Red ~ TWD (Daryl Dixon)

Just A Dream

The feeling of weightlessness was the first thing I noticed when I came back from Dreamland. My body rocked forward then back gently like I was standing on the deck of a boat as the waves crashed rhythmically against the bow. It made me feel safe, secure, but that couldn't be right. I hated boats, despised water in general, so there is no way a boat should make me this damn happy.

I felt a pair of arms pull me closer against a solid chest as I adjusted my body and sighed. I realized where I was and who was holding me. This was much better than a boat. His ass was so firm you could bounce a quarter off it. Could a boat say that? No it could not.

There may be an "Out of Order" sticker stamped on me right now, but like everything where Hawkeye was concerned my awareness of him defied logic. He slipped past my carefully constructed walls like they didn't exist, wormed his way under my skin, and invaded my blood until he seized what was left of my black heart.

I knew these arms, recognized his comforting scent, had long ago memorized the deep rumble of his voice in his chest when he spoke. The urge to sleep was tempting, but I heard panicked voices flying above me and I fought to open my eyes.

"What happened?" Hershel.

Only he could sound authoritative and concerned all in the same breath.

"Found her in a warehouse not far from here, her ribs are broken, maybe her legs. She's got a head injury that stopped bleeding, but probably left her with a concussion. She was choked, there's a stab wound to her right shoulder, multiple cuts and bruises, and she was...drowned." Rick's voice was tight with anger, the last word sounding like it put a bitter taste in his mouth.

I heard Beth's quiet sobs followed closely by Carol's words of reassurance, always the optimist that one. Maggie's voice was steady as she asked her father what to do. The worst the crisis the calmer the woman got, clearly she picked up some Zen somewhere along the way. Daryl would be proud.

Lori's gasp of shock lasted only a second before I heard feet scrapping along the floor and the gentle click of a door closing. It was a nice gesture, but I could still hear her quaking sobs like she was right next to me. The walls in this place must be made of paper. Well, that and Lori girl cried like a champ.

The arms holding me tightened, cocooning me against his body, creating a shield against prying eyes. I wasn't sure if he was trying to protect me from the group's reaction or the world itself. Daryl, always the protector. That would make a fabulous T-shirt slogan.

I felt him bend forward, lying me down on something incredible soft and plush, something I hadn't experienced since before the turn, a bed. It was a sad testament to our times that you needed to be in the middle of a Code Blue situation to have the privilege of sleeping on something as soft as a marshmallow.

Hershel called out instructions, presumable to his daughters since it was in a language no one understood but the Greene's.

"How long has she been unconscious?" he asked.

I wasn't unconscious, was I? Unconscious people didn't eavesdrop on conversations. Why couldn't I open my eyes? Why couldn't I move?

"Twenty minutes," Daryl answered.

He sounded tired and that made me worry. I wanted to tell him to rest, but since I couldn't swallow without wanting to cry I didn't see that happening anytime soon. As much as I wanted him to, no needed him to, he shouldn't have come after me. He was still recovering from his illness, and now he was paying the price for doing too much too soon, and it was my fault. The thought stung, hurt more than all the physical injuries I sustained combined. I didn't want anyone suffering for me, least of all him.