After Rick's somewhat dramatic revelation, Daryl sat at the back of the boxcar to think. He could feel everyone's eyes on him as he walked and he made sure to look them all in the eye, until he came to Maggie. He wasn't surprised really, how could he face her after what he had let happen to her father? After what he had let happen to Beth.
How long ago had it been now? Two weeks? A month? The days had begun to fuse into one as he tried to settle into the new group that consisted of a bunch of pricks, the biggest one being called Joe.
Joe would have been considered elderly compared to the rest of his posse, something that had initially surprised Daryl when he had first had the misfortune to encounter them. Daryl had thought that Joe must have taken a shining to him after thinking he had survived on his own for so long, or perhaps it had been because he had intended to kill Daryl and steal his crossbow afterward? He still wasn't sure what the fuck happened.
He had been searching for Beth who had gone missing only a day or so before when he had come across the what would have been in the old world, bikers. Sure, the majority of them had welcomed him, but that one guy … What was his name? It was funny, at the time that dick had been at the top of his 'Major Problems' list and now he hadn't the slightest clue of what his name was. Daryl racked his brains as he tried to but a name to a face, but all he could see was the state of the fucker's face after he'd been beaten to death.
Daryl was dragged from his reverie by a new presence that sat beside him, he knew who it was before she even spoke. Maggie.
"Beth's not with you?" This was possibly the worst he had ever heard the now eldest Greene. Had it not been obvious that her darling sister wasn't with him?
"Does it look like she is?" Daryl spat next to him and only realised how bad of an idea it had been afterwards, he'd make sure he didn't sleep there.
"Don't snap at me." He could hear the aggression in Maggie's tone heighten, but he honestly couldn't bring himself to tolerate her at the present moment.
"She was your responsibility an' I was the one who was stuck with her." Perhaps 'stuck' had been the wrong word, but his response had been meant to wound her so he didn't feel all that guilty. Yet.
"She … Is she alive?" If his attack had angered her she didn't show it, but her eyes locked onto his and he found it hard look away as she studied his features.
"I don't know." He was talking through clenched teeth without even realising now.
"What do you mean you don't know?" The anger that had previously laced her voice was back and this time was doused in a fresh coat of malice.
"I mean, whilst you ran off to find your little boyfriend, Beth went to find Judith but it was too late. I found her. We were together an' she was desperate to find you, did you bother to find her? She got taken when I went to take on some walkers, so I tried to track her. I couldn't."
The confession hung in the stale air, he didn't bother to look at Maggie, he didn't care. He pretended not to notice when she wiped her eyes on the back of her hands and he ignored her when she threw an obscenity at him, it wasn't like she could make him feel any worse than he already felt.
Daryl rested his head against the cold metal and looked up. He may as well have had his eyes closed it was that dark in this corner of the cart, not that he didn't like it, it just made it easier to sleep.
Or it would have if people stopped talking for five minutes. The cart echoed every time someone snored and with someone like Abraham there was no way anyone was sleeping.
Daryl heard quiet footsteps tiptoe over the threshold and make their way to him, but he could tell from their light movements it was Carl. He listened out for the boy, frowning as he realised that he was laying next to him.
"Daryl?" Daryl would be plain stupid if he didn't notice the fear in Carl's voice, perhaps the most frightened he had ever heard him. It just reminded him of how much the lanky kid had actually grown since he knew him.
"Yeah?" He was surprised to find that his voice was laced in sleep, had he been asleep? His daydreams and nightmares were pretty much the same now.
"We're gonna get out of here, right?"
"'Course." Daryl reached out slowly and gently ruffled Carl's hair.
The boy soon fell silent and Daryl supposed he was trying to ssleep, so he let his mind drift as he tried to do the same.
"We could stay here forever, me and you." Beth risks a sidelong glance at the man beside her. She notices that his hair shines with a red tint in the lamplight when he turns to look out of the window.
"Wha'?" His voice is distracted, concentration consumed by looking out for nearby walkers.
"I said, we could live here forever." Her voice is less confident now that she has been asked to repeat herself so to combat this she twists her hair around her finger, grimacing as she realises how greasy it is.
"Hm," Daryl turns and faces straight ahead, resting his the knuckles of his left hand in his mouth, Beth has noticed he does this when he's uncomfortable or deep in thought. "Guess so."
