chapter forty-nine : clear field { season three - episode sixteen }
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"YOU'RE FINALLY BACK," Kloe said, looking directly at Daryl who walked through the gate that her and Jayce opened for him. The sun had been set for hours, making it nothing but darkness. "You missed out on dinner. We kept two extra plates."
"Might wanna hurry though," Jayce added. "They're going cold and I am more than tempted to have a chomp."
Kloe chuckled quietly, nodding her head in agreement. She turned back to Daryl, who stayed in complete silence. He stayed still, staring at the same spot on the ground. She frowned, noticing the emotionless face that was stuck onto him.
"Wait, hold on. Where is Merle?" Jayce wondered, noticing that the elder Dixon was nowhere to be seen. He raised his flashlight he had used for the pair to see as it got darker.
Kloe's brows deepended, also realizing that Merle wasn't with Daryl. She stared at him for answers, but he only stood still. "What happened, Daryl?" she questioned in a soft tone, stepping forward in front of him.
She hesitantly and cautiously placed both her hands on the Dixon's shoulders, looking deeply into his eyes as she searched for an answer. His eyes flickered up to hers, and that's when she noticed the tears present in his sockets. "When I found him, he was a walker."
His bottom lip began to quiver as he started to think of his older brother. Kloe's lips parted with shock and the inner part of her brows raised as sorrow began to pump through her veins. "Oh my God... Daryl, I'm so sorry."
Completely speechless, Kloe bit down on her bottom lip before wrapping both of her arms around the man. Usually, she would never even dare to even attempt to touch a strand of his hair, but since he was in a state of needed comfort, she thought it was a good idea.
To her surprise, Daryl tightly hugged her back, sobs escaping his lips. Her heart ached at his state that she had never seen him in before, his hands trembling against her back.
"It's okay..." she attempted to comfort the man. Over the man's shoulder, she watched Jayce as he turned down to the ground with sorrow. Once he looked back up at the archers, Kloe gestured to him to alert the group that he was back, which he soon obliged and did.
Hearing the man trod away from them, Daryl pulled away from the young woman, setting his watery eyes on him as he entered the building. "Where's he going?" he croaked out.
"He's gonna tell everyone that you're back. Wanna go inside?" Kloe asked sympathetically, supportively rubbing his shoulder. He nodded, wiping his eyes to clear away the tears.
