Just hours ago, she and Daryl had just escaped the heard of walkers that had over ran the funeral home that they were staying in. they made it out with there bag and there lives. th ran for a couple of miles, both checking to see if the coast was clear, before stopping falling to the round attempting to breath. No words were spoken, as the caught their breath.
Beth let out a small yelp; the adrenalin had now left her body, reminding her of her badly sprained ankle. She grabbed a hold of it though her boot, Daryl looked over to holding her ankle and cursed.
"Ya did good," he said attempting to comfort her.
"You did better," she smiled, attempting to ignore the pain a little longer.
"Nah," he replied standing up.
She looked up at him, raising a brow as he offered her a hand up. It took her a moment to figure out how to stand using her good foot. She hand never broken, or badly injured a body part. Learning to work with out it, would take some practice. She leaned against him, his arm around her waist, and her arm around his neck. He began to walk them into them further into the woods.
"Where are we going?" she asked quietly
"Hiding till mornin'" he replied
She nodded in agreement, as they made there way to a place Daryl hand deemed safe. He helped her down onto the ground, where she could lean against the tree. She felt Daryl sit beside her. She leaned her head over resting it on his shoulder; Daryl jumped at first but then relaxed.
"I'll keep watch" he whispered
She nodded just staring off into the darkness; so many thoughts were going though her head all at once, making it hard just to sleep. The spent the rest of the night, into the early morning, in a comfortable silence.
She watched as the sun rose in the sky, she lifted her foot up, putting it up on her thigh, getting a better look at it. Daryl had unexpectedly moved his hand to her ankle first. He pulled down the sock, there was bruising up the lower part of her leg. He pulled the sock back up, grabbing the backpack and crossbow and helping her up.
"We need find a place to stay, let tha ankle heal" he said wrapping his said helping her up.
They walked out of the woods, continuing their journey in there search for a safe place to lay low, the gathered a few supplies, Daryl had found a bottle of muscle relaxer, making it possible for Beth to walk on her own, it was starting to become dark when they found a house that was easy securable.
"This looks like a good place" Daryl said.
He walked back around the house, meeting Beth at the front door. They both nodded as the headed off to work, Daryl boarded the windows, Beth set up walker string with trash cans to alert them of danger. They had finished up securing the house before night fall. Beth watched as Daryl secured the door, she limped to the kitchen turning the knobs of the oven. Happy to find out it was gas, she grabbed a pot putting water in it and then using the lighter to catch the fire on the stove.
"Ya need to rest" Daryl said walking into the kitchen
"We haven't eaten since yesterday, I'm fine the pill is helping" she explained
"Be careful," he said walking back into the darkness of the house
Beth used the fire from the stove, to light a few candles placing them on the kitchen table. Putting out a couple bowls and sliver wear, she knew Daryl wouldn't use them. He must have smelt the food cooking, as he walked in and sat down at the opposite end of the table.
"bon appetite" She said laying down the bowl of ramen soup, in front of him a long with a can of peaches.
"Good eats" Daryl replied
He reached in using his fingers to grab the noodles; he held them up to his mouth he happened to look up to see the disgusted look that Beth attempted to hide. Trying to be polite, He grabbed the fork that sat beside the bowl, twirling the past it and putting it in to his mouth.
Beth smiled as she watched Daryl eat with a fork, but couldn't help roll her eyes as Daryl lifted the can of peaches to his mouth, the peach juice going from the side of his mouth to his beard. She watched as he took the long sleeve and wipes his mouth clean.
After cleaning up the plates, she found Daryl in the living room sharpening his arrows and cleaning his cross bow in the candle light.
"Hey, I'm going to go check upstairs" she said.
Daryl replied with a grunt, as she made her way up the stairs, she noticed the pill begin to wear off, she would now deal with the pain, some where safe wanting to save the pills just incase. There were three bedrooms, the master room was at the end of the hall, a large king bed with two dressers on either side. She had walked over, guessing right found what must have been the lady of the houses dresser, after going though it she found a few pieces of clothing that would fit her.
She walked over to the bathroom, scanned though the cabinets finding some baby wipes that weren't too dried out. Changing out of the clothes, she came in wiping down her body with the wipes, and uses the deodorant. She started to pull the new shirt over her head when she heard a knock on the door.
"Ya okay in There?" Daryl asked
Beth opened the door, the shirt she wore was larger on her fame, but when sleeping she enjoyed, the freedom. She held her old dirty clothes and boots in one hand.
"There are some clean clothes that I think that will fit you in there." She pointed down the hall.
"Thanks" He said awkwardly
He watched as she limped down the hallway, making a pile of dirty clothes at the end of the hall next to the master bedroom door.
"Need more?" he asked lookdown at her ankle
She shook her head, as she walked passed him, making her way back down the stairs and into the living room. He followed behind her, watching as she walked to the back pack and opening a small pocket, he couldn't see very well with the light the candle he lit gave him.
"The color is Yellow" Beth announced
Her smile was wide, as she watched Daryl roll his eyes, and collect card the cards; she didn't tell him that she was a uno champion back at home. Unlike Daryl she was very pleased with her find.
"Loosening yer touch Greene" Daryl mocked her
She wasn't sure how many games they had played, but she now could hardly keep her eyes open. She let out a loud yawn, as she heard Daryl chuckling form the other side of the table.
"Kicking your but is exhausting" she teased back.
"Go to bed, I'll take the first watch." He said quietly
Beth immediately felt bad, buy Daryl's tone, he sounded a bit upset that there game had to end. She used the couch that she was leaning against for support, and she pulled herself up sitting on it, fixing the pillows and making herself comfortable.
