Lottie

Daryl

"He's not spoken to anyone since that night." Carol whispered to Rick.

Almost a year had passed and indeed Daryl had not spoken a word to anyone. He couldn't, they were alive and Lottie wasn't. He refused to leave the group however, because that was his only way of finding her if she was still alive somehow.

The group had found a prison, some of it was blown to pieces but Block B stood strong. They'd set up in the cells, like little bedrooms.

Lori, who was pregnant before leaving the farm had given birth to her child. Judith, named by Carl. Little Ass-Kicker to Daryl, she was the only person he'd talk to. Unfortunately, Lori passed away during the birth after losing too much blood when Maggie was forced to perform a C-Section on her. Carl put her down before she turned.

Daryl was sat, in his usual position by the gate closest to the prison block, watching out over the grass.

The prison building was surrounded by a concrete courtyard area which was closed in by a long barberdwire fence with an awkward gate that dragged across the floor. The awkward gate led to a large area of just grass and a short broken road, which was attached to the courtyard and was made of the same concrete. The road curved downwards towards two larger parallel gates, one in front of the other, on another tall metal, barberdwire fence which surrounded the grass.

"Someone should talk to him." Hershel suggested to Rick.

"I will." Rick said reluctantly.

The others hovered around the courtyard area outside the prison block, watching as Rick made his way over to Daryl.

"Daryl?" Rick said quietly.

Daryl didn't reply.

"You should come and join us, you must be hungry."

Still no reply.

"Daryl there's going to be a point you have accept there's a chance she might not be coming back." Rick said, regretting it immediately.

Daryl finally reacted. He stood and turned angrily towards Rick. Daryl walked right up to him, Rick just stood there. In the light of the warm sun Daryl's face was sunken, tired, stressed. Bags under his eyes, hair messy.

"And when did she ever give up on you? Huh?" Daryl replied, furious.

"Daryl, we all miss her." Rick tried to console him.

"Yeah, well I loved her!" Daryl shouted back "My girlfriend lured a whole herd to follow her to save our lives and you won't even let me go look for her!"

Rick was shocked. "Girlfriend?"

Daryl started to shout again, ignoring Rick, "She could be alive, or dead, or hurt or-or completely fine! It's the same as what happened with Merle! It doesn't suit you lot so you won't look for her!"

Daryl pushed passed the stunned Rick, up the steps into the prison block. Through the door, he entered into a large, tall room with a large metal table in the center. To his right, an iron barred door stood slightly open and unlocked. He stormed through it. He then found himself in the room of cells.

The wall to his right had tall barred windows which let in very little light. To his left, the cells lined the walls, sixteen of them, eight on the bottom level and eight on the top. The cells held one bunk bed and a sink. It was all open so he could see every cell. Joining the top and bottom levels were rusty, old, metal stairs that sat in the center of the room.

Daryl's cell was on the top level. It was the first cell, or the cell closest to the iron barred door. Though it was closest to the entrance it was the futhest walk. He made his way up the metal stairs, every foot step creaking, turned left and walked back towards the wall that held the iron barred door, to the end of the walkway.

His cell was dark because it was against the wall at the end, hardly any light from the windows hit it. No one to one side of him, just the wall and no one wanted to sleep in the cell next to him, so he was alone. Again.

Daryl shut the door of his cell, sank onto the lower bunk of his bed, shut his eyes and ignored the world around him.