A/N: Sorry this update took longer than normal. Once again I don't own TWD but I just love the characters.
Beth was trying to control the tremble that had started at her center and was working its way to her limbs. She removed her hand from Daryl's knee, she didn't want to him to see anymore weakness in her today. She clenched and unclenched her fists at her side, they had finally found one of their own. She wasn't ready to deal with Rick's passing yet so she pushed it back and down deep. Later, now she was going to focus on Carl. She had just finished washing her face, it felt cool in the air from the water.
The door opened slowly and a loud, unfamiliar voice argued, "Told you, Tim, I don't know what you are taking about.
A young man entered the room, shaking his head. His red hair was cut short but still spiked in the front. He had freckles covering his high cheekbones and his chin was covered in angry, red pimples. All three studied each other a moment, unsure of what was happening. Roslyn and Tim stepped around him, filling the small room.
The young man turned to them. "Nope. Never seen them before."
"Karl? You sure? They seem to know you…" Roslyn probed quietly.
Daryl spoke up, his voice low and thick. "Isn't our Carl. Kid's right. Never seen 'in 'fore either."
Beth was confused for another second but then the realization of two things hit her instantly. She wasn't being reunited with a member of her family and this meant Rick wasn't necessarily dead. Despair and relief hit her at the same time as her knees knocked together. From the cot, Daryl grabbed hold of her upper arm, supporting her. He grunted from the painful and sudden moment.
Jess was at her side instantly too. "Easy there, chica." She moved her to a chair next to the cot.
"Oh, dear," lamented Roslyn.
"Karl, I'm sorry. This was just a horrible misunderstanding. Please, go back to your duties," Tim said quietly, placing his strong hand on Karl's shoulder and ushering towards the door.
Karl gave Beth a sorrowful look over his shoulder and nodded to Tim. He exited, shaking his head sadly.
"Folks, I'm sorry about that. I guess we jumped the gun. We should have asked more questions before we got everyone's hopes up. Foolish on our part," Tim offered, his hands open wide. "We know you don't have anywhere to go. We'd like you to stay with us. At least the night or until you get healed up. We are a small community. We've got some rules but we can go over them later. Basically, everyone here pulls their own weight but I know Daryl's gonna need some healing time."
Her eyes sought Daryl's. Beth could see the worry and distrust in his dark blue eyes. She could tell he didn't trust the group but something inside of her felt the opposite. Her instinct was telling her to trust them. She knew there were still good people out in the world. She nodded at Daryl, hoping he would agree they should stay.
Daryl finally broke the silence that had become uncomfortable. "Yeah. We'll stay."
Beth nodded in agreement. "Thank you… again. I… we don't know what we would have done without your kindness today."
"Child, think nothing of it," replied Roslyn kindly. "My God, my rock, in who I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior. Psalm 18. He saved you both from violence, Beth and Daryl, and brought you to safety with us." Roslyn's hands clasped tightly at her chin.
"Jess will finishing taking care of you," Tim said, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders. "I know you both must be exhausted. Get a meal in you once you're done. We'll look into getting you a place to settle in. We have a couple of spare cots in the men's room. I think we could make something in the woman's for Beth."
"Not separating," Daryl said, biting out the word sharply, the possessiveness seething in them.
Roslyn flustered at the words, dropping her hands. "We have rules here." She looked up at Tim, her eyes ordering a response from him.
Tim looked from her to Daryl and Beth and back, his shoulders slumping before he spoke, "You two aren't married. One of our rules-"
"She ain't leaving my sight."
Beth could see Daryl tensing, his jaw set. She injected before the situation erupted, " Daryl and I are family. Can't families stay together?"
Tim considered, looking to his wife again. "We have family areas where fathers and mothers and children reside together… I don't think this truly qualifies-"
"They can stay with us," Jess offered. She looked from Beth and Daryl. "No need to split them up today after what they went through today. They can stay with us. We have some room to spare."
