I don't own the Walking Dead or anything or anyone having to do with it. I am simply borrowing the characters.
Chapter 4
Officer Shepard came to talk to Beth the next morning apologizing for the way she was previously treated and extoling the virtues of the new Grady Memorial Hospital. It was abundantly clear to Beth that the officer was actually sorry for what had happened but, as she told Shepard she wasn't going to change her mind. She was leaving and no amount of nay saying was going to convince her to stay. During her conversation with Shepard several things became obvious to Beth and she was able to formulate her plan around that information. While she didn't believe that they would actually stop her if she tried to leave she didn't think they would help her leave the hospital either. Therefore, over the next several days as she gained strength and recovered she began to pilfer useful items from around the building. She was no longer afraid of doing so, Shepard wasn't Dawn, if anyone found out she figured she might get a stern talking to at worst and most likely the response would be another plea about not leaving for the baby's sake.
As she began to help around the hospital once more, with the new freedom and relaxed atmosphere, she was able to locate several important storage areas. On her first day back to helping out she found the clothing storage area and in it what was left of her clothing. Unfortunately she wasn't sure anything would actually fit her anymore so after grabbing her beloved cowboy boots she scrounged through the clothing and pulled out a pair of black jeans, a plain black cotton t-shirt, a dark gray long sleeve over shirt, and a dark gray heavy wool sweater. It was early fall after all and she had no idea how long she'd be on the road. She made sure everything was large enough that it would fit for a while and she'd grabbed an extra pair of stretchy yoga pants just in case.
Two days later she's found the weapons locker and later that night when everyone else was sleeping she'd helped herself to items from within. Much to her frustration she wasn't able to find her knife, the one that had become almost an extension of herself, but she was able to locate a similar one that was razor sharp, so she begrudgingly settled for that along with its sheath. She took her time sorting through the guns looking for something that came with a silencer. A gun was a homing beacon for both walkers and humans without a silencer and she didn't want to be easily located. Finally she located both a gun and silencer along with several boxes of ammunition. She stashed all of those items in her room along with the clothing she had chosen.
She was able to execute the final step in her readiness plan the following night when she snuck into the cafeteria and filled an old backpack that she had found with nonperishable foods. Shepard wasn't nearly as stingy with the food as Dawn had been so Beth found plenty to pilfer. She had no idea how much she would need so she took as much as she felt she could without it being noticed. After completing her preparations Beth turned her attention to actually figuring a way out of the old hospital. She knew she couldn't go down the elevator shaft again. She had fallen the last few feet the first time she had tried that and now she was noticeably pregnant making her even a little more unwieldy. She couldn't and wouldn't risk anything happening to her baby so she needed to find a safer way out.
She knew the officers were getting out of the hospital somehow so she unobtrusively began to watch them in order to figure out their patterns. In a little under a week she figured out that most often they went through the parking garage but, sometimes they went out a side down and down several flights of stairs to the yard below where several other cars were kept. They were the backup cars and since they were in the gated yard the officers almost always left the keys in the ignition.
After her initial conversation with Shepard Beth avoided all talk of leaving the hospital. She wasn't going to lie but, she wanted to lull everyone into thinking she had accepted staying. She needed them to relax around her in order for her to pull off her plan. A little over two weeks after she had woken from her coma she made her move.
One of the things Beth had learned by watching was that the officers and staff at Grady felt secure enough to not assign a watch at night. Officers patrolled the streets around the hospital but, they did not keep watch at the hospital itself. Therefore, Beth felt the safest time to leave would be in the middle of the night. Just after midnight she eased from her bed and began to dress. She donned all of her clothing, secured her knife at her hip on her belt, and slung her backpack over her shoulder, before picking up her boots and padding out the door in her stocking clad feet. Just before she exited into the main hallway she tucked her very luminescent blonde hair up under a black wool hat. The heavy wool boot socks protected her feet from the cold hospital floors as she silently slunk down the hallway. Daryl had taught her a lot about stealth and silence and she moved like a shadow in the dimly lit corridors.
