Disclaimer – I don't own TWD only Allison and other OC's I may imagine along the way.
Note – special mention to AquaRoseWaters; GawkyTC; chelsnichole12. Thanks for the reviews guys, continue to let me know what you think!
Allison POV
I woke up with the distinct feeling that someone was watching me, I rolled over and was met with the striking blue eyes of Merle that were so familiar to me but I couldn't think where from. "You know it's rude to stare?" I asked slightly irritated
"Tryin ta decide if ya real or not" Merle answered inquisitively.
"What do you mean by that?" I thought overnight the drugs would clear his system and I could get to know the rational version of the surly man.
"Bin thinking" I snorted at that which earned me a glare but I nodded at him to continue. "How the hell did a tiny thing like ya get left here to look after ol' Merle?" I was about to answer him when I realised he wasn't finished. "Ya walk up here like it's nothing. You go back into the store crawlin' with geeks like they're regular people" Interesting Merle off drugs seemed quite a logical thinker, who knew.
"I'm immune." I answered simply, since stuttering Glen I'd decided the shortest explanation might be the easiest to digest for people.
"What's the plan for today than Angel?" Merle asked, I smiled it was too early in the morning for a thousand questions that I probably didn't have all the answers to.
"Well I think that my brother will try and make it back here within the next couple of hours, so I'm going to get the store sorted ready then I'll bring up some things to keep us entertained, how's that?" I asked, not really giving Merle much room for argument.
"I can think of something ta keep us entertained" Merle winked at me suggestively. I rolled my eyes and started getting sorted. I made sure to position the gazebo entrance so that when the group made it through the door we could see them.
"Right, I'll be back soon. You stay right here" I said condescendingly knowing how Merle's lack of movement would be an annoyance for him.
"You just wait till my brother Daryl gets here, get him to sort ya out for ya cheek little girl" with the name Daryl it suddenly all clicked; the eyes; the snarky attitude; being a redneck. For someone with an IQ of 195 you'd have thought I would have caught on quicker.
"Daryl Dixon" I breathed out loud.
5 years earlier
It has been a long day, I only have one more appointment and then I'm finally done for the day. Dr Andrews had approved my first solo medical study and I almost had my twenty research participants or Guinea pigs as I like to think of them. I had decided to research anti-body responses to biological attacks. For my project I had to give my test subjects a virus and attempt different processes to cure it. It sounded dangerous on paper but in order to reduce risks the participants were screened extensively and the virus was something that could be thought off easily. All the participants had to sign waivers saying they wouldn't sue me if something went wrong and I had to pay out a large sum in medical insurance in case someone still tried. They were also paid for their time, but the university covered that expense. It had been such a long day due to having to screen over two hundred people for a study of only twenty, offer money and you get all sorts trying to get involved. I heard the knock of the door for my last interviewee.
"Sorry thin' I got tha wrong room. Lookin' for a Dr Grimes, can ya help me?" I'd been hearing this all day as soon as someone saw how young I was they didn't believe I was Dr Grimes, although the Doctor title was new having just completed my first degree, I still insisted on it being used, just to try to assert to the other students on the course here that I was serious about my qualifications, others were offended by me considering I had just turned 15 and the next youngest on the course was 25. I looked up to meet the eyes of my last interviewee and gasped, really wishing I was 25 right now. His eyes were mesmerising, blue with little flecks of green, he looked a bit scruffy but I just found that endearing. He must have thought I'd gone crazy, "Sorry are ya sick, do you need me ta get a doctor for ya?" He asked, it wasn't a bad assumption we were in a medical training hospital.
"Sorry, you startled me" I tried to recover some of my dignity "I'm Doctor Grimes" I stood up shaking his hand making sure my name badge was angled so he would see and believe me. As our hands touched I felt a small static shock and a tingle through my body.
"Oh I'm sorry, ya not what I expected" He murmured a small blush making its way across his checks, I wondered what had caused that he didn't seem the type to get embarrassed easily. I thought his blush was cute, but I'd never say that out loud. I'd only ever had a crush once before and that was when I was seven; I'd already been skipped to tenth grade, Charlie was sixteen; had the nicest smile, and dimples. He was nice to me when the other girls had laughed at me for being a little girl surrounded by girls on the cusp of womanhood. The niceness had ended when he got called on for an answer in class; got it wrong; and I was asked to tell the class the correct answer. Being naïve I'd immediately answered with the correct answer, the teacher beamed at me and smiled telling Charlie he could learn something from me, I received the meanest glare I could remember and burst into tears right in the middle of the class with everyone laughing at me. My parents had been called in and that was when the arguments had started about sending me to a specialist school. But now standing across from Daryl I immediately felt the stirrings of a crush, I was slightly disappointed ethically I shouldn't involve him in the study now, but I decided I needed to know more about him so asked him to sit down.
