𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒, Daryl Dixon

³², BEHIND GLASS WALLS

"Karen didn't deserve this. David didn't deserve it. Nobody does."

"We all agree on that," Vex said softly, "But we're all--"

"You're not listening--!" Tyreese said, approaching the woman.

"Alright, man," Daryl tried, grabbing the man's arm, "Let's--"

Tyreese spun around in an instant, putting a hand to Daryl's chest and pinning him up against the metal gate to the courtyard.

"Man, I ain't goin' nowhere 'till I find out who did this!"

Rick and Carol both moved quickly, Vex already had her hands on Tyreese.

Until Daryl held up his hands, telling the three to stay back.

Vex let go reluctantly, her eyes focused on Daryl.

"We're on the same side, man."

"Hey, look," Rick spoke up, though Tyreese still held Daryl by his vest, "I know what you're goin' through. We've all lost someone. We know what you're going through right now, but you've got to calm down."

"You need to step the hell back," Tyreese yelled, throwing Rick off of him.

"She wouldn't want you bein' like this."

Tyreese punched Rick before the man could finish his sentence.

Vex moved quickly, grabbing Tyreese just as he went for another punch. She managed to pull his arm quick enough that the punch didn't hit Rick, but all that momentum had to go somewhere.

Tyreese seemed to realize what he had done as Rick stood and Vex's hands shoved the man away from herself.

He'd hit not only a woman who had no interest in harming in but a woman who, coincidentally, happened to be one of his closest friend's sister.

Rick punched Tyreese before the man could speak. Again and again, Rick kicked the man in the stomach, all noises surrounding him blurred until Daryl grabbed him, pulling Rick away from Tyreese.

Only this made him see the blood on his knuckles and the remnants of what he had done.

"Hershel said Zep has a higher pain tolerance than you."

"Hershel did not say that," Vex deadpanned, accepting a fresh wad of tissue from Daryl. "Stop being an asshole."

Vex leaned her chin up, until Daryl's hand gently guided her head tilting down.

"Oh, is this the Dixon way?"

"S'better," Daryl noted, "Surprised you don't know that."

"You know, surprisingly, I didn't get punched in the nose a lot," Vex laughed. "Too visible for Paul, not in my job description in the Navy."

The woman rubbed her forehead, still trying to catch up from waking up far too early the past two days, and running around before she had any food or water.

Today, it was getting punched before breakfast.

"Can you grab me some water?" Vex asked, "Think losing blood before I eat is messin' with me."

"Yeah, 'course," Daryl nodded, patting her thigh as he stood.

Vex removed the tissue from her nose, wincing at the blood, re-folding it before pressing it back to her nose.

She let out a deep sigh, looking up at the sound of footsteps and feeling herself get woozy.

"You alright--"