Carol pressed her hand against her abdomen as her stomach dropped sickeningly. Her other hand still held onto Daryl's arm and her grip tightened, her lips moving soundlessly as she counted the group approaching the hospital below.

"Daryl," she managed. "What do we do?"

"We need to leave," he said grimly. "Now!"

He didn't wait for her to answer or move; instead he began pushing her back down the corridor the way they had come. It took her several steps to remember what her feet were supposed to do and then she began moving faster.

They burst into the breakroom together where Eathen and Jared were talking quietly.

"What is it?" Eathen said leaping to his feet when he saw their faces. "What's wrong?"

"We got company," Daryl said, leaning over the draw back the tight string on his crossbow.

"What kind of company?"

"The heavily armed kind," he replied straightening up and fitting an arrow to the now taught crossbow, "who aren't aiming to make friends."

"We have to leave," Carol gasped. "Now!"

"Alright," Eathen said at once. "We've got two cars fuelled up and ready to go down at emergency. Are you two coming with us?"

"Well, we aint stayin here," Daryl snapped.

"Eathen," Jared interrupted worriedly. "How are we going to make her leave?" He gestured back through the door to where Jenna sat at Ryan's bedside.

"He's dead," Daryl said bluntly.

Carol could have smacked him for his lack of tact but time was against them. He also happened to be right. "If he hasn't woken up yet then I'm sorry but I don't think he will," she said apologetically.

"We know," Eathen said heavily. "We all know. It's only Jenna who hasn't accepted it yet."

"She doesn't have a choice anymore," Jared said. "I'll carry her out of this hospital over my shoulder if I have to."

"Let me talk to her."

"We don't have time," Daryl urged.

Eathen and Jared both ignored him as they hurried back into the next room. Carol and Daryl exchanged a glance and Carol shrugged helplessly before following them.

"We have to go, Jenna," Eathen was saying. "A heavily armed group is on their way into the building. We have to get out of here."

Jenna had risen to her feet. Her eyes widened as her brother spoke and the blood drained from her cheeks leaving her frighteningly pale.

"What about Ryan?" she whispered.

"It's over, Jen," Jared replied grimly.

Her breath caught in her throat as she shook her head minutely. She seemed incapable of speech. She turned away from them and leant over her husband.

"It's time, Jen," Eathen said. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but you have to let him go."

"No." She didn't turn away from the bed. Her hands caressed the sides of Ryan's face, her eyes locked desperately and frantically on his closed ones.

"Jenna, we don't have time," Eathen urged. He stepped forward to put his hand on her shoulder but she violently shook him off and leant over her husband again. "Three days," Eathen snapped. "Three days, that's what Hailey gave him. She said if he didn't wake up by then there was nothing we could do. It's been longer than that, Jen. He hasn't gotten better, he's gotten worse. The only reason he is even still alive is because of that machine that is breathing for him. It's time to let him go."

"He wouldn't want this, Jenna," Jared said softly. He stood on the opposite side of the bed to his sister, his eyes heavy with compassion and pity. "He wouldn't want to be stuck like this. He wouldn't want you in danger trying to save him when there is no hope."

"I can't," Jenna whispered. Her voice was thick with emotion, the tears that welled in her eyes beginning to slide down her cheeks. She was close, so close to giving in, but she couldn't force herself to make that final step. "I can't let him go."

"He's already gone," Eathen said gently. This time when he put his hand on his sister's shoulder she didn't push him off. "You know he's gone as well as we do. Ryan loved you, Jen. He wouldn't want you dying for him."

"No." She was resolute. Over her head her brothers exchanged a meaningful glance. Jared turned and with one swift motion pulled the machine's plug from the wall. It gave a small whirl and stopped.

"What are you doing?" Jenna screamed and lunged forward but Eathen's arms had closed around her. He held her tightly as she struggled unable to break free.

Carol wanted to block her ears against the woman's heart wrenching sobs and threats but forced herself to remain still. Her eyes were on Ryan's chest. He breathed three times without the aid of the machine, just three times, and then he too stopped. It was another few moments before the struggling pair seemed to notice that it was over.

Jenna sagged in her brother's arms, the fight in her vanishing in less time than it took to blow out a match.

