I need you here with me // Carl Grimes [EDITING]

Nineteen - Losing Hope.

"Andrea... when you lost Amy, how did you cope with that?"

My cell was silent and Andrea's blue eyes stared down at the concrete floor, her hand enveloping mine. I could see the pain upon her face from the words I spoke and the way she winced at the sound of her sisters name, I felt such guilt for even bringing it up but I had to know. Carrying the burden of my uncles death, seeing it in my own head and then hearing the details from my father, it was tearing me apart. I had to know how to get through it.

"The truth is Lyds..." her eyes met mine, "I didn't cope. I almost killed myself, if it wasn't for Dale and the others, I wouldn't even be here right now. Dale was a good man, he was my family, but I lost him too... Eventually you don't cope with or get over the pain, you just make room for it. You have to keep on keeping on, otherwise there's no hope. I know you've lost people before-"

"Mark." I nodded my head, "First it was my mom and step dad, then Mark, Lori and now Merle. I know Merle was an ass but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt..."

"Lydia. I knew your uncle right from the beginning of the apocalypse, you and I have only known each other days, it doesn't matter how someone was as a person or how long you knew them, it doesn't lessen the pain." Andrea placed an arm around me and pulled my head to rest in the crook of her neck, "It's just like... if I lost you, right now, that would kill me."

"I'm glad you made it back here Andrea." I told her, knowing she'd been a part of the group at a time before I was, she'd only just escaped the governor's grasp.

"Me too." She sighed thoughtfully, "Jesus, it just hit me, Daryl has a kid."

"That's crazy right? Who would've thought?"

"You know what? Looking at you right now I can see it." The woman smiled, "I can see your uncle too."

"Uh you guys done talking about all your girly crap in there?" A third voice spoke and Daryl appeared beside the cell door, "I need to talk to you kid."

"I'll leave you guys too it." Andrea nodded, flashing me one more smile before leaving the room.

"I heard what you were saying to her in here." Daryl admitted, "I thought, well... We both lost Merle, I wanted us to get through that together. I know we ain't exactly a family yet but I was hoping we could try... We ain't got no one else."

"I know Daryl." I sighed, my head fell upon his shoulder, "I'd like that... I could really use family right now."

"Then you already got one." He pressed a kiss to the top of my head, "Come on now, you're meant to be on bed rest. You ain't gonna got better if you're sat up talking crap with Andrea. How's your head feeling?"

"Still pretty sore." I told him

"And that ankle of yours?"

"No change."

"Alright get back into bed, I'll uh... bring you food in a little while."

"Thanks Daryl." I mumbled, nuzzling my head further into my blanket.

"No problem kid." He spoke before disappearing out of the cell door.