The sun shone through the small window in the hospital room. The blonde woman pushed the curtains back to look at the world. She imagined it beautiful, first, thinking about how it used to be. Then, she allowed herself to process the real world now. Wrecked and broken, with nothing good in sight. A small smile graced her lips as she remembered. She's getting out.
Beth closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was leaving soon, finally. She would be with Noah, and Carol would be safe. She would get to see her sister and brother-in-law, Glenn. Everything would be fine again, she told herself. Even after reassuring herself multiple times while getting dressed in the clothes she wore before she was taken, she wasn't sure if she really believed it. But, she thought, I'll get to see my family. That's all Beth focused on.
After getting dressed, the young woman started making her bed. She remembered when she first woke up there days ago and how confused she was. The first thing that she thought of was Daryl's whereabouts and if he was safe. Beth felt a small smile come to her lips in realizing she would get to see the man again. Soon.
After making her bed, Beth reached under the mattress, checking over her shoulder while doing so, and pulled out a small pair of scissors that she had put there just in case someone would try to attack her in the middle of the night. Beth thought about the dangers and the things that might happen with this exchange, and knew how unpredictable Dawn could be. Hearing someone walking down the hall, she made a last minute decision and put the scissors in her cast that Grady Memorial had provided her with. Just in case. Then, she told herself the same thing she had already thought 30 times since she found out she could go home: Everything will be fine.
A light tap on the door echoed through the clean and claustrophobic room. "Yes?" Beth called out. Was it time already? It felt like just two minutes ago that Beth was told to get ready to leave.
Dr. Edwards slowly opened the door, closing it behind him and walking into the room with hands in his pockets. "Is Carol ready?" Beth asked the doctor. He nodded, then opened his mouth and closed it, as if he wanted to say something but he wasn't exactly sure what.
"Be careful," he finally said. Beth opened her mouth to question him, and he interrupted. "Dawn is sneaky and she always has to get her way. Just… don't expect it to be that easy." He looked down at the ground as if he was guilty of something.
"Look at me," Beth said, her heart rate picking up slightly. Everything will be fine. "Do you know something I don't? Has Dawn… changed her mind or something? What's going on?" Her response was silence from the doctor.
A hard knock on the door sounded out again, and Beth walked past the doctor to open it. Dawn stood on the other side, her eyes wide and glassy, but she was trying to show she was calm and collected. Beth knew there was nothing calm nor collected about this woman.
"It's time," Dawn stated. She lightly brushed her hand over her gun, as if reassuring herself that she could use it if she needed to. Beth became hyper aware of the small pair of scissors shoved in her cast as the three people walked out and down the bright white hallways. Would she have to use them? She took a shaky breath, repeating the phrase. Everything will be fine.
As they met up with Carol and other officers around the corner of the hallway, Carol smiled reassuringly at Beth. "She probably thinks I'm weak," Beth thinks, "that I can't handle this." Beth straightened her back and reached inside the cast with her middle finger. She smiled back at the older woman, trying to convey the message that she was strong and ready for what was to come.
The young blonde remembered what Dr. Edwards had told her- warned her- about. Expect the unexpected, as always. She was used to it already, but it still brought a sense of fear to her in thinking that her or her family could be hurt.
Rounding the final corner, Dawn roughly grabbed Beth's arm, moving her next to her. "Now, we wait." Dawn spoke. Beth could feel the slight shake Dawn's grip on her had, as if she was just barely holding everything together. For a slight second, or even less, Beth felt sorry for the woman. All she wanted in life was control. However, the second was short-lived as the hatred came back. There are better things in life than being in charge.
An officer spoke on the radio saying "We're at the doors." Beth's breath hitched in her throat as her head shot up to look at the door that felt like 5 miles away from her, but was really 10 feet. On the other side, she saw a sliver of what looked like Rick's tall frame.
"Holster your weapons," Dawn answered. The other officers surrounding her put their guns away. She saw her people through the small window do the same.
The door slowly opened, followed by the two officers being held by Daryl and Rick. "They haven't been harmed." Rick spoke. Beth felt more comfortable hearing a familiar voice, as well as seeing the people she called her family.
Beth caught Daryl's gaze as Dawn asked "Where's Lamson?" Daryl looked the same as he did the last time she saw him, right before she was taken. She fought down a smile when remembering their drunken-and sober- times together, hoping for more. It was just in her grasp.
"Rotters got him. We saw it go down," Shepherd spoke. Beth knew in her mind that that probably wasn't the case. She thanked the two hostages as she realized that they were lying for them. Shepherd was one of the good ones.
"Oh," Dawn spoke, "I'm sorry to hear that." Her voice wavered in her speech and she swallowed harshly as if trying to steady it. "He was one of the good guys." Beth felt tension in the air like the humidity in the summer in Georgia. "One of yours for one of mine."
