sena?
I met Hershel's face first. He smiled and welcomed me back, telling me that Daryl had carried me here after I passed out.
I then saw Autumn and Austin. Autumn came to my side and hugged me.
"Welcome back bitch. Good to see you up and moving." She teased.
I laughed. "Aye, I can still whoop your ass."
Kala then decided to jump up on the bed and make herself at home by my feet.
Just then, Daryl, Rick, Sophia, and Carol came into the room.
Talk about feeling smothered.
"Hay, um where's Sena?" I questioned, not seeing her face in the crowd.
I noticed that half the group wouldn't meet my eyes.
Hershel then got almost everyone to leave the room. Daryl, Carol, and Sophia were all that was left.
Sophia looked at me then to Kala. "Can I pet your dog?"
I nodded. "Of course. She likes kids."
Sophia smiled as she reached down and Kala began licking her hand.
"Did it hurt when you got bit?" the child suddenly asked.
I smirked. "Yeah. Like lightning."
Sophia then stared at me with tears glistening in her eyes. "I'm sorry."
I looked at her, puzzled. "For what? Me getting attacked by a snake? Honey that's not your fault."
Tears broke through and fell down her little cheeks. "No, I—I lied to you."
The room was silent till Daryl sat himself down in a chair. "No, kid. You didn't. I did."
"What are you talking about? Where's—?"
Then it hit me. It hit me like anyone would expect bad news to hit. It hurt like hell.
"She's…she's not h—here is she?" I barely whispered.
Carol cast a sympathetic look at me. "I'm so sorry, Lyla."
Vainly, I attempted to compose myself. "What happened out there?"
Sophia cried enough for the both of us.
"We—we went back to the highway, like Rick told us. But we heard noises in the trees, so we ran. We were scared and they just kept coming at us. So we spent the night in a tree. Then we heard bells and thought it was you guys. But walkers were all over the place. They chased us out of there…and…and…" The poor thing blubbered out.
"And what? Sweetie it's okay." Carol assured her daughter.
"And one of them fell on her. I went back and, hadda kill it. Like you all say we should." Sophia continued. "We found a cabin, and Sena showed me…her shoulder. She'd been bit!"
I felt another wave of pain and sadness hit me, but thankfully shocked numbed some of it.
"We stayed the night there…and the next day she was gone. I—I dunno where. She left me her gun and knife…" The child finished, seeming broken by having her friend taken from her.
She then handed the gun and knife out to me.
Gingerly, I took the weapons. Touching them felt almost as painful as the snakebite did.
Sophia ran out of the room, crying. Carol chased after her.
"I'll find her Lyla, don't worry." Daryl feebly assured me.
I just glared at him. "Just get out. Go away."
He stood up and walked to the doorway, then looked back at me.
I met his stare.
"Get the fuck out!" I yelled in anger and grief.
Reluctantly he fucking left and I sat there in bed, staring at the gun and knife I'd given my cousin.
My attempts to protect her had been in vain. God…or whatever supernatural being that controlled this horrible world had taken her from me, in the worst way possible.
Trying to stop myself from crying, I looked out the window. I pictured my cousin being out there, scared, tired, hurting…alone.
She was my only biological family that I had and now she was DEAD!
I closed my eyes against the harsh light of the sun and slowly, tears fell down my face.