my tears ricochet

Chapter Sixty Eight

"Might be a bit. I was worried about keeping her under but she did alright. Pain's managed so take advantage of the quiet."

No, Daryl thought. He wanted the noise. He wanted the sound of her feet skipping around the apartment, to listen to her shouting through the window down to Beth on the street below. Silence wasn't what he wanted.

Part of him had been expecting a scene like the cafeteria where Rick had hacked off Hershel's leg in order to save his life, blood splattered everywhere. This room was so tidy and Ivy was clean, one single IV connected to the back of her hand. Daryl focused on running his fingers through her hair over and over again, touch as light as the breeze creeping through the window, content with the motion.

"We're going to head back," Maggie said from the doorway. Beth was peeking around the corner into the room and he saw her drop a bag to the floor quietly. "Your key's with her stuff. You good?"

"Yeah," Daryl said hoarsely. "I'm good." Ivy was breathing. She was okay. The world was still alive.

But then Pete started speaking, rupturing the peace. "He can't stay here over night. I know guys like him. Half the pills in here? They'll be gone by morning."

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Bob said, uncharacteristically hard. "You can't be serious. Don't you ever... just stop?"

"Do you know the work that goes into curating a stock like this? There isn't a pharmacy we can just pop into and resupply."

"I know I nearly died getting you this shit today," Glenn reminded him. "That guy? He's done that run before. He's the one that always stuck his neck out on the line to get what we needed to be okay."

"I'm afraid I couldn't allow it."

"Well," Daryl said. He pulled back from Ivy and took the knife from his belt. "Why don't you come over and say that to my face."

Pete looked like he was considering the option, reading Daryl's size and threat level as he compared his own to it. Pete was a bigger man with the benefit of full health. And Daryl was nearly rabid, whittled down from months of hard living on the razor sharp line of survival. "I'm asking you to leave for the night. Do you remember what visiting hours are?"

"I'll stay. I'll keep an eye on him," Bob said flatly, cocking his head to the side. "You go home and sleep real good."

"I won't-"

"Keep talking and I'll burn your house down," Beth said suddenly, voice hard as metal. It took them all by surprise and Pete spun around to look at her. "I know about you. I know all about you."

Her voice held the warning of a threat and when Pete went to speak Glenn was cutting him off, lightly shouldering her behind him. "Yeah, don't speak to her. You're done. Wanna take a walk?"

Pete yanked out two bottles of pills. "Antibiotics and for pain. Let me know if someone overdoses."

He left, slamming the door shut behind him. "Jesus Christ," Bob breathed. "I thought I'd be grateful, you know. I just wanted to be with people again. Would've settled for anyone. But then I met that prick. And I don't say this lightly, but maybe there's a benefit to being alone."

Daryl considered his list. And then he considered Beth, that hard bit of rage pressed tight to her mouth. Ivy had killed one of Joe's men by herself but Beth had done her fair share of damage to Len. His face had been a sunset of colours, painful to look at.

Something was growing unseen and Daryl would eventually pick that rock up and figure what was lurking.

But first he would wait for Ivy. He would take her home and wait until they could have it out over whatever the problem was with Ron and then he would formulate the right kind of response. A fever made Ivy less tight-lipped than usual and while she had claimed everything was fine, she had admitted that she couldn't tell him while he was angry.

Which meant something wasn't totally fine.

So Daryl would bide his time until he had all the answers and then he would clean house.

Glenn could help, he allowed himself. Abraham as well. And Rick wouldn't catch him off guard and separate him from his prey.

The clinic emptied out slowly and Bob locked the door as he left, leaving Daryl to the hollowed out space. "You did good," he told Ivy, leaning back in his chair. "Bob would've been there the whole time, keeping an eye out for anything. Just gotta sleep for a bit, you hear?"

Sleep so you wake up, Daryl thought.

"Maggie pulled out those dumb star stickers. Thought maybe we'd stick 'em to your ceiling."

Come home, Daryl meant.

"Should've said it back... when you did. Just, that's not something I say. Not good at it, probably," Daryl said awkwardly, adjusting the blanket so it covered her shoulder better. "You're... should've just said it but I love you. So just sleep for a bit. I'll take watch."