Rick nodded and Daryl brought forward the other officer next to Shepherd while grunting out of "Move." Carol was wheeled forward by another office on Beth's side. She was just itching to get back and when Daryl turned to push Carol away, she wanted to come from behind and hug him like she did back at the shed with the moonshine.
After Carol got over on the other side safely, it was Beth's turn. Dawn grabbed her arm harshly as her breath quickened and Rick met her in the middle with an arm around and a quick hug, comforting her and quietly letting her know that it's okay. Everything will be fine.
"Glad we could work things out," Dawn spoke. Beth didn't bother looking back. Her eyes met Daryl's as she gave him a small smile. He reached over and place his hand on her back. That small gesture meant something to Beth. However, the bliss didn't last long. "Now I just need Noah."
The whole group froze as they heard the woman across the hall speak. "Then you can leave."
Rick spoke first, turning back, followed by Beth. "That wasn't part of the deal." His voice was much more firm and demanding, as if challenging Dawn.
Dawn spoke out again, trying to justify her speech, saying "Noah was my ward. Beth took his place and I'm losing her, so I need him back. My officers put their lives on the line to find him. One of them died."
Beth cursed the cop in her head. Why is it that she has to have her way every single minute. Her conversation with Dr. Edwards comes back to her. He warned her to be careful. This is what he meant.
"No, he ain't staying," Rick replied, subconsciously reaching for his gun. "The boy wants to go home, you have no claim on him." His hand went to Noah's chest as Beth watched the scene unfold in front of her. She wanted to do something, anything, but she was hesitant.
"Well, then we don't have a deal." Beth felt rage like she had never felt it before.
"The deal is done." Rick almost shouted in the small hallway. The officers across the hall were getting visibly anxious now.
Noah stepped forward, noticing that the conversation wasn't going anywhere. Something bad would happen if nobody did anything. "It's okay," he said limping forward. Rick protested, but Noah continued. "I gotta do it." He handed Rick his gun as he walked forward to the other side.
Beth was raging. Her face was flushed in anger and she muttered, "It's not okay." She wanted to say it as loud as she could. Before Noah could walk all the way over, she shouted, "Wait!" Her arms found their way around his neck as he chuckled, hugging her back. Noah was how she got through the days at Grady Memorial, and she wanted him to know she would appreciate him for the rest of her life. She wanted to tell him that she would be back for him.
"I knew you'd come back." Beth felt all of her emotions all at once, then calm. She knew what she had to do. Noah didn't deserve this, and Dawn knew it. Nobody here deserved to work with her.
Beth's eyes flickered to Dawn. She slowly drew away from Noah, feeling the scissors in her cast. Her finger reached in to pull them out, feeling tears come to her eyes. "I get it now." She almost whispered the statement, pulling the scissors out.
It took one look down for Dawn to see the silver scissors in Beth's hand right before she lifted her hand to puncture her with them. Dawn's gun flew out of its holster right as the scissors entered her neck. A shot rang out in the hallway, temporarily deafening everyone for a short second.
Daryl heard Beth cry out as the bullet entered her leg. Dawn had lowered her arm and accidentally pulled the trigger. She shook her head as Beth fell to the ground as if it was an accident.
Daryl was the first to run forward, instinctively pulling out his gun and not hesitating to shoot Dawn in the head before helping an injured Beth off the ground. Every gun in the hall was brought out, safety's off.
"Hold your fire!" Shepherd yelled out. "It's over. It was just about her." No one moved except Daryl, moving Beth to the back of the group in case a quick getaway would be needed. She bit her tongue drawing blood, hoping to distract from the pain of the gunshot wound. "Fuck," she thought. "I'm not sorry."
Guns were lowered as Rick spoke. "We're taking Noah, as well as anyone else who wants to come. Just… step forward now." The only person that moved was Noah, back to the other side.
Dr. Edwards spoke from the back of the hall. "We have ways to help Beth. This is a hospital, after all." His voice was quiet, but determined and gentle.
"Hell, no." Daryl grunted, adjusting his grip on his arm on Beth's waist. "Give her some medicine, then we're gettin' the fuck out." Rick nodded in confirmation and agreement. Daryl looked at the back of her leg as the doctor slowly retreated to grab supplies. "There's an exit wound. It'll be okay, girl. You're here now. You're back." He spoke softly as she rested on him, unable to stand up right. Beth told herself the phrase one more time: everything will be fine.
A/N: Hi everyone! This will be a slow burn Bethyl story that is rated T for now but will eventually be M. I know I usually write Twilight fanfics, but I wanted to give this genre a try! Leave a review, constructive criticism is always welcome! Thanks!