"I'm sorry," Eathen murmured heartbrokenly in her ear. "I'm sorry."

Jenna's eyes were on her husband. There was something vacant and broken in them as she merely said dully, "I will never forgive you."

"We gotta go," Daryl interjected. The scene had touched him no less than the others but he alone seemed to remember the urgent reason it had even been necessary.

Eathen passed Jenna off onto Carol who helped the other woman from the room. Jenna didn't seem to see anything around her and Carol held her arm tightly as she pulled her along with her.

"He'll turn if ya leave him like that," Daryl muttered to Eathen as Jared collected several bags. Jared's lips were pressed tightly together, his eyes bright with unshed tears as he swung the bag straps over his shoulders.

"I know," Eathen said quietly, his hand resting on the handle of his knife. "Get going. I'll catch up."

Daryl nodded and patted him on the shoulder before hurrying after the others. The wounds in his legs ached as he forced them into activity that was too advanced for their current ability but he ignored it. He had no choice but to keep moving, his legs would just have to handle it.

…

They had reached the windows through which Daryl and Carol had seen the new group's arrival when Eathen caught them up. His expression was grim, his knife back in its holster and his eyes studiously avoiding his sister.

Daryl had carefully looked out the window and now he turned back to the group. "They're already inside," he reported. "Just one guy left watching the trucks."

"Then we need to get down to emergency without them seeing us," Jared said. "Hailey and Brody are already down there with Sam. They were loading some supplies."

"Hopefully we can get out of here without any of em ever knowin we were here," Daryl said but even as he finished speaking they heard the distant sound of a dog barking. Almost immediately it was followed by the sound of gunfire. Most of it was automatic gunfire but amongst it they could clearly hear the lighter crack of Brody's rifle.

"Brody!" Eathen cried and began to run, Jared and Jenna only half a step behind him.

"So much fer that," Daryl grunted and he and Carol ran after them.

The sounds of gunfire drew them on until they were forced to stop at the wide steps that led down to the hospital reception. From the first floor they could see several men arrayed around the room with their weapons trained on the emergency doors. The glass was shattered in several places with the bullets that had already been exchanged. Brody and Hailey only had the one rifle with them. They wouldn't hold the attackers out for long.

Eathen gripped his rifle tightly and made to run for the stairs.

"There's too many of em," Daryl protested. When Eathen would have ignored him Daryl grabbed his arm and wrenched him back.

"That's my boy down there!" Eathen snarled pulling his arm free. "You want to go, go! But I am not leaving without my boy."

"I'm tellin ya there's too damn many of em," Daryl growled. "Gettin yerself shot aint gonna help anyone, yer son least of all."

"You got a better idea?"

"We take their truck," Carol said suddenly. The others turned to stare at her with varying levels of incredulity. "No, listen," she urged. "What do you think they'll do when they hear one of their trucks taking off?"

"Some of them will go after it," Jared said slowly.

"Exactly, Daryl and I'll take the truck and draw some of them off. It'll give you a chance to get through to Brody and Hailey."

"It's not much of a chance," Jenna muttered. Her voice was as cold and lifeless as her vacant eyes.

"Better than you have now," Carol retorted. "Daryl?" she added appealingly. She shouldn't have volunteered him for a task that was potentially very stupid. It wasn't fair on him. His face was expressionless as he stared back at her. After a long moment he nodded.

"Alright," he said coolly. He looked at Eathen, "She's right. It'll give ya a chance. When ya get to em, take the cars ya have ready and go. Don't hesitate."

Eathen nodded, "Right. Listen, there's a water tower just outside of town at a crossroad. About a mile and half to the north of there is an old farmhouse. We'll meet you there after dark." He held out his hand.

Daryl just nodded and returned the handshake, "Good luck."

"You too."

"We'll see you soon," Carol said more bravely than she felt and quickly hugged Eathen. "You get your boy." She turned and saw Jenna still leaning against the wall. She hadn't moved to follow her brothers. Carol hastily glanced at Daryl who was accepting the rifle Jared was handing him before approaching her.

"You're going to be okay," Carol told her. "I know it doesn't feel like it now and I know you'll never be the same." Her voice shook, the weight of two dead girls almost too much for it to bear. "But you'll be okay."

