Silent warrior: A Daryl Dixon Fan fiction

Chapter 8: Explored

I jolt upwards out of my sleep. I don't know what it is but I feel something off. I turn the light on that sits next to the bed and look around. Nothing is out of place or moved. I sit for a moment, trying to calm my heart rate letting the bleak white walls come clearly into view. I check my watch; it's just past 2:00 in the morning. Last time I looked at the time it was 1:28. I grab the water on the end table but it slips out of my shaky hands. It falls onto the rug, spilling everywhere. I get out of bed and pick up the glass, relieved it didn't break and scare everyone awake. I open my door slowly and make my way to the kitchen. I get to the bottom of the stairs and notice a light on in the living room. I walk inside there and see Daryl lying down on the couch, his hand resting on the bow. I tip toe into the kitchen and refill my glass of water. After it's filled, I make my way back to the room. I peek in the living room again only Daryl is no longer on the couch. I walk into the living room more for a better look around but he is not in there. I shrug to myself and turn back around. I jump back startled and the glass slips from my hands. It falls to the ground with a crash as Daryl stands in front of me, with his bow just inches from my left eye ball.

"Shannon. Shit. Sorry" He quickly lowers his weapon to the side.

I take a step back startled and I step on some of the shattered glass, "ahhh, fuck!" I shout lifting it up and grabbing the injured foot, I begin to cradle the foot in my arm to try and get a better look at the wound. While doing that, I lose my balance and put my foot back down on the side so I don't fall. Doing this makes me step on more shattered pieces. I inch forward to get away from the glass and my other foot gets cuts. "SHIT!" I yell louder in pain and frustration.

"'ilright, hold on!" Daryl puts his bow on the ground and scoops me up quickly. He walks over the glass in his boots and up the stairs. We get to the top and I see Glenn and Maggie outside their bedroom door, with guns at the ready, "it's iight, just us. clumsy here dropped a damn glass," he says in an annoyed huff walking past them to the room, "don't go down there yet." They move aside and Daryl places me on the bed before exiting the room swiftly.

I sit up and grab my right foot first, the one with more glass in it. I pull out a shard and wince in pain. Daryl comes back in with a towel and alcohol. He pours alcohol over my foot and pulls the glass out of my foot quickly. He grabs my other foot and repeats the process. Only a few minutes pass since it happened and he's now wrapping my right foot with another handkerchief. "Thanks" I tell him as he picks up the bloody glass shards from the bed and holds them in his hand.

"yea" He says getting up and walking to the trash to throw them out.

He reaches the door but I stop him, "wait" he stops but doesn't turn, "why'd you do it?" I ask him. He turns to face me again, confusion across his face. "Why'd you vouch for me?" I clarify. He shrugs, "you don't even know me" I tell him "I could be crazy" I smile trying to ease him up.

"A crazy person wouldn't be having night terrors. Crazy people don't get afraid like that." He tells me.

I nod, not sure how to respond to that, "you know, there's another bedroom up here. You don't have to sleep on the couch." I change the subject.

He rubs his hand through his hair, "doesn't feel right, this place ain't home."

"I know what you mean. This is all so much" I reply with a small smile.

"Night" he says back and I say the same before he shuts the door. I lie back down and try again to fall asleep. I get out of the bed around 6:00. I got a naps worth of sleep but need to get out of the room. When I stand, pain pins through both feet and I quickly sit back down. I forgot about the cuts on my feet. I slowly walk over to the dresser and find a pair of socks. I remove the handkerchief from my right foot and put both socks on. When I go downstairs I expect to see Daryl, but find Ricks son sitting at the kitchen table instead.

"Hi. Uhm, Carl right?" I say sort of limping around the island.

He smiles, "right. I'm here to show you around the town."

"It's kind of early, isn't it?" I ask.

"I brought you some coffee" he lifts a cup up from in front of him.

I smile softly towards him, "thanks, but I'd rather not get hooked on that stuff again" He shrugs and takes a sip himself. My smile grows wider and I laugh, "you're a little young for coffee, don't you think?"

"I had to kill my own mother, I think I can handle coffee" He responds seriously. My laugh stops instantly and I'm shocked at what he said.

"Sorry, I uhh.. I didn't mean to offend you" I apologize, unsure why his response was so candid.

He tilts his head, "can you be ready soon?" his questions comes off as impatient and the kind kid I thought he was quickly turned into a moody teenager.

"Uh, ya, sure, just need to put my shoes on" I respond moving away and going to grab my shoes.

Carl walks me around the town for 5 hours, I do my best to maintain the discomfort my ankle and cuts cause. I meet more new faces and talk politely to some of the ones I met the night before. We arrive back at the house around 11:30. I limp up the balcony stairs and drop onto the couch in the living room. I don't even notice Deanna sitting on the chair in the corner of the room, "looks like you need to stay off your feet for awhile" she says standing up.

"Oh, it's alright. Just some cuts and a sprain." I respond removing my legs from the coffee table.

"Don't get up. This is your house, you can put your feet up if you want" She smiles coming closer.

"My house?" I ask.

She nods, "yes, I was going to place you in another home but someone insisted you stay close by. They offered up one of the homes they were given." She explains, "Why a group of 14 or so people want to stay in one house is besides me, but anyway" she regains her posture and line of thought, "you really do need to stay off your feet. I need you to make a supply run soon."

I'm thrown back by this request "Oh. Okay. Already?" I ask.

She smiles a political smile, "we all pull our weight here. You said you were good at supply runs, and we are in need of some supplies"

"Okay then. What do you need?" I ask for clarification about the run.

She shakes her head, "I can't tell you just yet, stay off your feet for the next 2 days and then I'll give you all the information you need."

The front door opens and Daryl walks in with 2 dead rabbits and a squirrel in hand, "what's going on?" He asks when he see's Deanna.

"Nothing, I was just going." The same smile plastered on her face. She walks past him and when she reaches the door she pauses to say one more thing, "if you want to stay, you'll get this done" she closes the door behind her.

I sigh and sit back down, putting my feet back on the coffee table. "What did she want?" He asks placing his bow down and hanging his catch on the coat rack, eyeing the door suspiciously.

"I have to do a run in 2 days" I tell him.

"Like that?" He looks down at my feet.

I nod, "she told me to stay off my feet before then. So I'll just hang out here until I have to go."

"She give you any information? What does she want? Who's going on the run? Rick hasn't said anything" He rambles off walking past me, probably not really even caring for answers from me.

"She won't tell me until it's time to go, maybe Rick doesn't know about it." I suggest the idea to him.

"Maybe" He responds, "gonna make rabbit, but they have some other food at the house. I can have Carol bring some over." He offers lifting the carcasses up with his hand and over his shoulder.

"Actually" I say, "rabbit sounds pretty good."

He leaves the view from the living room and I hear him working in the kitchen. I keep my feet propped up, grabbing a book and decide to read until he's done.

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I hope your enjoying the story so far! It may be awhile before some real romance happens, BUT that's only because it's Daryl and of course that would take time.

Q: Who do you wish was still alive on TWD?

A: Dale! I loved him. Hershel was a good replacement, eventually, but still not the same.