Hope everyone had a great weekend and a lovely Valentines Day. How about that glimpse of Caryl we got in this episode? Um fuck yes!
Carol stepped into the cell pulling the curtain up and blocking the view outside. Her eyes strayed to the man that was still cuffed to the bed and sighed. Her worry was starting to mount over him and she chewed her lip shaking her head. She didn't know him but that didn't matter, people were important now days, more so than ever. It was something her and Rick argued about a lot.
Rick thought most were threats and wanted to avoid them. It was understandable with the things they'd been through. You couldn't make it on your own anymore. You needed people if you were going to live in this world. Carol's eyes went back to him again that same question in her head of who was he. From the look of him she didn't doubt for a minute that this man could make it on his own out there.
Moving over to him Carol started working the shirt off his body. It was soaked in blood and what little wasn't was dirty. Carol pushed his shirt off as much as the cuffs would allow and the vest he was in. Grabbing the new rag and bowl of water Carol took a seat at the side of the bed running the rag over him. Each pass over his chest cleaned away the blood and dirt that was on him leaving behind nothing.
He jerked with each pass of the rag over his chest and Carol smirked as he pulled away from the cool cloth some. At Least he was a bit lively, even if he was asleep, he needed to wake up. As if on command a groan that was low and barely there slipped from between his lips. Carol stilled her actions her rag on the side of his throat and her other hand setting on his chest. Studying his face in fear that he'd succumbed to his injuries she watched the rapid motions behind his eyes. Feeling a strong beat against her palm Carol slid the rag again and a deeper groan rolled out vibrating his chest.
Before Carol move his eyes snapped open locking on to her in an instant. Sharp blue that showed no sign of ever being dazed or asleep holding her in place. Her breath whistled from her chest in a low exhale as his chest heaved in response. He was starting to breathe hard as a sharp metallic clang met her ears. His eyes darkened and widened instantly and the noise sounded again snapping her out of whatever daze she'd been in. A noise startled her and she looked down realizing she could feel it against her palm, he was growling.
Moving back quickly and stumbling he jerked wildly at his wrist snarling raising up as much as he could. His eyes didn't stray far from her and she realized he was sweeping over her body searching for weapons. He didn't trust her and had no reason to at all. His face was pale and he was starting to sweat despite the chill in the room. A hiss had her again leaving her daze and she seen him gritting his teeth.
His eyes went to her again and something passed through them. It was gone before she could tell what it was. He was reacting like a cage animal but she wasn't surprised and honestly couldn't blame him. If she woke up like this she knew she'd react worse if she was honest with herself. His eyes came back to her and he let his eyes sweep her again and he swallowed looking away from her eyes his eyes going back to the cuff.
"Motherfucker." his voice was a low rumble. He jerked even harder the frame of the bed creaking.
"Stop!" Carol snapped, "You're going to tear your wrist open."
His head swiveled around to her hair in a complete mussed up disarray. It was slicked up from her cleaning the blood from it and the sweat he'd worked up. "Then take the goddam things off!" He snarled. "Let me go!"
Carol felt her eyes harden and stepped backwards and leaned out of the cell just as she seen Rick appear. Her eyes met his and she nodded motioning to him. He picked his pace up starting into a jog causing Andrea to stand up and come with him. Hershel did as well and Carol turned to see him setting up completely in bed his body moved closer to the head of the bed. He was staring at her without really looking at her.
Rick was through the door with Hershel right behind him. Andrea grinned at her as she walked by and Carol swallowed. Something about him had her watching him closer. It unsettled her as she walked around the cell to put the rag back in the bowl. No matter how unsettled she found that look in his eyes, like he knew her, she couldn't take her eyes off him. He seemed wild almost it and she wanted to watch him even more.
"Names Rick Grimes." Rick paused but the man didn't speak and Carol looked at him again seeing him shrink on himself.
The man looked down and she watched as his chest heaved again. He seemed to be pulling in on himself even more. Her eyes went to him and realized he was still half undressed. His arm pulled in around his torso and as he angled his body away from them. He seemed to be shielding himself from them. He was staring Daggers into Rick and she wanted to reach over and slap the man for crowding him the way he was. If he was trying to intimidate him Carol was sure his attempts were failing. The man on the bed look like he was made of granite in the face of Rick's questions and she shifted watching him again even closer.
"I want to have a calm discussion do you think we can do that?" Rick's voice was hard.