Roslyn pursed her lips and pressed them tightly together but it was Tim who spoke, "Sounds fine for now. We can talk other arrangements if you both decide to stay permanently." He turned to Roslyn, "Wife, let's go see to getting them a meal and blankets. They will need you in the kitchen. And I should get ready for service tomorrow." Tim ushered Roslyn out the door and asked over his shoulder, "Jess, can you show them to the cafeteria and then to your room?"
"Sure thing, Tim," Jess replied, flashing a brilliant smile at the married pair as they closed the door behind them.
Beth let out breath of relief. "Thank you, Jess. Daryl and I appreciate it."
Jess busied herself cleaning up some of the supply wrappings. "My pleasure," she said and smiled more genuinely at them, her brown eyes crinkling at the edges slightly. Beth returned the smile, figuring Jess had to be about thirty, maybe thirty-five. It was hard to tell since the outbreak. Life had taken its toll on everyone.
"Yeah, thanks," mumbled a cross Daryl, his hand touching the bandage on his chest and fingered his torn and filthy tank top.
"No problem. It's hard being some place new. Marie and I arrived with Oscar about four months ago. Our place was overrun. We had a small set up at a daycare a couple of towns over. Marie is my cousin, like my sister. We barely made it out together with her son Oscar," her voiced wavered for a moment and she sucked in a deep steadying breath. "We lost a lot of people too. Good people."
Jess opened the cabinet, searching through the supplies. "This place is safe. It's okay, you know. These people are good and aren't going to hurt you." She turned and gave them a both a long look of certainty. "They just do things… a little differently. Lots of rules but nothing horrible… no drinking, no swearing. They're a little… stiff and preachy but like I said they are good. They will help you."
She found what she was looking for and pulled out large, tan rolled bandages and white tape. Jess brought them to the cot next to Daryl. "The place is pretty good too. It was set up to be green facility, the crowning jewel of the county I guess. They were still working on it when it all went down but there are some solar panels so we have a little electricity. They try to keep it to a minimum, you know little lighting, the well, hot water…"
"Hot showers?" asked Beth, almost giddy at the thought of warm water against her filthy, soiled skin. She wanted so desperately to rub the feel of Joe off her skin. He was still on her, his blood on her skin. It was bad enough that her soul would be stained forever by his death.
Jess's eyes twinkled. "Yes. You have only a small amount of allotted time but yes. It's wonderful, let me tell you. And you'll be sleeping in a small office we have to ourselves, being a family of sorts. It'll be tight with five of us but we can make it work. Maybe bring in another cot or something."
Daryl shifted in his spot, wincing from the movement. "Used to sleepin' on the floor. Be fine."
Jess shook her head. "You, mi amigo, are bed ridden for a day or two at the least. Semi-post apocalypse doctor of sorts here talking." Her small hands went to his sides, feeling along his ribs. Beth watched Daryl doing his best to contain the grimace of pain. She wasn't sure if it was his man pride or something else that was keeping him from yelling out. "I'm all done patching up all of your bleeding parts. Nose isn't broken but you probably already knew that. Probably have a concussion too. These ribs, don't think their broken either. Major problems breathing?"
"Wouldn't be able to answer you, now would I?" he answered grouchily. Beth already knew Daryl made a horrible patient from a case of the sniffles in the middle of their winter at the cabin. She practically had to force feed him chicken noodle soup and a couple of pills of medicine to keep the fever down. By allowing her to place another blanket on him for warmth was like admitting defeat for him. Beth shook her head, not envying Jess's upcoming battle to enforce her medical advice.
"Smart ass. I can see we're gonna get along just fine," Jess retorted, winking at him before probing his side more. "Your ribs might be cracked but I think they're just bruised. If I place a bandage around them, you should breathe better." Her fingers pulled at the edge of his tank top. "Here, let's get this off of you-"
"No," he growled, placing a hand on her wrist to stop her.
Jess gave him a wary look. "Others are gone. No need to be shy, ain't nothing we've both never seen." She toss her head at Beth as a little crooked smile played across her lips.
"No," Daryl repeated as his eyes darted to Beth's.
