"Was he bit?"
"Shot by your man"
"Otis?"
"He said find Hershel is that you?-please help me help my boy"
Everybody rushed inside and Rick didn't even look at me. I felt like I wasn't needed inside as Carl had been shot and more shouting caught my ears.
"Move come on hurry up. Move!"
"Shane!"
I screamed. He was running with Otis and he looked out of breath. I ran into his arms and he held me close.
"Oh god kid. Your okay. Your okay... is .. is Sophia with you? Do you know where she is?"
My eyes teared up as I shook my head. He held me close on his hip and walked inside to see Rick.
We walked into the room where Carl was and I gasped at the sight. He looked really pale. Shane put me down and Rick and Santa we're talking about blood types or whatever that was.
Then out of no where Rick started to cry because Lori didn't know that Carl got shot. I did the only thing I could think of and snuggled his legs like I do with Daryl.
Then we heard an ear splitting scream and we all rushed into Carl's room. Santa told Shane to hold Carl down and he started to steal Ricks blood like Doctor Jenner did. It went quiet and Santa said that Carl just passed out. I poked his face only for Shane to smack my hand away.
"One down... five to go"
We sat down and I had to tell Shane and Rick about what happened with the whole Sophia situation. Rick said that Daryl has been going crazy that I went missing and that he has my cap. Shane and Otis had to go on a run to get some stuff to help Carl. Maggie volunteered to go and get Lori and I sat in Ricks lap and started to doze off. He chuckled and then tucked me into the bed next to Carl and started to sing the sunshine song. Dean used to sing that to me. He slowly lulled me into a peaceful sleep.
I woke up to Lori sat next to me and I smiled.
"Hi Lori"
"Hi Diego. Rick told me what happened are you okay?"
"Yeah.... I thinks I am. How's is Papa Daryl... is he okays?"
"Yeah.. he's a bit mad but he's okay.. you go get some food with Maggie and Glenn yeah?"
"Glenn is here?"
"Yeah him and T"
I smiled and gave Lori a hug and kissed Carl on the cheek. Then I ran into the kitchen and jumped on Glenn's lap.
"Hey there kiddo"
"My Glenny"
I gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek and in turn he gave me a sandwich. I ate it quickly and he started to teach me how to write.
"How do you spell Daryl?"
"D-A-R-Y-L here like this"
I copied out what Glenn wrote and he said it was very good. I wrote Daryl's name and put a love heart around it.
Not long after I finished there were car lights coming from outside. I quickly put my drawing in my pocket and I was the first one to the door and Shane stumbled in hobbling on his ankle. I got shooed into the living room and everyone in Carl's room were panicked and rushing around everywhere. Soon enough, Maggie walked over to me and I sat on her lap while I drifted off to sleep for the hundredth time today.
I woke up to the sun shining through the window and Rick gently shaking me. He smiled at me and told me that Carl was gonna be okay and that Daryl and the others were gonna be here soon. He helped me to get changed into my dungarees and a long sleeved grey top. He tried to put on my shoes but I wouldn't let him.
"Come on Diego you have to wear them"
"Nooooo they really hurt look"
I whined pointing at my feet. They were red and slightly swollen. He sighed and lori came in saying the others were outside. Rick picked me up and put me on his hip and we walked outside. Everyone was there including Papa Daryl. They all looked at me shocked and I wiggled outta Ricks grasp and ran barefooted into Papa Daryl's arms. I started to cry into his chest as he lead me close.
"I was so scared. I was so scared and I couldn't finds you. I missed you so much Papa"
"Ts alrigh Sunshine. I'm ere now ya don't gotta be afraid"
We stayed like that for what felt like hours and then we all had to go to a funeral for poor Otis who shotted Carl. People were piling rocks on and I wanted to do one too.
"Can I do one pleeaseeee" I whined to Daryl he just shrugged and looked at Maggie.
"Of course you can hunny. Here" she handed me a rock with a sad smile. I gently took it off her and walked over to the pile and placed it on top.
"Thank you for saving my friend Carl and helping my Shane." I said and kissed the stone. It then went back over to Daryl and he placed his hand back on my back. Shane started talking while Daryl glared at him for some reason. After he finished speaking everyone started to walk away.
"We're gonna have to go to lots and lots of funerals aren't we?"
"M afraid so kid"
Papa Daryl said he had to go find Sophia so he left again. Before he left he gave me a huge hug and he gave me presents! He went into the bag on the side of his motorcycle and gave me a green jacket that was a bit big but it was really warm and he also gave me some new green walking boots. They fit perfectly and didn't hurt like the last ones. He even did the laces for me cause I don't know how to do it. And finally he gave me Shanes hat back! He said he went looking for me and Sophia and found it in the dirt.
