Curative
By Kaimaler
So this is S0205, also known as Chupacabra. Yeah, that episode and yes it's more Daryl/Laura to a certain extent. Mostly it's just getting through the episode to make room for later events. :/
In the last chapter it was glossed over, to start Laura off. Of course the group would shun her, I mean, come on. They don't know much about how the virus works, but it kills and turns people. So they don't always know from looking at Laura if she's normal or walker.
We see a little more about that in this chapter, but it won't be until just a bit later that we actually see what people think. :O
I'm not thrilled with this chapter, I feel like I need to get a move on it with Daryl/Laura's relationship and at the same time need more space to have Laura interact with the group.
So in the next few chapters, we're going to see some more major advances in the romance department and with the group as a whole.
Review Replies:
LadyoftheMist04:
Yeah, I can see how that'd be a little bit of a problem for people, but I'm just using the WD universe to make a character a little more unique then the average joe/jane.
I'm working on fitting more group interaction in this story, but for now, there isn't much. It's just weird having a has-been walker around, y'know. ;3
Instead, I'm going to abuse my character some more and stick her with Daryl during Chupacabra because not going out with Daryl to look for Sophia is very OOC of Laura. xD
Thanks for reading! I appreciate all reviews! Even if they're just simple comments or detailed reviews. I love 'em all! :D
Lorem Tenebrae:
Ohhhh yeah, the Voice will come back full force later on. Mhuahahhahahahhaha! But, we'll find that part out later. :3
I'm trying to keep on a roll here, updating as much as I possibly can! :D
LittleMeep:
It would be weird if Daryl just found out like that and was totally cool with it. Right after they just met. It would be weird and unrealistic. Instead, I had Laura tell Rick who, let's face it, is a complete stranger in this new apocalyptic world and hasn't a clue how it works.
Daryl, on the other hand, had he known straight away, would've killed Laura. However, he had gotten to know her like the others did and when the truth came out, Rick was defending her and Daryl had already come to a decision about her and him. He liked her and that was that for him. :)
When Laura found Daryl's tent, she pitched hers nearby and borrowed one of Dale's books to read.
She didn't spend the whole night in the tent though, after a few chapters of a book she didn't really like at all from the very beginning, Laura got bored and went for a walk.
It was dark out, there was a few lights on in the tents, but everything was mostly silent and still. Laura smiled, there was Dale on top of the RV keeping an eye out. Keeping her wits about her, she approached cautiously, she didn't want to get shot after all.
From what Daryl said, Dale didn't really mind her. He saw her mind, not her appearance, and was fine with it so long as she never displayed walker-like habits or did anything like a walker did.
Then again, Laura would rather them kill her if she somehow turned back to a walker or did things a walker did. She couldn't imagine herself eating people, but that Voice in her head, the one that told her she needed to eat and they were food, showed her that she could eat other humans and went so far as telling her that she should.
Laura ignored it, for the most part. It came in handy when she fought off her father and escaped the men who took her. The Voice was there to keep her alive, to save her, and she would acknowledge it so long as it continued doing just that.
She climbed the ladder and saw Dale watching her.
"Hello again." He grinned, "What brings you up here so late?"
Laura shrugged and took a seat on the roof, overlooking the Greene farm. She loved the farm, it was just perfect to her. Open fields, clean air, and the group all safe and sound for the time being. "Just figured I'd take up watch, people need sleep y'know."
"That's right, you don't sleep, do you?" Laura was a little surprised at his straightforwardness, everyone else had beat around the bush with it.
"Yeah, that's right. I dunno' why, I just don't feel tired anymore." She fiddled with her brace, "Why don't you get some sleep Dale? I can see better at night anyways and don't need sleep."
Dale nodded and looked out over to the farmhouse. "How about I keep you company? It can get lonely up here all night by yourself."
Laura smiled, "That'd be nice, but when you get tired, just go to bed. I can handle night watch."
"That's alright, I had a few things I wanted to ask you." Laura took a deep breath, she wondered if she could answer all his questions. "For one, I am very interested in your senses. Human senses can be so fickle, not working right at times, I started thinking about what yours must be like."
That's... different. Laura expected a question about her eating people or any desire to bite them. Something not so... thoughtful. It was a pleasant surprise and one she was more then happy to answer. So long as it kept those other cannibal questions away.