Reaching Officer Shepard's office she slowly eased the door open just enough for her slide into the room before closing it quietly behind herself. There was a quiet click as the door latch caught before she eased her pack off her shoulder and moved towards the single desk in the center of the room. Reaching it she rummaged through the drawers quietly before locating a ring of keys. Unlike Dawn Shepard was organized so each key was clearly labeled. A triumphant smile graced Beth's features as she found the key for the padlock on the courtyard gate. Removing only that key from the ring she slipped it into her pocket before closing the drawer quietly and exiting the room. Scooping up her pack and boots she slipped out into the hallway once more before making her way towards the stairwell she needed. She was almost there when voices drifted down the dark corridor towards her. She had carefully examined each step of her plan in preparation so unflustered she moved towards a dark hiding space around a nearby corner. In preparation she had examined everything that could go wrong and come up with a contingency plan. She slowed her breathing as the voices came closer and she held her breath altogether as two wards walked past in deep conversation.
The wards were no longer fearful of retribution from the officers and they now moved about relatively relaxed. It was abnormal for them to be up at night but, not unheard of. When they reached the end of the hallway they both turned left and disappeared. Beth waited several moments before slowly peeking her head out. Finding the hallway empty once more she tiptoed towards the stairwell before easing the door open as quietly as she could. With quiet efficiency she jogged down the five flights of stairs before pausing at the door that would lead out into the courtyard. She took a moment to pull on her boots before looking out the window to assess the courtyard. It was dark and silent with three cars parked near the chain link fence. A black mustang caught her attention and she knew without a doubt that she would be grabbing that car. It wouldn't be the most gas efficient but, she'd always wanted to drive one. As she eased out the double doors a strange sense of déjà vu assailed her and the odd little butterfly feeling she would get in her stomach occasionally kicked up. She dropped a hand to her belly almost unconsciously and caressed it for a moment before shrugging off the suffocating feeling surrounding her. She had a mission and she needed to move. Striding purposefully but, quietly to the gate she unlocked the padlock and swung the gate noiselessly open. Reaching the mustang she opened the driver's side door and tossed her pack across the vehicle into the passenger seat. Sliding into the driver's seat she reached for the keys in the ignition and she wasn't disappointed. Turning them the car roared to a start and Beth wasted no time in slamming it into drive. She was outside the courtyard gate in seconds and she slammed the car into park as she swung out to close the gate. She wasn't a monster and she wouldn't leave these people open to attack. Quickly relocking the gate she threw the key over the fence and well into the courtyard before sliding back into the car and gunning the engine.
She cautiously drove down the dark streets of Atlanta with her feet itching to press the gas pedal just a little harder. She wanted to be out of Atlanta and away from Grady for good but, she knew she wasn't clear yet. Holding her nerves in check she drove keeping an eye out for other vehicles headlights or herds of walkers. She didn't encounter any and less than an hour later she excited the city's outskirts.
Pulling off to the side of the road for a minute she took a second to appreciate what she had just done. She was free. Finally free and she had done it on her own. Reaching up she pulled the wool cap from her head tossing it onto the seat beside her. Shaking her hair out she ran her fingers through it as she thought about her next steps. She was still a little startled by the length of her hair but, Edwards had told her they'd needed to cut it when they couldn't untangle or clean it after she was shot. She consoled herself with the knowledge that it would grow back eventually. After giving herself just a moment she reached into her pack and withdrew the map she had hidden there. Unfolding it she reached for a small flashlight that she snapped on and stuck between her teeth. Using both hands to manipulate the map she considered her options. Her plan had gone exactly right but, she had planned contingencies just in case. None of them were necessary now so she could follow her original plan which was to head north on 85 towards Virginia. She had no idea how long the highway would be passable but, she knew her family, and she knew that if Noah expressed a desire to go home to Virginia to them as he had her then they would take him. He had promised a secure community after all and it wasn't like they had anything left here in Georgia.
She wasn't sure exactly where she was going in Virginia, having never been further north than the Outer Banks for a summer vacation and she knew it might be like looking for a needle in a hay stack but, she had fairly good directions from Noah and she had to try. Daryl had taught her how to track and now she was going to have to use all of those skills to locate her family. Flicking off the flash light she tossed both it and the map onto the seat beside her before easing the car back onto the highway and beginning the long journey north.