Everyone was setting up their bag houses and I didn't see Papa Daryl put one up so I shyly went over to Rick and tapped him on his leg.
"Hey Diego how you doin?"
"Okays. Um could I have a bag house please for Papa Daryl. I want to surprise him sos thats he doesn't have to puts it up"
"Do you mean a tent?"
"One of them.. a bag house"
I pointed to the one he had just finished putting up and he chuckled and ruffled my hair while picking up a big bag.
"It's called a tent. Where should we set it up then?"
I pointed over to a patch of grass a bit further away from everyone else and Rick looked conflicted but reluctantly nodded and we spent the next few hours putting up the bag hous-I mean tent and just talking until Papa got back. I got Daryl's bags and my blue bag off his motorcycle and placed them inside the tent and Rick helped me with two sleeping bags and cushions. I got Toby outta by bag and gave him a big snuggle then tucked him in under my sleeping bag so he would stay warm.
We eventually got bored and Rick went off to talk to Hershel and I went to look for my Shane. On the way Maggie gave me a white shirt, a pair of jeans, and a green dress suit thingy with shorts stuck to it. I said thank you and went to put them in my blue bag. I finally found Shane and collided with his legs. He smiled and picked me up and I stared at him with wide eyes. His hair fell off!
"What's that look for kiddo?"
"Where did your hair go? Did somebody steal it like Santa did with Mister Ricks blood? Why is it all gone?" I asked quickly. Shane chuckled and answered my questions
"I just felt like cutting it off. Sorry kiddo I didn't know you liked it that much"
Then my face fell at the nickname and Shane seemed to pick up on my mood change.
"What's up kiddo?"
"Don't call me that please" I whimpered quietly as my vision went blurry and I softly tugged on my fingers.
"Kiddo? Why not?"
"My Sammy and Dean call me that. But they're gone and I miss them" tears threatened to leak from my eyes.
"Your brothers? I'm sorry"
Then it dawned on me. My brothers were gone not dead but gone. I was alone without them. I hadn't seen Sammy since I met the group but me and Sammy haven't seen Dean since two weeks before that. He was fighting some monsters in the street and told Sammy to take me and run. We haven't seen him since. Maybe they were together. But they could be dead. And I could be alone. All alone. The more I thought about it the more harder it became to breathe, the more harder I tugged my fingers and the more tears poured out of my eyes. I couldn't hear properly but I managed to croak out one word.
"Daryl"
My body jolted up and down as I'm guessing Shane was running with me still in his arms.
"Rick! Rick where's Dixon?"
I heard more rushed and slightly panicked sounds but Soon after I was being lifted into a different set of arms and the familiar scent captivated me and started to slow down my heart rate. I cuddled into the warmth of Papa Daryl's chest as I concentrated on the sound of his heart as he rubbed soothing circles on my back and cooed softly in my ear. Once I calmed down he sat me on his lap and wiped away my tears.
"Do ya wanna tell me wha all tha was about Sunshine?" He said softly as if I would break.
"I miss Sammy and Dean"
I whined and cuddled up to his chest. He picked me up and walked over to where me and Rick set up the tent.
"This was a nice surprise ya know.... I found somethin on Sophia while I was out today.... there was a house she could have been there"
He sat me on a log he must have dragged up and gave me a stick with some black squirrel chunks on it. And went inside the tent and came out with Toby. He placed him in my lap and I squeezed him and pretended to feed him some squirrel.
"Eat up Sunshine"
We sat together while we ate our food and after we finished we threw the sticks in the fire.
"Papa Daryl?"
"Hmm"
"Can we look for Sammy and Dean too?"
"Your brothers righ?"
"Yup"
"When was the last place ya saw em?"
"Me and Sammy saw Dean two weeks before I sees you, we were near a pha-rma-cy and I last sees my Sammy the day before I found you. There were monsters and he told me to run"
"I'll keep an eye out for ya"
I put my hand in my pocket and plucked out the picture I drew for him. I handed it over and he smiled a big smile and kissed the side of my head and put it in his vest pocket. I love his wings. I swear his eyes were leaking!
I smiled and leaned into Daryl's shoulder and he moved his arm so it was around my back. I snuggled into Toby and he smelt like Sammy and Dean. Maybe if Daryl found them I could call Dean the name Pie again cause he likes it so much or I could give Sammy sloppy kisses on his cheek. I could sing songs to Sammy and Dean every day. I think Daryl would like them. They would like him for keeping me safe. I can't wait for them to meet him. They would love him just like me. Slowly as my thoughts kept wizzing in my mind I slowly fell asleep to the rhythm of Papa Daryl's heart and the shine of the stars above us.
"I love you Papa"
"Love ya too Sunshine"