Carol internally winced wishing that Rick had approached him a bit different. She still held to the belief that he wasn't a threat to them. He could have hurt her and Andrea but he'd never made a move too. His eyes lifted again and she watched those blue eyes flash at Rick. They came to her again and a look of knowing lightened them before a wall slid up shielding any and all thought from them. Rick shifted a huff passing his lips and he shook his head at the guy on the bed.
"You don't want to talk thats fine but you'll stay here till you can open your mouth." Rick snapped his voice that of authority.
Carol felt her hackles raise but was interrupted, "You can't keep me here like a dog." The voice was a low rolling thunder that crashed over the in that voice let her know he meant what he said and wouldn't be kept here. There was a strength in his voice that was quickly building in the rest of him. "I ain't done shit to you or your people but get fuckin' hit by them."
Andrea flinched and rubbed her throat, "About that….I'm sorry."
Carol watched his eyes go to Andrea briefly before looking away disinterested. Andrea wasn't forgettable. That thought slapped her across the face like a brick. He didn't know Andrea. He didn't know her and didn't recognize her. Carol grabbed Andrea and pulled her closer to the door feeling eyes on her again. Looking over sure enough he was looking at her.
"Did you say this was this the man Andrea? Are you sure?"
Andrea nodded, "No doubt in my mind."
"Call him by the name he gave you then...if he knows you or met you and Shane then he'll remember you and giving his name."
Andrea nodded and walked next to Rick and Carol slipped around edging closer to him. He noticed immediately a brow arching artfully. Andrea cleared her throat and Rick reached for her. Carol shot him a look and he shot one right back at him refusing to fall behind him like a scared welp.
"Mac we really didn't mean to hit you and we brought you here cause Hershel could look you over." Andrea shrugged, "We weren't about to leave you in the road for dead."
His head cocked to the side and his eyes seemed to turn studying on Andrea in and instant. He shook his head and blew out a breath, "Goddamn. Un-fuckin-believeable... " His voice was disgusting, "Not him."
"Excuse me?" Andrea replied.
"I'm not him!" He snapped, "If you know his fuckin' ass you should know when you're not fuckin' looking at him."
Confusion was written all over Andrea's face and he snorted and shook his head again. Rick caught his attention, "If you're not him then what is your name?"
"Daryl." His voice was surly and pissed, "Get these fuckin' cuffs off me."
"I'm afraid I can't do that." Rick shook his head, "Hershel here wants to look you over."
Daryl sunk further back from them again and she watched as his discomfort started climbing. Hershel moved closer and panic seemed to swallow up his bright blue eyes and she felt something in her that knew that look. Carol swallowed and watched as Hershel finally got to him smiling friendly but Daryl recoiled almost violently from his touch refusing to let him close. Rick stepped forward but Carol shadowed him as his hackles raised.
"If you try anything-" Rick started.
"Rick!" Carol snapped, "I think we can give him some space." His eyes went to her and she held his gaze, "Hershel can't help him if we're all crowding him like zoo exhibit!"
Rick shook his head, "We don't know him."
"He doesn't know us and cornering him like an animal and prodding him isn't going to help. He's given us no reason to think he's going to hurt anyone and antagonizing him isn't and you know that. This isn't Randall Rick or Shane….." Carol growled catching Rick's bicep and pushing him backwards out of the cell. It was a low blow but she needed to him to get a hold of himself before he made things worse. "I get it Rick but he just woke up."
Rick seemed to deflate and stepped back nodding, "If you need me I'll be close by."
Andrea left with him giving Carol a smile. She was left with Daryl and Hershel as the older man tried to coax Daryl into relaxing. He seemed to be in a silent standoff against the older man and she almost wanted to laugh. Walking forward and ignoring them both Carol grabbed the shirt that she'd gotten for him and handed it to him. He seemed to breathe for the first time since waking up. Carol moved around Hershel and smirked to herself when she grabbed his wrist and he didn't flinch away like he'd done with Hershel just getting close. He was watching her closely but still she felt no threat from him. Hershel tensed but stayed silent trusting in her to decision.
His wrist was free and he instantly started rubbing it before grabbing the shirt and jerking it on over his head. He groaned quietly at the motion and his face briefly showed a flash of pain. Hershel shook his head again and looked at her as if she would be able to make him listen.
"We don't want to do anything but help you." Hershel spoke softly, his voice was that of what she'd heard him use on Maggie. "Now son you were pretty banged up when you came in here."
