Haunted | Daryl Dixon

21. Forgiveness

Pain.

Pain was exploding throughout Evelyn's entire body. Dancing through her veins and stomping on her bones.

Unlike the last time she had woken up from being unconscious, she didn't spring out of bed.

Even if she was in the right physical condition to do so, her brain couldn't catch up, couldn't process what was happening.

A groan- low and hoarse- slipped through her lips before she could even begin to try and muster up the strength to peel her eyelids open.

When she did though, it was a few moments later, and the room she was in was so bright that she had to snap her eyes shut again.

It was only for a moment, though, then she was able to slowly open them once more. She let them adjust for a moment before she was able to actually see.

Much like the first time she had awoken in the prison, Hershel stood over her, smiling down warmly. Though, this time, he was a good couple of feet farther back. Clearly he had learned his lesson after last time.

Evelyn groaned again, turning to face the ceiling for a moment.

"We have to stop meeting like this," Hershel joked, using his crutches to hobbel over to her, a wet cloth in his hand, "May I?" He asked.

Unable to speak, the woman just swallowed and nodded.

The older man gently placed the cool cloth on her forehead and carefully lifted up her shirt slightly and assessed a bandage that was wrapped firmly around her stomach.

"How long was I out?" She asked after a moment, her voice rasping-sounding from unuse.

"Only a day, this time." He reassured her, smiling softly at her again as he put her shirt down, "You're healing up nicely."

"You said that the first time," Though she didn't know the man very well, she still somehow found the courage to let the teasing slip into her still recovering voice.

His smile widened a bit, "Indeed, I did. I wasn't a very good doctor last time, though. I let you go out and still do whatever it is that you wanted to do. This time, I'm going to have to insist upon rest. Lots of it. You will be taking it easy for a while now, young lady." His tone was firm, yet warm- almost fatherly.

She smiled a little, huffing out the smallest of laughs, "You got it, Doc."

"Everyone came to visit you, you know." Hershel turned and busied himself with a table that looked to be full of medical supplies after taking the cloth from her head, "Rick, Glenn, Daniel, Sasha. And of course the others who haven't been exposed yet- Carl, Michonne, Beth, and Maggie- but they kept their distance."

Until that moment, Evelyn had completely forgotten all about the new virus that was sweeping through the prison.

"Daryl, too," Hershel shook his head slightly, seemingly in amusement.

Evelyn's heart stopped at the sound of his name.

"Though, I wouldn't exactly call it a visit, he hadn't left your side once since carrying you up here. Heck, I had to drag that boy out by the ear to get him to go eat some food about ten minutes ago, literally." He turned to her with a grin, "I want you to imagine that real quick. Me, a one legged man, dragging Daryl Dixon out of this small cell by the ear while trying to balance on my crutches."

Daryl had carried her up here. And he had stayed. He hadn't left. Not until he was physically forced to.

The man saw Evelyn's no doubt troubled and confused expression- she had no idea how to feel- and his smile faltered, "What's wrong?" He asked softly.