"Well, before I turned I had to wear glasses my eyesight was so bad." She pinched the bridge of her nose, she could still remember wearing them. "When I woke up, I can see rather well and even at night like this, I see like it's the middle of the day."
"Really? Huh." He looked up to the sky and back to Laura. "What I wouldn't give to see at night. It'd definitely make traveling in the dark safer."
"Well, aside from my sight... I can hear very well. I don't really know how it compares to everyone else's anymore, but I can definitely hear better then I ever could before." Laura chuckled, "A whisper to you is normal speaking voice to me."
"So, does that mean I'm yelling to you?" Dale was speaking at a normal octave, Laura could tell, but it was louder to her. "Not really yelling... just talking loudly."
Dale leaned forward. "Well, when I'm talking to you, I'll speak softer, okay?" He was smiling as he spoke in whispers. It was relaxing to listen to a more calming voice. "I would appreciate that, but you don't have to."
"It's no problem." He leaned back into the chair.
"I don't really know about touch, that sense seems normal. Except that I heal slowly because my body doesn't work normally, so all injuries or just damage done lasts twice as long. I got bruises from weeks ago that still look brand new." She poked her side, "Taste... I don't know about that one. I haven't had a lot to eat with flavor so I can't really tell you. I know smell is sensitive, but I have no gag reflex to smell or taste anymore."
"That's interesting. I had thought that you would've lost smell and taste. They are delicate senses and people have lost them from overuse or even the lightest amount of injury." Dale shrugged, "I figured you'd have lost them too."
"Not from what I can tell. When we were around bodies, the smell that causes of all you to recoil, I don't. I just don't have that reflex anymore. Not sure why." Laura had an idea why, but wasn't going to say it. It pertained to being a walker who ate food that smelled like rotting corpses and tasted them. A gag reflex would've made things difficult.
"That's very interesting." Dale smiled brightly at her, "Nothing else for now I'm afraid. I just got to thinking about the five senses and you popped into my head."
Laura fidgeted, "So, you're alright with me bein'... or havin' been a walker, yeah?"
Dale looked at her for a few minutes, scrutinizing her for something she didn't know. He looked in deep thought, his mouth tilted and he hummed to himself for a moment. "The way I see it, you have a mind of your own and have demonstrated that at every turn. Offering help when they went back to Atlanta, in the CDC you tried to talk Jenner out of locking us in too, and when Sophia ran you weren't far behind. I haven't seen you do anything that even suggests you were a walker before."
She bit her lip, "Yesterday, after I got back with Daryl, I wanted to help around camp, see if there was anythin' I could do to help. Make myself useful like that. But when I tried... everyone gave me this look that told me they were worried about me bein' around. I know Shane wants me dead, Andrea doesn't mind me though. Rick's okay with it and so's Daryl. Lori stopped when she saw me, looked at me like I was gonna' attack her. I went to T-Dog an' he did the same... With the Greene's around... I dunno'... I just keep wonderin' if I fit in here."
Dale was nodding the entire time, thinking about what she said. "You know, when I was with T-Dog and Glenn yesterday, we talked about you."
Laura perked up. "Really? What'd they say?"
"T-Dog wasn't too sure what to think about it, but mentioned that in Atlanta you were on the roof with him, you must've made a good impression because he said it made him change his mind. I don't know what you said to him on that roof, but he liked it." Dale chuckled lightly, "And Glenn... he said it was cool, his words. That he didn't care at all, you helped them out and were alright with him."
"We didn't talk about much on that roof, but I liked him then too. He, Rick, and Glenn were the first people in the group I actually talked to. If they weren't so kind... I never would've come back with them." Laura remembered that roof, it was quite eventful. "I almost didn't after I met Merle. He was... somethin' else. But the way they all acted, how comfortable they were with each other an' how they protected their own... I wanted that. I wanted to be a part of that."
"So you came along." He finished for her. "Well, for what it's worth. I'm glad you decided to join us."
"Thanks Dale." She meant it, he was very relaxing to talk to. Dale seemed to know how to take things off her mind. Laura would make a point of seeing T-Dog and Glenn sometime in the day, she wanted to speak with them, tell them straight up what she was and that she understood if they were uncomfortable.
Ask for a chance.
"I think I'm going to turn in, Laura. If you don't mind of course." He got up from the chair.
"Goodnight Dale, don't worry about wakin' the next person for watch. I'll be up here all night." He patted her shoulder when he passed her, bidding her goodnight and heading into the RV for some much needed sleep.
