Chapter Ten
A/N: Good Morning my loves, I am alive and semi-feeling better. I had an awful chest cough yesterday and found myself unavailable to write anything yesterday. Thank you so much for your patience while I was down for the count yesterday. I just want to take a second and say I am so grateful for everyone here, for those who have commented and favorited. Those who have followed and taken time out of their day to read my silly little stories. It means a lot. Have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving everyone.
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Fire and smoke filled the space surrounding Daryl, he forced himself up onto his elbows gasping and coughing for air. Having been temporarily knocked out by some sort of flash bang grenade that had come crashing from the loft window, Daryl found him self in a world of trouble. The flames grew all around him and black smoke threatened to engulf him. He had to get out of here.
Beth. He forced his eyes open as her screams echoed in his mind. He had to find her and make sure her and the baby were ok. Once he made it out of this mess, he would never stop looking for them and when he found them he would never let them out of his sight again. The trouble was, he wasn't entirely sure how to escape this. The smoke was getting thicker by the second and the heat of the flames threatened to eat him alive. This...was bad.
"Daryl! Daryl, can you hear me?!" Rick's voice came from somewhere downstairs. "Daryl, answer me!"
"Rick!" Daryl coughed loudly. "I'm upstairs!"
Moments seemed like forever before Rick fought his way upstairs, his face covered with a shirt Daryl didn't recognize. The color of a shirt was the least of Daryl's problems, a beam from the roof had fallen on his left leg while he had been unconscious, pinning him to the ground as the flames danced ever closer.
"Is it broken?" Rick asked through the pink and black plaid shirt.
"I don't think so, but it's heavy as hell." Daryl tried to pull himself forward but didn't get very far.
It took a few minutes, but Rick and Daryl managed to work together to lift the beam off Daryl's leg and make their escape down the stairs. Maggie's face was the first they saw as they rounded the corner of the stairs and headed towards the front door. She smiled and sighed with relief at the sight of Rick and Daryl. "Thank God," She said as Rick set Daryl down on the cold ground. The icy air hit Daryl's lungs and made then sting painfully. He wasn't sure if it was really God's place to be thanked, regardless he was grateful for not being burnt alive. But a new fire consumed his soul, He had to find Beth. No human, alive or walker around would be able to stop him.
"Daryl?" A voice said from a few yards away. "Daryl Dixon, is that you?"
Well...then there was her...fuck...
...
Beth hugged herself as tightly as she possibly could to maintain her body heat. If she didn't get warm soon, she and the baby...she shook her head in an attempt to banish the very idea from her mind. She was stronger than this, she had to be...for the baby and for Daryl.
The metal door to the room in which she was being held opened and it stepped two men. Both had "w"s carved into the foreheads. They circled her menacingly, "Evening." One said slowly. "You're a pretty thing. You were right Jack, she is very pretty."
"I told you I wasn't lying." The other snapped.
Beth winced away as the one named Jack tried to run a hand down her cheek. "Don't touch me!" She warned. The two laughed wickedly and continued to circle her. "What do you want?"
"You..." Jack groaned and made a most inappropriate gesture with his hands. Beth turned away and pulled her knees closer to her chest.
"My group will find me and when they do..." Beth growled. "My husband will rip your throats out."
The men laughed again, unfazed by her valid threats. Jack grabbed her arm and pulled her into him, wrapping his strong arms around her. Her attempts at struggling were fell short as she feared what they would do to the baby if she continued to struggle any harder. "There's a good girl. Now, you are going to behave while the Doctor checks you out."
Beth's eyes locked at a third man, in his mid-fifties,who appeared almost out of no where. He walked up and she could see he had no "w" and his face was gentle and wise, but in this world Beth couldn't take any chances. "Gentlemen, if you please. I'd like to exam this young lady alone."
"Not a chance Doc, I found her...it's only right if I get to watch."
"Have you no sympathy, man. It's bad enough you brought her here without proper protection from the cold and in her condition no less...animals."
"Shut your mouth, Doc. Get on with the check then." Jack said releasing Beth who fell to her knees. "And be quick about it, The boss wants us to be on the road soon." The two men walked out and slammed the large metal door behind them.
"My dear, are you alright?" The doctor whispered gently reaching for her hand. Beth withheld her hand and just stared angrily at the man. "Oh yes, how rude of me. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Allen Ward, Doctor Ward to my friends...you know the one who still have a pulse." Beth's expression remained the same. "Yes, well I'd like to make sure you and the baby are alright. Might I ask how long ago was your last..."
"I'm not telling you anything." Beth growled.
Dr. Ward looked at her and nodded understandably. "Alright, I understand. I have some vitamins that can help. Have you gotten sick yet?"
Beth stared at him, still unwilling to trust him. But she reasoned if he was a doctor, she had a parental duty to make sure she and the baby were ok. "I'm a week late. My last period was five weeks ago. And I haven't felt sick yet."
"We'll consider yourself lucky, my wife had terrible morning sickness with our boys." Dr. Ward said pulling out a container of pre-natal vitamins. "Here, take one of these and in case you do start feeling sick, let me know and I'll find you some ginger tablets."
"Ginger?" Beth asked curiously.
"Helps settle the tummy." He said with a smile.
Beth smiled briefly. "Thank you."
He caught the fast smile and returned it with a gentle smile and a bottle of water. "You mentioned a husband, I imagine he is very excited."
"He is." Beth said after taking the her vitamin and a big swig of water. "Not that we've had much time to celebrate."
"My apologies, I imagine this has been a very trying day." He pulled out a blanket and a stethoscope. "I don't imagine we'll have much luck hearing your little one with these right now, but I'd like to have a listen to your heart... if I may."
Beth nodded and carefully got to her feet. The Doc, very slowly and deliberately explained his ever movement. "I'm gonna listen to your heart first. Good." He moved to her back and listened to her lungs for a few deep breathes. "They sound perfect dear."
"You said you can't hear the baby's heartbeat yet...when will you be able to."
"Oh, I'm afraid without an ultrasound machine, not for quite some time. The baby is only the size of a sesame seed right now." He smiled. "Don't worry dear, I've been told where we're going they'll have all the medical equipment I'll need to look after you."
Beth pulled away from him. "I'm not staying here, my husband and family will be here soon enough."
"Yes, of course. But until that point, I'd like to assure you that I'll do everything in my power to keep you and your baby safe. You have my word." He walked up to her and wrapped the blanket around her shoulder. "Keep your chin up dear, hopefully we will both be home soon."