Chapter 24

You're supposed to take her UP the stairs…

"Mr. Dixon, there are easier ways to sweep a girl off her feet." Emma had taken enough spills off a horse to realize that it wasn't a bad idea to just sit still for a moment once you've fallen.

"Shit." Daryl hand ended upon top of her. "You ok?"

"I think so." Archer had definitely hit her head during their tumble. The stinging on her face suggested she'd scraped it on the stone wall. "You okay?"

"Shoulder's out." His voice was strained.

"Can you get up?" She wasn't sure she should move. She didn't want to torque his shoulder the wrong way.

"One sec." He shifted his weight off her and she was able to sit up on the stairs.

Emma looked over at Daryl, he was stretched out on the step above her, cradling his left arm.

"Dislocated?" She asked, brushing a stray hair out of her face.

He nodded and looked up. "Shit Emma, I'm sorry."

Emma's looked at her hand, what she thought was a stray hair ended up being blood. "It's okay. Head wounds always look worse than they are." She stood up slowly, holding onto the handrail. "Can you get up? We have to find Joel."

"Yeah." He didn't move.

"Need a hand?"

He sighed. "Yeah."

She removed her scarf and used it to sling Daryl's arm around his chest. When she was sure it was immobilized, she put his good arm around her shoulders and helped him stand. Slowly they made their way towards the infirmary. Emma signaled to the first person they saw to fetch Joel.

}.{

Joel confirmed a dislocated shoulder for Daryl and probably some cracked ribs. This time, Joel sedated Daryl without asking. Rick, who was generally regarded as Daryl's next of kin, had come to check on his friend. Together they popped Daryl's shoulder back in.

"How long will he be out?" Rick asked.

"Two, maybe three hours." Joel advised as he came over to check on Emma. She'd been holding a compress to her head to stop the bleeding. He lifted it away and whistled. "Three stitches for the lady." He replaced the compress. "Did you lose consciousness?" He asked as he checked her pupils.

"No. I haven't been dizzy or nauseous either."

"Just the stitches then." He headed off into the pantry of supplies he had at hand and came back with a tray. "Now we're going to have to shave a two inch square of your hair around the stitches."

"What?!" She yelped.

"It's essential that the stitches be clear of hair." Joel advised.

"Goddamn Daryl Dixon." She cursed.

}.{

Joel had been kidding about shaving her head. It had given him and Rick a good laugh. Without freezing the stitches hurt going in, she'd managed not to scream but she sure as hell cried. Rick had been kind enough to hold her hand and distract her with a story from his days as a Sheriff.

Joel had even helped wash the blood out of her hair and cleaned up her face which, she was advised, was a lovely shade of purple.

News of the accident spread quickly and many people stopped by to gawk at her face. Sheila's boys had nicknamed her "Scarface" much to their mother's embarrassment.

"It's not that bad." Carl told her at dinner. "You're still sorta pretty."

She laughed and thanked him for the compliment.

}.{

Daryl was stuck on goddamn bed rest for two days. Joel wasn't letting him out, said it was a bad idea. "Another fall could puncture a lung" he'd said.

Daryl was bored to tears. His friends came up to check on him. Rick, Michonne 'n Carl even took a meal or two in the infirmary. Joel was in an' out. He wasn't rude, but it was clear he didn't want at spend any time 'round him. Daryl figured it was on account of him being a jackass to Emma.

Every time the door opened he hope it would be Archer. He heard her walk past the infirmary once, chatting with Joel. He thought she might come in then, but she didn't. He fuckin' hated that.

"Joel says you can come down tomorrow, but you've got to stay away from the ice." Rick advised over the dinner he'd brought upstairs.

"Can't wait to slip the Doc's leash."

"It ain't all that bad, Daryl."

"Says you." It took him a moment to screw up the courage to ask what he really wanted to know. "Emma ok?"

"She's fine, a bit stiff but she's back on duty."

"Her face was messed up." Daryl remembered her face as she'd turned towards him on the stairwell. It was scraped and bloodied. He felt like shit 'cause it had been his fault.

"It's healing." Rick gave him a funny look. "Whatever happened anyway?"

"I slipped on the step. Tried to grab the rail but it was icy too."

"Didn't mean that." Rick sighed. "I thought things between you were going well. Then suddenly she's dead weight?"

Daryl reddened. "I was bein' pissy."

"You know she heard you say that."

"What?"

"At the gatehouse, I think she was passing by when we were talking. When I left you, I saw her walking across the square. She was upset."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Fuck me."

"You gonna fix it?"

Daryl didn't know if he could.

}.{

Emma was in her favourite reading spot in the common area. She was running out of things to read, in desperation she was trying to work her way through Othello. She was halfway through and had no clue what the hell was going on. Closing the book she sighed in frustration and tossed it onto the floor.

"Book piss ya off?" Daryl had snuck up on her again.

"You're sure you're not part-ninja?" She said without turning around. Joel had warned her that he'd be out and about today.

"When ya read, yer so damn fixated, a herd o' walkers could sneak up on ya."

