Disclaimer: I don't own AMC's The Walking Dead or any of its characters, wishful thinking aside.

Authors Note #1: The USS Caryl got an anon ask which inspired me: "What if Carol has amnesia when she wakes up and doesn't remember the last few years. I think I need a fic about how Daryl helps her remember who she has become." - I didn't quite get in everything you wanted. But this is a 'what if' scenario that surrounds the idea that Carol hadn't woken up when she did in "Coda." It should be read under the context of me taking my own stab at how the rest of the episode and the days after might have gone.

Warnings: *Contains: adult language, adult content, angst, season one to season five spoilers up to but not necessarily including the mid-season finale, reference to the usual emotional trauma, allusions to child abuse/domestic violence, angst, UST, hurt/comfort and unexpected bonding along the way.