After the initial health questions I began to notice more and more about Daryl that intrigued me. He wasn't your typical redneck, he seemed quite intelligent. I noted that he was 28; thirteen years older than me, it wasn't a huge age gap; however relatively speaking being fifteen made such an age gap socially unacceptable at the moment, I tried to shake my head to stop my train of thought, there was no chance that this man would ever consider me. I drew some of his blood to have a quick look under the scope, hoping there was something I could use to rule him out medically so I wouldn't have to explain the real reason I couldn't have him in the study. As soon as I looked at his blood I knew there was no way I could let Daryl walk out the door. There was something very interesting just from the initial look. I smiled at Daryl and let him know he would be in my research group there and then, thinking to myself I'd just have to control my teenage hormones. The paperwork was signed and I started to pack up for the day. We separated at the door letting Daryl know I'd see him soon.
It was dark when I left the building to walk to the apartment I had rented a ten minute walk from North Shore University hospital. I was checking the messages on my phone laughing at a text from my brother about some idiot he'd arrested today, when I was shoved hard from behind. My phone went flying into the darkness that surrounded me, I heard giggles from behind. I recognised that giggle, it was Elizabeth Oates a girl whose rich daddy had paid to get her on the course, hoping that she'd meet a doctor who would take his beauty queen reject daughter off his hands. The girl hated me for some unknown reason, I was no competition for her, she was here to entice a husband not compete with me for the top grades so I never understood her issue. I looked around and realised she wasn't alone. She had her current victim with her, Lance Jones, who was second in our class; a full grade behind me. I began to piece together the issue quickly and tried to stand up, just as I was about to Lance kicked me hard in the stomach. I feel back to the ground and curled into myself, hoping to protect myself from further attacks, my brother had taught me some basic self-defence but in this current situation all that training was useless I needed to get to my feet.
"Think you're better than me, you snot nosed little brat" Lance snarled at me whilst he continued his assault. I began to wonder how Lance could even be second in the class with the way he was reacting to me, second in a class of seventy was nothing to sniff at, maybe it was an insult to his manhood that a fifteen year old was beating him. Being the top of the class I got best pick of surgeries; the best rounds; the most praise from the professors. If he had just talked to me and got to know me, he would know that my passion was in research so soon I wouldn't be competing with him for those surgery spots.
Lance was still kicking me, I heard a snap knowing that something was broken but the pain was everywhere so I couldn't tell which bone had cracked. I felt myself slipping into unconsciousness when I heard yelling. I felt gentle arms left me up bridal style and the same tingling feeling I got earlier – Daryl. "It's ok, I'm here, stay with me" He spoke to me calmly as he carried me back towards the hospital. I really tried but the safer I felt the more I drifted off.
When I woke again it must have been several hours later the sunlight was streaming through my room, I was hooked up to various machines, the beeping of the heart monitor increasing as my panic rose. I tried looking round the room and noticed a sleeping Daryl on the chair next to the window, the room was covered in flowers, which worried me, how long have I been asleep. "Only two days" a gentle voice answered, I must have said it out loud as it was Daryl that had answered, probably woken by the louder beeping coming from the monitors.
"What happened?" I asked unsure of the events that had taken place, they played in my mind like some weird dream but I wasn't sure how much was real.
"How much do you remember?" He asked, that was what we were trained to do for trauma patients, get them to recount memories rather than telling them the facts themselves, he must have either experience in this or someone had given him instructions for when I awoke.
"Lance, he attacked me. I know something is broken" I answered, hoping my rescuer would fill in the gaps.
"Yeah. Douche bag has been arrested. They wouldn't tell me much as I'm not kin. Ya brother has been calling but can't get here till tomorra so I said I'd stay in case ya woke." I was sad Rick wasn't here for me to wake up to but it was a long journey between New York and Georgia, I only did the trip twice a year and I hated it, 14 hours cooped on a bus with crying children and smelly old men, my brother and I hated to fly and Rick would never let me drive all that way on my own. I felt giddy at the fact Daryl had stayed with me. "I can't stay ta meet him gotta head back home for a couple a week's my brother decided to get himself arrested again" He'd mentioned his brother in his family history, I could tell he loved him dearly despite his brother's lack of regard for law and society rules.
