The subject change was totally welcome, it aggravated Daryl to talk about his own mortality, especially after Merle died. He always thought his big brother was invincible solely through his determination to be an asshole. In the end he'd been taken down alone in the woods by some geek. Or so it seemed. Daryl suspected foul play but he didn't know how to go about getting to the bottom of it or if he wanted to. So many people hated Merle...too many suspects.
"Sookie, I trust her. Just met the other'un, but anyone that don't bite your head off when y'shoot 'em is probably alright." A strange way to introduce someone but it was true, he did shoot her and she did seem to be okay with it...disregarding of course that she'd been a coyote when he shot her.
Krissy...he didn't know her at all. He didn't even recall if he'd heard her name before so he didn't say anything about her. Talk of a young girl reminded him of Sophia as well. He kept that burden quietly on his shoulders, he would never forgive himself for failing that little girl. He was a tracker and it was his responsibility to find her, he had made all those promises only for it all to fall through.