His Everything

Chapter 17

   That night we stood around in a circle and talked about sleeping arrangements. Since Dale owned the RV he would automatically get a spot in the RV, that left two more spots in actual beds and two spots on the floor.

   "T-dog should get something elevated," I said, crossing my arms over my chest, T-dog wasn't going to stand up for himself so I would. Everyone else didn't dare argue with me, even Shane. That left three more spots in there. Andrea, Carol, and Glenn ended up taking them. Which left Rick, Lori, Carl, Shane, Daryl, and I.

   "We can clear out the trunk of my Cherokee and push the back seats up and someone can sleep back there," Carol spoke up from where she was trying not to look into the tree line. Rick, Lori, and Carl would sleep back there, Shane would be on look out. And that left Daryl and I. "Abby, you could probably fit in the front seat of the Cherokee with the center consol up," Carol mentioned, I agreed. There wasn't a lot of other spaces left. We had too many people and not enough cars we could sleep in, but it's what we can do right now. Everyone but T-dog, Daryl and I dispersed to their sleeping arrangements.

   "How're you feeling, T?" I asked him as I finally was able to take off his tourniquet.

   "Like I got filet-ed," He groans, and I wince, looking down at my hands that wring around each other, an anxious habit.

   "Yeah, I'm sorry about that... I had to, otherwise it would have been a bitch to actually come together," I defended. T-dog set his good hand on top of both of mine.

   "I know, and—Thank you. Really, thank you," T-dog said sincerely once I looked up to meet his eyes. I nodded and helped him to stand so he could go into the RV and sleep after a long day of pain, and I head to the Jeep Cherokee, flip up the middle console, and lay down after shutting the door.

   For a while I stared at the ceiling of the Jeep, trying to think of anything but Sofia, but my mind betrayed me, like it almost always does. I run hand through my hair thinking of the fear of laying under that truck with Daryl, just how close we were to death. How close we were to each other... I shook my head, getting the image of us on that couch at the CDC, now is not the time.

    I sigh and sit up, there was no way I was going to sleep right now, not with my mind racing like it was. I pull my hair over my shoulder and start to run my fingers through it, loosely braiding it before flipping the braid over my shoulder, and I shimmied out of the car awkwardly, closing the door softly so I didn't wake anyone up.

   I lean against the car and look up at the sky, there were so many more stars out since the world went dark, I sat there for a moment before closing my eyes and sighing, glancing at the tree line.

   "Didn't know you could do all that," Daryl said softly, I jumped slightly, looking over at where he was leaning against a car.

   "I told you what I did before didn't I?" I asked. I was pretty sure I did.

   "Yeah, but didn' know you could to that," He says, looking at me, a softness to his eyes.

   "Thank you," I tell him.

   "For wha'?" He asks pushing off the car and coming to stand next to me, and I turn myself, so my side presses against Carols car, and I look up at him.

   "For dragging me under that truck..." I look away from him for a moment, before looking back up at him "You saved me." He shrugs, not meeting my eyes. I lean down so I could see his eyes. "I'm serious." His eyes meet mine for a moment, and there was a vulnerable look in his eyes, and I knew he understood.

   I turn so my back is to Carols car again and I sigh looking up at the sky. "Hey Daryl?" I ask, he hums, biting his thumb nail, a nervous habit I've noticed. "Can you promise me something?" He doesn't answer, but when I look at him, he's already looking at me. "Don't let me get into Merle's stash," was all I said. "Hide them, but don't get rid of them because we might need them down the road."