Laura took the chair on the RV and sat there the rest of the night. Not a care in the world and not a thing on her mind.
It was bliss.
When morning came, Laura watched happily as the group got up one at a time. Rick and Shane were up early of course. Carol had gotten up and started laundry while T-Dog cooked breakfast for anyone who wanted it. Glenn was next, but he hadn't much to do and spent most of his time bouncing between people.
After another hour or so of watch, Lori had woken up to see Carol hanging out clothes to dry. She looked exhausted and Laura felt a little bad for her, she didn't know why, but that look on her face made her concerned.
Andrea and T-Dog were near Lori and Carol talking over breakfast.
Rick, Shane, and Daryl showed up. "Morning guys, let's get goin'. We got a lot of ground to cover."
Laura jumped up and got down from the RV as fast as she could, following behind Andrea and T-Dog as Rick stopped in front of the RV and pulled out that map again. "Alright, everyone's gettin' a new search grid today. She made it as far as the farmhouse Daryl found, she might've gone further East then we been so far." They were all surrounding the hood of the car, except Shane who opened the car door and took a seat.
"I'd like to help." Laura's head snapped into the direction of the new voice, it was one of the Greene's. "I know the area pretty well and stuff."
Rick gave him a questioning look, "Hershel's okay with this?" The boy nodded, "Yeah, yeah. He said I should ask you." They needed all the help they could get, "Alright then, thanks."
"Nothin' about what Daryl found is screamin' Sophia to me. Anyone coulda' been holed up in that farmhouse." Of course. Laura withheld her own retort. Shane had to go and try to make everyone doubt. "Anyone includes her, right?" Andrea remarked.
"Whoever slept in that cubbard no bigger then yay high." He gestured around Sopha's height. Laura remembered the nook, it was small and compact. No one around Laura's size could fit half their bodies into that. It had to have been a child.
"Good lead." Andrea commented, the group needed this to be Sophia's trail. "Maybe we'll pick up her trail again."
"No maybe 'bout it. I'mma' borrow a horse, head up to this ridge right here. Get a birds' eye view of the whole grid." He pointed to an area on the map. "If she's up there, I'll spot her."
T-Dog nodded, "Good idea. Maybe you'll see your chupacabra up there too."
Laura looked between Daryl and T-Dog. What is that about? "Chupacabra?" Rick was thinking the same thing.
"Oh, you never heard this?" Dale was digging through a bag he brought to them. "Our first night in camp Daryl tells us that the whole thing reminds him of the time he went squirrel hunting and he saw a chupacabra." Dale handed Rick a rifle, all the while telling this story.
The Greene boy chuckled at this and all Laura could do was smirk at the boy. "So you believe in a blood sucking dog?"
"You believe dead people walkin' around?" That shut the boy up, instead of answering Daryl, he reached out for the rifle on top of the map.
Which Rick quickly took up, "Hey, hey. Ever fire one before?" Rick held the gun away from the boy, he looked young and far too anxious to get his hands on that rifle. "Well, if I'm going out, I want one."
"Yeah, and people in hell want slurpees." Laura chortled, she would like a slurpee. Daryl had left the group and was heading for the stables. Laura quickly caught up to him.
"So... about searchin' again today...?" Laura started, hoping he'd get the gist. He glanced at her. "Yeah, alright. Be on horseback today though, up for that?"
Laura smiled, "I've never ridden a horse, but I've always wanted to. I'm up for whatever." He nodded and lead her into the stables. Laura had only seen the horses the farmer's daughter rode, but in the stables, Laura felt like a little girl again.
Daryl had brought out one of the horses and saddled it, all the while Laura stared like a kid at a candy shop. She lived in the city, went to school in buses and cars, never owned a pet in her life, and lived alone. A horse was almost other-worldly. She'd seen only one other horse in her life and thought the world of the massive beast of burden.
He lead the horse out of the stable before mounting. Laura knew this part, it was simple. Approaching the left side, she put her left foot on the stirrup and swung her right leg over the hind of the horse, she removed her foot from the stirrup and held onto Daryl as he commanded the horse to go.
She immediately decided she loved riding. The feeling of this powerful beast beneath her was more exciting then riding the motorcycle. She realized that Daryl probably picked up on her child-like wonder for the horses and while they were riding, but thankfully didn't point it out to her. A city girl, born and raised, out on farmland riding a horse.
