Theme Song: "For You I Will" - Teddy Geiger

Calvin helped me to my feet while I tugged on my blue jean shorts, self consciously pulling them down a bit farther on my thighs as they had rode up while I was laying down.

He looked at the bed that was covered in a ring of sweat, "Your fever broke?" Calvin asked looking from me to the bed covers and I nodded, "It would appear so. I'm still sick though, but if my fever broke then maybe I have just enough strength to try and look for him."

Calvin shifted, "Well, you're not going alone. I told him I'd watch over you." His voice trailed off, but there was firmness to it, resembling Daryl's, and I felt my lips tug up into a smile.

"Of course you're coming with me. I'm not exactly quick on my feet right now so I'm going to need back up." This earned a smile from Calvin as we walked down the stairs slowly together.

"Let me change your bandage before we go." Calvin added and I nodded silently.

Every bone in my body was screaming, but that could be due to the fact that I had been bed ridden for so long, not really moving.

Calvin helped me downstairs before packing a bag while I leaned against wall. He gave me my gun and my sickles, which I gladly took. The cold metal of the blades in my hands felt nice against my clammy skin.

He came back over to me and worked methodically at my bandage while I muttered, "If my brother were here, he'd be so angry at me..to let a cut get infected like this."

Calvin looked up at me and then back at my bandage as he dressed it, "Your brother and my sister sound like they would have gotten along. She was always hounding me about medical stuff."

I could tell he got his skills at dressing wounds from his sister and I had no doubt he could stitch something up too, if need be.

Every fiber of my being was telling me something was wrong and that Daryl would have been back by now, but another part of me was trying to tell myself that Daryl was fine and that he was one of the best survivalist I'd ever known.

However, I couldn't shake the dread that clawed at my belly.

No, I couldn't think like that. I had to think positive. Despite feeling like shit and being a little lightheaded, I was glad to be stretching my muscles.

I just didn't like that the circumstances for me getting out of bed were because Daryl hadn't come back yet.

Once we were out the door, Calvin nodded to the back pack, "I got some soup cans in here..and our waters. If you need it, let me know."

There was only silence now as the rising sun started to creep up over the horizon.

A sullen reminder that Daryl had been gone entirely too long. Calvin and I both trudged up to the pharmacy in town and not a soul was in sight the entire way.

My eyes scanned the perimeter for movement, for Daryl, but nothing. I felt my chest grow tight, but I moved on with Calvin. He was going a little slower for my sake, but I kept up as best I could because time was of the essence.

When we reached the pharmacy we both paused and saw a boarded up window had been removed and thrown in a heap on the ground below.

"Daryl?" I whispered to Calvin with an arched brow and he shrugged, "Had to of been." Calvin entered first, crawling through and clearing the area before coming back to the window and helping me through.

When he touched my skin through my shirt, gripping under my arms to help me through, it hurt. My entire body was weak, skin and all.

He winced at my furrowed brows, noticing the pain but I grit my teeth and helped him pull me through.

The pharmacy had been mostly ransacked and empty boxes lay on the floor, along with a body of a walker that had a flesh wound to the head. I bent down and peered at it more closely.

I looked up and saw Calvin shifting above me with a grimace on his features from staring at the walker's decaying form.

"Looks like he shot it with his arrow, look at the markings around the hole. It's too jagged and sloppy to be a bullet wound."

My voice was hopeful, though throaty and sickly sounding. Calvin started to look around the store, but he only saw nothing.

All the medicine was gone, only a few boxes remained, but they were empty. I frowned; feeling scared for not only knowing Daryl had been here and was now gone, but that there wasn't any medicine. Nothing.

I felt my insides quake with fear, but a light touch to my elbow had me flinching. Calvin recoiled and murmured an apology before nodding towards the window, "Vicki..nothing is here. No medicine..no..Daryl."

His voice was hesitant, weary even, but I interrupted him, "He was here though!"

I swayed slightly, the exertion getting to me and Calvin took a step forward, but I quickly put my hand, "M'fine." I mumbled and he stopped in his tracks.

Calvin looked around awkwardly, "But, he's not here now." before heading back towards the window that we had entered through.

I gave the small pharmacy a once over, looking for any clues, but there weren't any. There was nothing here.

I followed Calvin out, hoisting myself out the window, assisted by Calvin's steady arms and I leaned against him for support until my feet hit the concrete.

Okay, think..Vicki. Think.

I looked around, swiveling my head back and forth around the small town before looking down at Calvin who was staring out at the opposite side of town.

The area we were in was quiet and I already had a distinct feeling that the other buildings were going to be clear and quiet just like the pharmacy.

"It's truly a ghost town." Calvin whispered as if we needed to be quiet, but that could just be out of habit.

I hadn't spotted a walker yet and Calvin seemed to be thinking the same thing as his eyes scanned the one horse town.

Out in the distance was the textile plant, the formation of the large building taking shape and I looked to Calvin at the same time he looked to me.

He started to shake his head, "Vicki, I'm not so sure he'd go that far."

I grinded my teeth in frustration, their bodies lingering in the morning street making me feel exposed. I liked to be moving, not standing still.

He looked up at me with a thought forming in his mind and I could tell from the way his eyebrows jumped to his hairline.

"But, there is a possibility.."

I turned to him and arched a curious brow, "What? Possible what?"

I was starting to get needy, wanting anything that I could grasp onto that would lead me to Daryl. I hated it, being needy, but at this point I didn't care.

I just wanted him here. With me. With us.

Calvin chewed on the inside of his cheek in thought.

"When we stayed at the bed and breakfast when I was younger, I remember the woman saying some of the textile factory workers lived there, like stayed at the factory instead of going home. She said they had bunks set up, lockers, storage, you name it. Not everyone stayed, but a lot of them did."

He paused, letting me catch up and digest his thoughts before he continued.

"You think he went there to see if they had left anything behind? I mean, a place like that has to have had a first aid kit..something medical due to the conditions they worked in. I can't guarantee there is anything there, or we'll fine Daryl..but.." He trailed off sheepishly.

I listened with rapt attention to his every word and wondered if what he said was true.

Could Daryl have wandered off over there in a desperate search to find me something?

Would he have gone that far without telling us?

I felt my bottom lip tremble at the anxiety of the situation before I sighed heavily. "It's worth a shot. And it's about dawn, so we'll have better line of sight."

Calvin nodded, looking proud of his observation before I ruffled his hair, "Kid, you're pretty smart."

He smirked at me, his dimples making him look like the young boy that he was and not the seasoned solider had become due to the death and decay around him.

"Okay, let's get going." Calvin said and we started the trek across the ghost town towards the textile factory.

Despite my illness, I was pushing forward. Sweat dripped down my brow and a bead rolled down the back of my neck and under my button down shirt.

I wondered absently if my determination was due to the fact that Daryl was missing..and maybe something in me just snapped and focused on nothing more than finding him.

Somehow, Daryl missing was fueling my fire to keep searching for him.

For some reason Hershel's voice crept in my mind at the exact moment I started to put one foot in front of the other.

Love does strange things to us, honey. It changes us. You'll do a lot of crazy things when it comes to that four letter word.

As Calvin and I tracked through the town, I silently prayed to the long forgotten God's above. I prayed to all of them, anyone that would listen and I prayed we would find Daryl.

I knew if I had to choose between finding the medicine or Daryl, I'd pick Daryl a thousand times over.

After all, Hershel was right when he spoke to me about love that day; it sure as hell made you do crazy things.

¤

Author's Note: The thing's we do for those we love...sick and all! Daryl is going to have some explaining to do. ^.~