The room spins as your eyes flutter open and shut. Unable to to keep them open but not wanting to keep them closed.
Hershel sits in the corner; sweat creating patches in his shirt and his hands hold the small mug of tea he's been having you drink. Sip after sip, all you can stomach.
It'd been four days since you realized you were sick; that you had caught what Glenn and the others had. At first you were okay, a cough here or there until it grew to a full blown fever and coughing fits.
The worst part wasn't the blood coming up or the boiling of your skin; but the fact that you had to leave Daryl.
Having to go to a separate cell block and only getting to see him in the evening from behind a wall of glass was the hardest part of it all.
You couldn't feel his touch through the glass, or run your hand through his hair soothingly. You couldn't melt into the feel of his lips kissing yours and you couldn't relax in the scent of him when his arms went around you.
That's what the worst part was.
"Do you," Pausing as you can only get a few words out before coughing up more blood into the handkerchief Hershel gave to you. "think they'll get the medicine?"
"I have no doubt they'll be back, with the medicine." Hershel tells you, a comforting sense of sureness in his voice.
"Daryl," Coughing again, you lean back against the wall. "said when he gets it, he'd give it to me himself."
Smiling back at the memory of day ago he told you this, before he left he promised it would be him coming back and giving you the medicine.
"I miss him." You whisper, so softly you wonder if you even say it out loud. But the small smile tugging at Hershel's lips confirms that you did indeed speak it aloud.
The vision of his bright blue eyes; the ones that twinkle with such mystery and heart flood your mind like an old photograph. That is until they are looking back at you, for real, crouched in front of you.
"Hey baby." His deep southern voice whispers as you float between consiousness and sleep.
"Daryl?" You ask, and he smiles the smallest smile. It's him; your redneck.
"I'm 'ere baby, right here. Got the medicine for ya." Daryl keeps his voice soft but you can tell he's feeling anxious to get you well again.
"Daryl?" You whisper, tugging the blanket wrapped around your shoulder closer to you.
"Huh darlin?" Daryl hums, as he begins going through one of the bags he brought back.
"Can you hold me?" Your voice is so fragile that you feel as though you'll lose the ability to speak at any moment.
Daryl looks at you for a short second, before nodding his answer.
"Course." Soon, he's moving and shifts you so you sit back against his chest as his legs rest out in front of him on either side of you. Instantly feeling warmer from the closeness between the two of you. "and let's get 'cha that medicine now too."
Turning your head, you gaze up at him. As he works with a small bottle of something in his hands, you stare into his eyes.
"I love you." Reaching up, using all your energy, you touch his cheek. Craddling his face in your shaking hand.
Daryl's eyes move from the concentration he had on the bottle, up to meet yours.
"I love ye too." His voice trembles slightly, as he's feeling stressed to get the medicine ready and into you. But it doesn't take away from the truth in the statement he tells you. His feelings real and pure.
