Remember Me (Daryl Dixon)

Chapter Thirty-Five: Let's Do This

"Elizabeth, wake up."
I moaned and opened my eyes slightly at the sound of Beth's voice. My side was still aching along with my eye, but I assumed whatever she wanted was important. It had to be important to wake me up like this.
"Rick says you need to get ready," she whispered to me as she fiddled her fingers. I ran my hand through my hair as I sat up slowly in the bed. I had to go it slowly due to the fear of ripping my stitches. "Ready for what?" I asked in a sleepy voice. She didn't speak to me. She simply threw my sweater on the bed and exited the room. Whatever was going on seemed to be pretty serious.

I could hear the others discussing something in the main room. I slowly slipped on my sweater and stood slowly. I was still really dizzy, but I had to get up. I had been in bed ever since my incident. The pain had eased off, but I was still really sore. And I hadn't spoken to Daryl about his hostility before I left yet.

I shuffled out of the door and moving my eyes, well eye, to the others. Nobody had seen my condition but Daryl, Dad, Beth, and Rick. I knew I looked pretty roughed up. Maggie's eyes filled with horror as she gazed over at me. A hand came to her mouth as they all looked at me.

I get it. I look bad, geez. Daryl clenched his fist at the sight of my injuries. I was certain he was angrier than anybody about it.

Rick looked back at the others and continued whatever he had been saying. "Beth, Judith, Carl, Hershel, and Elizabeth are going to stay in the forest while we do this."

I was completely confused. Forest? What exactly were we doing? I grunted slightly as I got a sharp pain in my side. Daryl noticed and glanced at me for a second.

"Get ready," Rick said with a nod. Everybody began scattering in different directions. I still didn't completely understand what was going on. Again, why was I going in the forest?

I shuffled towards Daryl as the others began leaving the room. I could tell that he didn't even want to look at me. I could understand it, I looked pretty roughed up.

"What's going on?" I asked him when I finally reached him. He finally pushed his anger aside and turned to look at me. "Governor is attackin'."

Or walking into his certain downfall. I pushed a piece of hair out of my face as I gazed up at him. "Why do we have to go in the forest?"

Daryl shrugged as he chewed on a toothpick, "you're injured, Judith is a kid, Hershel is our only doctor, Beth ain't so tough, and Carl can protect you out there."

I wanted to argue with him about leaving me out, but he was completely right. I was far too weak to even think about joining the battle. If I even fell, I would be bleeding and right back where I started. I could hardly bend too far without tugging my stitches, how would I run?

"I need to talk to you about what you said before I left," I quickly said before he had the chance to turn away from me. "I need to know if you meant that."

I could see how troubled Daryl was just thinking about that incident. I mean, I deserved an explanation. He was the reason that I didn't come back with Michonne. He was partially the reason I was in the condition I was in. If he would've never left me in the yard like he did, Merle may still be alive. I may still be healthy.

But that was all beside the point, I just wanted to know if he meant it.

"I ain't got time to talk about it," Daryl said as he motioned to the door. "Gotta go with the others."

No, he wasn't about to do this. I wasn't gonna let him walk away once again.

"You broke my heart once, don't do it again," I forced out as I rubbed my face with my hands. "I deserve an explanation or at least something. Did you mean it?"

I expected Daryl to get mad, but he didn't. He just sat there and stared at me. This honestly pissed me off even more. I wanted him to show some kind of emotion. If he really didn't love me, he needed to tell me. I needed to know.

"You're not gonna answer," I began as my voice was breaking. I had cried enough to last me a lifetime, and here I was about to cry again. Daryl continued looking at me without a word. A tear slid down my cheek. "And you don't care."

"I care," he replied in a low voice. I could hardly understand what he was saying due to his mumbling. He didn't care, that was the thing. I cared so much about him. Even my father saw that.

"You don't," I whispered as I turned to walk away. "We're done here. I can't even get a straight answer. I deserve at least that."

He tried to grab my arm when I was walking away. Of course I snatched away from him, causing pain in my side. I groaned for a second as I pressed my hand against the long wound. Daryl tried to held me stand up straight, but I pulled away from him again.

"Don't touch me," I growled at me. "Just don't ever touch me again."

Daryl simply shrugged and began walking away. No, you're not doing that. You do not get to do that.
Now it was my turn to pull him by his arm. "Don't touch me," he mocked in a cocky tone. I was honestly so fed up with him. I couldn't stand how he got to feel nothing while I felt everything. And I was about to let him know that.

Without thinking, I slapped Daryl. I honestly didn't even feel bad about it afterwards. And he surprisingly didn't even get mad. He simply looked back at me after I had done it. "Feel better?" he asked, not phased by my actions.

"I don't," I growled at him. "At least I feel something. You just feel nothing. Lori? I felt that. Merle? I am still feeling that. You leaving me there to get taken by your brother? Still feeling that too. You've broken my heart and you don't feel it."

Daryl continued looking down at me without a word. Him staying silent was continuing to piss me off. I wanted to beat his ass right then and there, but just slapping him made me sore again.

"Whatever, I don't care anymore," I whispered as I saw Beth appear in the corner of my eye. I didn't want her to witness us arguing like this.

"It's time," she said aloud to me. Daryl still never moved his eyes away. I simply nodded at her and began shuffling in her direction.

"Didn't mean it," Daryl said quietly to me as he turned in the other direction. I felt my heart skip a beat as he spoke, but I was still pretty fired up about him.

I smiled at Beth as we began heading towards Carl.
"Let's do this," I said, taking Beth's hand into my own.