The Fear (The Walking Dead / Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 6 - Our Secret

"We call that one Nelly, as in 'Nervous Nelly'. I could have told you she'd throw you if you'd bothered to ask. It's a wonder you people have survived this long." Dad finished as I dressed the gash and then began to bandage it, which Daryl didn't seem all that impressed about.

Rick and Shane left after a few more moments and Dad then stood up. "I'm going to go check and see if Nelly made it back to her stall. You right to finish up in here?" He asked.

"Yeah." I nodded before he left and I stood up, going to pack away the kit.

"You been rollin' 'round in petroleum, or somethin'?" Daryl asked as cleaned up.

I grinned as I looked down at my white singlet that would probably need bleaching... or just throwing out.

"I've, ah, been tearing apart a car engine, actually." He gave me a somewhat surprised look before almost shaking his head. "You shouldn't move to much for the next 24 hours or so. Either dad or I will change those dressings tomorrow and then you should be all right. Do you need anything? I can see if I can find you a book or something so you have something to do?"

He stared at me for a long moment before barely nodding in agreement. I took that as my queue and left with the kit, heading to the study and finding a book that I remember being okay and then headed back to his room, but before I could make it there Andrea confronted me.

"How's he doing?" She asked me.

"He'll be fine." I responded in a slightly hostile voice. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Excuse me?"

"What were you thinking?"

"I was trying to protect the group." She defended in a tone that infuriated me. I hadn't actually spoken to Andrea one on one before.

"No you were trying to prove yourself."

"I thought he was a Walker, believe me I feel guilty enough."

"This isn't about Daryl or who you thought you were shooting at. If he was a Walker there were four people running at him to take care of it, quietly. You shot from a long distances, risking the possibility of hitting one of your own, who were already standing in front him when you fired, for one walker that would have been taken care of. That gunshot could have drawn a whole heard. You were there yesterday when we went over this. If it had been a Walker, Andrea, and you had killed it, we would still be having this conversation. If you want to prove yourself... stop trying."

I really couldn't care less how harsh I sounded. We had made it clear about gunshots around the house yesterday and she was definitely there for that. I didn't feel like getting into a full blown argument and if I stayed standing with her I had a feeling that's where this would end so I briskly walked away, going back into Daryl's room and handing over the book.

"She was trying to protect the group. I'm the one who was shot, I should be mad." He spoke up suddenly.

"You heard that?"

"Well you were standing right outside the door."

"And you think I'm overreacting?"

"Maybe." He shrugged.

"My top priority, every second of every day, is my families safety. If Jimmy had been with Rick, Glenn, Shane and T-Dog, standing in front of you when you were shot... I would have given Andrea a couple of supplies and kicked her off this property... if it had been Maggie or Beth... you don't wanna know." I stated with a slight head shake.

"Walkers are a danger."

"Yes... and she could have drawn more here. Get some rest. I'll bring you something to eat later." I finished before finally taking my leave and heading back out to the shed. It was another few hours before Beth came over.