Cowboy

15) Helpless

"She seems to have stabilized." Hershel said, walking into the room, wiping his hands.

"Thank God." Daryl breathed.

"Thank you." Glenn nodded. "Can we go in and see her?"

"I think it's best if it's just one at a time right now." He said, walking away.

Glenn looked to Daryl. "You go ahead." He smiled, sitting back down.

"Thanks."

Daryl walked into Alicia's room, carefully sitting down beside her. He sighed, taking her hand in his.

He thought back to when Maggie told him she had been shot, how scared he had been. He also remembered the way his heart fluttered when they told him she only asked for him.

The seizure, that had been the scariest part. He felt so helpless standing there watching her shake.

Helpless. He laughed to himself, realizing what all of these feeling meant.

"Daryl you dumbass." He muttered to himself. He liked her. He didn't just have platonic feeling towards her that was becoming very clear.

Daryl Dixon was falling in love.

—————
"Fevers gone down." Hershel said, checking her temperature.

"Alicia?"

"Sophia? Is she ok?" She asked, opening her eyes, looking around the room.

"Fine." Daryl nodded. "She's fine." He let go of her hand. "I'll be around. You need to rest."

Alicia watched as he walked out of the room. Her feelings were definitely hurt.

Daryl on the other hand had made up his mind. He was going to distance himself from her until these stupid feeling went away. They were weak.

Glenn walked into the room, taking Daryl's place. "How you feeling?" He asked.

She laughed. "Like shit." She took Glenn's hand, holding it in both of hers. "Thank you for being here. It means a lot."

He laughed, looking down at the ground. "You cured my headache. It's the least I can do."

—————
It was a few days before Alicia could walk again but once she could, she refused to lay back down.

Daryl had only visited her twice after she woke up. It was beginning to piss her off. "I wanna see Sophia, check in her." She told Glenn as he helped her walk outside. "Then I wanna punch Daryl in the face."

Glenn looked at her, furrowing his brows. "We still haven't found Sophia..." He said, confused.

"What!?" Alicia looked at him, her anger towards Daryl only increasing. "That son of a bitch lied to me."

"Daryl told you we had found her?" He asked, looking a little weary as Alicia chewed on her lip.

"Yes." She said through clenched teeth. "And I would like to find Daryl now."

Glenn nodded, walking Alicia up to Daryl's little personal space. "Good luck." Glenn said, helping Alicia sit down before bolting.

"How's Sophia?" She smiled, watching as he sharpened his knife.

"Fine." He mumbled.

She laughed, tilting her head. "Mhmm... well that's good to hear because Glenn just told me that you guys hadn't found her yet."

Daryl looked up, his face going white before he shook his head. "Didn't want you worrying."

"Well thanks so fucking much for caring about me." She scoffed. "I mean... you haven't even been to check on me!"

Daryl looked up at her, chucking down his knife. "It's not my damn job. I ain't your caretaker." He snapped.

"What happened to 'I ain't going anywhere' hmm?" She asked, watching as he grew madder and madder.

"You were dying. You ain't no more." He grunted, beginning to walk away from me. She grabbed his hand, stopping him from leaving.

"No." Her voice broke. "You don't get to do that."

"Do what?" Daryl faltered.

"You don't get to come into my life and make me so damn happy... just to walk out!" He flinched as her volume increased. "You don't get to have a relationship with me and then tear it down."

Daryl shook his head. "We ain't got no relationship."

Alicia's breath hitched in her throat. "What?" She asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

Daryl scrunched his face up, almost pained by her tears. "We ain't friends."

"Don't push me away." She sniffed. "What did I do?" He didn't answer, turning his back on her and walking away. Alicia called out to him but he didn't answer.

"Fuck you!" She yelled, putting her face in her hands and crying.

She sat there for a while, unable to calm down until she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders. "Hey, hey. What's wrong?" Dales voice asked.

"Daryl. He's a dick." She sniffed, looking up through her tears at the older man.

Dale sat down beside her, wrapping his arm around her. "I could have told you that honey." He chuckled.

She laughed to, shaking her head. "I don't know why I let that asshole get me this hooked." She sighed.

Dale looked down at her. "All men are pigs." He nodded.

Alicia laughed, leaning her head on Dales shoulder. "Most of them are. There are a few exceptions."

Dale tutted. "Don't let any guy get you down. Screw Daryl and his stupid hair."

She nodded, smiling. "Yeah. Screw Daryl and his stupid hair."