Jenna shook her head, her lips pressed tightly together. Then she looked up at Carol, studying her face, "Why would you risk this? You don't owe us anything."

"No," Carol said softly. "I do. You helped us when you didn't have to." Her gaze drifted to where Daryl and Jared were clasping hands. Daryl slung his crossbow over his shoulder and instead gripped the rifle. He was still weak but his face was set with a determination that would carry his weary body on beyond its endurance. "You and your family saved the only thing I still have in this world that means anything to me anymore."

Jenna followed her gaze. The corner of her mouth lifted in a small smile even as her eyes filled with tears. "Hailey did that."

"So let us help you save her." Carol turned to her again and put her hand on the other woman's shoulder. "I'm sorry about Ryan. But you still have your family, Jenna. They still need you."

Jenna nodded and brushed away her tears. She pulled Carol into a quick hug. "Stay safe," she said. "We'll see you soon."

"Carol," Daryl hissed. "We gotta go."

"Goodbye," Carol replied. She caught up to Daryl but couldn't help glancing back at the small family crouched at the top of the stairs out of sight of those below. She could only hope they would see them again before she'd rounded the corner and they were out of sight.

Carol and Daryl ran down the cluttered corridor to the fire exit that would deposit them on one side of the car park. Daryl eased the door open a crack in order to scan the area around the trucks. The sole guard stood between the trucks and the hospital. His weapon was cradled across his arms, his back to the exit.

"We're gonna have ta take him out," Daryl muttered quietly. He handed Carol the rifle and took the crossbow off his shoulder. Carol put her hand on her head, her chest rising with each rapid breath. "You okay?" Daryl asked reaching out to touch her shoulder.

"I haven't killed anyone before," she gasped. "I haven't seen anyone murdered…Randall was about as close as it got and I didn't even want anything to do with that."

Daryl's expression had become stony. He squeezed her shoulder and let go, "Don't worry. Ya still haven't killed anybody."

Before Carol could speak he'd stepped out of the door. She heard the twang of the crossbow releasing its arrow followed shortly after by the thump of a body hitting the ground. Carol pushed her way through the door. Daryl stood with his crossbow hanging at his side. The guard lay on the ground a few feet away with Daryl's arrow lodged firmly through the base of his skull. Carol quickly averted her gaze and followed Daryl who was limping towards the nearest truck.

The keys were still in the ignition.

"Here goes nothin," Daryl muttered. He turned the keys and the engine roared to life. He shoved it into gear and put it in a squealing turn that had Carol gripping the handle for dear life and should definitely have gotten the attention of the men inside.

"Are they coming?" Carol gasped twisting in her seat as they approached the car park exit. She turned just in time to see several men run out of the hospital entrance with weapons raised. She heard them shouting and then they opened fire.

"Shit," Daryl yelled and hauled down on the wheel to send the truck in a shuddering skid out of the car park. Carol hunched down in her seat, her hands over her head as bullets pinged off the back of the truck. Glass shattered as one of the windows was shot out and despite herself Carol screamed.

"Hold on!" Daryl's voice shouted somewhere above her and the truck skidded into another turn. The bullets stopped striking the truck and Carol dared to raise her head.

"Are they following us?" she asked.

As she finished speaking the engine made a strange and not at all healthy noise. Smoke or steam began funnelling from beneath the hood and Daryl swore again.

"What's wrong with it?"

"They shot it."

They were losing momentum and Daryl swore, hitting the steering wheel in anger. "We're gonna have to run," he said grimly.

"Not with your leg," Carol replied anxiously. "We'll never outrun them."

"We don't have a choice."

The truck jolted to a stop. Carol and Daryl jumped down from the cab of the truck. The engine of the second truck was already drawing close.

"Come on," Daryl said limping as quickly as he could towards the alley beside them.

"No," Carol gasped and grabbed his arm. "That's the first direction they'll look. I already said we can't outrun them."

"We need cover. You have a better idea?" Daryl snapped, his tension emerging as anger.

She cast her eyes around desperately. An old ford was parked on the other side of the street. "Yes," she said. "Come on." She ran towards it and pulled up the driver's door handle. She breathed a sigh of relief when it wasn't locked and reached in to pull the lever to pop the boot.

