No spoilers as long as you know who Daryl is. Daryl and Rick ship if you squint. Mild language. Enjoy!
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Daryl sat on his bike, relieved to be gobbling up miles, as a walker devoured its prey. He shifted slightly on his seat, twisting his stiff neck to look back at the leader of their little band of survivors. He grimaced, resisting the urge to rub his neck with his hand.

He had been feeling more and more stiff, to the point where he could barely move, without the pain causing his stomach to turn.

Rick whistled sharply, signaling it was time to stop for the night. He whistled a second time to warn they weren't alone, a walker or many walkers were nearby.

Daryl shifted, attempting to twist neck gingerly to search nearby. A muffled groan escaped his pursed lips, as pain ripped through him from the movement.

Rick whistled softly in warning again, looking directly at Daryl whose face was paling by the minute.

"What's wrong with Daryl?" He hissed at Glenn, who happened to be closer to the archer and leader.

Glenn threw a rock at Daryl, earning the archer flipping him off. "What's wrong?" He whisper yelled.

Daryl stiffly turned around, his face pale and sweat drenched. "Just need to sleep."he admitted, annoyed that he was showing weakness.

Glenn nodded, looking back at Rick as walkers ambled towards Daryl, Lori and Carl, and Carol. "He is sick..." he said.

Daryl glared at the younger man, before shooting the walkers quickly with his crossbow. Once the walkers were down, he doubled over, breathing hard.

Rick had been working on herding everyone into a newer building, and had just finished clearing the building, when he looked out a window and saw Daryl doubled over. He ran downstairs and into the street, rushing past Daryl and taking out a walker that was coming towards the sick man.

He stabbed a knife into the walkers skull, sending the body to the ground with a grunt. He moved to Daryl slowly, knowing the archer was often jumpy.

"Daryl?" He asked, stopping a foot or two from the archer. "You okay?" He asked calmly.

"I'm fine," Daryl said, spitting a bunch of saliva on the ground. He straightened up a bit, flinching as the movement made the world around him spin. "Whoa..." He said uncertainly.

Rick moved quickly, slipping his arm around the younger man's waist, making sure he didn't collapse.

Daryl tried to shrug Rick off, only to grab his arm again, as the world spun out of control. "Rick... I can't see, I'm too dizzy." He groaned, feeling weaker by the moment, and hating it. His knees buckled, going out from under him, putting the majority of his weight on the sheriff's arm.

Daryl tried to shrug Rick off, only to grab his arm again, as the world spun out of control.

"Rick... I can't see, I'm too dizzy." He groaned, feeling weaker by the moment, and hating it. His knees buckled, going out from under him, putting the majority of his weight on the sheriff's arm.

Rick almost fell over at the sudden increase of weight, but recovered quickly. He supported the archer, leading him to the cleared building with minor difficulty.

"Hang in there, Daryl. I got you." He said firmly, wishing he knew what was wrong with the younger man.

Daryl grunted in response, too dizzy to try to articulate anything. Rick almost fell over at the sudden increase of weight, but recovered quickly. He supported the archer, leading him to the cleared building with minor difficulty.

"Hang in there, Daryl. I got you." He said firmly, wishing he knew what was wrong with the younger man.

Daryl grunted in response, too dizzy to try to articulate anything. He groaned louder than he meant to, attracting the attention of a straggler walker, that attacked him at the first chance it had. 

He stumbled against the wall, holding the walker as far from his body as he could. He gasped, afraid for the first time ever, that he may get bit. 

Rick sprung into action, whipping his knife from his belt, and stabbed the knife into the walker's skull, spraying blood on Daryl's face and neck. 

Daryl wheezed, shoving the limp body away from him weakly, before doubling over with a loud retch. 

Rick sprung into action again, stepping into the building. "Lori!" he called, knowing she could hear him. 

Lori hobbled forward from a room down the hall. "What?" she demanded flatly, her hands wrapping around her pregnant belly. 

"Daryl's sick, I need you to keep an eye on things in here, so I can handle this." Rick said, a look of annoyance on his face and in his tone. 

"Fine." Lori said, walking away a slight stomp in her steps. 

Rick rolled his eyes and walked back outside, watching Daryl lurch forward, not throwing anything up. He looked at the ground in front of the sick man, surprised to see nothing. 

"When did you eat last?" he asked, now really worried about the man in front of him. 

Daryl spit on the ground, leaning against the wall of the building. "Two or three days." he admitted. He thought for a moment, before adding, "Can't remember when I drank anything either." he admitted softly. 

Rick's eyes widened, knowing they had been passing water around a lot over the last few days, but come to think of it, he hadn't seen the archer drinking or eating. 

"Damnit, Daryl, we need to get you rehydrated." he said firmly, turning around, surprised to find Glenn holding two full water bottles out to him. "Thanks, Glenn." he said, as he recovered his composure. He accepted both bottles, earning a nod from the young man before he left him and Daryl alone.

"Here, drink this." he said, opening one of the bottles and handed it to the sick man. 

Daryl looked at the water with distaste, but accepted it anyways. He downed half the bottle, looking a bit nauseous but less weak. "Thanks, Rick. You didn't have to stay with me." he said toughly, trying to appear like he would've been fine. 

"No one should suffer alone." Rick said with a shrug. "Looks like you need some sleep." he observed, earning a weak glare. 

"Yeah, sounds like a good..." Daryl started to say, before all the water rushed up his throat. He vomited violently on the ground, ejecting all the water he drank rapidly. 

"Breathe..." Rick warned, rubbing light circles on the archer's back. He was relieved, when Daryl didn't shrug him off. 

Daryl tried to breathe in his nose, out his mouth, over and over again. He just needed to breathe long enough to catch his breath, and to keep him from vomiting again. 

"I'm okay now." he said weakly, blinking his eyes sleepily. 

Rick chuckled softly, guiding the man inside to his room for sleeping. "Sleep, we'll stay here for a couple days." he offered, knowing the younger man needed the rest.

Daryl lay down in his little area, his breathing evening out, and he fell into a deep sleep. 

Rick left the room, a worried expression on his face. 

"What's with the look?" Lori asked, offering him some crackers she had found. 

Rick accepted a couple crackers. "Thanks, he is massively dehydrated and hasn't eaten or drank in a couple days. How many others are doing the same?" he asked heavily, looking at Lori in surprise. "Why do you care?" he demanded. 

"I'm still your wife. So lay off, I am trying to help." Lori said in exasperation. "I'll take care of him, you rest." she said calmly. 

"Thanks," Rick said, going to lay down himself. 

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Lori helped Daryl get better over the course of a few days, with loads of dry heaving and rehydrating slowly. He was relieved when it was over, and he was back to being himself. 

I know this is a new book, and I already have many. Lol. If you have any requests, I'd love to hear them. And all ships are okay. No sex scenes please.