The Last Flame

Chapter 3

Daryl's POV

'You couldn't tell that I'd been crying over you

crying over you 

when you said 'So long'

left me standing all alone

all alone and crying'

Daryl sat in his cell, forced to listen to the music that Dwight played for him, he wasn't sure how long he had been in here. The Sanctuary, maybe almost a week. He had been thrown in a cell since the moment he got here, being fed nothing but dog food on bread.

That didn't really bother him so much, what bothered him was the thought of his family, the fact that Abraham had died, that he had gotten Glenn killed, but most of all- Bell. How was she handling all of this.

They had left on horrible terms, the last time they talked was him taking his frustrations out on her, and she didn't deserve that. And now he couldn't even be there for her, and her brother was dead.

He knew she was hurting, seeing her face, so blank of emotion, he had seen her down before, but not like he did that night. He promised, when they gave vows to each other, that he would be there to protect her and the one's she loved, to wipe her tears. But here he sat, rotting in a cell away from her.

He had tried to make his escape, and he came close, but he got caught. He didn't even care about the pain he had on his body from his punishment, because the pain of being away from her hurt worse.

All he had to look to in this cell was darkness, no windows, nothing. He wished he could see the outside again, to the the stars that always seemed to gleam like a map back to her.

He sat there crying, for Abraham, for Glenn, for the pain Maggie felt, and most of all-Bell. He always tried to be strong, no matter how dire the situation, but this-this pain is something he couldn't contain. 

He was eventually drug out of his cell by Dwight and brought before Negan. He stood there, eyes to the ground, waiting for whatever was to come, if it was death, he would accept it at this point.

Negan chuckled at the sight of Daryl. "Jesus. You look awful. Don't you worry. We'll have Carson fix you all up. You thirsty? Here." Daryl took the glass of water, but made no attempt to drink it. "AH hell, I forgot. You're mouth is all puffed up like a baboon's ass. Need a straw? D, get him a straw, what's wrong with you?"

As Dwight did what he was told, Daryl just stood there, listening to Negan go on about how Dwight didn't always go by Negan's orders. The story of how Dwight came to be in the man's debt. Daryl was hardly listening, he was tired, hungry, and dehydrated. But he said something that started to get Daryl's attention.

"The point being, I think that you can be one of my top guys as well. OR you're super hottie of a wife."

This got Daryl to look up finally.

"Yeah, I want her to be a wife, but I already know the chances of that are slim. I'm still gonna ask her, but even if she says no, she is tough as shit. I think it could work out for the both of you. You could be here together." 

Negan brought a picture from his pocket, putting it in Daryl's hand. The man looked at it, wanting to cry at the sight. It was the polaroid picture that he had taken of Bell while sleeping. Dwight must have given it to Negan when he took his vest from him. 

He wanted nothing more than to go back to that morning, wake her up and apologize for his behavior from the night before, give her one more kiss, to hold her- even if just for a moment.