The Meaning of Love

Part 17

Daryl wakes up to Maggie yelling at Andrea.

"What the hell were you thinking? You were supposed to stay with her," he hears Maggie yell as he slips out of bed and out of the tent.

"She didn't kill herself, so she wants to live," Andrea yells back. Daryl gets mad quickly about all the yelling, afraid it will wake Carol and Sophia.

"I don't know what you're yelling about, and I truly don't give a fuck, but you need to stop yelling. You'll wake everyone up," Daryl says, walking over to the arguing girls as Lori does too.

"Don't tell them what to do. You're not the boss over them," Lori snaps. Daryl goes to say something but stops when he hears Carol and Sophia step out of their tent, waking up by Maggie and Andrea yelling. "Don't stop. Go ahead and say what you want. You don't have to hold back because of me."

"I'm not holding back because of you," Daryl growls softly as Carol and Sophia pass to go into the house. Before they went in though, Lori slapped Daryl, hard. Lori slapping him stuns Daryl and causes him to step back. Daryl can feel his anger shot up, but when he sees Sophia's startled face, he starts to walk up the stairs to Carol and Sophia. Halfway up the stairs, he feels someone lock him in a chokehold from behind.

"Daryl!" Carol yells, pulling Sophia against her. Daryl instantly grabs hold of the arm around his neck and tries to break its hold.

"Let me go," Daryl grits out as he steps back into the person, trying to break the person's hold but forgetting he is standing on the steps. Daryl and the person fall backward, break apart, and hit the ground hard. Daryl hits the ground on his back and pain shoots through his side, causing him to curl onto his side to try and ease the pain.

"Daryl!" Carol yells again as Sophia and her run to his side. Hershal beats Carol to Daryl.

"Daryl? I need you to uncurl. I need to see your side," Hershal says softly. Daryl shakes his head as he tries to wish the pain away and regain his breath.

"What happened here?" Daryl hears Rick ask, suddenly appearing over Hershal's shoulder.

"Shane attacked him," Carol says. Daryl can hear her trying to hold back tears.

"He attacked Lori," Shane yelled, trying to defend himself.

"No, he didn't," Lori says softly, which makes Daryl look at her. When Daryl moved to look at Lori, Hershal used it as his chance to examine Daryl's side.

"I was afraid of this," Hershal says, touching Daryl's side gently, but it still causes a hiss to escape Daryl's lips.

"How bad is it, old man?" Daryl asks, glad some of the pain has worn off.