Healing Broken Wings [Daryl Dixon] The Walking Dead

Nineteen| New Friends

⛏️Daryl⛏️

I open my eyes, squinting at the sunlight. I feel unbelievably warm, I look and see the reason. Kara is curled up against my left side and Kris is asleep on my right. I sigh quietly, thinking of a way to slip out without waking them. Then I feel someone running their hand through my hair.

I look and see Kris's eyes flutter open. She smiles up at me and I allow the ends of my lips to quirk up in a small smile. "Morning," I whisper and she stretches her legs a little. "Morning."

"Will you let me up?" I ask her in a whisper and she looks at me with amusement. "Sure," she says before quietly getting up. I inch my way to the edge of the bed, careful not to wake, Kara. I stand up and beckon Kris to follow me out of the cell. She follows and leans against the wall.

"Imagine my surprise last night when I walk in and see you two curled up."

"Yeah, about last night you won't believe what I found out." She gets a concerned expression and pushes away from the wall. "What is it?"

"That poor girl has scars all over her back. Not two or three but dozens." Her eyes widen in shock and distress. "What?"

"Yep, I asked if her foster dad did it to her and she nodded." Kris gets a disgusted look. "Why are people so cruel and horrible. Why does this always happen to people who don't deserve it?"

"Hell if I know. But I've got something I need to do, you cool here?"

"Yeah, do what you need to do. I'll look after Kara." I nod and leave the prison after grabbing my bag and crossbow. I head for the graves Glenn and the prisoners helped dig. I dig into my bag and pull out a Cherokee Rose. I look down at it sadly, remembering my talks with Carol.

I set the rose down before heading back inside and heading into the corridor that leads to cell block A and the tombs. I sit down thinking about how we lost Carol and T-Dog, I was just helping Oscar clean the tombs, hoping to take my mind off everything. I take out my knife, digging it into the floor out of sadness and anger.

I hear faint thumping and see a door being pushed open slightly only for the corpse of a walker to keeping it from opening fully. I stab the floor again in anger, these things just keep taking from us. People we love. The thumping continues and I eventually stand up. I stare at the door, figuring out what I should do.

I pace for a few moments before stopping. I grab the walker's legs and drag it back so it's no longer blocking the door. I get my knife ready before jerking the door open. I raise my knife only to freeze at who I reveal.

I look down at an exhausted and malnourished, Carol. The weight disappears from my shoulders when she opens her eyes to look up at me. So much relief and happiness fills me at her being alive. I gently grab her chin almost afraid I'm seeing things. Dirt covers her face and she could barely keep her eyes open.

I lean in and pull her into my arms. She wraps her arms around my neck for support. I carry her back into the prison. When I enter, I carry her to her cell and lay her down. I can hear, Rick talking to someone, I come out of the cellblock and find him talking to a stranger. "Y'all come on in here."

"Everything all right?"

"You're gonna wanna see this." Rick nods and tells Carl to go. He enters the cell block, Rick grabs a sword and comes into the cell block, locking the door. When Kris sees Carol, she immediately starts crying in happiness. They've been close since the beginning. "Thank God. How?"

"Solitary," Carol whispers as the rest of the group gives her hugs. "Poor thing fought her way into a cell. Must have passed out. Dehydrated." Kris puts her hands on the side of Carol's face, looking her up and down. "I just can't believe you made it." Carol wipes Kris's tears away before the young brunette hugs her.