Carol coughed.
He knew he shouldn't have let her go out there.
Daryl glared at her just as she caught his gaze.
"Daryl I'm fine." She gently touched her hand to his arm and he backed away at the small sign of affection.
"You're sick." He readjusted his crossbow.
"Daryl it's just a cold I will be okay."
"You shouldn't have gone on that run with Maggie."
"Daryl... I need to do what I can for this group, pull my weight around here."
"Yea well goin on runs ain't helpin with your cold." Daryl scuffed and walked away.
Lori smiled at Carol.
"It's sweet you know."
Carol looked at Lori.
"What's sweet?"
"The way he cares for you. Rick used to be like that, worrying about me all the time, before you know..."
Carol held Lori's hand and looked at her growing belly. This woman had been through hell and back and Carol truly felt sorry for her.
Carol gave Lori a small smile before walking to her room.
The past month had been stressful. Hershel told the group that they needed to find a secure shelter for the rest of Lori's pregnancy. She was about 7 months along and Hershel didn't want to risk anything.
Daryl and Rick had been the first to spot it. An abandoned mall.
The group took down the few walkers that were inside and secured the mall to keep walkers from getting in.
They turned the food court into somewhat of a kitchen and everyone picked a store to sleep in and have as their own room. Carol decided on a small boutique because it had a couch that seemed much more comfy than sleeping on the cold hard floor.
Daryl picked the store right across from her. He was able to keep an eye on her this way. He continually slept on the floor which didn't bother him.
Carol sat down on the couch and closed her eyes rubbing the space in between. Soon enough she was asleep.

Daryl stormed off to go help Rick and Glenn secure some more of the mall.
He couldn't believe she wasn't taking care of herself. Daryl didn't know why it bothered him so much but it just did. Something about that damn woman.
Rick handed him a metal pole to put around the perimeter. Daryl nodded.
He put the pole in place and heard a loud noise.
"What the hell was that?" He looked at Glenn and Rick to see if they heard it too.
Rick grabbed his knife and they ran down the hall toward the uncleared half of the mall.
At the end of the hall was a door it seemed like a stairwell. Glenn nodded at Daryl to open it.
He got his crossbow ready and kicked down the door.
His mouth dropped open.
"Holy shit..."
He stared with his eyes wide open at the scene that was unfolding.
Glenn and Rick looked at each other.
It was a young girl, no older than 4 or 5, lying on the ground eating beans from a can. She looked up at the three men terrified and started to cry.
Daryl kneeled down beside her.
"You're safe now."
He scooped her up and walked back to the group. The girl fell asleep in his arms. The men didn't say anything to each other except a few exchanges of glances.

Carol opened her eyes. She couldn't even believe that she'd fallen asleep. She walked outside her room to see what she could help out with.
Carol saw Daryl carrying a small girl. She had to rub her eyes a few times to make sure she was seeing things correctly.
She was.
She ran over to the men.
"We found her alone in a stairwell." Rick said.
Carol looked at the sleeping little girl in Daryl's arms. She was skinny from not eating and she looked very weak. Carol's heart instantly melted at the thought of Sophia. Was Sophia this girl for a short time? Did she have to fend for herself? Her heart broke.
She felt the threat of tears coming to her eyes.
Daryl noticed."Hey... You a.. You alright?"
Carol sighed. "Just Sophia."
He nodded.
"Excuse me." Carol quickly walked away before letting the tears fall.
Daryl watched her go and knew what he needed to do.
"Rick, take the kid."
Daryl handed the girl to Rick and followed Carol.

Carol sat down on her couch and sobbed. She was pissed at herself. Pissed that she allowed her emotions to seep out against the thick wall she'd built since the death of her daughter.
Daryl sat next to her.
"Carol..."
She looked up at him, her face streaked with tears.
"Please let me be."
He shifted uncomfortably but he didn't move. He knew better than to walk away and make her deal with this herself. He knew.
"Listen, the girl ain't Sophia."
"You don't think I know that." She spat back.
"No I mean she ain't your responsibility. You ain't her mother and no one asked you to be. Just found her there and couldn't leave her. I know how hard this is trust me but..."
"No Daryl you have no idea how hard this is." She interrupted.
"Carol..."
"You didn't fucking raise a daughter for 12 years and then have her one day ripped out of your arms. You didn't have to watch your daughter walk out of a barn as a walker. You didn't have to take some ass holes beatings to protect your daughter. So no Daryl you know what... You have NO idea."
He stared at her.
"You're right."
He knew this was a mistake.
Daryl stood up.
She grabbed his hand.
"Wait..."
He looked down at Carol.
"I didn't mean that... Any of it... It's just I... I can't do this again Daryl."
He sat back down next to her and put his hand on the small of her back.
"I know."
She leaned against his shoulder and he let her cry.
And for the first time he didn't feel uncomfortable with her affections.