"Would you want to?" Beth turns in her chair in order to get a better look at him and to her surprise, he doesn't shy away.
"Guess I'd have t'live with you." Beth catches a sidelong smirk and nudges him in response. "Don't know how much of tha' I could handle." His smirk grows and so does the strength of her shove, they both turn to look at each other and they both fall silent, smiles fading.
Beth awoke with a start. Her heart pounded and her eyes watered under the harsh artificial light. Where was she?
She could just about hear voices, they sounded distant but something told her they were closer and it was then she realised how blocked her ears were and for one out of body moment she felt like she was underwater. Beth quickly snapped her eyes shut and feigned sleep as she tried to listen.
"... She's been here a while now, found her near a funeral home," a male's voice made it's way passed through her ears, though it sounded distorted. "Perhaps I shouldn't have drugged her."
"I don't know where you found a drug so strong and in that case, no you shouldn't have. It could prove to be useful." Another male's voice was heard, he sounded older than man #1 but not by much. Perhaps he was a teacher?
"Will she wake up?" Man #1 actually sounded concerned and as his voice grew clearer, the memories came flooding back.
She and Daryl hadn't been at the funeral home for very long, but it had felt like weeks. They were beginning to know the place off by heart, whether they needed to go down into the embalming room for whatever reason or up a flight upstairs to get to the bedroom and it felt like home.
Beth recalled they were sat at the wooden table near the piano with an array of sweet treats littering the surface. They had just finished their 'dinner' when they slipped into one of their regular discussions about the type of people who lived in the world now and how the apocalypse had changed them all so much. Daryl stated there were no good people left in the world, but Beth disagreed.
Then there was the sound of a rustling at the door and they had been foolish enough to think that the dog from earlier had come back. It hadn't. What greeted Daryl at the door instead was horde of walkers, more than either of them could take down. He had called for her to run outside, but she didn't want to. That was her clearest memory of that night. That she shouldn't have left him alone back there.
But she had run, she ran as fast her injured foot would carry her before stopping at a safe distance to turn around to ensure Daryl was right behind her. She hadn't even noticed the car coming until strong arms pulled her inside and a needle found its way to her neck. Then it was dark.
Maybe Daryl had made it too … The thought presented itself so fiercely that she completely forgot she was pretending to be asleep and she sat bolt upright, but her body was a tangle of wires that constricted her movements,
"Woah, hold it …" It was Man #2. Gentle hands found their way to her shoulders and guided her back down to the pillow whilst Man #1 untangled the wires around her body.
"What's your name, sweetheart?" Beth focussed her vision and forced her heart rate to slow down, she had to keep reminding herself to breathe.
"Beth." Why did she tell them her real name? These people who had stolen her from the only person she knew was still alive in this piece of shit world and here she was, telling them about herself. It felt like she was betraying Daryl. Daryl would have made up a name.
"Alright, Beth. My name is Derrick, and that over there is Kyle, okay?" Derrick was the older man. He had a kind face with an even kinder smile, he was gentle and soft, made to be a Doctor really, just like her daddy.
Kyle waved at her from the other side of the bed and she was surprised to see that he wasn't actually much older than herself. He seemed to have the same looks at Derrick so she supposed that Derrick was his father, it would make sense for them both to be doctors anyway.
"Why am I here?" Another pang of betrayal for Daryl resonated through her and she shook her head slightly. "I mean, is my friend here too?" Beth looked around, her eyes sweeping the beds beside her, surely if he was here he would be next to her?
"You were the only one brought to us …" Beth didn't miss the uneasy glance Kyle threw across to Derrick.
Beth wasn't surprised, but a sinking feeling still grew in the pit of her stomach and she had to inhale deeply to keep herself calm. She was here alone and Daryl … Where was he?
"Now that you're awake, we need to get you up and dressed, there's someone here who wants to see you." Derrick explained as helped Beth up from her bed. He walked with her, holding her arm to steady her as he guided her towards the showers.
"There's a chair, incase you feel faint." The older man offered, smiling as he did so. He gave her a small bundle of clothes and left her alone.
It was a large room, bare completely apart from the showerhead and chair that was built into the wall. Beth undressed after locking the door and unfolded the chair as she sat down, delicately. There was already a protective film across the seat, which she was grateful for. She quickly hit the notch on the shower and hot water cascaded from the showerhead and in no time at all it was impossible to distinguish what was water and what were tears.