Daryl gave him a skeptical look but nodded all the same, "I'm good."
"You've got stitches and I'd like to listen to your breathing if you don't mind." Hershel again spoke softly.
Daryl cleared his throat and coughed slightly his face flushing red slightly.
"Carol run down and get him something to eat he has to be starving and grab some water while you're at it." Hershel dismissed.
Daryl swallowed so thickly he wasn't sure he was going to be able to breathe. Carol. When his eyes opened to the stranger over him he felt a silk coiling dread bleed through him. It stayed there and only heightened as more people came in the cell on him. It was that woman though his eyes kept going to. Even if Sophia never told him what she looked like he would have known. There was something between the two of them, something shared, that he knew from Sophia and recognized in her mother.
He found her. He kept his promise to Sophia and felt a weight lift from his chest as another slid into his heart lancing it to let him slowly bleed out. With each look he caught of hers he felt sicker. How was he going to tell this woman he found her daughter? How the hell was he going to say all that without sounding like a fuckin' nut case? Shit.
"When she gets back we'll get something warm in that stomach of yours. Should help with the headache I know you've got." The man Hershel smiled at him.
Daryl cleared his throat, "Did…" Coughing slightly and swiping at his face and scrubbing his hands over it and pushing his hair back, "Did you say her name was Carol?"
Hershel straightened up studying him, "Now son I love that woman like a daughter and if you have an designs to hurt her-"
Daryl felt his face flush and his hackles raise. What the fuck did they he was here to do? Fuck they brought him here! They goddamn ran him down in the streets.
"No! Fuck." Daryl shook his head wincing, "Forget it."
Hershel studied him for a minute, "Yes. Her name is Carol."
Daryl nodded and Carol showed back up after a few minutes. She handed him the food and he looked down feeling his stomach roll. He wasn't sure where he was getting so sick from but it was coming on fast. Swallowing around the sudden overwhelming amount of spit in his mouth he closed his eyes. He felt Hershel listening to his breath and held still knowing the old man wouldn't back off till he was done.
He chuckled, "You've got an angel watching over you." He stood up and picked up his stuff after he finished looking at him, "You're going to have a nice headache for a while and be sore but otherwise fine. You need to eat and rest."
Daryl shook his head, "How long was I out?"
Carol stepped more into his view, "Quite awhile...we got worried."
Daryl swallowed visibly as Hershel left. He watched the conversation between the two before it was just him and Sophia's mother. Apparently his jailer. The thought made him want to laugh. The irony of him saving Sophia and her mother saving him wasn't lost on him at all. He needed to tell her and figure out what the fuck to do. Every time he felt himself trying to focus though that headache that'd been building would rear back up like a horse kicking him in the head. He blinked again his body starting to hard all over as his mind relaxed from when he'd just woke up.
"You should eat." Carol prodded pushing a bottle of water at him.
Daryl looked up at her but let his eyes fall to the water bottle. His stomach was rolling again and closed his eyes. Shit. Feeling his stomach start to heave he went to move but something was there for him instantly. Whatever he had left in his body heaved and spilled into the bucket leaving acrid bitter taste in his mouth. He heaved wincing with each one as they turned painfully against his battered body leaving him feeling spent. They turned to dry heaves and Carol was by him instantly. He didn't see her move but she was there her hand on his back and pushing a cold rag against his forehead.
"Guess the food will have to wait." She smiled sadly at him. "Andrea feels terrible for hitting you….she was so sure you were the man Mac she seen some months back."
Daryl lifted his eyes to her and raised a brow wiping his mouth as he took a drink of water washing his mouth out, "Mac's my brother."
Carol cocked a brow, "You were alone when we found you."
He nodded, "There waiting on me to get back...I can't stay here. I've got people waiting on me, depending on me." His voice was low and came out with more southern drawl as he felt fatigue hitting him. He was trying to focus and get his words together but nothing was coming to him. Everything was a big pile of fuck all and his mind was jumbled mess of pain and worry. "I gotta get baccck." His voice slurred and Daryl frowned.
Carol didn't say anything as she pushed on his frame forcing him to lay back. "You need to rest before you kill over."
Daryl blinked feeling like it took gran effort to even get his eyes back open. The motion of just blinking feeling like heaven, "Can't." His voice dipped out and he felt Carol drag a blanket up on him, "She needs to know."