Damon had just come out of the woods, his body still warm from the run, muscles loose but alert, the familiar rhythm of the forest still echoing faintly in his system, when something unusual caught his attention.
At first, it was just movement, fast, frantic, but then he focused, and his brows pulled together as he recognized Daisy rushing toward him, her breathing uneven, panic written all over her face as she carried Bryan in her arms.
No, not carrying. Struggling to carry him.
Bryan's body looked limp against her shoulder, his small frame barely moving, and that was all Damon needed to see before his instincts kicked in. He closed the distance between them in seconds, stepping in and carefully but quickly taking Bryan from her.
"Daisy, what's going on?" he asked, his voice firm but edged with urgency as he adjusted the boy in his arms, trying to get a better sense of his condition.