"Right. I get it." She wasn't in the mood for his crap. "I'm walker bait."

It was Daryl's turn to sigh. "S'not what I meant." When he flopped into the other armchair she saw him wince. He was still hurt from the fall.

"What did Joel say about the ribs?" She asked.

"'Bout six weeks."

"That's one way to get out of shoveling snow." She got up, retrieving the book she'd tossed on the floor and replacing it in its spot on the shelf.

"Your face hurt?"

"It's fine." As long as I don't sleep on that side, she thought.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not a big deal." She shrugged keeping her eyes on the fire. "You got the worst of it anyway."

"Not that, I mean, yeah, I'm sorry 'bout that. I meant for the mall. I shouldn't've left ya like that." His voice was low, there was regret in there. "'Could've got you killed."

She looked at him, but his eyes were hidden under his bangs. "Why did that happen, Daryl? One minute we're fine, the next minute you go cold on me. What gives?"

"The fuck if I know."

"Not good enough." He was really ticking her off. "You were supposed to have my back. Then you get all…" What was the word? "…bitchy on me."

That got a reaction, Daryl's eyes shot up at her. "I ain't no woman."

"Yeah, well you sure as hell acted like some idiot teenage girl. All pissed about something and making everyone else guess what they did wrong."

Daryl raked a hand through his hair. "S'pose I deserve that." He said quietly.

"Yeah, you do. What's your damage Dixon?" She wasn't about to let him off easy.

"The rings. The rings pissed me off."

She frowned. "The rings? In the jewelry store?"

"Yeah."

"Is this some kind of anti-gay bullshit?"

"Naw. S'not that. Don't care about that shit."

"Okay, then explain it to me. 'Cause right now, it seems pretty damn ridiculous to get in a huff over a couple of rings."

Daryl didn't answer right away. That was fine by Archer, she crossed her arms and waited.

}.{

Fuck. Daryl thought. He'd hoped she'd give in after he said sorry. Now she's sitting there, waiting for your lily-livered ass to come up with an answer.

Trouble was, he wasn't quite sure what pissed him off.

Definitely the rings. They were all shiny and new, just like his Emma. Full of sparkle, and just a little bit dainty. When she'd reached into the cabinet for the men's rings, he immediately thought that she was grabbing one for him.

'Cept he didn't want that. He never wanted to be tied down. He didn't want something he could lose.

Then when she laughed and said it was for Michael, he'd been pissed. Did she laugh 'cause he wasn't good enough for her? He was certainly good enough in the sack. He could tell she lusted for him, she was always wet and willing.

Trouble was, he liked being around her. She was easy to be with.

Fuckit, I'm acting like one of Merle's dumbass bitches.

He met her eyes with his own. She looks pissed. "It was stupid. Thought you were laughin' at me, but it was all in my fucked up head. Nearly got you killed and I's pissed at m'self." He pursed his lips. "Was wrong to take it out on you."

She raised an eyebrow, he wasn't sure if that was good or bad. "Why'd you ditch me then?"

Fuck, Rick was right. She'd overheard them at the gatehouse. " 'cause I was actin' like a silly woman and bein' all pissy." He ran a hand down his face. "Look Em, I was a dick. The whole time I was at the mall without you I was fuckin' worried 'bout you. Ask Michonne, she nearly kicked my ass, I was bein' so bitchy."

Emma chuckled. "Okay. I accept your apology."

"We good then?" Daryl asked.

"Depends on what you mean."

Shit, that ain't good. "You gonna stopped being pissed at me?"

"Yeah. I can stop being pissed at you."

Daryl's heart leapt. Fuckin'-A!

"What is this, Daryl. Are we friends?"

Oh shit. Daryl knew the talk when he heard it. "Yes, no. I dunno."

"Not really an answer, Dixon. Is there even a 'we'?"

He thought about it. "Yeah."

"Are we friends with benefits or something else?"

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow, seems like maybe he wasn't the only one wondering 'bout that. "We ain't fuckbuddies." He said.

"So what the hell are we doing then?" She ran her fingers through her loose hair, pulling it around her neck and twisting it. She always did that when she was thinking.

"Don't know." He answered honestly. "I care 'bout you. I think 'bout you a lot more 'n anyone else… I guess we're datin'."

"If you can call clearing walkers and going on runs dating." She was smiling at him now, he was intensely relieved.

"Yeah. 'spose it'll do." Damn straight.

}.{

Daryl accompanied her to dinner that night, resuming his usual spot on her right. Joel raised an eyebrow when he sat across from them, but held his tongue.

Archer caught Rick smiling in her direction during the meal.

Daryl leaned over and whispered in her ear. "This mean I can come by tonight?" His warm breath on her neck sent a tingle down her spine.

"You can barely sit without cringing." Emma shook her head. "I don't think you're going to be visiting anyone for a little while.

Daryl huffed. "Not plannin' on sittin' down."

"Nu-uh. Mr. Dixon. You're going to have to wait."

He cringed as he tried to move his hand onto her thigh.

"See?" She said. "Your shoulder's still giving you grief."

"Shit." He ducked his head and looked away.