The Walking Dead Imagines

Guardian

"Get down!" I heard screams coming from behind me, screams of pain and agony, but above all that I still heard Daryl's voice loud and clear. I heard him screaming, but I couldn't react anymore. It was too late.
To my surprise the bullet only felt cold when it hit me. No pain, nothing, it only felt cold. And it was spreading fast. I felt all warmth being drained from my body. I pressed my hands on the wound trying to stop the bloodstream, but there was so much blood everywhere.
"Daryl", I whispered sinking to my knees. I couldn't keep standing anymore, I was so tired. Suddenly the earth began to topple over on the side.
I heard Daryl screaming from somewhere far away. I couldn't identify where his voice was coming from, it was echoing in my head making it sound as if he was everywhere.
I was expecting to hit the cold ground any second now, I could barely keep my eyes open. I felt myself slowly falling over. But the ground was still far away from me. I felt something warm around my body. A beating heart near my ear. Someone screaming.
"No, no no no no no." I was turned around to face the sky. I could still feel the blood pulsing through my veins and out of my body.
"Stay with me, ya hear me!? Don't ya dare pass out now. Ya ain't gonna die." A slap brought me back to my senses for a second. I could see Daryl's face above me, tears in his eyes, his hands pressed on my wound.
"I'm sorry", I whispered putting my bloody hand out to him. He grabbed it immediately pressing it against his cheek. I could see the marks my blood left on his skin.
"I love you." I breathed.
"No, stop saying that like it's the end. Stay with me. C'mon, keep your eyes open!", Daryl screamed increasing the pressure on my wound. The pain started to kick in. I could barely breathe. The last thing I saw was Daryl's face above mine screaming at me to stay with him. But as much as I wanted to, my eyes wouldn't obey me. The world around me turned black.

Daryl felt tears dwelling up in his eyes as he watched his wife close her eyes. He quickly checked her breathing and heartbeat, both weak, but she was still alive. Carefully to not hurt her any further he picked her from the ground. Carrying her in his arms he stepped over the dead bodies of their attackers. Raiders who attacked them out of nowhere. He hadn't had a chance to get her out of the danger zone in time. When he saw her on her knees bleeding from a severe bullet wound he went berserk, killed the raiders in a matter of seconds without caring for his own safety anymore.
He was watching her beautiful face, blood stained but still looking as if she was just sleeping in his arms. Tears had started running down Daryl's cheek as he almost ran back home. It was only his fault she had been shot and hurt. He sped up. Running as fast as possible he almost tripped a few times. His tears were blurring his gaze. How he hated himself now for letting her convince him that it was a good idea to take only his motorbike and no car with them on the run. He felt stupid now. But getting attacked by raiders was the last thing Daryl had expected out here. He had dropped his guard ever since they came to Alexandria. And now he had to face the consequences.
Daryl passed another corner, almost tripping over his own feet again. There, in the distance, the gates to Alexandria. Almost there.
"Open the gate!", he screamed hoping that someone would see him or hear him. To his surprise the gates opened right away and he was welcomed by Maggie and Carol who immediately helped with getting his wife to the doctor. Daryl quickly told them what happened as they ran towards the doc's office.
"She's gonna need an emergency surgery, Daryl." Carol locked eyes with him, tried to make a rough estimate of how Daryl was dealing with the situation.
"I'm fine, Carol. Ya don't need to worry 'bout me. Just take care of her." Daryl hissed through his clenched jaw.
"You're gonna go home now, tell your boy?"
"I gotta." They had reached the office by now. Daryl was still holding his wife close to him. Her breathing was getting weaker every second.
"You can leave now." Carol gently took his bloody hands in hers after Daryl had finally let go of his wife. He had blood all over him. Her blood. He didn't dare to look down afraid that seeing all the blood would overwhelm him at last. He had to get home, tell their son. He was old enough to have the right to know what was going on with his mother, Daryl knew that, even though he wished he could protect him from all those hours of worrying about her.
"I'll be here if you need anything." Carol squeezed his hands before letting go of them. He missed her motherly warmth the second her gentle hands had left his.
Daryl took a deep breath. He threw one last glance towards his wounded wife before he straightened up and turned around to leave. He wished he could stay with her, hold her hand, but he would only be in everyone's way. It was better to be home with his son who needed him more than anyone right now.

