AN:
Hello readers!Thank you for clicking on this story,this is my first proper fanfiction and I really hope you like it.Please,PLEASE leave a review when you've finished reading even if you're going to say it's terrible because then at least I know.Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!
Of course I don't own any characters-the individuals belong to the show and comic creators.
Carol smiled to herself as she opened the front door of her new house,Sophia padded along behind her in a pink dress,her blonde locks bobbing up and down as she sang "Old McHershel had a farm."
Sophia loved going to school,she had lots of friends.Including the sheriff's deputy's son,Carl.He and Soph had clicked straight away and were basically inseparable.
Once the door was locked,they both climbed into Carol's new car.It wasn't anything fancy,just a Mini Cooper,but Carol was delighted with anything she could get.Carol had found the car when her friend,and lawyer,Michonne went snooping around for cheap cars that actually worked.Sure,it gave Carol problems now and then but it was easy and practical,so that didn't matter.Not to Carol who,after dropping Sophia off at school,went to her place of work.Her job?Michonne's secretary.Her friend had needed a secretary after the old one got fired(she had meddled in a case involving her boyfriend)and Carol had just gotten out of the messy and toxic marriage with Ed,which was an absolute blessing.
All of this happened because Michonne had convinced her to leave Ed.
She's happy now because she left Ed.
Because she had the courage to plan everything out in her hidden diary-the idea of running away with sweet Soph when Ed was out drinking.
And actually do it.
But she didnt have the time to escape.
Carol's eyes flickered open to be met with a dark grey aura in her and Ed's bedroom.Smoke.It encased her lungs and she coughed to rid herself of it.She let out a panicked wheeze and climbed out of the duvet,wafting her hand around in a half-awake motion.Through the dark smoke,Carol stumbled out of the room.She searched frantically for any sign of her daughter in the smoke but came up with just the darkness and orange shadows which came from the direction of the bathroom.
The heat was scorching. Painful. Burning. Tripping over her own feet,losing balance as her body lost oxygen,Carol coughed out a ragged."Sophia..!"
She shielded her face from the heat,closing her eyes.The stinging pain seemed worse when she opened them again."Sophia..!"Carol choked out again.Tears started to well in her pale blue eyes-coloured a watery orange from the heat and flames.The fire grew rapidly,chasing Carol who was blinded by the thick smoke.
Her throat felt tight as carbon dioxide squeezed her throat shut,tighter and tighter by the second.Stars appeared in her vision.Her lungs were empty and she was dizzy and,after one final step outside of Sophia's door,she collapsed in a wheezing heap as her body desperately tried to cough out the dusty and dry feeling in her lungs as smoke piled in them in a never-ending stream.The last thing she felt was heat as licks of fire touched her sleepwear.Out of the sound of sizzling flames,Carol was able to make out the muffled sound of running boots.
Then the world turned into a pitch black.
~FOE~
The sound of his name being called broke Daryl from his sleep.He bolted upright,expecting a nurse but instead being greeted with the face of Merle Dixon.
Well fuck.
"What are ya doin' here?"Daryl asked grumpily,rubbing his sleep-deprived eyes to get a better look at Merle.
"The fuck ya mean 'what am I doing here?'You almost died in there baby brother."Merle replied-he looked confused for a moment before taking a seat next to Daryl in the uncomfortable chair that was situated in Daryl's hospital room.It was a shiny emerald green but hard as hell."Jeez these are uncomfortable."Merle muttered as he shifted to get in a better sitting position.
"Well,I'm fine."Daryl drawled in his southern accent,deciding to not add the you prick that came to his mind."Just a few scratches s'all."
"Come on Darylina.You ran into that house with ya determination cap on and ya stumbled outta there with a woman in your arms who ya gave ya O2 mask to.Ya barely made it out."Daryl rolled his eyes.Sure,he was dizzy when he got out of the burning house but the little woman had collapsed right in front of him.He wasn't going to hog the mask to himself."Ya wasn't gettin' out if the flames were any bigger."
No way I wasn't getting outta there.
Daryl grumbled something incoherent in response but he sat straight up when the door opened to reveal his boss.The head of the fire department in the area.
"Daryl,Merle."The tall red-head greeted simply with a small nod.
"Abraham."Merle greeted in response,looking up at the burly guy.Daryl just eyed him coldly.He was never a huge fan of his boss but he and Abraham would usually be able to have a civil conversation.Tonight though,Daryl could not deal with his shit.
"I just came over to congratulate you on-"
"You swore that nobody was in there."Daryl growled,giving Abraham yet another dirty look.
Abraham shook his head, he opened his mouth to speak when Daryl snapped again.
"You swore on God's name that nobody was in there.You swore on it."Abraham waited a few moments,sighing, and then huffed a "Can you let me speak?"
Daryl looked away in disgust and decided to focus on the view coming through the small window that overlooked the parking lot.It was still dark but the milky-cream moon was out,lighting up the outside world.Daryl clenched and unclenched his fists.If it wasn't for him,that woman and her daughter would be dead.
"The man who called the department said that nobody was in there."Abraham said coolly as a nurse walked in.She was a cute blonde and as she went looking over Daryl's heart rate and other such things,Merle checked her out pretty obviously.Of course,Daryl knew his brother so that came to no suprise.