"Thankyou" I paused, those words having so much meaning then just thanks for the information. "Could you pass me my chart, it should be in the holder at the end of the bed" He dutifully did as instructed. To untrained people medical charts look like a load of squiggles, right now I was wishing I didn't know how to read it. I had two broken bones one in my arm which wasn't too bad and would heal in a couple of weeks, the other was my leg; the break was bad and would need surgery to correct if I was ever going to get full mobility back. My ribs were bruised and they were slightly concerned about a blow to my head which would be assessed once I was awake. I had lacerations and bruises covering 80% of my body and had lost a lot of blood during the attack from a knife wound to my other leg, I knew from the description that if I had gotten any further from the hospital I wouldn't have made it. I must have been blacked out for that, I don't remember him having a knife, I needed to ask more about that. I made a note that my attending physician was Dr Roberts, my mentor. This must be hard for him, since I'd come here just over a year ago he'd taken me under his wing and treat me like a daughter sometimes. I was already looking forward to the ethical debate I would have with him about him being my doctor. "Are you ok?" He looked at me like I was crazy for even asking him, considering the position I was in. I rolled my eyes and continued, "It says he stabbed me, you weren't' hurt were you?" I asked very concerned for him.
"Don't ya worry about me love," My heart fluttered a bit when he called me that and I was betrayed by the heart monitor, he looked at it wearily before continuing, "I've been in worse scraps. You just concentrate on getting better so you can do your research thing and pay me" he smiled showing that was not all he cared about but I let him use it as a cover anyway. I hoped I would still be able to continue my research project. With injuries like these I wouldn't be operating or assisting with rounds for a while so the project would be the only thing I would be capable of doing. Before we could converse anymore I heard the unmistakeable sound of Dr Roberts' cane approaching.
"How's our patient today?" He asked Daryl before glancing at me, when he saw I was awake I've never seen him smile so big. "Oh Allison, I'm so glad to see those big blue eyes of yours" he spoke fondly. I smiled at him.
"Nice to see you too Doctor Roberts, now when can I get out of here?" I asked with a sense of urgency.
"True, what they say, Doctors do make the worst patients." Dr Roberts said with a smile still on his face. "Got a few more tests to run, as I'm sure you can see from your chart" he answered gesturing to the metal chart still held in my hands. "Your surgery is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon so your brother should arrive a couple of hours before that." He chuckled to himself, "made the mistake of giving him my private cell number he's been ringing nearly every …." Dr Roberts was interrupted by the sound of my lab song coming from his cell 'Numb' by Linkin Park. "Oh speak of the devil" he said before answering. I was heart warmed by the fact he must have remembered the song I had on in the lab on constant loop to keep me motivated, he'd commented it just sounded like white noise at the time. "Hello Richard" He answered his cell, he always made me giggle when he refused to use shortened versions of anyone's name. "Why yes big change, one moment I'll pass you on." He looked at me expectantly and passed me the phone.
"Hey BB" I breathed out using our nickname
"Oh Allie-Cat. I'm so pleased you're awake. I'm sorry I'm not there yet, I'm going to take a flight tomorrow." I was shocked ever since 9/11 Rick had refused to get on a plane especially to New York, it wasn't a complete irrational fear, Rick had won a trip to LA through the sheriffs' departments charity gala, the flights he would have taken were to Boston then onto LA. His connecting flight was one of the hijacked planes. Rick had postponed and subsequently never taken the trip due to Carl getting a really bad case of measles. It sometimes makes me sick about how close I came to losing him, so for Rick to get on a plane for me both filled me with love and fear. "How are you feeling? Have the police interviewed you yet?" My brother returned to cop mode quickly it seemed.
"I'm in a lot of pain at the moment; Doctor Roberts was just telling me about the surgery tomorrow. My rescuer has been keeping an eye on me, but no police so far." I said giving Rick as much information as possible.
"Ok Allie-Cat I will see you tomorrow, can you pass me to the man that saved you please." I was confused as to why he didn't ask for Daryl by name but just left it for now. I passed the phone to Daryl and he got up and left the room, probably embarrassed to be heard having a conversation with my brother.
"Right, whilst your knight in shining armour is out the room let's have a look how everything's healing shall we." Dr Roberts checked my head injury asking me several questions to check for any brain damage or concussion as he inspected my other injuries. I saw the look of worry come over his face when he looked at my leg especially when I had no feeling past my knee. I knock came at the door and Dr Roberts left for a couple of minutes. When he returned he looked very concerned. "We need to move the surgery to today Allison" Dr Roberts said with a note of trepidation. I knew something must be wrong if he's going to do that. "I'll go get everything set up, the police are here to talk to you right now so I'll let them come in." I wondered why he'd waited until now to let me know about the police being in the building, he must be trying to distract me.
