Borrowed Time | Daryl Dixon [Book 1]

The Bucket List

Author's Note: The next 3-4 chapters will be very Daryl x Vicki centered. You are welcome. ^^

Theme Song: "Meet In The Middle" - Diamond Rio

The next few days went by without a hitch. Daryl and I resumed bow and arrow lessons and things started to get back to semi-normal. Except for the fact that Victoria and Glenn were still coughing, no one got worse. Hershel didn't like that they weren't getting any better either, but Maggie and I kept that to ourselves. We didn't really share that around Glenn.

Both Victoria and Glenn were on almost constant bed rest and Maggie and I would fuss profusely when we saw one of them out and about. Hershel didn't think they needed to be quarantined yet, but he didn't think anyone should be sleeping with them either. So Glenn and Victoria volunteered to sleep in seperate bunks. Maggie argued until she couldn't anymore and finally let it go.

I was a frazzled mess when I heard either of them go into a coughing fit and it scared me so bad I'd have to remove myself from the cellblock and go outside. It was now one of those times and I saw Carl out on the quad by himself. Daryl was laying out in one of the large tents where a large table was set up so people could hang out and eat under. At the moment, Daryl was in a makeshift hammock he'd somehow managed to string up inside the tent.

Carol was serving something up to Rick in a bowl and Daryl had his red bandana covering his eyes. Rick waved at me and I waved back politely. Daryl and Rick had gone on a run yesterday morning and it took them almost all day to come back. I had waited nervously back at the prison, keeping myself busy with chores and helping tend to Judith when Carol or Michonne could not. Even though I never said anything I could tell by the way Maggie and Tyrese looked at me that they knew I was nervous.

It wasn't that I didn't trust Rick or Daryl. I just didn't trust the world around them. I knew they'd come back eventually though. They were a pretty strong pair for scavenging, but I was still relieved when I saw them pull up at the gate yesterday evening.

I smiled lightly towards Rick before walking over to Carl, "Want some company?" He shrugged and scooted over on the picnic table so I could sit next to him. He looked up at me for a moment, his sheriff hat doing a good job of concealing his baby blue eyes. "I'm sorry about Lizzie.." I offered softly.

Carl nodded and then shrugged while saying, "I just don't understand why." I pursed my lips in silent thought before reaching a hesitant arm over to his back and wrapping it around his shoulders. He looked up again at me upon the contact, "I told her not to play around those things." He added for good measure.

"I don't think she meant to get anyone hurt though." I added earnestly as Carl sat silently beside me. "I just think that Lizzie....wasn't ready for the harsh reality that these things aren't friendly." I put it the best way I could to Carl without outright blaming Lizzie. "She wanted everything to be as it was and for her..coping was believing that the walkers were normal people that were just sick."

"I'm not stupid." He mumbled and I pulled back slightly from him, "Never said you were, kid. You're far from it." Carl sighed in a resigned way before fumbling with his hands as a distraction. I saw so much of Rick in Carl. "She was crazy, Vicki. Don't have to lie to me."

I sighed heavily and pulled him close and he didn't object. I realized he was growing up fast and it kind of hurt my heart a little bit, "Later tonight, wanna create a superhero story?" I nodded at his question and it reminded me of things before Lizzie and T-Dog were gone.

Carl and I would make up stories about super heroes and heroines. We'd start with an idea and build on it. By the end of the evening we had basically created a made up story together full of adventure. Carl had shared my love for comic books.