The Fear (The Walking Dead / Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 42 - Big Spot

6 months later

My eyes fluttered opened as I woke from a peaceful sleep. I stretched my arms out as I sat up, my hair a dishevelled mess from sleep. When I stood the button up black men's singlet with ripped off sleeves, fell mid way down my bare thighs before I made my way across the cell to where there were a few draws and pulled out a pair of jeans and a charcoal singlet. I got changed and then turned around to see Daryl sitting on the edge of the makeshift double bed that had replaced the bunks. He wore no shirt and leant forward to rest his arms on his knees as he looked up at me.

"I'm on breakfast duty with Carol." I explained, stepping closing to him with his shirt that I had slept in hanging in my hand and placed a quick kiss on his cheek as he took the shirt and I ran out the door, knowing I'd slept in a little.

"Morning." I grinned at Carol as I joined her behind the table where she had already started cooking breakfast. "Sleep well?"

"Mmm." She hummed. "You?" She asked with an edge to her voice.

"Quite." I smiled back as she rolled her eyes with a slight shake of her head.

There were a few people already outside, but soon there were more and more, each coming to grab their food.

"Morning, Daryl." A voice called as I looked up to see Daryl making his way over to Carol and I as he now wore the black button up singlet.

"What's up, Dr. S?" He responded, the man being a new recruit that had turned out to be a doctor.

"Morning, Daryl." Another voice called followed by another, "Morning, Daryl!" and then a "Hey, Daryl!" He looked around, unsure what to do and it was making him somewhat uncomfortable.

"Smells good." He nodded at us, turning back to the food as I handed him a plate.

"Just so you know. We liked you first." Carol said as I smiled at the look on his face.

"Stop." He shook his head, taking a bite to eat. "You know, Rick brought in a lot of them, too."

"Not recently." Carol said. "Giving strangers sanctuary, keeping people fed, you're gonna have to learn to live with the love."

"Right." Daryl grumbled.

"Now that you're here. I need you both to see something." She then quickly added, nodding over her shoulder as a gesture that we had to walk somewhere.

I nodded before turning and spotting a young boy. "Patrick. Can you take over?"

"Yes, ma'am." He nodded with a smile.

My eyes narrowed slightly at the word, but Daryl tapped my shoulder and gestured for me to follow, slightly amused.

"Mr. Dixon." Patrick stopped us though. "I just wanted to thank you for bringing that deer back yesterday." He said. "It was a real treat, sir." Daryl glanced over to where I was now standing slightly amused. "And I'd be honoured to shake your hand." Daryl looked back to him as the kid held out his right hand.

Daryl looked down at the hand as Patrick continued to smile. Then he took his right hand, sucking each of his fingers after he'd been eating his food with his hands and then grabbing Patrick's with a firm hold. Carol and I smiled while Patrick continued to grin like he'd just met his hero and was never going to wash his hand again before we finally followed after Carol.

She led us out to the front, Daryl still eating his breakfast.

"About today, I don't know if we're gonna be able to spare a lot of people for the run."