Dr Roberts left the room and two officers entered one was a man who immediately reminded me of Shane, whilst the other was a woman obviously there in case anything more than a beating had happened. I'd seem them around the hospital a couple of times in the emergency department, they must have this hospital as their specific area. "Good Morning Allison pleased to see you're awake. I'm Officer Daniels, this is Officer McDaid" The male officer greeted; being around Shane a lot growing up I recognised the condescending tone of his voice and I immediately felt on edge. Due to my age and gender I doubt this man would ever take me seriously.
"It's Dr Grimes, Officer Daniels, It's good to be awake; now what is happening with the investigation?" I made sure to sound confident when I spoke as not to give him any way to intimidate me.
"A Lance Jones is in custody, however, a reliable witness claims the attacker was the man sitting with you the past two days. We're just here to get your statements so that poor Lance can be released and Daryl Dixon can be taken in for processing." I nearly choked; how could they even think that? I started to panic wondering if that's why Daryl hadn't come back into the room yet. Had they already arrested him? Was he thinking I would say it was him to avoid the backlash at school? I could hear the heart monitor going crazy and knew I needed to calm down.
"If by reliable witness you mean Elizabeth Oates, she's screwing the guy so she's about as reliable as an umbrella during a hurricane." I paused for a second quite pleased with my metaphor. "Daryl saved me, Lance started attacking me because he's not happy that a 15 year old is beating him in class, have you even checked the CCTV yet, it happened in the parking lot." I noticed the officers looked slightly embarrassed about this, obviously they hadn't done their jobs properly it was easier to blame the redneck over the medical student.
"I will leave Office McDaid with you to collect your statement." Officer Daniels stuttered out quickly before leaving the room. I completed my statement as quickly as possible making sure that the Officer knew if it wasn't for Daryl I don't think I would be able to be sitting here talking right now. The Officer smiled at me reassuringly throughout my whole statement; I liked her a lot better than Officer Daniels
"Where's Daryl?" I asked once the statement was completed.
"My colleague went to get him released from the hospital custody room, he may still be in trouble he tried to punch one of the arresting Officers" she said sympathetically.
"Of course he did, how would you feel if you were being arrested for saving someone?" I asked rhetorically. Before she could reply an angry looking Daryl re-entered the room. If it was possible I swear you could see the steam coming off his head. Our eyes met and he immediately seemed to calm down.
"I'll leave you now Dr Grimes, I hope for a speedy recovery for you" Officer McDaid nodded to Daryl and then left the room. Daryl didn't speak for the longest time; I was worried he was angry at me for some of what had transpired the past few days.
"Are you OK?" He laughed at me
"That's the second time ya have asked that and you're the one layin' in a hospital bed" he gawked at me the sudden tension in the room dissolving. We didn't get to talk much more, Dr Roberts returned to wheel me into surgery and Daryl said goodbye obviously planning on leaving to spend time with his brother before he was sent down.
4 years ago
My conclusion was done, all the research labelled and added into a clear presentation. I grinned like a Cheshire cat I was so pleased. Thankfully the hospital board had granted me the extension so I could delay the start of my research project; but me being me I still finished it before the original deadline. I looked at the time and realised I was running late for my 'date', it wasn't really a date; I just liked to call it that in my head. Since my attack Daryl has been meeting me for coffee every two weeks to get an update on how my project was going. Once my leg was fully healed, for which I was told was a miracle in itself, Daryl started teaching me self-defence. He was quite pleased I knew the basics but he taught me so much in the last six months that if anyone tried to attack me again it would be them going to the hospital. Last weekend he had taken me hunting, showed me how to use a crossbow and taught me how to track a little, things had gotten a bit awkward at one point when I'd tripped and he'd landed on top of me, I thought for the tiniest moment he might kiss me. I'd turned sixteen just over five months ago so my mind was constantly wondering if he would consider dating me to see if this connection we shared could go anywhere.
