WITH YOU | TWD

[41] I WILL FIND YOU

As he approached the entrance, the sturdy gates came into view, providing a reassuring sight. The familiar sound of the creaking hinges signaled his return, filling him with relief. He left his car and was happy to realize that he was finally back home. The weight of his crossbow felt familiar in his calloused hands, a constant companion on the long and treacherous supply run he had just completed. The bright sun made him squint, as there was no shadow to provide relief. The crunch of dirt beneath his feet echoed the weariness in his bones, a testament to the challenges he had faced beyond the safety of those walls.

Daryl's blue eyes, mirroring the vastness of the open sky, betrayed a mix of exhaustion and determination. His shoulders, burdened with physical and emotional fatigue, seemed to ease slightly as he stepped inside the protective embrace of the settlement. As he walked deeper into the heart of the community, a mix of gratitude and weariness settled within him.

In this apocalyptic world, home was not just a physical place; it was a refuge for the soul, a sanctuary where the echoes of a long supply run could gradually fade into the background, if only for a moment.

"Daryl?" he turned to surprised Hershel.

"How's everyone? How's Sasha?" Daryl asked.

"She's good. Made through the night, the fever is going down," Hershel answered, approaching him.

"She's a tough one."

"She is."

"You're tough son of a bitch," Daryl pointed at the man and smiled slightly. He was happy to be back, so he was in an amazing mood.

"Yes, I am," Hershel nodded and passed the archer.

"How about Charlie? And Carol?"

"About Carol you need to talk to Rick," the old man said. "Charlie...she's in the cell block A."

"But this cellblock is for sick," Daryl furrowed his brows.

"Glenn and Maggie are looking after her," Greene said. "She's been sick..."

Hershel didn't get to finish and Daryl was already gone.

Charlie opened her eyes and blinked couple of times. Was she in heaven? Did she die? Was that how it was after all? She looked around and saw her cell, so she must have gone to hell then. Then she felt a warm hand on her forehead, a thumb was caressing her skin covered in sweat. The feeling was so soothing that she closed her eyes again.

"Charlie."

She furrowed eyebrows when she heard a rough voice. "Daryl?"

He let go of the air he was holding in. Her dying would be the worst nightmare, and on top of that he was gone when she was suffering the most. Daryl was out of breath after running as fast as he could.

"You came back."

"I will always come back to..." he said, but his voice seemed to be stuck in his throat.

"To me," she smiled and reached for his hand.

"For you," he nodded. "How are you?"

"Weak," she groaned and showed him to help her. His arms held her back as she was slowly getting up to sit straight. Daryl was stroking her spine with one arm, and with other hand he was moving away her wet hair. "Hey."