"Get in," she ordered.

Daryl stared at the confines of the boot and didn't move.

"We don't have time," Carol said already clambering in. Daryl forced himself into movement and followed her in. He had just pulled the lid down when they heard the second truck round the corner.

It stopped beside the truck they had abandoned. Carol held her breath, her body shaking with fear and adrenalin, when she heard voices.

"Well this thing is done for," a voice said followed by the sound of shattering glass. Carol wondered if the speaker had hit out one of the remaining windows in anger.

"They can't have gotten far," another voice said furiously.

"Wade, start shifting the supplies back into the other truck. We'll find these bastards." There was the unmistakable sound of a weapon being armed.

Daryl had his crossbow at this shoulder, the point aimed at the boot opening. If anyone approached from the outside the first, and likely last, thing they would see was the dangerous end of Daryl's crossbow.

They could hear someone cursing as they began transferring the supplies from the back of the dead truck to the working one.

Carol didn't dare to speak. She had one hand pressed over her mouth as though afraid of breathing too loudly.

It seemed like hours before the hunting party returned. Their moods had not improved after the fruitless search.

"Nothing?" the one called Wade asked.

"Get in the fuckin truck," one of the men replied. "We gotta get the others."

The truck engine revved and retreated but neither Carol nor Daryl dared to move.

"How long do you think we need to stay here?" Carol asked quietly after several minutes of silence.

"Til dark," Daryl said shortly. "Then we'll meet up with Eathen and the others."

Carol looked at him worriedly, "Without a car?"

Daryl didn't answer.

"It's a long way on foot," she continued. "You're only just up and about. Your leg is still heal-"

"I can make it," Daryl interrupted.

Carol lapsed back into silence. When Daryl spoke with that tone you didn't argue. She still worried though and began biting the nails on her left hand. Would the others have escaped the hospital too? Would she be able to get Daryl to the house in time to meet them?

Eventually Daryl relaxed his position, the point of the crossbow lowering to rest between his feet.

"Stop," Daryl grunted. Carol looked up at him in surprise. "Yer still worryin, stop it. I'll be fine. The others are fine. Just stop."

"Sorry. It's what I do." Carol lowered her hand into her lap and shifted as much as the confines of the boot allowed in an attempt to find a more comfortable position.

"I know ya do." He looked across at her and frowned, "Stop fidgeting, won't make this boot any bigger."

"Sorry," she said again. "There's just this…thing poking into my back."

He sighed and moved his crossbow to clear more space. "C'mere," he said gruffly and lifted his arm. Carol stared at him then shuffled closer and rested against his side instead. His arm settled awkwardly around her and she could feel his uncertainty in the rigid stiffness of his body. It was the most comfortable she could hope to get and so she stayed still and silent until slowly she felt his body relax a little.

"You know I really thought you were going to die," Carol said softly. Her eyes were closed, her cheek against his chest. She could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest with each breath and the comforting thud of his heart beating. He didn't say anything. "It occurred to me that I'd never told you something," she admitted. "You're my best friend, Daryl Dixon. I'd be lost without you." She smiled a little, turning her face a little more into his chest. She could sleep right now. Despite everything Daryl was still the only person in this world who had ever made her feel this safe. "I love you," she whispered.

He could have said nothing. Hell, she probably wouldn't have been expecting a response at all. Not from him anyway. But after everything that had happened in the past few days she was here with him, tucked under his arm, safe and warm and alive. So he spoke, though he knew he shouldn't have.

"Love ya, too."

He felt her freeze under his arm, saw the long lashes that rested on her cheek lift as her eyes opened. He felt the blood rushing to his cheeks and wanted to leap from the car. But he'd gone this far. He sighed and looked up at the roof of the boot to avoid looking at her.

"I never had a friend before all this," he muttered. "Not really. There were guys me and merle would get waisted with but no one I gave a shit about." His fingers tapped agitatedly against his crossbow. The fingers on his other hand held unnaturally still, burning with the contact they had on her arm. "I'm glad yer my friend," he said in a rush. He refused to look at her and so he didn't see the smile spread across her face.

"I'm glad you're my friend too."

They lapsed into familiar and comfortable silence. Neither felt the need to break it. Despite the words that had passed between them it was still easy. It always was with them. Both of them held onto their weapons, and each other, and waited for night.

