The Meaning of Love

Part 4

When he woke up the next day, all he wanted was to be left alone by most of the group. He got up a little later than normal, so when he stepped out of the tent, everyone was done up and moving around. Every morning he goes and splashes some cold lake water on his face, so he heads to the lake. Shortly after he gets done splashing his face, he hears someone walking up behind him. He turns around to find Carol's husband standing right behind him.

"Yes?" Daryl says, wiping the water off of his face with the sleeve of his shirt.

"Stay away from my family," Carol's husband says, getting into Daryl's face.

"Whatever, man. I didn't ask them to come over," Daryl says. Daryl wants to step back, but if he did, he would be falling off the slight edge into the lake. Shortly after he had thought, Carol's husband pushes him right off the slight ledge and into the water. Everyone at camp must have heard the splash because when Daryl resurfaced, everyone was standing at the edge of the lake. Well, everyone but Carol's husband.

"What are you staring at?" Daryl asks, standing up. All of the group but Carol walks back to camp, some of them laughing.

"Are you ok?" Carol asks once everyone is back at camp.

"I'm fine," Daryl says, his voice still harsh. Carol flinches at his tone, and Daryl immediately regrets ever saying anything.

"I'm a little cold," Daryl says much softer.

"Do you have clean clothes you can change into?" Carol says, helping Daryl step up on the ledge and out of the water.

"Yeah, but this was my only long sleeve shirt, and the wind is a bit cold today," Daryl says, walking back to Merle's campsite.

"I'll be right back, and I'll help you dry that shirt out," Carol says, walking away. Daryl steps into the tent and changes out of his soaking wet clothes. He then makes a nice-sized fire and huddles as close as he can to it. By the time Carol gets back, he is sitting there shivering badly. Winter had just ended, so the weather could be harsh. Carol walks over and gives Daryl a big smile. She is trying to hide something behind her back, but she is not succeeding all too well.

"Close your eyes," Carol says. Daryl decides not to question, and he doesn't feel up to questioning anything right now; he just wants to get warm. He hears Carol walk behind him, and feels something get laid over his back and bear arms. Then Daryl hears her step around to his right.

"Can I open my eyes now, woman?" Daryl asks.

"You can," Carol says. Daryl's first thought, when he opens his eyes, is that Carol's husband doesn't seem like the jean jacket type.

"I can't, Carol. I've already caused enough problems between you and your husband," Daryl says, starting to take off the jacket.

"Yes you can. It's mine to give. It was my dad, but I never wear it," Carol says, kneeling and helping Daryl put it on. The jean jacket is a nice, thick jacket with wings on the back.

"Thank you, but shouldn't you give something like this to your husband, or at least keep it for when you have a son?" Daryl says, practically curling up under the jacket. Normally the wind wouldn't bother him, but the lake is ice cold today, and he couldn't seem to get warm. He knew it would warm up once the sun came up, but he doesn't know how far away that is. As Daryl sits there trying to get warm, Carol lays out his shirt beside the nice-sized fire.

"I better make breakfast," Carol says.

"What? No! You don't have to do that. I'll do it," Daryl says, standing up and grabbing the pans from Carol. Daryl stares in wonder as the pans shake in his hands, but thankfully Carol doesn't see his hands shake. Daryl puts the one-pan down and goes to put water into the other, but his hands are shaking too much, and he drops the jug of water and pan. Carol turns around at the sound just in time to see Daryl drop to his knees.

"Daryl!" Carol yells, running over to Daryl and dropping down in front of him. "Daryl? What's wrong?"

"I don't know. My hands won't stop shaking, and my head feels weird," Daryl says, staring at his hands. At this point everyone, but Carol's husband, is running over.

"Oh my god," Amy says, pouring horror in her voice, which makes Carol look up in alarm.

"The back of Daryl's head is covered in blood," Rick says, kneeling beside Daryl and puts a handkerchief to the back of Daryl's head. The minute Rick does, pain shots through Daryl's head, and his vision swim. Daryl could feel himself start to blackout, and wishes he wouldn't. Carol is completely shocked when Daryl suddenly grabs her shoulders.

"Daryl?" Carol asks, grabbing Daryl's head between her hands. "Don't fight it. It's just going to hurt more if you do."

~TIME SKIP~

Daryl must have blacked out because the next thing he knows is that his head hurts and that he is really hot.

"He's coming to, mom," Sophia's small voice says.

"Thank you, Sophia. Why don't you go play with Carl?" Carol says as Daryl slowly opens his eyes.

"What...," Daryl says, his voice cracking.

"Don't talk; just drink this," Carol says, lifting his head with one hand and putting a bowl of something to his mouth. At this, Daryl flinches away from the bowl.

"It's chicken broth," Carol says.

"I don't own any chicken broth," Daryl says, sitting up, which he regrets doing because his head spins.

"It was mine," Lori says, sticking her head inside the tent.

"I came to check on him," she says to Carol.

"I think he'll be fine, but he needs to take it easy and slow for a while," Carol says, staring right into Daryl's eyes.

"Like hell I am. I'm going to Atlanta," Daryl says, standing up. He almost collapses, and he would have grabbed a hold of him.

"Daryl, you're in no condition to go to Atlanta. You can't even stand on your own," Carol says, trying to make Daryl sit back down.

"I'm fine, woman," Daryl says, pushing past her and out of the tent. He pauses outside the tent to let his eyes adjust to the sudden light.

"Rick, stop him," Lori says as Daryl starts walking unsteadily to Merle's motorcycle.

"Where are you going, Daryl?" Rick asks, stepping in front of Daryl.

"I'm going to get my brother," Daryl says, voice dripping with venom.

"You can't, Daryl. You're not well," Carol says, running over.

"I'm fine, and I'm going to rescue my brother," Daryl says, pushing past Rick, but Rick grabs his arm and stops him.

"You're not going...," Rick says, but Daryl interrupts him.

"I said I'm going," Daryl says, breaking Rick's hold on his arm.

"As I was saying, you are not going alone or unarmed," Rick says, picking up Daryl's crossbow and handing it to him.

"Rick?" Lori says, grabbing Rick's arm.

"I'm the reason Merle is still in Atlanta. I have to go," Rick says, hugging Lori close to him.

"It's too dangerous," Shane says.

"I'm not leaving a man trapped on a roof in the middle of a Walker-infested town," Rick says.

"No, you're just going to leave us, two men, short here," Shane says.

"Three. It's my fault he's stuck there," T-Dog says.

"Four," Glenn says.

"Why are you going, Asian Boy?" Daryl asks.

"I know the city better than you guys," Glenn says so matter of fact.

"Rick," Shane says.

"I can't sit here when I know it is my fault Merle is still there, and anyways, I dropped a bag of guns and ammunition back there," Rick says.

"Just be careful, Rick," Lori says, hugging Rick tightly.