Daryl's Girl

Chapter 37

I ran over and fell to my knees next to him laying on the ground.

"Daryl?" I said softly. He didn't answer. "Daryl?" Still nothing, but to my relief, he was breathing.

I quickly checked his body for any bites or scratches and luckily enough there weren't any. The only mark on him was a cut to the side of his head, leading me to question what the hell happened? Surely it wasn't a walker that had done that to him, so was he attacked? Had he fallen?

That was when his head moved and I watched his eyes flutter. "Daryl?" I repeated, resting my hand on his cheek and wiping the blood away from his eye. No response.

I could feel the tears building in my eyes. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't carry him. Couldn't leave him. Couldn't scream for help. The others wouldn't hear me back on the farm. I'd gone too far, but I had to get him back. The only question was how?

Being in the state I was, I hadn't notice someone creeping up behind me until they grabbed me, pulling me away from Daryl.

I kicked and screamed trying to get free. "Hey! Let go of me!" I yelled, struggling against the tight hold they had over me.

"Lily, stop kicking, it's me." They said. I recognized the voice, but with Daryl at the forefront of my mind, I didn't care to make out who it was.

Glancing down at him again, I couldn't help myself. I couldn't stop the tears from falling and turned around, hugging whoever it was that had pulled me to my feet. "It's okay." They said, squeezing me, stroking the back of my head. All I did was cry into their chest, not wanting to let go. 

Then, in my emotional state, it dawned on me, whoever it was could help me get Daryl back.

I pulled away and froze when I saw the person standing in front of me. "Shane...What the..." I didn't have the words. How did he know where I was? He wasn't a tracker and he hadn't followed me...unless...Did he have something to do with this? Had what I'd suspected before been true. Did he know where we were because he was the one who attacked him. He had looked suspicious the whole time I'd been talking to Rick and the looks he was giving didn't plead his case.

I felt the rage build up inside me at that thought and did everything in my power not to explode. I didn't have all the facts and, with no evidence, I had no reason to officially call Shane out. I was just going off of a hunch. I'd have to hear it from Daryl and the only way to do that was getting him back to the farm and back to Hershal.

"We have to get him back." I said, making my way back over to Daryl.

Shane hesitated for a moment but then nodded, walking over and hanging Daryl's arm around his neck. I did the same on his other side, making sure his crossbow was over my shoulder and my knife was back in my belt. Then together, the two of us managed to lift him, adjusting ourselves, before we began making our way back. 

The whole time I was wary of Shane and I couldn't believe I'd allowed him to stand and comfort me. Anyone but him. If I'd have known who it was, it never would've happened, but, at the same time, a part of me was grateful he was here. Even if it was him that had caused this. I would've never been able to get Daryl back. Not on my own. Without him, I was stuck.

Eventually, we made it back to the swampy area just as it began to get dark.

"We should probably stop and camp out for the night." Shane suggested, slowing down. 

Nope. Not happening.

"No. We're getting him back. I'll go through the night if I have to." I snapped back. I meant it. I was pissed and the last thing I wanted was to stop and have something else happen. I wasn't staying out here alone with Shane.