Found Book One

Okay

"Hey," Carol says, her voice fuzzy in my ears, "C-Carol," I whisper cracking my eyes open. The woman is sitting beside me with her hand wrapped around my wrist. Daryl is asleep in the armchair on the other side of my bed.

I smile and reach over to grab his hand, "Is everyone else okay?" I ask the woman beside me. She nods, everything I hear is fuzzy and there's still a low ringing in my left ear. "Perforated eardrum," Denise says standing at the end of my bed.

"Its just a small tear in the tissue of your eardrum so you need to stay away from loud noises. Especially gunfire," Denise says in a quiet voice that doesn't cause any pain or echoes. I nod in understanding, "Hey Monkey," Daryl says sitting up straight in his chair.

I smile at him and he squeezes my hand, "Everyone was worried," he says leaning forward onto his elbows. 

"I shoulda gone with you," he whispers. I shake my head, "I think there was something in the road," I say.

"How did they not come for me and Enid?" I ask. "Carl lead them away," Michonne says causing my eyes to dart up to the bed across the room.

Carl is laying there, asleep with Judith snuggled against him. He has clean bandages over his eye but blood is pooling underneath the white fabric above his eyebrow. 

Rick is sitting with him and his daughter on the bed, the younger two cuddled against their father.

Michonne has her hands on Carl's arm, "I found him almost a mile away with about twenty walkers trailing behind him," Daryl says. "Really?" I ask, the man nods.

"He really loves you," Daryl says. I smile and pull myself up into a sitting position, my body throbs for a moment.

"Here I'll get you some water," Daryl says standing up from beside my bed. I nod and watch as he moves to the other side of the room, "What happened in that car?" Carol questions.

I furrow my brows, "I had a blind fold on so I'm not very sure," I say. I lift my arms to pull my hair up into a bun, I gasp at the sharp pain in my side. Carol takes my hands and places them back In my lap, "How many ribs?" I ask her.

"Denise said two on that side" she says. "Here monkey," Daryl says handing me a cup of cool water, I take it and drink it carefully. "When can I go home?" I question, "Today," Carol says standing up.

Daryl opens his mouth to speak, "I know it was stupid and we shouldn't have gone, but I just wanted to be a teenager. I don't need a lecture because I already know that we shouldn't have," I say quickly.

"I wasn't gonna say that, I was gonna say that when you three are feeling better I'll drive you out," he says with a smile as he takes my hand. "You lost this," he whispers tying the metal chain with the rose quartz beads on my wrist. 

I smile and hug his arm he soon moves to wrap his entire frame around me. I cuddle into his chest, "I love you daddy," I whisper. Daryl doesn't say anything back, he doesn't really have to, he smiles. 

"Ready?" Carol asks the two of us. I nod and Daryl stands up, "Rick and I got a run today," he says sadly. "You should go, I'm fine," I say to him. I push the blankets off of me. Daryl gives me a suspicious look, "Seriously I'm fine," I tell him. 

He nods and takes my hand so he can help me stand. I stand easily, "Here," Carol says as she holds up a cardigan for me to put on I slide my arms through the sleeves. 

"I'll get her home," Carol says as she places a kiss to Daryl's lips. He nods and Carol places her hand on my back so she can lead me out of the infirmary. 

"Thank you Denise," I say to the woman at the desk by the door. "Any time," she says as she stands.

A knock sounds at the door and I make my way downstairs to answer it, I can hear Carol doing laundry in the room behind the kitchen.