It was a whole new world for her to be out here and she couldn't stop admiring it. The view, the horses, the cattle, the people; she loved it all.
They rode deep into the woods, but Laura was far too concerned with the horse and the farm to think about being lost in the woods alone. Her distraction was partially because the ride, the steps of the horse that swung her side to side actually pressed her firmly against Daryl's back and she thoroughly enjoyed that as much as she did riding the horse.
She never uttered a word though, too caught up in her perfect moment to even think about saying anything that could potentially ruin the experience. The woods were beautiful, the trees swaying in the breeze, not a cloud in sight, and it wasn't even that hot out. When they were in the vicinity of the creek she could begin to feel the cool air coming from the water.
Daryl fired an arrow making Laura jump a little. As they passed a tree, he yanked out the arrow with a squirrel impaled on the end. Laura hadn't been paying attention, she was so wrapped up in her own thoughts.
It wasn't until Laura loosened her hold on Daryl and actually looked at him that she scoffed at the sight of him. Holy shit, sleeves. Where'd they come from? She was a little disappointed, she liked it when he was sleeveless. Which was all the time, except today apparently. She wouldn't complain though, she was sacrificing ogling Daryl again for being on horseback with him.
It was a fair trade. She figured she'd see more of him later anyways, it wasn't like he made a habit of wearing sleeved shirts.
He slowed the horse down to stop and was looking down over the creek at something. He was pretty focused on it to. Laura tried to see what he was looking at, but lights played tricks on her eyes and she couldn't see anything worth staring at so intently.
Daryl dismounted, "Stay here, I'll be right back." He handed her the reins and walked towards the creek, leaving her on the horse.
She felt a little excited to be on the horse alone, but she wasn't going anywhere, so she just held tight and waited for him. He was careful going down the muddy slope, but made good time.
Laura could barely see him through the trees, he walked through the shallow part of the creek and had grabbed something. "Sophia!" He must've found something, Laura smiled, maybe Sophia was near?
After a few minutes, he came back up the slope and made his way to the horse. Laura could see a doll in his hand, "Is that?" He looked up at her on the horse, "Sophia's doll." That made her happy, it meant Sophia had come this way sometime. They were on the right track.
He got back on the horse and took the reins again, Laura grabbed him and they took off, following the creek closely.
Laura felt especially appreciative of Daryl right now and opted to lightly rub his back. He was tense, at contact he was usually tense, but this was different. Eventually, when she supposed he realized she wasn't doing anything harmful, he relaxed slowly. She went on to admire feeling him, it wasn't dirty, it was a careful and affectionate massage. The best she could offer considering their positions.
"What're you doin'?" He finally asked, she assumed he would eventually. "Nothin'." She replied with a grin, continuing her ministrations.
He glanced back to her, "Why're you doin' that?"
"Doesn't it feel good?" She questioned, it was a massage, she hoped it felt good. Otherwise, the point of it was lost. He didn't move away from it and it took him a little bit to respond. "... Yeah." It was a quiet answer, perhaps he didn't want to admit it? Laura only grinned wider. "I just don't know why're doin' it."
"Is it too much to say that I'm doin' this out of appreciation and a bit of admiration? Or maybe I'm doin' it just 'cause I know it feels nice an' wanted to make you feel nice too." Laura moved onto his shoulders, he tensed again, but relaxed almost immediately.
"Why?" Ask me why again... I swear this man. Laura shook her head dismissively. "I need a reason more substantial then I want you to be happy to give you a massage? You already know I worry about you sometimes, I care if you feel tired or bad, I just figured you deserved to feel good an' you do deserve it."
There was a huff, "... Just ain't used to it."
At that, Laura wrapped her arms around him tightly and held him against her. "Well, if we're gonna' do stuff together, you best get used to it."
"... Do stuff?" He was biting his thumb again and Laura looked at him oddly. What is he... Laura's breath caught in her throat. "I wasn't meanin' nothin' like that!" She defended, "I would never..." Laura shook her head again, "I mean, I would I think, but I'm not- I ain't plannin' this shit out. Y'know that. I was just makin' an observation!"
She could feel him chuckle, "You would though, with me?"
Laura felt her face burning, "I dunno'. Maybe." She whacked his arm. "Man, don't be makin' me think those things. I ain't the bossy girlfriend, I'm just sayin' things."
