The Wish Factory

Chapter 18

Ryleigh looked around the council and made eye contact with Daryl who was hanging back and observing. She didn't say anything right away and surveyed the courtyard with the food tent and all of the water. It was an impressive setup, but she also saw all of the weapons in locked bins and the fortifications they'd made. She turned back to the council who watched her and tried to gauge her reaction. Sighing, she gave them a tentative smile and stepped forward to greet them, but she became extremely dizzy and stumbled. Daryl caught her and helped her stand up straight. She knew that this was going to immediately raise alarm bells, so she chuckled nervously and moved her curly hair out of her face as she spoke.

"Sorry about that. I haven't eaten much in the last couple of days or had water either. Maggie and Daryl shared what little they had, but I'm dehydrated." Beth immediately moved forward and passed her to where a barrel was marked "Drinking" and used the spigot they'd made to pour water into a cup for her. She turned around and handed it to her with a small smile. Ryleigh took it from her gratefully and couldn't stop the emotions from coming forward as everything hit her at once. Her voice shook and a few tears escaped as she thanked her. They ushered her over to the benches under the food tent so she could sit down. Daryl slid over a plate of vegetables and venison that had been on the grill. She glanced at him and gave a small smile as a thank you, but couldn't vocalize it because Rick sighed and began to speak.

"Daryl told us a bit about the situation you were in before while you were in with our sick. It sounds like a horrible situation and I'm sorry for what you went through. I am thankful that you decided to come here and help us." She shrugged her shoulders as she glanced back over at Daryl who stared at her intently enough to make her blush and lower her eyes before answering.

"Well, it wasn't really a difficult decision since Daryl and Maggie unknowingly saved me from that herd. Also, I became a doctor to help people and where I was...that wasn't helping. It was awful and I had endured from the beginning. Being able to come here and help your community is what I should have been doing from the beginning." Rick and Michonne thanked her again before leaving with Beth. Ryleigh looked down at the plate of food Daryl had given her and spoke of her thanks for the first time as she looked at him.

"I can't tell you the last time I had something that wasn't processed or canned so thank you for sharing this with me." Daryl dipped his head as he nodded and sat up straight.

"It's what we do here. We take care of each other. We are a community, but several of us have been together since the beginning. We're not a community, we're a family and like Rick said, you're welcome here as long as you want to be here." She felt another tear slip down her cheek and she hurriedly wiped it away. She pointed at the firepower they had sitting in stations around the courtyard. When she looked back at Daryl, he was eyeing her curiously, so she answered him after swallowing the mouthful of food she'd been chewing.

"It seems like you all might have a bit of trouble you're dealing with. I really don't want to get involved with any disputes, but I'll stay long enough to make sure your people are healthy." Daryl nodded and stood up, not offering any details as to why they had so many weapons sitting out in the open. From her extensive knowledge of the show, she knew it was because of the Governor and she was afraid that his last attack that would destroy the prison was going to happen very soon.

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Ryleigh had been in the prison for four days and had met all of the main cast and most of the Woodbury people as well. They all would stop and say hello and many would thank her for coming and helping them. Caleb, their previous doctor, hadn't made it as he'd been very badly sick as well. She was currently in the sick block tending to everyone. She stood up after checking on Sasha, who was still very weak, and went to check on Lizzie. The young girl looked at her with curiosity but didn't say anything. Ryleigh sat down next to her in a folded chair that had been placed there and smiled gently at the young, troubled girl. She didn't immediately want to touch anyone. She wanted to make sure they were comfortable with her first, especially the children. As she sat and looked over Lizzie, she motioned to a book she'd apparently been reading.