TWD ~ Daryl + Reader ~

Leaving When?

Your whole body turns to face Carol and Daryl after your name was called. Your eyes drift to Daryl but you know he's not the one that called your name. Then your eyes immediately go to Carol as she walks towards you with her hand stuck out. You take her hand and she clasps it with her other hand over top. 

"I didn't mean to yell by the way." Carol gently smiles at you, "We just haven't had a chance to meet and I thought we should since my friend Daryl here has been getting into a lot of trouble for you."

You want to pull your hand away instantly. But you've heard about Carol, she's basically a con artist and can fool anyone up until she's ready to kill them.  You gently pull your hand out of her grip and take a small step back stagger from your right leg to your left. 

"It's nice to meet you, Carol." You look over at Daryl; "I'm sorry about causing you so much trouble," Daryl goes to say something but you continue talking before he can say anything, "but I'm heading back to Hilltop whenever my knee heals, so I won't be causing any more trouble for you."

Carol's smile disappears and she stops you from walking away as she asks, "You're going to leave?" 

"Yes," your eyes flicker back and forth between Daryl and Carol, "I've caused enough trouble here and-" Your voice stops.

'What if Negan is still alive?' Your eyes fall to the sidewalk, 'If Negan is alive and I'm not at Hilltop when he goes back he'll probably kill someone.'

"And what?" Daryl asks before Carol can. "And-" You blink your thoughts away as you look back up at Daryl, "I wouldn't want to get you into more trouble with Rick."

Almost instantly after those words leave your lips, you see Daryl's right arm shift and start to bring his hand up to you, but he stops before he raises his arm very far. 

"You don't gotta worry 'bout me and Rick." His blue eyes lock onto to yours, "You can stay as long as ya want." 

With that look in his eyes, you can swear he's asking you to stay, but you push the idea away. 

"We've been here for longer than we planned anyways, so we have to head back to Hilltop whether we want to or not." Jesus says from beside you. You glance over at him in annoyance, but you know he's right. "Jesus is right, we've been here for a little over a week and we'll have to go back to Hilltop at some point."

"So, you'll be here for at least three more days, then you'll head back, right?" Carol asks as she sits back down on her porch steps. "Correct, assuming my knee is better within that time."

"Speaking of your knee we better keep walking." Jesus says and starts to walk behind you. All you do is nod and walk away from Daryl and Carol.

. . .

They watch you hobble away with Jesus by your side. Daryl starts to walk towards Rick's house but stops when Carol says; "You got three days, Pookie." 

"Shut up." Daryl slightly glares with a smirk as he looks at her and walks backwards. 

. . .

You sit back down on your bed in the infirmary building in your cargo shorts. You try to stretch your leg as Denise walks to you. She sits on the chair in front of you and inspects your knee. 

"How was your knee today?" Denise asks bending in her chair to look at your knee. She pulls the bandage off your knee then pushes on the skin around your stitches to make sure the cut is healing properly. 

"It was fine." You grimace at her pressing a little too hard. "How long till it's healed?"

Denise glances up at you as she puts another bandage over your stitches. "It's healing pretty quickly, but your kneecap will continue being a problem for a while." 

"But after the stitches heal I can leave." Denise's wide eyes meet yours. "Right?"

"Why are you leaving?" Denise pulls your right foot up so your leg is straight. Pain flairs from your kneecap and you grit your teeth as you say; "I've caused enough trouble with the short time I've been here." You breathe out as Denise sets your foot back down. "So, I shouldn't stay any longer."

"Everyone causes some trouble when they go to a new place." Denise starts to pull the medical wrap off your leg, "When Rick and them first came here they caused trouble, especially Rick."

"How?" Denise stops unwrapping your leg and looks back up at you.

"For starters, he contradicted everything Deanna did-"

"Who's Deanna?"

"She was the first leader here, she was naive about how the way the world is now. But we shouldn't speak ill of the dead." Denise pauses for a second and stares at the floor, only for a second though, then she was back to unwrapping your leg. "Anyways, Rick was the definition of mad when he first came here. He even killed our first doctor here, which is now why they're stuck with me-"

"And they are lucky to have you." Jesus says from the doorway making Denise slightly smile. 

"Why are you here now?" You ask as Denise finishes taking the bandage wrap off your leg. 

Jesus gets to the end of your bed before he says anything. "Rick heard about you wanting to leave and he's offering us a ride to Hilltop tomorrow."