Daryl spared her a look, "Girlfriend." It was weird hearing it coming from him, but the minute it did, Laura hid her face in his shirt. "Oh dear God..."
"Relax, girl." He scoffed, "I ain't sayin' I don't like the sound of it. Feel like a kid again, worryin' 'bout girls an' shit."
"I never really worried about boys, teenager or adult wise." Daryl turned in the saddle to see her face, "You're jokin', right?" He asked, turning back around to lead the horse.
Laura chewed on her lip for a moment before answering. "To be completely honest an' don't laugh, but I never had a guy in my life. No boyfriends, no men, I told you that when Micheal flirted with me that I wasn't used to havin' a guy dote on me."
"Yeah, I just figured you had a few men, didn't mean you were used to it, just ain't had many." It was a few seconds before he made another comment. "So you never..."
Laura looked at him oddly, he glanced down with his eyes. She looked down and back to him, still questioning. "Damn girl, you're so dense. You ain't never been with a man?"
She jumped at that question, she thought about it for a moment. Did those men count...? Does he mean only with guys whom I given consent? She didn't answer him and he wasn't pressing her.
But Daryl did not like how she clammed up. It wasn't like her, she usually answered everything rather quickly and even when she got nervous about something, she'd just make a joke about it or something else to get off the topic.
Yet she just stopped in general. She didn't say anything else at all.
Daryl left it alone for the time being and for the first time was completely relaxed while she held him close to her. She was thrilled that he could be so lax around her. She felt proud of herself for getting him to do so.
A few times the horse got nervous and started backing away from certain things. A small flock of birds alarmed the horse to a stand still. Laura was a little concerned at this, she read that horses were prey animals and when in the fight or flight situation almost always took flight, but this was getting a little ridiculous.
The horse would stop at the slightest sound, jerk away when something moved. Laura held onto Daryl tighter as the horse really began to unnerve her.
Laura's fears came to life when the horse began to neigh and jump back, Daryl tried to calm it, but it only got louder and louder. She could make out something moving towards the horse on the ground, but it was enough to cause the horse to rear back.
The sudden rear threw both her and Daryl off the horse and went tumbling to the ground.
Laura felt the awkwardness of the ground, it was slippery and she kept falling until her braced leg got caught and yanked her to a stop, her once broken leg screamed in pain. The force snapped her body around and she felt her head connect with something solid.
And the world went black.
She was aware again, but she didn't want to open her eyes. Everything was numb and she couldn't feel anything.
Groaning, she mustered up the strength to open her eyes and look around. At first, all she saw was a branch in her face. She didn't have the energy to move around, she actually felt tired now. Not in a sleepy way, but in a I just got knocked out way. Laura huffed, Of course this is what would happen the first time I get to ride a damn horse.
With a sigh, she reached up and, taking keen notice of her sore and hurting body, started to move the branch away. It was still connected above her. Above me? Laura frowned and suddenly became very aware that she was lying upside down.
Looking down she saw the muddy slope and could see the creek down below. Above her, she'd fallen quite a ways, but she could make out the edge of the slope she'd fallen down.
Was having a good fucking day and this happens. Just my luck. Laura growled and, in her annoyance, began to yank the branch. Only for it to tug on whatever it was that had caught her brace and it jostled her bad leg.
The shaking pulled at her bad leg. "AH!" She cried out, her leg was bad, it'd always hurt, but it the break had been damaged again. "Oh, fuck me." She let out a pained laugh, It fucking hurt.
Gulping, she tried to lift herself back up, but to no avail. The rocks at her back, the mud around her, and her leg caught in such a bad situation made moving extremely difficult. Especially after having been knocked unconscious.
She rubbed the back of her head, it was throbbing, but it wasn't too bad.
Laura tried to brace herself upright better on her elbows. It lifted her enough to see the angle of her leg, to see what it was caught on.
There were a few saplings bunched around the rocks beneath her. There was one slightly thicker and sturdier one that her leg was bent around. Her bad leg was hooked around this sapling, it was just barely holding on. One of the smaller saplings next to it had become lodged in her brace and it was holding her up for the most part.
Thankfully that smaller sapling was firmly rooted and so long as she didn't pull at it too much, it would continue to keep her up there.
She actually couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Laura needed to get upright, at least, to the point where she was no longer upside down. Then find some footing and pull herself up.