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Beth traveled in the mustang for almost a day before she hit a traffic snarl she was unable to navigate around near Charlotte. She sat for almost ten minutes considering her options as she tapped anxious fingers against the steering wheel. She could either leave the car and travel on foot or she could try to go around the snarl and loop back onto 85 north. While it made sense to abandon the car and continue to travel a straight path north Beth decided against that option. Being that she was on her own she felt it was smarter to hang onto the mustang as long as possible even if it meant losing time by traveling around the traffic snarl. In the end she might still need to leave the car but, she decided it was worth the chance. Her decision paid off when she only lost six hours going around Charlotte. However, she only traveled a few more hours before hitting another impassible spot on the highway. She detoured again, and again, and again over the next several days loath to abandon the car. She had learned how to siphon gas that long ago winter after the farm and before the prison and she utilized the skill several times over the ten days it took her to travel from Georgia to Virginia. She mused more than once that before the fall of civilization the trip would only have taken about a day. Now it took ten times that due to multiple detours and having to stop for long stretches of time to search for both fuel and food.
Beth didn't mind the time alone though, it was freeing and peaceful in a way she never would have imagined. It gave her time think about what she might expect to find when she was finally able to locate her family. Edwards had told her when she had first awoken that it had been eight weeks since she had been shot. By her count it had been roughly a little over three weeks since then. Three months was a long time to be separated in this unpredictable world and she had no idea what might have changed since her "death". While she was worried about Maggie she was comforted by the fact that her sister had Glenn. She wasn't alone and she knew Glenn would look out for her. Daryl on the other hand was the person she was most worried about. The man had been through so much already and she hadn't been ignorant to the fact that he had latched onto her like a drowning man would a life preserver in a storm during their time alone together. She had become his beacon of hope in an otherwise meaningless and empty world. She partly understood that Daryl's feelings had been because they were alone and separated from the rest of the group but, she knew that it was more than that as well. She wasn't a silly romantic, not anymore anyway, and she knew their moments together had been about need not love or any other silly romantic ideal but, the experience had forged a tie between them. A bond of mutual respect, understanding, and reliance that they had both come to understand intrinsically and it had not required them to talk about it, they had just known it to be true. It was an unbreakable connection forged by something even more permanent than an expression of fickle feelings, it had been forged by unique shared experiences between just the two of them. Shared experiences, especially those of a traumatic nature, tended to forge a connection between two people that others would never understand and Beth felt that was what had happened between her and Daryl.
Daryl and Beth had been alone together when they found what was left of the bodies of those poor innocent children, alone when Beth had had her first drink, alone when Daryl had finally broken down and lowered his walls to Beth, alone when they had shared themselves fully with each other for the first time, alone when Daryl taught her the skills she would need to survive, and alone at the funeral home as they had started to discover not who they were but, who they were meant to be. They had been alone together for close to two months and no one could ever understand what that time had been like for them, when they had wondered if they were the only two people left from their family, if they were truly alone for good. Of course Beth knew that Daryl had found the rest of their family, Carol had told her the story in hushed quick snips of conversation after the older woman had awoken from her coma, while they were waiting to be exchanged. However, Beth had also understood from what Carol hadn't said that Daryl had only told the others so much about what had happened while he and Beth had been separated from them. Carol had unwittingly revealed to Beth that Daryl had been frantic to locate her and that he had been willing to abandon the rest of the group without a second thought if it meant following a lead that might result in discovering where she was. Carol had simply been in the right place at the right time when the car with the white cross had driven by and she had understood that Daryl couldn't be allowed to go off halfcocked on his own without backup.
Beth had also detected in her brief conversation with the older woman Carol's confusion at Daryl's very out of character frantic behavior. After recounting the story of her Carol had finally concluded in a nonchalant way, " I guess it's like Sophia for him all over again. He's desperate to rescue you because he failed her and Daryl isn't a man who takes failure well. He obviously views you like a little sister and you definitely mean something to him. He's worried about letting the group down, letting your sister down, if he can't find you since he holds himself responsible for losing you."
