There's no question about it, Aaron speeds down the road back to the RV, narrowly missing a brave squirrel who ventured out into the middle of the road. There's soft sobs in the backseat and Aaron doesn't even bother looking in the rearview mirror, he can't have his heartbreak, too. One of them had to get them back to Alexandria.
He pulls up next to the RV, nearly hitting the damn thing, forgetting how brakes work, then cuts the engine quickly. "We'll put her on the bed in the back. You can stay with her, I'll dig the stuff up." Aaron looks at him, a frown on his face. "Hey, Daryl. You need to stay with me, okay? I need you."
Daryl gives him a small nod, his eyes dark as Aaron turns around and lets out a sigh.
"You can do it if you have to, right?" Aaron asks, hoping he didn't have to say 'put her down' out loud to Daryl, who could probably crush his skull without thinking. It was her leg that was bleeding, it wasn't a bite, thankfully, it looked like a bullet wound. Aaron had cleaned and dressed it the best he could with the limited first aid supplies they kept the RV, but he wasn't a doctor. He was hoping there wasn't another critical case back home, because Denise was going to be busy with Beth if they made it.
"Yes." Daryl grits, moving Beth closer to him, her head on his lap.
Aaron knows he's lying. He'd probably let Beth tear him apart before he'd shove his hunting knife through her skull. "Do you need to pee before we leave?" Aaron asks, attempting to get a tiny laugh from Daryl, which doesn't happen.
Aaron decides to leave the music off on the way back home, instead intently listening for any groans or snarls. She can't die. Not when they're this close to having her back. Daryl ineeds/i this, he needs something good in his life. He and Eric could fart around all day, trying to get to him to cheer up, but they were her. They weren't Beth, they weren't even on the same plane as Beth; they were placeholders for the real thing. And here she was, passed out in the back of the RV, presumed dead a couple days ago; shot in the head, left in a hospital stairwell so she wouldn't get torn apart by walkers.
It's so dark. He has his beams on low, not to attract walkers towards the road, and so far it seems to be working. Daryl has a single lantern on in the back, Aaron can see him, just barely from the rearview mirror. He's at the back, his upper body resting against the wall, Beth still lying with her head on his lap, facing outward, towards the front. Her eyes closed, her arms splayed.
"Shit!" Aaron looks in front of him, three walkers meandering towards the RV, their mouths open, hissing. He stomps on the brakes and watches as they bang up against the front of the RV. He wants to call for Daryl, ask him what to do, but he's not leaving Beth back there. They're just going to have to be roadkill, he doesn't have the time to get out and kill them. "Daryl! Hold on!" He presses on the gas and runs them over, their bodies creating speedbumps that made the minute it took to get over them uncomfortable. "The fuck are you doing?" Daryl yells.
"Walkers! I had to run them over!" Aaron yells back, cringing as he makes his way over them, the back of the RV settling back into place.
Daryl mumbles something Aaron can't hear, but Aaron ignores it, deciding it's not worth and it and keeps driving.
Aaron is pretty sure they're close, he's recognizing landmarks along the way. There's a crinkle from beside him, the radios they've been using only had a ten mile radius, they must be getting close. Aaron, it's getting close to midnight. It's Eric's voice. I guess you aren't coming home tonight, I'll try again tomorrow.
Aaron grabs the walkie talkie. Eric?
You're almost home?
Yeah, I'm guessing about ten minutes away. I need to you to get Denise ready in the infirmary.
Are you okay? Is Daryl?
Just get her, Eric. Please. I'll explain everything when we get home.
Okay. I'm going now. I love you.
I love you, too.
Aaron speeds back to Alexandria, heading in the main gate and not stopping until he gets to the infirmary. Eric is sitting on their porch across the street, wrapped up in a thick blanket. He lets out a breath when he see Deanna standing at the entrance of the infirmary, an unimpressed look on her face with Denise, Rosita, and Maggie standing beside her.
"Daryl, we're here." Aaron cuts the engine and heads back to the bedroom, hoping none of them come on this bus. "Maggie's here." He tells him. "I don't know why, but she is."
Daryl lets out a breath. "You've got to hold her back. She's gonna go crazy."
Aaron helps Daryl set Beth gently on the bed so he can stand and get some feeling back in his legs. "How are we going to do this?" Aaron asks. "And by this I mean stopping Maggie?"
"You'll think of something." Daryl shakes his leg and stretches his fingers. "I'm ready. You're going first."
Daryl picks Beth up in the same bridal carry and turns their bodies to get through the doorways, then follows Aaron down as he opens the door to the RV, getting out and holding it open, trying to block Maggie's view. The last thing they needed was her flipping out. Daryl climbs down the stairs carefully, moving his body once again, Beth's boots going out the door first. He hears it, the gasp from the three women, the catch in Maggie's throat. "Is that—is that?" She breathes, watching as Daryl gets her body out of the door. "Beth." Maggie's voice is just over a whisper, her hand going to her mouth. "We need to get her inside, Denise. We think she's lost a lot of blood, she's not conscious."
They head in, Denise going first, scrabbling, and Deanna after here to hold the door open.
"Daryl put her on the examination table." Denise rushes over and pulls the leg rest out, patting the green vinyl.
Daryl does what he's told, putting Beth's limp body on the table.
"I need space! Rosita, Daryl, Aaron—you stay. Everyone else go in the other room if you absolutely feel like you need to be here." She sighs and starts to cut Beth's jeans off as Deanna and Eric pull Maggie into the sitting room right off the main area. "What happened?" She asks.
"She was shot in the head back in Atlanta." Daryl tells her. "We found her in a church, blood on the ground and a path to where she was in the church."
"We found a wound on her leg—it looks like a bullet hole." Aaron tells her. "I tried to patch it up the best I could but we both know I'm not a doctor."
Denise nods. "Okay, both of you out."
Aaron and Daryl head into the other room.
"Daryl!" Maggie stands up, her lips parted, eyes full of concern. "iHow/i?"
"Just had a feeling." Daryl sighs and falls into the couch.