Ch.10

Beth woke to an empty room. The quiet made nervous butterflies form in her stomach. She was exhausted and struggled to remember the events of the previous night. She remembered Daryl clutching her tightly last night as she cried, but now he was nowhere to be found, and the muted noises of the house told her that he wasn't inside.

Getting up out of the bed she became aware of how much she hurt. She had prayed that the pain would subside overnight, but they had gone unanswered, just like all of her other prayers she had said since leaving the prison, and for the first time in her life she found herself questioning her faith. If God existed, why would he put her through everything that had happened to her these last few days? Her thoughts were interrupted by the searing pain on her right side, causing her arm to fly to the bed to steady herself as she almost fell over.

She put on her boots, noting how the pain between her legs intensified with every movement, making walking difficult. She had heard before that your first time would hurt, but she didn't think it was supposed to hurt this bad. She sauntered over to the curtains and pulled them back, revealing a blazing sun and sliding glass doors. She had to squint her eyes from the brightness, and when they adjusted to the change in lighting she opened the door and walked outside.

She didn't know what she was doing, she just felt compelled to do something, anything that would take her mind off of the pain and the memories. She walked out onto the little patio, her eyes scanning the woods that were only a few yards away. She looked down to the ground and saw a walker.

It was missing a leg just below the knee, just like her daddy. Its other leg was twisted at an odd angle that wasn't normal. It's low, guttural moans reached her ears, but Beth didn't flinch, she remained standing there as it slowly inched its way towards her, its hands desperately reaching for her ankles with each drag of its body.

She didn't know what she was hoping. In a way she wanted it to bite her, to make her feel a different pain than what she was feeling now. And in a way she wanted it to bite her so that maybe the numbness that was resonating through her body would go away. She felt its bony hands grasp her ankle, and the light tug of it dragging its gnawing teeth closer to her flesh.

Daryl had gotten up before Beth, which was usual. Her head had still been resting against his chest; the tears that had wetted his shirt last night had just finished drying. He delicately shifted out from underneath her, exiting the room to let her rest.

He knew that since he had been able to find a bra and underwear in that dresser last night there had to be another bedroom that had clothes that would fit Beth. He opened the door to each room, and on his fourth door he found a woman's room. He searched through her dresser until he came across a pair of jeans that looked to be Beth's size. He went to the closet and found a tank top and sweater. Before walking outside he set the clothes on the dining room table.

He had been so consumed in getting the car started that he had lost track of time. When he emerged from under the hood he looked up to see the sun high in the sky; it had to be around noon. He decided to walk around back to see what was in the back yard, but stopped in his tracks, horrified, when he saw Beth.

She was standing there, completely silent. Her arms were wrapped around her body. She was still wearing the shirt he had put on her last night, which came to rest just above her knees, and she had put on her boots. Standing there she looked even more frail and delicate than he had ever seen anybody before. Her face was tilted down towards the walker with its hands wrapped around her ankle.

Knowing he couldn't wait another second, he aimed his crossbow and watched as the arrow went through the skull of the walker, not even making Beth wince. Beth had been mere seconds away from being bit, and she hadn't even tried to prevent it. He felt like any progress she had made last night had been lost. Daryl walked over to the walker, tearing its hands away from Beth's ankle and removing the arrow from its skull. When he rose he attempted looked Beth straight in the eye, but she was still looking down.

"Jesus Christ, Beth! What the fuck are you doin'? Trying to get yourself killed?" His words came out sharper than he had intended, but he couldn't believe what he had just witnessed.

When Beth didn't look at him he felt his temper rise, his irritation growing to a point he didn't know was possible with Beth. He involuntarily grabbed her face, forcing her eyes to meet his. He watched as the spark of fear rose in them and felt as she jerked away from him, nearly backing up all the way to the house. When the tears started to fall he knew he was to blame.

He instantly regretted what he had done. If he could go back in time he would be sure to react differently, but he couldn't, and now he was left with a feeling of guilt. He took a step forward, and was horrified when she took a step back. He had scared her.

"Beth, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted like that." He bowed his head in shame, his hand reaching the back of his neck, rubbing it. "I'm-I'm not mad at you, Beth, you just scared me."

He looked up to see she hadn't stopped crying, and he took another step towards her, this time she remained where she stood. As much as he wanted to cradle her in his arms and tell her how sorry he was and how everything would turn out alright, he didn't. He instead closed the distance between them and rested his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Beth. I didn't mean to scare you. I promise that I will never hurt you. Okay?"

She shook her head in understanding, her tears starting to recede.

"I got a car running out front. I was thinking we could go into town, maybe get some food and see if there's any sign that anyone from our group has been here." She nodded her head again. "I found some clothes for you, they look about your size. I set them on the table in the dining room. You take as much time as you need, okay."

He gave one last long stare into her eyes before walking back inside the house, leaving her outside to give her the space she needed. She would come in when she was ready. He wasn't going to push her, not after what he had just done.

Author's Note: Kind of a short chapter that does't take place over an extended period of time, but I liked it. I think it shows how much Beth is hurting. Tell me what you think!

And thank you for all of the kind reviews of Ch.9...I'm glad you all liked it!