Beth had had trouble schooling her features at Carol's confident declaration. She had a lot of respect for Carol and what the older woman had overcome but, she couldn't be further from the mark in her assessment of Daryl's frantic behavior. Beth knew that Carol thought she understood Daryl better than anyone else in their family because of their shared similar history but, Beth understood that that history was exactly what kept Carol from truly understanding Daryl and his motivations. Carol like everyone else in their family assumed that Daryl had hunted for Sophia so vehemently because of his connection to Carol. Beth always the observant people watcher had never understood that logic. It was clear to her even way back then that something much more personal had been driving Daryl's fixation with finding the little girl. Now after all the time she had spent with Daryl she had come to understand the hunter's motivation. Daryl had hunted for Sophia not for Carol but, instead for himself. In Daryl's eyes Sophia represented him at a much younger age, a vulnerable young child who had grown up in abusive household with mother who couldn't or wouldn't offer her protection. Beth understood the psychology behind abuse and abusive relationships and she was so very proud of Carol for finally breaking away from that cycle but, it didn't discount the past and what had happened to Sophia while she grew up with Ed as a father. Beth understood that that was Daryl's connection to the child. No one had ever cared enough to try to save him and he couldn't let the same be said of that little girl. At his very core, even though he would ardently deny it, Daryl was a savior. The type of man who dedicated his life to helping others, even at his own expense, and he took each failure as a personal slight to himself. That's why Daryl had been so crushed by Sophia's death because in the end he wasn't able to save her any more than he had been able to save himself all those years ago.
Beth wasn't sure what Carol believed about her own relationship with Daryl but, Beth had also figured out why his connection to Carol was important to the hunter. After pondering the relationship for a while and several long late night conversations with the hunter Beth had finally put the pieces together, even though she wasn't sure that the hunter understood his affinity for the older woman. To Daryl Carol represented the mother he hadn't been able to save. He had an overwhelming sense of guilt over his perceived abandonment of his mother on the day that she had ultimately ended her own life. Whether the act had been voluntary or not had mattered little to Daryl. He would always believe in his heart that if he'd been there he could have done something to save her. In Carol Daryl had found a woman who was a representation of the mother he had failed and second chance to save her.
Beth knew that Daryl's fixation with finding her had nothing to do with seeing her as a little sister or a substitute Sophia. He certainly didn't view her as a little anything as her current predicament illustrated but, she hadn't been about to divulge that information to Carol. Even though Beth was certain she understood Daryl's link to Carol she wasn't sure she understood Carol's to the hunter. Therefore, she hadn't been about to tell the older woman that she was quite certain Daryl was acquainted with her very womanly assets and that he didn't view her as a little sister or a little anything for that matter. She wasn't insensitive to others feelings and with Carol still weak and recovering she hadn't wanted to risk hurting the other woman's feelings or shocking her.
Beth had also understood very early on that Daryl's bond with her actually had to do with the fact that she was the antithesis of Sophia and therefore Daryl himself. While Daryl had grown a considerable amount over the last several years in many ways he was still that abandoned and abused little boy from his youth. He was unsure of himself, afraid to trust, and he harbored deep seated feelings of inadequacy and loneliness that he had yet to grow past. His emotional vulnerability made him volatile in the extreme and he was constantly pushing back at those he loved looking for someone who would absorb that energy and not hurl it right back at him. In a way he had found that in Rick but, the connection while very familial, didn't satisfy the hunters deep seated need for intimacy. Beth had watched him tip toe around Carol for years always looking to forge a deeper connection but, ever mindful of her past trauma. Daryl had always held back a part of himself around Carol clearly very aware of the damage he could unwittingly inflict upon his friend should he really let himself go. With Beth Daryl had finally found the intimacy he had been craving. He could completely let himself go, a necessity for bringing his inadequacies to the surface, and she could confidently absorb all that negativity without taking it personally. She could look past his hateful words, overt aggression, and posturing and see the scared little boy who just wanted someone with whom he could be safe. She had provided a safe harbor for Daryl, a place where he could moor in a storm, and that was why he had connected to her so deeply. He had finally found someone with whom he wasn't afraid to be honest, someone that saw him and understood him, and wasn't going to shy away from what that meant. Someone who could see who he really was through all that pain and insecurity and who had the wherewithal and emotional confidence to drag that person from within him even if he was kicking and screaming and fighting the whole way.