Taking deep breaths, she had to give it a shot or end up hanging there for who knows how long. She didn't want to be stuck on the slope for any longer then she had to in order to free herself and get off the slope. Rocking herself a little, she forced herself up onto her hands.
But they slipped, the slope was muddy, it was still wet in most places. She fell onto her back again, aggravated, she grabbed loose rocks and threw them behind her head. That's stupid. Getting worked up won't get you out of here. Laura growled to herself and tried to pull herself up again.
She was careful about it this time, checking to see if her hands could find purchase on the slippery slope. Brushing off a few places, she was able to get a better grip until she was finally leaning up and was able to see around her better.
Laura was quick and switched her right hand from bracing her upright and grabbed onto one of the saplings on her right. It was stable enough to support her.
Using her left hand, she unzipped her hoodie and yanked it off. She wrapped it around the sapling and used it to slowly pull herself up with both hands. She moved slowly, she didn't want to move to fast, the wrong pull, too much pressure, and she'd pull that sapling clean from the ground.
There was a sound near her, she could make out the strained grunts of a man. She couldn't see him, but she had remembered being on the horse with someone. Who was it? Laura focused on the sound. Daryl! She let out a breath of relief, if she could hear him then he was alive at least.
It wasn't until he came into view that he knew she was there. "Laura." Daryl could see her, but there wasn't a single way he could get to her. There was a bald spot on the slope between them. She looked over to him, he looked like hell and was carrying a walking stick. "Hey yourself." She grimaced, he looked around for a way to reach her.
He looked up, the slope was riddled with saplings, branches, and trees above her. He could get to her if he could reach the top. "Don't move, I gotta' get up there an' I'll come back for you."
She nodded, "As if I'm going anywhere." She gestured to her position, which she was very well stuck in.
Daryl started to climb again, trying to find his footing on the way up using the walking stick to help him up. He was nearing the top and Laura couldn't wait to get off this ridge.
She watched him as best she could, he kept trying to find some kind of footing, but every step he took now ended in him reversing to get his balance back. It was harder near the top, there was more broken and loose dirt there. The walking stick wasn't helping any more so he threw it away and tried to continue with just his hands.
When he jumped up to grab onto a vine, he lost his footing and began to slide backwards. Laura's eyes were wide, he tried to grab onto anything, but he just kept going back until he finally fell back down the slope. "Daryl!" She tried to move, but it wasn't working well. She couldn't move without risking tumbling down herself. "For fucks sake. Daryl! Can you hear me?!"
There was no answer and she couldn't see him, "You better be alive dammit! I'm ain't savin' your ass!"
Laura made a split second decision. She'd taken a good deal of physical abuse already, before and after she met the group. Falling down this slope wasn't going to kill her, it would most definitely hurt, but she would survive and all she could think about is what happened to Daryl. If he was alright.
So she started to pull her leg, it screamed in protest, but all that did was make her pull harder until the sapling finally gave way, tearing from the roots. She fell back with it and the force of her fall broke the small sapling holding her brace. Her weight pulled her leg loose and she went tumbling down the slope, meeting rocks, other saplings, and general rough terrain.
She felt herself go airborne for just a few seconds and then she was submerged in water. It was much deeper then the creek water she'd fallen into when chasing after Rick and Sophia.
There was a gap of time Laura lost after the fall, it wasn't a black out, she just couldn't think or move, anything really. She was just there and wasn't aware of anything, but she was awake.
When she began to regain her senses, she figured out what was going on.
Laura rested at the bottom of the water for a little while, she didn't need as much air as normal people. Her body didn't demand it of her, so she could remain underwater for quite some time before she felt the need for oxygen.
She did just that, the water was just as soothing as she remembered. It carried her, surrounded her, and lavished her abused body with gentle caresses. Laura wanted to stay there, just soaking in the water, but she came down the ridge for a reason.
After a few seconds of trying to work up the courage to get out of the water, she felt a pair of hands grab her and drag her out. She pushed herself up until she broke the water, the hands moved until they supported her weight.
It was Daryl, he was alive and seemed capable of holding his own if the two dead walkers at the edge of the water were any indication of that. They both got out of the water, Laura tripping over her heavy clothes and her bad leg.
Once they were out of the water, she could hear him panting. "What a day," She laughed half heartedly. "Started out fine an' all, then this happens. What fun." She groaned as she grabbed her leg and limped over to a fallen log, sitting down on it.
