Chapter 22: Contained Feelings

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"Hey, can you go talk to Daryl?" Lori comes up to me the next afternoon, "he's pretty angry, I don't know what he's planning on doing." Carol is along side of her, holding onto her arms, still reeling from what happened with her daughter the day before.

"Why me?" I ask, shading the sun from my eyes to see them clearly.

She shrugs and Carol answers, "we've just seen you two together lately, maybe he'll talk with you."

"Sure" I say with a smile not caring for them to explain any further, "I'll go find him after dinner" I tell them. Lori smiles back with gratitude and they both leave me be.

Daryl doesn't come to dinner with the rest of us in the house that night, not surprisingly enough. I make my way out to where he moved his tent, farther from the group. I walk over there in the dark, a lantern from his tent guiding my way, "Daryl" I call out to him but he doesn't answer.

I walk along the wire of dead animals he has strung up when he comes up from behind, "what are yew doin'?"

"They are worried about you." I respond turning around.

"Ain't you a peach?" He mocks with an eye roll.

"You've earned your place here Daryl, more so than anyone if you ask me. Don't pull away now." I try and talk to him, to get him to open up.

"I mean just go! I don't want you here!" He snarls at me with a hand out in the direction towards the farm. I stay standing where I am, not deterred by his aggression, "yer a real piece of work, princess. What, are ya gonna make this about my daddy or some crap like that? Pfft!" He continues to rattle through his anger. "Man, you know Jack. You're afraid. You're afraid 'cause you're all alone. Yew got no boyfriend, no family. Yew don't know what to do with yourself. You ain't my problem! And I sure as hell ain't your problem." He spits, getting closer to my face. I jerk away, unsure if he was going to hit me or not but he just steps back and stares at me.

 I jerk away, unsure if he was going to hit me or not but he just steps back and stares at me

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"Ok, Daryl" I whisper, taking a step back and leaving him be.

The next afternoon Lori pulls me in from outside, "can I talk to you?" She asks in a whisper at the door. She hushes me inside and I wait for her to elaborate, "can you go talk with Beth? She's going through something right now that I can't.. that we can't relate too" she looks away for a moment but focus' back on me soon enough.

"What are you talking about?" I ask her not sure I follow what she means. I talked with Daryl and that was a bust, I don't know if whatever is going on with Beth is something I can help with either.

She sighs, "come with me." I follow her into a bedroom where Beth is lying on a bed. Hershel and Maggie are in the room with sad eyes and stained faces. I look over to the young girl and see her arm bandaged up. Hershel comes over to Lori and I know now what she meant.

"I saw the scars when I fixed your arm. I'm sorry" Hershel looks away from me and at his youngest with freight in his eyes, exhaustion in his voice.

I return in a whisper, "it's okay" and go over to Beth's bedside. The three other people in the room stare at us and I cough, "you uhh.. mind giving us some time?" I ask. They shuffle out of the room quickly, closing the door behind them.

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