"Hi,Dad." His son was sitting on the sofa with a cup of tea in his hands reading a comic book he had probably borrowed from Carl.
"You're back early. I though you and mom were gone for a while." He looked up for a second and met Daryl's gaze. He must have seen something, even though Daryl had tried his best to not let his feelings reflect on his face.
"Dad, where's mom?" His son put his comic down and watched him closely. Daryl couldn't say anything, he just stepped from one foot to the other unsure of what to say, how to act.
Daryl finally took a deep breath and with a few long steps he quickly crossed the room and pulled his son into his arms.
"She's gonna be okay. I promise."
"Dad, where is my mother?", he said stressing every word.
"Surgery. She got shot, she's gonna be fine. Everything's gonna be alright." Tears were rolling down his cheek. He felt his son crying against his shoulder. Daryl murmured the words over and over again. Not sure whether he was trying to calm his son or himself.
"Can we go and see mom soon?" His son was looking at him. He looked so much like his mother now that he grew older. He was almost an adult now. Time flew by so fast. Tears were dwelling up in Daryl's eyes again as the thought of losing his beloved wife crossed his mind for only a second. He fought the though back immediately.
"Hopefully. Aunt Carol is gonna come over as soon as she knows anything knew. She promised." Daryl pulled his son into his arms again, holding on to him as his last anchor to keep him from going berserk right away. He was on the verge of exploding and collapsing at the same time.

A few days passed with Daryl still being in that state of not knowing whether he stopped existing the moment the bullet hit his wife. He tried to stay strong for his son, but he felt like a ghost. Only a shadow of himself. He was sitting at her bed every day and night, ever since the operation was over and he was allowed to see her. The doctor said everything had went well, but he couldn't say for sure when she was going to wake up again. Or if she would wake up at all.
The hours and days of waiting were worse than any torture Daryl could have imagined.
"Still nothing new?" His son was standing in the door looking at his sleeping mother. He wouldn't come any closer, not able to see his mother like that.
"Not yet", he shook his head grabbing his wife's hand, squeezing it gently as if to convince her to finally open her eyes again. He heard a deep sigh coming from his son.
"I...uhm..I gotta go and help Sasha with something. Call me if anything changes, okay!? I wanna be here, too, when mom wakes up."
Daryl turned around to look at his son. A faint smile crossed his face.
"I'm sorry, son. I wish I could do anything to help your mom."
"I know, dad. It's not your fault. Just stay here with mom, it's gonna be okay." He smiled back at his father before turning around to leave again.

Another day passed. He was woken by a soft touch, a quiet whisper. At first Daryl thought he was still dreaming, he thought the soft touch was only the wind playing tricks on him. But then there was another whisper, another touch.
Daryl slowly opened his eyes only to be met by his wife's watching him sweetly.
"Hi", she whispered smiling at him.
"Hi", he replied.
"What happened?", she asked her hands wandering down to her wound gently touching the bandages.
"Ouch", she cried out taking her hands back immediately.
"I'm so sorry, my love. I couldn't save ya, I wasn't fast enough, couldn't stop that bastard from hurting ya."
Tears were dwelling up in his eyes and he turned his head away. She shouldn't see his tears, shouldn't see him weak. But she only reached out her hand, gently placed it on his cheek and made him turn his head back to turn.
"I know it wasn't your fault, Daryl. You've warned me. It was me being too slow to react. You've did everything to save me, I know that." She smiled at him.
"How can you be so sure?!", he murmured trying to turn his head away again. She wouldn't let him.
"I know because I know you, Daryl. I know the man I married so many years ago, the man who fathered my wonderful child." Her smile grew wider. "I know the man I'm longing for to kiss me right now."
She didn't have to tell him twice. Daryl was up and leaning over her in no time, pressing his lips on hers while trying not to hurt her in any way.
"I'm so glad ya chose to marry me back then", he murmured under his breath brushing her hair out of her face. "When ya were lying here, when I wasn't sure ya would wake up again....ya know..." He paused for a moment, working up the courage to tell her what he was thinking. With a smile on her face she waited patiently until Daryl was finally ready to finish his sentence.
"I couldn't live without ya. I wouldn't want to. Every day I'm happy you chose me all those years ago. I love ya more than anything." He leaned forward again gently pressing a kiss on her forehead.
"Lemme get our son real quick. He was so worried all this time." He got up to leave and look for his son when he suddenly heard her whisper his name again. He turned around and was met by her tearful gaze.
"I, too, love you more than anything, Daryl. I would chose you again every day of my life."
Daryl smiled at her. He swore to himself that he would make sure nothing would ever hurt her again.