"You hurt?" He noticed her limp and came up to her, inspecting her for open wounds. Laura looked at him, his side was wrapped up in the sleeves he had worn. It was amusing to think he couldn't keep a sleeved shirt. He was bleeding and... he had ears around his neck? Laura shook her head, she didn't care, she just wanted to get out of the woods. "Not too bad, need to dry out a little before climbin' that slope though."
Laura stood up shakily, he was right there, ready to steady her. She waved him off, Laura was able to do this on her own. Her shirt was soaking wet and they needed to get up that ridge soon, before they got too tired.
So she took the bottom of her shirt and pulled it off over her head. She spun it in her hands and rang it out, water poured from it like someone was pouring out a bucket of water. She was surprised the shirt held so much water.
She flipped her head down and did the same with her hair, trying to lighten the water so she could make the climb easier.
All the while Daryl stood, eyes glued to her. She was facing him and saw him staring at her. She didn't mind taking off her shirt in front of someone close to her, it didn't matter especially in this situation where if she had left her shirt and hair so heavy with water that it would make her life harder if she hadn't rung it out.
She got self conscious, the memory of how those men looked at her played in her head. She nearly smacked herself for thinking that way about Daryl, but he was looking over her, detailing her as if she was a piece of meat.
Laura decided she didn't like that look.
To counter him, Laura pulled her shirt back on and shook her hair loose. "Stop starin'." She felt a sharp sense of déjà vu and remembered the day in the woods before they left the quarry. This look he was giving her was a little different though, instead of curiosity, it was a mix between an extreme tensity and what looked like anger.
"You're bruised up real bad." He looked up from her torso and straight into her eyes. "Yeah, fall was pretty bad. Got banged up." She rubbed her back, diverting attention from her bruises. She hoped anyways.
He shook his head, "Don't lie to me." He pointed to her body and sighed agitated, "Dammit, girl, they ain't normal. That was a hand print, I could see it an' it ain't in a place it should be."
Laura glanced down and shrugged, "It's just one of those things, y'know. Some collect stamps, other people collect coins, an' I just can't stop collectin' bruises. Some people right?" She smirked, she was not going to discuss that with him here, now, and possibly never.
Daryl's jaw tightened, he was thinking about something again. "Need to get outta' here, but this ain't over. I want an answer."
He turned around and went up to the slope, inspecting the bottom for the best place to start climbing. Laura did it her own way and went a little further from him and started her ascent. The ridge was tricky, but she wasn't hurt too bad that she couldn't make her way up.
They weren't too far from each other and even though Daryl was shooting her dirty looks when he could, Laura chose to ignore him for the most part. They couldn't get in the way of them climbing. With their injuries, climbing together was a bad idea. It would only be two people stumbling over themselves. Bad idea.
Laura was able to climb faster, she noticed. Whatever Daryl's injuries were, they were holding him back and were clearly related to the bloody area on his side. Her only hindrance was her leg, everything else was mostly fine, just knocked around. So she was more able bodied then him.
When she got hold of the edge and grabbed a nearby root to pull herself up, she felt so much relief not being stuck down there anymore.
Laura turned around and limped over to where Daryl was climbing up the ridge. He had a little difficulty near the top again, the loose dirt was still doing a number on him. So Laura took hold of a stable sapling and leaned over the edge, offering her hand.
When he looked up, her hand was just a few inches from him and he took it, grasping it hard. She did all she could to help pull him up, Laura grabbed onto his arms as he got higher on the ridge and pulled him up, her arms wrapped around his shoulder and side as he finally got up the slope.
He was in poor shape. He was bleeding, the pain from his wound was obviously causing a lot of distress. She wondered what he hit to cause such an injury. Then she remembered the walkers down below.
"Daryl..." She ran her hand gently over the bleeding wound. "Did you get bit?"
He was starting to get up on his feet, Laura steadied him when she could. He just looked down to see what she was focused on, the wrapped wound on his left side. "Fell on an arrow. Pulled it out." Laura jerked her hand away from the wound, if that was true, he would be getting stitches today.
"Come on, we need to get you back to the farm." She was limping worse then him, her leg was giving out more then she cared to admit. It wasn't because the break had gotten worse or had been rebroken, but because her brace had been snapped and there was a bit of the sapling still stuck on it. Her leg had no support anymore.