"Hey,sugartits.Whats ya name?"Merle asked.
Ah,Jesus.
Daryl thought his brother was getting kicked outta that hospital just as the nurse jotted down something in a black and white striped notebook. A zebra notebook.
The nurse turned slowly,giving Merle the once over and an evil look.Suprisingly,she then gave polite smile which showed off her high cheekbones."Andrea."
"My brother gonna be alright,Andrea?"The nurse finished writing whatever she was earlier in the journal,biting her lower lip in concentration before answering evenly.
"Should be.Blood pressure's normal and so is everything else.He should be released by morning."
Merle nodded his thanks so Daryl decided to ask a question-ignoring Abraham though it was clear the bulk of a man had something to say.
"Can I visit the woman who came in 'bout the same time as me?"
"Well...You're free I suppose to move around but I'd need to get that checked with a doctor and see how the other patient is doing.So.."
"Oh."Daryl tried not to show he was feeling a little bit disappointed by the reply.
"But since you saved her then I'm sure the doctor won't be surprised and will let you see her.I'll go check it out."
With that,the nurse walked out without letting Daryl even say thank you.He supposed it was because both his brother and his boss were undressing her with their eyes.Any woman would feel uncomftable with a Dixon staring at them but a Dixon and a Ford?Well,no wonder she ran off.
"Listen here Dixon."
By that,Abraham meant Daryl but Merle reacted to the surname by cocking his head to the side like a dog reacting to its master.
"You ran into that house despite me telling you not to because you thought you heard somebody shouting.Thats defiance."
Great,I've really fucked this up.
Daryl sighed to himself-preparing himself for the obviously coming:"You're fired."
"And,thanks to you,I have a mother dick amount of paperwork to do."
Hell.Just get this over with.
"But,if it wasn't for you then those two girls would have died.So I called m'boss."
Daryl stared at the plain white sheet on his bed,getting tired of all these sentences and wishing Abraham Ford would either burn in hell or just get to the damn point.Both seemed to be the same to him.
"You're getting a raise."
"Oh."
Daryl mumbled a thank you-shocked at the sudden praise and Abraham congratulated him before leaving the small hospital room and going out into the hall.Merle instantly said"Well look at that,baby brother.Darylina's gettin' rich."Then Merle laughed like he said the funniest thing ever.Daryl rolled his eyes at his brother."Little shit."Daryl chuckled,his brother was crying from laughter.If Daryl hadn't seen it then he wouldn't believe it.Of course,there was only one excuse for the laughter and that's the stress of everything that happened in the past few hours but Daryl decided to not say anything.He'd make Merle cry from embarrassment later.
Daryl and Merle had talked for a few more minutes about the raise and the fire before finally ,finally,, Andrea came back with news on the woman that Daryl had saved from the burning building.
"She's awake,and I spoke with the doctor.He said that you're able to see her for a few minutes."
Daryl nodded,glad that the woman was safe and wasn't badly injured,it would've been his fault if she wasDaryl asked Andrea if she could help take the finicky wire that was measuring his heart rate off so Andrea helped him take it off and the heart monitor gave off a screeching
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP
Signalling Daryl was,according to the machine,dead.Swiftly,Andrea turned the machine off before it alerted any of the doctors or nurses of Daryl's "death".
Daryl got the room number for the lady (108) before giving a quick goodbye to Merle and the nurse.He needed to apologise for not getting the woman out faster-if he had then she wouldn't be in the hospital.So Daryl made his way down the hall,leaving Andrea and Merle behind.
~FOE~
Carol had thanked the young nurse who came to check on her multiple times and had assured the nurse that she really was feeling fine despite her heart rate being faster than usual by one or two beats.The nurse(who she found out was called Andrea)had then asked Carol if she wouldn't mind meeting the man who saved her.Carol had replied with a smile and a yes.If it wasn't for the person who got her out of there then she would have probably burnt to death.
When she heard the door unlock,Carol jumped and looked to it.There,peeked out a head of a man.He had dark blonde bangs that got into his eyes (blue,they were) and a stubble which hadn't been shaved for a few days.The man looked tired but his lips lifted at he edges in a sort of half-smile.
"Can I come in?"The man had a thick southern drawl that made Carol's spine tingle for no apparent reason.Carol nodded and the man shut the door behind him,he was perhaps a few years younger than her with wide shoulders and some muscle.He was,to say the least,handsome.
The man took a seat in the green chair beside her and grunted
"Jeez these are uncomfortable."He muttered,pushing hair out of his eyes that just fell straight back into place.Carol smiled at the action and said"I'm Carol.."As she sat up slightly to speak with him better."M'Daryl.I um..Got ya outta your house.."Daryl spoke nervously and rubbed at the back of his neck.
"Hey,we rhyme."
Carol said,a smile gracing her lips.Daryl snorted shyly with laughter.Then Carol continued."Oh,and I know..The nurse told me.Thank you,for that Daryl...I..I owe you.Really"
Daryl blushed at the praise and looked down."S'nothin' really.I had to save you and ya little girl..I tried at least..."Carol was about to reply when a sick feeling came to her belly.Her heart sunk and a destructive feeling entered her empty stomach.
"Sophia..."Carol muttered to herself.
"Where is she?"