Bleeding Souls (Daryl Dixon)

12. Stitches and Dinner

          Daryl had woken up and Rick and Shane were now talking to him, while Hershel stitched him up.

          "I found it washed up on the creek bed right there" Daryl said pointing at the map.

          "She must have dropped it crossing there somewhere." Daryl said. I could tell he had hope that Sophia was fine. I had hope as well, but I think in my eyes he has more hope than anyone here. I can just see it in his eyes and in his voice.

          "Cuts the grid almost in half." Rick says to all of us, looking back at Shane.

           "Yeah, you're welcome." Daryl said with an attitude. I rolled my eyes and smiled. I turned and looked at Hershel who was stitching him up. "How is he looking?" I ask him. Hershel looked over at me quickly and then back to Daryl's side.

          "I had no idea we'd be going through the antibiotics so quickly. Any idea what happened to my horse?" Hershel asked Daryl. "Yeah, the one that almost killed me? If it's smart it left the country." Daryl said to Hershel. I let a little smile creep up on my face. I was still mad at him, but damn he did know how to make people smile with his asshole remarks.

           "We call that one Nelly, as in nervous Nelly. I could have told you she'd throw you if you'd bothered to ask." Hershel says while cleaning his hands. "It's a wonder you people have survived this long." Hershel says to Rick.

          Shane, Rick and Hershel left the room and it as just me and Daryl. "I know I asked Hershel, but how are you?" I asked Daryl. He just grunts. I roll my eyes. "Okay... Dixon... grunting is not an answer." I say to him. I walk over to the bed and sit on the edge. He looks at me and then back to the window he had been looking out of from the bed. "I'm a little sore, but I'll be fine." Daryl says. I nod my head.

          "Listen... dinner will be done soon. I'll bring you something up once it's finished." I say to Daryl. I go to walk out and I hear him speak. "Why the hell are you being nice to me? Especially after earlier?" Daryl asked me. I turn back and look at him. I sigh and fidget with my hands. "What you said... it bothered me. Mostly because it's something I always heard growing up. What you said made me feel small and like I don't matter and maybe you were being honest. Or maybe you were just angry and when you're angry you say things you don't mean. You're an asshole. There is no question there, but you're an asshole who has a heart. Which is more than I could say about some of the people in our group." I say to Daryl. He looks at me and I smile.

          "I'll bring you up some dinner when it's ready." I say to Daryl before walking out the door.

          I had walked into the kitchen and saw Maggie and Patricia. "Anything I can help you with?" I ask them. They both turn around and smile. "Not really. It's all done actually, but thank you. Got to let it cool for a few minutes, but it's done." Maggie says to me. I nod my head and stuff my hands in my pockets. "You want me to go get everyone?" I ask her. She smiles at me and nods her head.

          I had told everyone but Lori and Hershel. I was now walking towards Carl's room. I haven't been to see him since what Lori said to me. I stood in front of the door for a good minute before I knocked and let myself in. When I walked in I saw Lori crying. We may not be on the best terms, but I loved Lori. She's my sister-in-law. She was my best friend before the event with Daryl's father. I sigh and speak. "Dinner's ready. You coming?" I ask her. Lori just nods her head.

          "You need anything?" I ask her. She just shakes her head. "No, I'll be right there." she says to me. I turn to walk out the door, but I stop myself. I look back at her. "He'll be okay. He's a goddamn Grimes. We have our moments where we seem like we might not make it... up we always do and we always will." I said walking back towards her. "You're his mother. You are a Grimes. Be strong. Not just for Carl, not just for Rick or this group... but for yourself." I said to her. She looked up at me with a shocked look on her face. I just smiled.

          I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. I nodded and walked back out the door. I walked upstairs, looking for Hershel. I knocked on his bedroom door. "Come in." I heard him say. I opened the door and saw him. "Hey Hershel... Maggie wanted me to tell you dinner is done." I said to him. He nodded his head at me. "Thank you, dear." he said.

          "Hey Hershel. I want to say thank you for everything you've done. For Carl, for me and for Daryl and for this group. Thank you." I said to him. He looked at me and smiled. "You and the Dixon fella? You two seem close." Hershel says to me. I knit my eyebrows together. "What?" I ask him. "He was awfully worried about you, when him and the rest of your group showed up at my farm." Hershel said to me. I scoff at him. "Daryl wasn't worried about me. He was worried about himself. If I had died on Daryl's watch, Rick would kill him." I said to Hershel. I nodded his head at me and started walking by me.

          Once we were side by side, he leaned his head over and spoke to me. "Trust me. That wasn't the worry that was running through him in that moment." Hershel said to me. I turned and looked at me, just as he walked away. I stood there in his room and sighed.

           We were all now downstairs eating and it was quiet. Like... too quiet. "Does anybody know how to play guitar?" I heard Glenn ask. I look over at him and smile. "Dale found a cool one. Somebody's got to know how to play." Glenn said. Glenn looked around the room hoping to find someone who played but the only person who spoke was Patricia. "Otis did." she said. My heart broke for her. Losing her husband.

          I had heard about Shane and Otis going on that run, the run that saved Carl's life, so I will always be grateful to Otis for giving his life.

           I have had enough of this silence in the room, so I decided to take Daryl his food. "I'm going to go take Daryl his plate." I said to everyone.

          I headed upstairs with Daryl's plate and opened his door. When I opened his door, his back was towards the door and his back was exposed. I saw the scars again and my heart broke all over again. I wanted to know the stories behind the scars, but I know better than some people, that you can't force people to tell you about their scars. They'll tell you when they're ready.

          Daryl must have heard me open the door because he immediately pulled the covers over his body to hide his scars.

          "Feeling any better since I was last here?" I ask him. He just looks at me and grunts. "Dixon..." I say. "I feel a little better." he says back to me. I smile.

          "I brought you dinner. You gotta be starving." I said to him. I laid his plate on the table next to his bed. He turned back and leaned over to see all that was on the plate. I leaned down and kissed his head. He looked at me stunned for a second. "Watch out, I got stitches." he said to me. I smiled at him. Daryl being Daryl.

          "You are a good man, Daryl. Don't get me wrong, what you said earlier is still pissing me off a little, but you are a good man. A good man, would never hesitate to go looking for a lost little girl. You didn't and I'm sure once you're healed, you'll be back out there. That won't be for a few days, so hopefully you'll consider letting me go with you." I said to him. He looked back at me.

          "I understand why you didn't want me to go with you. I am in no shape to be out there right now... but I should be cleared in a few days. Maybe you'll allow me to join when you do." I said to him. He looked me up and down. Not sure what he was looking for, but I just smiled. "I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you in the mornin', Dixon." I said to him. I walked out the bedroom door and into the room I was staying in. I laid down and sighed. I closed my eyes and let darkness consume me.

 FINALLY! So I wanted to put this in the bottom to let you all know that I tried to post this yesterday, but for some reason it wouldn't allow me to. I hope you like this chapter. Please don't forget to leave feedback and vote. Love you all xx