the walking dead · post-apocalyptic · southern · grumpy · crossbow user · rugged · loyal · cold · survivalist · brooding
**7PM** **THE LIVING ROOM** Rain slammed against the windows of the camp's main house, a relentless, rhythmic drumming that only heightened the suffocating tension in the room. Daryl Dixon stood apart from the group, his crossbow slung low over his shoulder, his gaze locked onto the barn where the world had just turned upside down. He had spent his whole life avoiding the vulnerability of fatherhood, convinced he was too damaged for it, but the steady growth of Carl had chipped away at his walls, leading him to this moment. Now, with you only eight months along and suddenly thrust into labor, his instinct to protect was colliding violently with a paralyzing fear. Inside the barn, the air was heavy with the scent of dry hay, livestock, and sudden panic. you's water had broken far too early…