I was sitting on a log, staring out at the lake that was calm and flat as glass, the waves gently lapping at the shore. I slowly reeled in my fishing rod, feeling the sun warm my face as I took in a fresh scent of pine trees. This was my favorite fishing spot, and the day couldn't be anymore perfect without a single cloud in the sky.

"Willow," a familiar voice called from behind.

I turned my head and there he was, an old camouflage hat sitting on his head, dark jeans, and his favorite dark green flannel. I got up slowly as he stood there, a faint smile on his face. I dropped the rod, moving quickly and wrapping my arms around him tightly in a hug he gladly returned. He pulled away slowly and looked down at me, wiping a tear from my cheek I didn't know was there. Then his smile soon turned sad.

"I thought I told you to kick this world in the ass?" he reminded me.

"I found a group by accident, and I got caught up in a war between communities with-"

"Your father," he cut me off. I wasn't sure how he knew, but he did.

"I should've stayed on my own, I tried going up into the mountains like you said but it was survivable," I told him quickly trying to explain myself. I'd nearly died just from the cold up in the mountains. There just wasn't enough resources to live off of, that's when I got sick and wondered into Atlanta...

"No, you need your friends, and they damn sure need you, especially that boy of yours," he stared at me with a smile. I felt my cheeks go pink at the mention of Daryl. My heart sank, I was dead, I could feel it, and he probably had no idea what even happened to me.

"Don't worry, you're not done kicking yet, now get back out there soldier I don't want to see you here for many years to come," he pulled me back into a hug.

"I miss you Quinton," I said, before disappearing into a blinding light.

My eyes felt glued shut as I pried them open slowly, sensitive to the light for a few seconds. My head felt dizzy as I raised a hand to rub my eyes, noticing the needle in my arm. Finally looking around, I was in one of the prison cells, an IV bag set up besides me. I went to reach down for the needle before hearing the clattering of metal above me as I pulled on the handcuff locked onto my other wrist and attached to the bed pole. I scrunched my eyebrows at it before seeing something move in the corner of my eye.

"Hey," his voice was quiet and gentle.

Daryl carefully sat on the bed besides me, a smile on his face as he cupped my cheek with one hand. His eyes were dark, telling me he hadn't been sleeping. But I couldn't put into words how happy I was to see him.

"Hi," I said back in a crackly dry voice. I tried to clear my throat, making me cough slightly sending waves of pain throughout my torso.

"Easy! Don't wanna pop the stitches," he warned me looking worried.

What? I looked down at myself, a blanket covering most of me. I peeled up the blanket, still wearing my dirty jeans and nothing but my sports bra with my torso being completely wrapped in white tape that was slightly red in the center. That's when it all came back, being captured, storming the prison, the governor stabbing me, and Merle...

"Daryl, your brother..." I told him. I went to grab his hand, forgetting about the handcuffs and making the metal clank together.

"He got himself killed for no reason," Daryl shook his head, leaning over and unlocking the cuffs for me. Once my hand was free I grabbed his and locked eyes with him.

"He tried to save you, to save all of us," I reminded him. He looked down with a sad yet angry face and shook his head.

"Then I found you, dead..." he whispered. It took me a moment to grasp what he'd said, I was dead? I only remembered what had happened and then blacking out. 

"That doesn't matter, okay? I'm not going anywhere," I placed my hand on his cheek so he'd look at me.

A small smile formed on his lips, as he leaned down and gently placed a kiss on my forehead. We sat like that for a moment until we heard the sound of crutches come to the door of the cell, making us pull apart.

"Well look who's awake?" Hershel smiled. I smiled back at him, before glancing over to Daryl.

"Go get some sleep, Hershel can watch over me, okay?" I told him. He looked like he was going to argue, but nodded his head before disappearing from the cell.

Hershel and I talked for the next hour, mostly about me and my condition... He pulled out the needle to the IV saying it was a miracle the knife didn't hit anything important, and that Woodsberry had an actual doctor who could patch me up properly. Supposedly after I blacked out, the group fought off the governor before he escaped and slaughtered most of his own people before vanishing into the wind. When the group made it to Woodberry, we took in all their people. I'd been asleep for nearly 5 days, Daryl never leaving my side for longer than an hour.

"How long before I'm up?" I asked him. he chuckled at my enthusiasm.

"Better get comfortable cause you'll be bedridden for the next few weeks," he told me.

"Great..." I sighed.

With that being said, he got on his crutches and hobbled off. It wasn't long before Daryl came back around. He stood leaned against the doorway, watching over me while he thought I was asleep. When the truth was I'd been afraid to sleep.

"You didn't sleep long, quit creepin over there," I muttered out loud, turning my head to look at him.

"Wasn't tired," he shrugged, coming into the room. I rolled my eyes and waved him over, lifting the corner of the blanket.

"You're a bad liar," I told him, gesturing he could lay down with me. He sat down in the chair next to the bed, planting his elbows on his knees.

"I can't sleep either, lay with me?" I asked, giving him a sad face.

I could tell he really wanted to, but didn't want to hurt me at the same time. I opened the blanket up again, gently scooting over and making space. After a moment he finally gave in, hanging a sheet in the doorway of the prison cell so you couldn't see in and blocking some light out. He was extremely careful climbing in beside me, though every movement made me wanna scream I wanted him close to me even more. Once he was comfortable laying on his side facing me, I smiled.

"Think you'll be able to sleep now?" he asked me.

"that was just an excuse to get you in here," I softly chuckled.

"Who's the liar now?" he chuckled back at me.