I arrived at Starbucks just in time but Daryl wasn't here, that wasn't like him. He was always here before me no matter how early I tried to be. I waited an hour before I gave up thinking something must have come up, Daryl said he repelled all technology so he never used a cell phone so I'd have to go over to the apartment he rented in the city to see if he was ok. It was a tiny apartment on a dodgy side of town. As I crossed the street I saw something that made me laugh. Cleaning one of the tables outside of McDonalds was Elisabeth Oates, after the attack she along with Lance had been kicked off the course; the court case had been quick thankfully with Lance pleading guilty so I didn't have to testify; he got ten years. Elisabeth narrowly avoided prison for giving a false statement, but due to her daddy's money her lawyer managed to clear that, last I heard she was knocked up and wasn't sure if it was Lance's or the lawyers I assume it must have been Lance's if she's now working at McDonalds. Thankfully Elisabeth didn't see me, but I was even more motivated to see Daryl, he'd get a laugh out of her misfortune, not that working in McDonalds was a bad thing but for Elisabeth it must have been a fate she never imagined for herself.
I knocked on the door to Daryl's apartment and was greeted by Shona a lovely black lady in her late sixties who was Daryl's landlady. "Oh sorry hunni, Daryl's gone"
"What do you mean gone?" I asked worriedly
"He left last night, gave me his notice and packed up, seemed to be in a hurry too" She said obviously correctly guessing I didn't know. I felt my eyes well up with tears. He'd left not said goodbye and that was that. I just nodded at Shona and ran back down the street. I heard her shouting my name but I couldn't stop, it felt like I'd been stabbed in the chest it hurt so badly. Daryl had been my rock for the last year; my best-friend and confidant. I don't think even Rick knew me as well as Daryl.
With Daryl's departure I through myself even further into my studies. The presentation of my research project was met with thunderous applause. I had to stop myself from crying when I showed test subject 8's results which was Daryl. His blood had very unique properties, he was immune to several of the more deadly virus' out there and his blood seemed to adapt to various pathogens that were added to his sample. Extracting his antibodies I'd developed a vaccine for one of the more common types of flu, when I had told Daryl that his blood had helped add to the list of flu strains that now had a vaccine he'd flushed proud like a peacock, I remember smacking him on the back of the head to stop his ego inflating any more. A couple of my other test subjects had interesting blood but none more so than Daryl.
After my presentation was complete I said goodbye to New York and headed home for the summer, Rick was insisting I go to a high school prom with Shane's cousin, like that would be any fun. After the summer I'd be heading to John Hopkins in Maryland, leaving behind memories of the attack, and of Daryl.
Present
"Ya know me brother?" Merle asked me pulling me out of my reminiscing.
"You could say that," I said with a smile, "did he ever mention saving a medical student five years ago?" I asked him hoping beyond hope that I was important enough to Daryl to mention me to his brother.
"You're Allie?" He said almost in reverence, his tone shocked me, Daryl must have mentioned me a lot. "Oh the beatin' he gave me for not passin' on tha' letta." Before I could ask what letter he continued. "Oh Allie, I thin' I luv ya, but I'm not good enuf for ya, gonna get a good job an' come back for ya." Merle recounted in a sickly sweet voice obviously not as happy about his brother's declaration as I now was. It felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest. Merle could see the smile on my face, "Where'd ya go, he came back lookin' for ya and Hospital wouldn't say where ya'd gone." He asked, obviously being the good brother and checking out my back story for his brother's benefit.
"I moved to Maryland, my research project won me a grant to study there for free at John Hopkins." His eyes went wide, everyone knew John Hopkins was one of the best medical research schools in the country. "I had no way of getting in touch with Daryl, I thought he left me behind and forgot about me." I muttered sadly.
Two hours later the shop was secured, I gathered a few things together to pass the time with Merle. He talked me into playing poker probably thinking I'd be no good, but it was one of the things Daryl taught me, which he quickly realised when I won the first hand. Because we had nothing to play for we decided to play for stories, if I won, he'd have to tell me a story about Daryl, if he won, I had to tell him about the Daryl I knew. We'd been playing for four hands when a suddenly noticed my brother come through the door, next to him he had Glenn and just to the left of him stood Daryl. I saw Daryl mouth Allie, with that everything came flooding back, all the happy times we'd shared, the lingering glances him holding me as he instructed me how to fire the bolt out of a crossbow. I jumped up nearly knocking the table over raced up to Daryl, jumped into his arms and kissed him like he was the last man on earth. As first kisses go it was epic, the amount of love pouring from both of us could make a blind man see it. It felt like we were the only two people in the world. As I separated from him after nearly forgetting to breathe I was met by the cocky grin of Merle, the shocked expression of Glenn and the furious face of my brother.
Hope you like it remember to review it only takes a minute. Coming up Daryl point of view and a look at what is happening at the quarry. Just remembered how to add horizontal lines added to hopefully make the story easier to read.
