Protection (Rick Grimes)

Chapter One

Protection
Rick Grimes FF (TWD)
Written by: Kalee

Daryl's POV

I grumble to myself as we walk down another road. I look around and see dead walkers laying everywhere with either stab wounds to the head or just headless.

"Someone's ahead of us." I state the obvious.

"We'll find 'em." Rick sighs. I glance down at the ground and notice a necklace. Bending down to pick it up, I notice that it's a locket. I continue to walk and open the locket. That's when I stop dead in my tracks.

"Daryl?" Rick says. I stare at the picture that was in the locket.

"Daryl, what's wrong?" He asks again.

"This is my sister's locket." The picture is of me, her and Merle. Merle was forced to be in the picture but, like always, Danielle makes him smile and he genuinely looks okay with taking the picture. I was in a good mood that day since Danielle had just gotten back from a terribly long vacation of her own then flew home so she could hang out with us for the day.

Rick looks over my shoulder to take a look at the picture.

"We'll find her. Maybe she's still okay." Rick says as we begin walking again, a little faster this time. I put the locket it my pocket and make sure I don't loose it.

I can't believe my sister is still alive. I know she's a badass, but I also know she tends to panic a lot. She's probably already had panic attacks.

I remember not being able to stand seeing her panic attacks. Merle hated them too, but I don't think he hated them as much as I did. She would start bawling her eyes out and she wouldn't let mom or dad around her. Then again, she never wanted them near her anyway. Anyway, Danielle would start gasping for air since her breathing would get overly fast. She only let me and Merle to come within sight of her when she had these attacks. She would lock herself in her room and refuse to take her medicine that would calm her down to where she could actually breath. Me and Merle broke down a lot of doors during our childhood because of Danielle. I was the only one that could get her to willingly take her medicine. It killed me when she cried and refused to take her medicine. She knew she had to take it, she just didn't want to.

Also I remember when she almost died because I wasn't home and Merle couldn't get her to take her medicine. I was off at a friends house and mom called my friends mom and told her to tell me that Danielle was in the hospital. I remember refusing to get a ride and literally ran to the ER. Danielle was hooked up to all kinds of crap and she looked so pale when I finally arrived at the ER.

Me and Danielle were closer than me and Merle was. I remember all of me and Merle's fights, and there was an ass-load of 'em. I also remember me and Danielle's and there never was that many. But when we did fight, it was bad. It always ended up with her punching me and walking off. I never minded being punched by her though. I knew I deserved it.

That's another thing about Danielle. She wouldn't hit you if you didn't deserve it, no matter how pissed off she was. When she got into fights she had a good reason to fight whoever it was. She never had 'no reason' to know or do something. It was always something.

I pull myself away from my thoughts and focus on looking out for walkers and any more signs that Danielle has been here.

Danielle's POV

I secure my bag on my back and continue down the road. I may be by myself, but I've lasted this long and I'm not giving up now. Plus, I'm on the search for my brothers as well. I can't just leave them. I know they are still alive. I just know it. And I have a place we can go and be safe. I know we can make it there.

They were really the only two I got along with in my family. Well...them two and maybe a few cousins. But immediate family, it was always Daryl and Merle that I liked most.

I notice that it was beginning to get dark, so doing what I've been doing since the outbreak started, I climb a tree and get situated on a limb. Before I fall asleep I tie a rope securely around my waist and the tree so I don't fall off the tree.

I hope Daryl and Merle are still alive. I don't know what I would do if I found them dead.

What if they are dead? And I'm for real the last Dixon alive? What if my brothers are dead? Or walkers? They are the ones who taught me how to hunt, fish, load a gun, bait a hook, skin a deer and lots more. I need my brothers with me through this. That's why I've struggled and pushed myself to the limit trying to survive and find them. Then I loose the only thing that I have left of them. Which is my locket Daryl gave me when he found it. I put a picture of me, him and Merle inside and now the locket is gone.

I begin to feel the oh-so-familiar panic attack surfacing. And now I need my brothers more. They were the only ones who actually got me to calm down, but Daryl was always the one to get me to take my medicine that helped me calm down.

I try my hardest not to let the panic attack take over, but that always have and always will make it worse.

I feel my breaths quicken and tears begin to prick my eyes. I pull my knees up to my chest and grip my hair, laying my head down on my knees.

No, this can't happen. I need Daryl. I need Merle. I need my brothers. I can't be doing this right now. I can loose my breath and die. No, I can't.

Tears begin sliding down my cheeks and my breathing shortens dramatically. That's when I begin gasping for air since I couldn't really get any in my short breaths. No, no, no!

"Daryl." I manage to breath out. I know he's no where around, but I need him. Or Merle one. Or both.

I begin sobbing, but my sobs are broken down into short choppy ones because of my shortened breaths.

The familiar pain in my chest comes back and I know I'm either about to die or pass out.

Daryl, Merle, please walk by and notice me.

My vision, which is blurry from my tears, begins turning black and right before I slip into unconsciousness, I hear voices. And a familiar one too.

---hey! So, short chapter I know. I just wanted to get that in there. I guess I just wanted to let you know what happens when she has a panic attack and that she still thinks Merle is alive. What can I say? She hasn't seen him in forever. How is she suppose to know? Anyway, everyone knows who she hears. Just saying. Hope you guys liked it.---