…

Daryl was staggering with weariness by the time they reached the house north of the water tower. Daryl still gripped his crossbow with one hand but his other arm rested on Carol's shoulder. She couldn't take all his weight but she could help relieve the burden on his damaged leg a little.

The house, like all of them, was rapidly becoming rundown without its humans to care for it. There was no movement in or around the house. Nothing to suggest anyone had been there in years. Daryl removed his arm from her shoulder and lifted his crossbow. He limped towards the house, his narrowed eyes scanning warily.

Carol followed closely, the rifle cautious and ready in her hands. When they reached the porch she frowned and stepped past him. She hung the rifle from its strap on her shoulder and reached up to pull down the sheet of paper nailed to the door. It was a road map, haphazardly folded, with a message written in the corner.

Couldn't wait. Good luck.

Maybe we'll see each other again.

E.

As she straightened out the map a key fell from between the folds. Daryl turned to look at her as she bent down to pick it up.

"What's that?"

"They're gone," she told him and handed him the map. "I think they left us one of the cars."

"And tha direction they left in," he said nodding his head towards the arrow drawn along the road beneath the message.

"What do we do?" Carol asked him, holding out the map.

Daryl took the map from her and scanned it. "If we left now we'd probably catch them. But…we're not far from where we tried ta cross the river," he told her. "We could go back and see if we can find a trail ta tha others."

"What direction do we go?" Carol asked. She held up the key, "Forwards or back?"

He slung his crossbow over his shoulder and took the key, "Back."

She nodded. He was right. They'd been away from their family long enough. "Wait here," she told him. "Rest your leg. I'll find the car."

It was hidden behind the barn next to the house. When she looked through the dirty windows she saw the back was full of supplies. Her heart swelled with affection for Eathen and his family. She could only hope that they were all alright and that one day they might run into each other again.

…

They reached the river crossing by late afternoon. Carol brought the car to a stop and switched off the engine. The road continued in two directions. She looked at Daryl and raised her eyebrows, "Flip a coin?"

"I don't think so," he said slowly and got out of the car.

She opened her door and stood next to the car to watch him approach a tree above the debris line from the river's highest level. A blue piece of material was wrapped several times around the trunk. As Daryl unwrapped it a piece of paper became exposed. He took it down and opened it quickly.

"What does it say?" Carol asked. Her heart was beating rapidly and she took a few steps towards him. "Daryl?"

He looked up at her and the briefest smile crossed his usually surly face transforming it completely. He held up the paper, "They went north."

Tears filled Carol's eyes, "They left us a trail?"

"They left us a trail."

He was limping back towards her and when he drew close she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He stood stiffly and suffered her embrace. Once it would have bothered her but not anymore. She smiled and drew back from him, wiping her eyes, "Let's go find them."

It took them two more days to reach them. The car was running on fumes by the time they turned into a driveway marked with a ragged blue strip of material. The fleet of cars that transported the group were parked by a large and swiftly falling apart farmhouse ready to depart at a moment's notice.

As they slowly drove up the driveway a figure that had been sitting on the porch rose to his feet. He pulled the baseball cap from his head as he stumbled down the steps with his mouth hanging open.

"Daryl," Glenn said disbelievingly as the car stopped and both doors opened. "Carol. You're alive!"

"Aint that easy to get rid of us," Daryl replied. He staggered back with a grunt as the young Korean boy collided with him in a powerful and relieved hug. As usual he froze beneath the onslaught of emotion but then the same little smile flitted across his face and he patted the younger man lightly on the back. "Good ta see ya too, buddy."

Glenn turned to Carol and pulled her into a tight hug as well. Over his shoulder she saw the farmhouse door open and the rest of the group flooded out onto the porch.

Maggie and Lori were both in tears as they hurried down the steps towards her. Carl and Beth were laughing, Hershel and T-Dog looked shocked and delighted in equal measures, and Rick stood in silence. A look of joy was in his eyes and his expression was content as he met Daryl's gaze and nodded in welcome.

Lori and Maggie reached her at the same time and enfolded her in a double embrace. Carol closed her eyes as a tear slipped down her cheek.

They were home.