Carol had been searching trying to understand Daryl's obvious connection to Beth but, because she didn't really understand Daryl she couldn't even hope to understand what had been between them. It was because of their bond that Beth was so very concerned for Daryl now. The hunter believed that she was dead and unlike Maggie he didn't have anyone to turn to. He would bottle up all those emotions she had been painstakingly drawing out and he would cram them back down inside while building his walls back up tighter than Fort Knox. She could only imagine that he would be telling himself that it had been foolish to open up to anyone because in the end he would always end up alone and that scared little boy would have taken over again. In his pain she could see him pushing everyone away and even more worrisome was the knowledge that she could see him doing something stupid in a bid to be heroic. He had suffered so many losses since the world went to hell and she knew his resilience was a shaky thing at best. He had little left to personally fight for and he had no reserves within to draw from. She could only pray that he was holding on. That he could muddle through until she could prove to him that it never hurt to have a little faith.
Beth spent her quiet time thinking about many things besides Daryl but, she wouldn't lie to herself and deny that her thoughts almost always circled back around to the hunter. It didn't help that the baby's movements were becoming more noticeable by the day. The tiny flutters of several weeks ago had turned into a more conspicuous reminder and Beth couldn't think about the baby without wondering about its father. She had no idea how Daryl would react to this unexpected miracle but, she prayed that he would be reasonable about it. Figuring out what they were was going to be now that they were going to be reunited with the whole group was going to be hard enough without him reacting badly to the baby.
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As Beth neared Noah's home her excitement became a palpable thing. She had carefully followed the directions Noah had whispered to her long ago when they had plotted their escape from Grady. She believed with all her heart and soul that her family had followed him there in hopes of starting over. So it was with great disappointment that Beth found a burned out and abandoned shell of a community. She had been so sure that she was going to find them there that she had been overcome by disappointment. She'd allowed the tears to come unbidden for several long moments before finally forcing herself to pull it together. After making a quick and careful sweep of the town she'd determined that they had come through there but, that they hadn't stayed. She'd found footprints made by cowboy boots and even though she wasn't certain they were Ricks she had to believe that they were. It had been obvious why they hadn't stayed by the condition of the walkers she had found and the rather obvious graffiti that proclaimed wolves nearby. She wasn't sure who or what the wolves were but, she knew she didn't want to find out. So in very short order she was back on the road and putting distance between herself and her shattered hopes.
That evening as she'd reluctantly picked at canned ravioli she had considered her options. She had no idea what to do next. While she had been mulling over her options a long forgotten fragment of conversation had drifted to the forefront of her mind. Carol had vaguely mentioned something about a scientist, a cure, and going to Washington. Understanding now what Edwards had been up to Beth found this information mildly amusing. Carol's scientist hadn't needed to go to Washington if he was working on a cure but, maybe her family had gone there anyway. It was the only lead she had and she couldn't discount it. Especially because she and Daryl had found that souvenir spoon at the country club, it was a sign if ever she'd seen one.
The next morning after consulting her map Beth decided that she was about two hours from D.C. If her luck held it would take her all day to reach the city but, she could do it before nightfall if she really pushed. The idea that her family could be just hours away reinvigorated her wilting spirit. She was so close now. It wouldn't be long and finally she would have the reunion she had been waiting so many long months for. It had been almost seven months since she'd last been with the majority of her family and almost five since she'd been with Daryl. She was tired of being alone and tired of having to single handedly rally her flagging faith. She'd been denied her reunion once by her own arrogance but, she'd learned her lesson. With abject humility she prayed. Prayed that she would find her family and that they would all be whole and accounted for when she did.
Well that's a wrap for chapter 4. I didn't want to do a long and drawn out story line where Beth struggles to find team family. I can promise that that part of the story will move along quickly. It's the other pieces of the story that are the meat and potatoes of this particular plot. Thanks in advance for all the amazing followers and favorites and especially the reviews. Reviews are amazing and help to improve the story as well as to fuel the writing process. If you have time and enjoyed the story please take just a few seconds to let me know what you particularly liked or even what you didn't. Constructive criticism is always welcome too!