TWD- Little Heart Of Iron

16. Sorry.

Not proof-read

.

The timeline for season 2 is a little bit different here just because of the way I planned out the plotline, so sorry if you're confused. Essentially, I've written out some of the things that happen in episode 4 and 5.

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It'd been almost 24 hours since the surgery, and Blake spent all that time resting. She'd woken up once, for a brief moment, before falling right back to sleep. Hershel said she would be okay for certain, as long as she got rest.

Carol, Andrea, and Dale all showed up the morning after the surgery, so everyone was at the farm now, except for Sophia. Daryl had reluctantly left Blake's side to deal with the other problems he'd ditched when he found out she was shot. The group had set up tents and RV outside of the house, thought they weren't sure how long they would actually be able to stay. Glenn and Maggie also made a supplies run into town.

It was the next night, and Daryl was sitting next to Blake as she woke up again. She looked much better. She wasn't as pale or sweaty, and she wasn't in as much pain.

"Uncle Daryl?" She asked as she woke up. He was the first person she saw, fortunately.

Daryl sat up in his chair a bit, leaning in and grabbing Blake's hand. "Hey, bee, you feelin' alright?" He asked in a soft, gravely voice.

Blake furrowed her eyebrows slightly with discomfort. "Yeah. Still hurts a little, though," she mumbles.

"Yeah, it's gonna," Daryl caressed the back of Blake's hand with his thumb. "Just rest for a bit," he said.

"I've been resting for, like, a week," Blake whined.

"Hardly," Daryl chuckled tiredly, "it's been a day."

"Feels like a week. I'm bored," she complains.

"I know," Daryl said, "I can ask Dale fer one a' those books you like, if ya want."

"Can ya ask for the one about outer space? He'll know which one yer talkin' about."

"Sure thing," Daryl said. "But hey, I uh, needa talk to ya about somethin'." Daryl said, his tone becoming more serious.

Blake nodded, her expression was curious as she wondered what Daryl would say. His tone reminded her of the same tone Rick had when he told her that her dad died. Now, she was worried that someone else died.

I love you more than anything. The words Daryl had been wanting to say for so long. But, for some reason, he couldn't.

"I wanna say sorry," he mumbled. He wasn't good at apologies. He found them awkward and useless, most times, so he just never said them.

"Sorry? Why?" Blake asked.

"Lot a' stuff," Daryl murmured, looking away for a second. "'Bout all this. You gettin' shot, and...yer dad."

"Why are you sorry for my dad? I thought you hated 'im." Blake questioned with genuine curiosity.

"I do, I just- damn..." Daryl sighed. He wasn't sure how to express this to a ten year old. "I'm sorry about you. Not yer damn dad," he grumbled. "About all the shit he did to you. All the times I didn't do shit ta help."

Blake looked down for a few seconds. She didn't understand why he was sorry. It was her dad who should've been sorry, she thought. "You don't have to say sorry-"

"But I do. I know I do. All that shit he put you through, and you were just a kid. Ya still are. It ain't fair."

Blake sighed. She didn't wanna talk about this anymore. She didn't want to think about her dad. "It's okay. I never blamed you," She said.

Daryl didn't say anything, but he nodded. He was probably thinking a thousand things at once, though.

"Can we talk about somethin' else?" Blake asked a bit sadly.

"Okay," Daryl nodded.

"Do you think we'll find Sophia real soon?"

"I think so, yeah." Daryl said.

"I still wanna help look."

"I know ya do," Daryl said, "but ya need rest. 'Nd if it makes ya feel any better, I found 'er doll."

"Her doll? When?" Blake asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Went out, earlier today. Found it in some dried up ditch. Means she's close."

"Ya should'a woken me up. I would'a helped look," Blake whined.

"Blake. You were just shot. Yer weak, right now. What you need is rest and food."

"I ain't hungry," Blake huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yes. Ya are. It's late, so I'll let it slide and you can eat in the mornin' but I ain't gonna forget" Daryl said. "For now, just go back ta sleep. I'll be here."

"What about everyone else?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, how are they? How's Carl?" Blake asked.

"Carl?" Daryl chuckled.

"Yes, Carl. What's so funny?" Blake furrowed her eyebrows.

"Nothin'," Daryl smirk, "just, he asked about you, too. He was worried. I think the boy has a crush on ya," he said.

Blake's cheeked turned red with embarrassment. She and Carl were friends, and nothing more. She hated that- just because a boy and a girl were friends, that meant they liked each other and were dating. "He doesn't," she insisted. "And...I don't like him like that, either." She shook her head. "And, even if he did, I wouldn't date him. He's annoying, sometimes. And he's way older than me."

"You'll be 11, any day now. He's 12," Daryl said in amusement. He wasn't being serious, of course. He knew the kids were just friends, but he knew it was easy to mess with Blake.

"Well, still."

"Alright, alright," Daryl chuckled, "I'm joking. Get some rest. When you get up, you'll eat, then I think Maggie said she'd help ya shower 'nd get ya new clothes."

"Yer jokes aren't funny," Blake huffed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Daryl gave Blake a quick pat on the head. "Just sleep, bee."

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Author's Notes: This chapter is meant to be a filler chapter. Next chapter will be set a day or two after this one, depending on the timeline. To keep the fic interesting and different from the show, I've changed some things. That's why Daryl never got shot by Andrea, and why Blake was shot instead of Carl.