𝙇𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝘽𝙤𝙙𝙮 : ̗̀➛ 𝙙.𝙙

𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

: ̗̀➛
         "Let's pack it up, wheres Daryl?" Rick yanked the truck door open.
         "He went round back to kill some walkers. I'll go get him."
         I hopped off the back of truck. I didn't want to see the Governor come out the barn. I didn't want him to look at me. Grass rustled at my feet as I heard grunting, almost sobs. I jogged a little faster, my heart beating.
         I froze, seeing Daryl on top of a walker, punching. Blood flew everywhere while he cried.
         I ran up, yanking him back. It was Merle. Merles decaying body was underneath him.
         "Daryl, stop! It's okay! It's okay!" I pulled him back. He sobbed. I had never seen him so broken. It brought tears to my eyes. I would have taken my heart out of my own body to see him okay.
         I just stared at Merles dead body while he sobbed.
        "It's okay, don't look." I buried his face in the nape of my neck. Tears puddled up on my shirt as he clung to it.
        "Don't look. It's okay. I got you. I got you."

: ̗̀➛

       I sat in the back with Hershel, Daryl just  stared out the passenger window. He was acting as if nothing had happened. He was so easily snapped back to being calm and nonchalant.
        None of us had said a word. Rick had told us he would tell us the plan when we were back at the prison. I couldn't have cared less about the plan right then, I couldn't take my eyes off of Daryl.

: ̗̀➛

     "So?" Glenn asked. We all gathered in the common room. Rick stood with his hands on his hips, looking out at us.
     "He wants us dead. He wants this prison."
     "Not what we were hoping to hear." Kay sighed.
      "I know. But he can't have this prison. Nobody is going to die but them. We are going to plan an attack."
      "There's no other option?" Maggie questioned. Rick didn't hesitate to answer.
      "No. We attack tomorrow night. We get David back."
      Guilt fell over me. I hated keeping this in.
     "Davids dead." The words flew out of my mouth before I could even think. I felt everyones eyes land on me, it was so silent a pen could drop. I looked up at Daryl, staring at him while I spoke. I felt like I was only explaining it to him, not the entire group.
     "I went out after him... He was going to take me back to Woodbury, as leverage. I.. I didn't know what to do..." I couldn't bring myself to say that I had killed him, but it was evident. I left out the part about Jake, knowing the whole situation had traumatized him.
     "Okay," Rick nodded, "We still attack tomorrow night. Everyone is free to go." He dismissed us. Everyone muttered to themselves while they left.
      Rick came and sat down in front of me, lowering his voice.
      "Are you okay?"
      "I'll live."
      "You did the right thing."
      I nodded but I didn't believe him.
      "Is there really no other option?"
       Rick dragged his hand down the stumble on his jaw, glancing around before answering.
       "He told me I give over Michonne and the prison and he won't kill us... Gave us two days. But it doesn't matter. Even if I do that, he will still kill all of us. I can't let him do that."
         I looked at him, examining his face. He was scared, but he was right.
        "Okay."
        He seemed surprised by my calmness.
        "Okay?"
        "You have never steered us wrong before."

: ̗̀➛

       I watched as Hershel pulled off the gauze on my stomach, examining my stitches.
       "Are they ready yet?"
        He smiled, "Sure are."
        "Thank god."
         I watched him snip the stitches carefully.
         "Are you doing okay?"
         "Are you talking about David?"
         "I'm talking about you."
         "Going day by day, and today I get my stitches out, so good day for me."
          Hershel dropped the scissors onto the metal tray, pulling his gloves off.
         "All done. You have got to stop getting hurt, your going to look like Frankenstein here soon. Although, your scar on your face is healing okay."
         I smiled, touching the deep scar across my cheek.
         "Uhm.." Daryl made us turn to look at the doorway, he stood there awkwardly, "Could I borrow Del?"
          Hershel nodded, "Be my guest."

: ̗̀➛

       The glow of Daryl lighting his cigarette was the only light we had while we stepped out into the dark. We said nothing until we got to the flipped car, he helped pull me up.
       I swung my feet back and forth, not knowing what to say to him. There was so much unsaid.
       "If you want to talk about it, we can."
        He chuckled shortly.
       "Which part?"
        "David. Merle. You leaving. The Governor... all of it."
         He handed me the cigarette before responding.
"I don't want to talk about Merle."
"We don't have to. We don't have to talk at all."
I heard him swallow, his breath becoming shaken. I couldn't see his face in the dark but I could tell he was hurting.
"I'm sorry." I tried to focus my eyes on him in the dark.
"For what?"
"Abandoning you."
"I left you first."
"Just let me apologize." I smiled, playfully bumping shoulders with him.
"If he hadn't got taken.. If you didn't have to kill him... would you have stayed with him?"
I knew he was asking about David, and I didn't know the answer. I thought about it for a second before answering.
"I don't know. I did love him, I cared for him a lot. But I don't know if I could've stayed with him, but I didn't want him dead."
"Would you be talking to me now if he was still here?"
"Yes," I didn't have to think about that answer, "After everything, you're still my friend. I had to have time to sort out everything."
"Sort what?"
"Myself. My emotions."
"That's going to take your emotional ass awhile."
"Shut up." I smiled, rolling my eyes. This was nice.
"If it uhm, means anything.. I missed ya."
"Going soft on me?" I teased.
"Stop."
I couldn't help but smile. I had missed the sound of his voice. I had missed him.
"I missed you."
He looked at me, his eyes scanning across my face.
"I missed you too."
"I know," I teased. He smiled, looking down at his feet dangling off the car edge.
    "Don't go tomorrow."
          "What?"
          "Don't go to Woodbury for the fight."
          "Why?"
          "I just got ya back, it makes me sick every time you're in danger."
          I didn't know what to say. He never expressed his thoughts. I wanted to know everything he thought.
"Daryl..."
"You don't have to say nothin. Just think about it, okay?"
I agreed.