One way or another [Daryl Dixon]

[24] ISOLATION.

"She acts like summer and walks like rain."
-Train drops of Jupiter

After some time I had gotten pretty used to death and seeing all the gruesome ways a person could die. Sometimes I was even the one inflicting the gruesome deaths. But after a solid month of getting used to no deaths and then seeing someone I knew get torn apart right in front of me it snapped me back into reality quickly.

No one is safe, even if we think we are.

No amount of tossing and turning got the image of Zach out of my head, sleeping was pointless. I decided at the crack of dawn to go down the stairs and start the day. No one but Rick and little Judy were up but I didn't mind that much.

"Morning." Rick called over his shoulder as he rocked Judy back and forth.

Sitting down at the table I rubbed my eyes before talking back. "How are you?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? After the whole." He must've noticed my expression change a little as he stopped himself mid sentence. "Theo was good yesterday." He finished, changing the subject.

My ears picked at the mention of the little boy I had grown fond of over the past few weeks. "How was he with Merle?"

"Well I took him from Merle when I caught him teaching Theo how to hold a gun." Rick stated, his lips turned up into a small smirk. "Took him under my wing till you got back, he helped Carl and I with the crops."

I nodded my head along secretly thinking of all the different ways I'm going to murder Daryl's brother although I knew it was necessary to teach him I wanted to be the one to do it. I also think it would be better to maybe wait a few months. Or years even. The poor boys fragile arms probably couldn't even hold a gun up in front of him for more than five seconds.

After eating breakfast with Rick I told him. "I'm gonna wake little Theo up."

"Could you wake Carl for me too?"

Agreeing, I stopped off at Carl's cell which is only a few doors down from mine. He looked so peaceful sleeping, dreaming of a world far different from the one we're living in; he's so going to hate me for waking him up.

"Carl." I called, dragging out him name longer than usual.

His eyes fluttered open slightly before he quickly shielded them away from the bright light peering in from the window behind me.

"Your dad said it's time to get up." All the boy did was remove his pillow from under his head just to put it over his head.

Walking into his cell I lowered myself down to him bunk. "I'm spending the day with you today."