"I'll continue kicking it more tomorrow" she yawned again.
"I can help you up to one of the bedrooms?" she heard Daryl moving around.
"It's comfy here" she replied laying her forearm over her eyes.
"Aright" he said sitting in the large recliner beside her.
She was awoken that morning, from the bright light that crept though the crack of the wooded windows. She had a horrible head ache she sat up, she noticed the uno cards were still spread out on the table, and she looked over to see Daryl sound asleep in the recliner. She smiled; it was a rare moment when she ever got to see him sleep.
She had decided it was best just to lay back and relax maybe that would help her headache go away. She wasn't sure how long it was, before Daryl woke up, she watched him as he stretched and yawed.
"Good morning" she said
"How long ya been up?" He asked
"A while, just relaxing it's nice ya know"
"Hungry?" he asked she just shook her head.
"Are you?" she asked sitting up
"Nah, I'll get it" he said standing up walking into the kitchen
"Do you need help?" she asked hearing a few pots banging around.
"I'm going huntin today, we need more that this boxed crap" she heard him growl
Daryl walked back to the recliner, sitting down the bowl of ramen in his hand.
"Tired of eating this shit" he said putting the bowl to his mouth.
"It's only been a day" she replied
"Nah ate it a lot when I was a kid" he said.
"Oh" she replied
Some time later in the day, still sitting on the couch foot propped up, praying that the swelling to go down. Returned back into the living room. His crossbow loaded and a few arrows with him.
"Going hunting," he walked over handing her a gun
"When I come back, I'll knock on the door 3 times. If I don't come back to nigh,t don't come lookin" he instructed
"Better come back" she said holding the gun firm.
He nodded, as he locked and closed the door behind him. Crossbow on his back heading out towards the woods, he didn't want to leave Beth to long by herself, in a shit world like this no one could do it alone. He was had been gone for a couple hours, in that time he had killed a hand full of squirrels and a couple raccoons.
He was relived when he walked back up to the house, no other foot prints but his own. He walked towards the door, and knocked three times. He waited as the hobbling Beth opened the door.
"Welcome back" observing the kills he lifted up to show her.
"Looks good" let him into the house following behind him.
She sat beside him on the kitchen floor, it was to risky to have anything blood, or rotting anywhere they walkers could smell. She sat on the floor beside him, pulling out her knife to help him skin their dinner. She rolled her eyes at the look he gave her, reaching over grabbing the semi full back pack, using it to elevate her foot.
He threw her one of the squirrels; her stomach turned as she held it in her hand, the smell was awful. She chose to ignore it as laid the animal down on the floor cutting it made her lose it. She quickly stood up, and ran to the downstairs rest room vomiting in the sink.
She wasn't surprised when Daryl was right by her side, though how bad she felt she couldn't help to smile when she felt him hold her hair.
"Ya okay?" he asked his voice laced with concern
"Fine, I think that squirrel might have been sick or something, it smelt horrid." she replied now standing strait up, a light blush on her face.
"Ain't ever upchucked because the smell o squirrel" he said standing in the door way.
"I'm not as hard core as you I guess," she shrugged it of walking back into the kitchen attempting to pretend the situation never happened.
"Is skinning a raccoon, the same as a squirrel?" she asked attempting to change the subject.
"Yer not skinning nothing, not till we figure out what's wrong witch ya" he replied
"Nothing is wrong, it's that squirrel" she argued
"I just killed it nothing wrong" he said
"Go lay down he demanded." Walking, standing in front of her.
"I don't need you getting sick all over the food, Go" he said
She didn't feel like arguing, grabbing one of the water bottles on the table. she walked back into the living room, lying on the couch drinking the water getting the taste out of her mouth.
"Hey, wake up" she heard Daryl's voice close very close to her ear
She hadn't realized that she had fallen asleep, she opened her eyes, and the room was lit by candle light. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up.
"How long have I been asleep?" she asked
"While" he said said
"Here eat" he handed her a small plate of what she could guess was raccoon.
She was tired of arguing with him, when Daryl made the dinner he never offered sliver wear. She picked the pieces of meat up with her fingers, Daryl sat in the recliner chair beside her and they ate in silence.
"You sick?" he asked.
"No," she replied shortly
"You could have gotten it from the prison?" he continued
"Showing up now?" she said
He shrugged his shoulder finishing his food
They had decided it was the muscle relaxer that she had been taking. On the bottle it says take with food. And at that time she sure she hasn't been eating enough. They had decided that he security and location of the house, would be a good place to settle down until Beth's ankle had finished healing. Neither of the wanted to admit it, but they both hated being on the run. It was nice to come to some where familiar.
She had only been taking at pills, when they would go on runs, making sure to eat first. But still even with out taking the pills, she had a horrible head ache, her back hurt and the constant nausea.
"Ya ready?" he asked as she walked out of the bathroom
She nodded her head grabbing her empty back pack, his cross bow loaded, he handed her a hand gun placing it in her pants her hip and jeans.. The walked out of the house securing it behind her, Daryl` had hot wired a car, making runs a lot more efficient would go to small towns around the area. Searching though as many as 12 houses a day.
Stopping in front of a small cul-de-sac, Daryl turned off the car, and they both got out of the car. Beth's with her hand gun ready and Daryl with the crossbow. Prepared for any danger before walking into the area.
Thank you so much for reading
Can't get enough Bethyl? Check out the other short stories that I have written about these two
((Also looking for a beta))