Daryl went around to her left side and took her arm around his shoulder, pulling her weight off her leg. It was a great relief, the pain subsided a little and she could walk without worrying about falling down. "Thanks, stupid brace broke." He glanced to the brace and saw the break, it was small and she knew it could be fixed, all she had to do it find out how.
He didn't answer her, but they kept moving, hoping to reach the farmhouse soon.
The walk felt longer then it actually was because of the struggle it took to reach the end of the treeline. When she saw the farmhouse she was anxious just to get in her tent and lay down. She couldn't stand being out there any longer then she had to be.
She got her arm down from Daryl's shoulder, she wanted to walk on her own again for now especially once she saw some of the group running up to them.
They were crossing the furthest field when she was able to make out the four figures coming at them. Laura could see it was Rick, Shane, T-Dog, and Glenn. Each one carrying some kind of weapon or another.
The group stopped in front of them and Rick brought up his gun. "Is that Daryl and Laura?" Laura blinked, couldn't they see it was her and Daryl? She looked at Daryl, he really did look worse then she thought at first. Blood was all over him, he was limping, injured, and looked about as pissed off as a hungry walker.
It clicked with her then, they thought he was a walker and no doubt her to. "About time you pointed that thing at my head." Daryl huffed, "You gonna' pull the trigger or what?" The group took a breath, they did think he was a walker.
Laura smirked, for the first time it was someone else who looked like a walker.
BANG. Laura flinched, it was a gunshot off from a distance. Daryl whipped back and fell to the ground. Laura was caught in a moment of shock before dropping down to the ground. "Daryl!"
"No!" Rick waved off the shooter, whoever it was. "No!" He and Shane came up to Daryl and checked him over.
Laura got back, they could handle this better then her. Instead, she found his crossbow on the ground and grabbed it. He was far too out of it to carry it himself.
He was still awake, alive, for the time being. He put a hand to his newest wound, the bullet that nearly killed him. T-Dog and Glenn came up behind her and lifted her off the ground, she had some trouble standing, but the two of them held onto her.
"I was kidding!" Daryl claimed while Rick and Shane got him off the ground, putting his arms around their shoulders. He went in and out for a few seconds before falling unconscious completely.
"Oh my God!" Laura saw Andrea and Dale running up, "Oh my God, is he dead?"
"Unconscious, you just grazed him." Rick answered, him and Shane were dragging him back to camp.
T-Dog left Laura's side for a moment and went behind them. He handed her off to Glenn who did his best to carry part of her weight as they made their way back to camp. "But look at him! What the hell happened? He's wearing ears!" Laura had thought the same thing at first, but didn't care one way or another.
Rick looked up to the farmhouse and saw the Greene family, he grabbed the necklace of ears and snapped it off of Daryl's neck, putting it in the pocket of his shirt. "Let's keep that to ourselves."
"Guys." T-Dog got their attention, holding up the doll Daryl found. "Isn't this Sophia's?"
They had all paused for a moment then looked at her. Laura sighed, "Can we get patched up first? This shit hurts y'know." Rick nodded and they made their way to the farmhouse again.
When they got to the Greene family where Hershel was standing, Rick didn't even have to say anything. "Inside, quickly." Hershel said, leading them inside the house and they took Daryl into a separate room with Hershel while Glenn followed Patricia into the next room and set her down on the bed.
Glenn and Patricia both helped her onto the bed, but after that she ushered Glenn out of the room.
She came back and looked over her. "Can you tell me what hurts?"
Laura ran her eyes over herself and chuckled, "How about everythin'?" Patricia smiled sadly, "Alright, my leg is the worst, the brace snapped, I need to get it fixed. My arms are sore, so's my back... But there's nothing really else as bad as my leg."
"Okay, I'm going to ask you take off your pants, I'll see if we have another pair for you later." She came around to the side of the bed. "I'll help you, but I need to be able to work around your brace as best I can until we can get it repaired."
Laura agreed and while she noticed the looks she kept getting from Patricia, the woman still helped her.
All the while Patricia checked over her lesser injuries and tended to her bag leg, Laura kept Daryl's crossbow near her. At all times.
She wondered how he was doing, Rick said the bullet grazed him, but even a graze can cause some bad complications. Laura would continue to worry until she spoke with him, heard it from his mouth that he was going to be just fine.
Her only comfort for now was his crossbow at her side.