Merle stared at the bed through the hospital window with teary eyes before telling himself to grow some balls and walking into the white room where his baby girl was strapped up to machines, ignoring the family on the other side of the room he made his way over to her bed, he made eye contact with one of the guys family before obscuring their view by pulling the curtain around her bed and taking a seat beside her.
He let himself drop onto the blue seat and taking her hand in his before he glanced at the notes at the bottom of her bed.
Name: Rose Dixon
Age: 14
Cause of injury: Car Crash.
He sighed angrily before trying to calm down and looking back at his daughters face that was partly obscured by the breathing mask that went up her nose and down into her windpipe. This was his fault, if he wasn't drugged up and at home he would have been able to look after her, make sure she didn't come out of the house to find him and Daryl. If he looked after her she would be okay.
But she wasn't. Sure she would be okay in a few weeks maybe a month or 2 but this could have all been avoided.
"Mr Dixon, You are not allowed to use these curtains to obscure the view of the patients we have told you this before-"
"Why don't you shut the fuck up 'cause y'all know I aint gonna stick to your bullshit rules Doc" Merle hissed giving him the stink eye.
The doctor huffed and pushed his glasses up further up his nose before glancing at the papers in his hands.
"She'll be fine in a few months, but she got asthma so we will prescribe a few pills for her lungs but other than that she is fine, her arm will be in a cast for over 6 months and as she recovers she will have a fever we will give you antibiotics for those as well." He explained.
Merle bit his lip, grunted and nodded before grasping Rose's hand tightly as he heard the doctor walk out and shut the door.
"Dad, wake up" a soft weak voice woke him up, sitting upright he stared at the 14 year old who was still laying down, a breathing tube down her nose but she was awake and he could see his own blue eyes in hers.
"Baby? You in any pain?" He asked gently in his rough voice which was not normal for either. Rose shook her head and winced before laying back down on the white pillows still clutching onto her dads hand.
"A little bit- Uncle Daryl!"
Merles head snapped to his brother who was making his way over to them, a soft smile on his face as he neared his niece.
"Hey sweetie, need to talk to your dad for a second" he turned to merle a look of urgency in his eyes. Merle nodded turning to his little girl and ruffling her short hair before getting up and walking to the door with his baby brother.
"What's the deal?" He hissed to Daryl as they stood in the corridor moving out of the way of doctors and nurses.
"Somethin's been happenin' Merle. A disease o-or somethin'" He spoke hurriedly. Merle raised a brow before frowning.
"You been listenin' to some bullshit again? Don' be scarin' Rose with your bullshit talk, I mean it this time." He tapped his chest before leaning back. "What has this got anythin' to do with us little bro?" He asked wanting to get back to rose.
"We need to get Rose out of the hospital or at least get ready to, this is serious Merle" Daryl mumbled, merle spluttered and laughed sarcastically.
"She just got in you really believe that we can get 'er out even if shit hits the fan? It ain't happenin' Daryl, she can't even stand" Merle hissed.
"Just get some stuff ready for her kay? If we have to move quickly we need to be ready" Daryl said slowly.
Merle sighed heavily, rubbing his bald head before shaking his head "Fine, but if my little girl is hurt again your to blame got it? Do not say anything to Rose" he growled before opening the hospital door she shared with a 29 year old man which was fucked up in his opinion even if he is in a coma. There were a lot of patients admitted over the last 2 weeks… bites and fevers.
Shit.