Daryl moved cautiously through the prison as he searched for their once solid leader. Aiming his crossbow into each empty cell looking for some sign that Rick had been nearby. Other than a few mutilated remains of previous inmates, There didn't seem to be any indication leading Daryl in the direction to take but he wasn't giving up yet.
Unsure of how much time had passed as he scoured yet another cell block, he thought that maybe he should check back on the others before they are dumb enough to send out a search party for him. "Great" he thinks out loud "Then I'll have to go searchin for my search party. Good Lord"
Daryl freezes in his footsteps when he spots the boiler room door. Maggie had told him when they went out to find formula for Little Ass Kicker, that it was in this room that they had left Lori's remains. Shaking his head, he pulls open the door knowing that if Rick had come this way, he'd been sure to enter as well.
Slowly he moves down the steps with his crossbow raised not knowing what he'll find within. "Rick?" he calls out barely over a whisper but there's no response. As he moves farther into the room he spies the blood stains and stray bone pieces scattered across the floor and he knows what Lori's fate had been.
Following the smeared blood trail, he sees the walker slumped against the wall and he moves closer. "Hey" he calls out angrily "You there." When there is no movement, Daryl kicks the body with his foot while keeping steady aim at his skull. When the body is jostled, it falls over revealing it's smashed in skull. "I guess you met Rick" He lowers the crossbow and lifts his boot up over it's head "Don't suppose you know where he went?" In one swift motion, Daryls boot slams down completely crushing what was left of the Walkers head. "Didn't think so. That was for Lori"
After about another hour, Daryl hears movement and what sounded like a psychotic growl coming from ahead. He moves in the direction of the commotion and turns the corner just as Rick is crashing an axe into a lone walkers head.
"Rick" Daryl calls after seeing that Rick took out his prey. Rick doesn't answer but stands over the fallen walker, staring down at his latest kill with his axe still embedded in his skull. Daryl takes a few steps closer but remains a safe distance away after Glenn remarked at how Rick had greeted him earlier. "Are you here Rick?" he questions not really sure he doesn't already know the answer.
Ricks muscles jerk and he slowly turns around facing Daryl. Daryl knew for sure that part of Rick was completely checked out of reality, but he had experienced similar situations when dealing with Merle on one of his many drug binges. "Rick, we need to get back to the block with the others" He watched as Rick stood silently staring back at him with wild eyes. "You probably sounded the dinner bell to every walker in here with all that noise you were making" Rick lips curl into a meancing smile "Good" he growls out "Let them come" Daryl's patience runs out and he moves next to Rick grabbing hold of his fore arm. "You're coming back with me even if I have to drag you there" Ricks reaction was quicker than Daryl had anticipated as he is thrown back against a nearby wall. "I'm staying right here" Rick states coldly "I'm killing every one of those...things" He turns to go retrieve his axe and Daryl seizes his oppportunity.
Lunging off of the wall, he tackles Rick to the ground and holds him there "Listen to me" he commands as Rick looks up at him furiously struggling to get free "You got family back there Dammit! They need you" Rick calms for a brief second but loses control again "THEY NEED ME TO KILL MORE" he yells loudly. Daryl holds his hand over Ricks mouth "What are you trying to do? Bring them all to us? " Daryl looks in both directions then back down at Rick. "Your son just lost his mother. You determined on him losing his father too?" Lifting his hand off of Ricks mouth slowly when he sees the emotion registering in his friends eyes. "I lost my wife" Rick's voice raw with pain. "I couldn't keep her safe. I'm keeping Carl safe doing this" Daryl stands up and offers his hand to Rick. "I know" Daryl nods as Rick accepts his hand and stands up. "But we need to do this together. Not on suicide missions"
The heads of both men turn when they hear the metal door hit the wall. The next sound they heard were the moans of approaching walkers. "Shit" Daryl mutters under his breath. "My axe" Ricks eyes move to the body possessing his only weapon but it lies in the path of the oncoming threat. "No time" Daryl looks at Rick whose eyes start to gloss over once more as he focuses on the possibility of more kills. Reacting fast, Daryl grabs hold of Rick and forces him into a nearby room and locks the door with his master key. "We can hide out here til they pass" He instructs but Rick is gone again mentally "Let me out!" Rick growls as he pushes Daryl aside and makes a move to open the door. Knowing that the noise alone will draw the walkers right to them Daryl does the only thing he can to save them both. He raises the handle of his crossbow over Ricks head and plows it down rendering Rick unconcious. "Sorry brother. I had to"
Daryl leans against the wall near Rick and sinks down to the floor laying his crossbow beside him. He looks over at his friend and shakes his head with guilt for having to hurt a man he respects but he had left him no choice. "We'll just wait it out and by then you'll be up" he sighs as he pulls his knife out of its sheath and begins running it along the ground as he waits "We'll head back when they're gone. Then you can hit me. I got it comin"
After a while, the noise outside the room goes away and Daryl unlocks the door to peek outside. The corridor looks clear and he turns to go try to wake Rick. As the door is nearly shut, he hears a sound that rips a chill through him. It was a scream coming from farther away in the prison. A womans scream. " Carol?" he whispers hopefully. He pulls the door open about to chase after the sound but looks back at the still unconscious Rick. He could lock the door behind him and Rick would be perfectly safe inside. But then if Rick wakes up, there will be nothing keeping him from returning to his homicidal/suicidal mission. "God dammit!" Daryl punches the door as he quickly decides what to do.
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