Beth didn't understand the look in his dark blue eyes. Daryl looked almost… scared and then it hit her. His back, he doesn't want it exposed. It was the same at the farm house when her dad treated him for the arrow in his side. One of the only reasons Patricia and her dad had gotten his shirt off of him was he was partially unconscious at the time. Beth remembered her dad arguing with Daryl to come back for a recheck but he had refused. Now here, in this new place with new people, there was no he was going to let his woman help him.
Beth placed a gentle hand on Jess's shoulder and the woman turned to look at her. "Daryl… he's really… um, please let me do it. I have some medical training."
Jess nodded and handed the her the bandages. She didn't outwardly question Beth but there was a look in her eyes. Jess would let it go for now but Beth knew there would be questions later.
The Hispanic paramedic turned back to Daryl. "Saved by your guardian angel here. I'm gonna go to the supply room. See if I can't find both of you some extra clothes before we grab some grub."
"We have more clothes." Beth pointed down to the packs by the door.
"Oh, okay. Well then… I guess I'll go see about a cot. Get that settled in. Beth, make sure the bandage is tight, it's gonna hurt a bit but it'll be better for his breathing. I'll leave you to change and what not. I'll be back in twenty to take you to the cafeteria. Daryl, I'll bring you back some pain meds too."
Before he could get a response from his open mouth, Jess stopped him with a wagging finger. "Nope. Not arguing there, amigo. You need them," she ordered sternly and left the room before he could argue further.
Daryl reached forward, trying to take the bandages from her grasp. "I can do it," he argued and gave her an angry look when she pulled them from his reach.
"No, you can't."
"Shit, Beth, I can-"
"Let me," she implored and didn't mean to make her voice go so quiet but it did. It made her sound small and lost.
Beth hesitantly moved to him. "Here, I'll help you out of the shirt." She wasn't really sure if he was going to let her as she touched the hem of his shirt but Daryl did. The movement of the fabric going above his head caused Daryl to hiss, his teeth clenched.
"Fuck," he muttered between his cracked lips as she set the tattered shirt to the side.
First, Beth saw the angry purple and pink bruises forming at his side and knew by morning they would be much, much worse. She blushes slightly as she let her gaze travel to his stomach and noted the trail of fine hair that traveled down his hardened stomach and into the waist of his pants. She unraveled the edge of one bandage and place the end to his skin. His body was warm under her fingers and he jumped slightly at her touch.
She winced for him. "Sorry."
"M'fine," he mumbled, his head turning away and staring at the far wall.
Beth continued with the wrap, moving to his side to reach around easier. She couldn't stop herself from pausing in mid motion when she saw them. She had glimpsed them before, hidden quick glances out of the corner of her eye but never had she seen them fully in the light up so close. Beth swallowed hard and continued but knew he knew she paused. The scars were thick and numerous. There were several smaller pink ones but most were raised and large due to poor healing. The damage this man must have endured sent a shot of pain to her core.
Then her eyes were drawn to tattoos on his shoulder. They were strangely beautiful, half angels and half demons, delicate in their design and ferocity. Beth had never been one to appreciate tattoos but these ones spoke to her, showing her a bit more of the private man in front of her.
She continued to wrap the bandage around him, traveling around the cot again to make sure it was snug and tight. "They're nice."
He didn't look at her but returned hoarsely, "Who?"
"Your tattoos… What do they mean? I mean, is there a reason you got 'em?" she asked shyly.
Daryl gave a little shrug. "Drunk. Don't 'member. Woke up with 'em and Merle in Mexico years back."
"Oh." She was almost done with the bandage. Beth could already see him breathing a little easier and she was glad it helped. She taped the end tightly, securing it in place and tracing a lingering finger lightly along the edge of the tape.
Beth stood in front of Daryl, bandaging completed, and knew they should get changed and ready before Jess came back but she couldn't seem to move suddenly. She had become so heavy, it made movement impossible. She hadn't allowed herself to think about all that had happened that day and it suddenly came rushing forward. The ambush, the beating, the molestation and finally… the murders. She had killed two men today. The pressure was in her chest and radiating outwards and was growing until it came welling out. It started as a hitch in her breath but within moments the tears coming pour out of her as the dam broke. She sobbed as she realized she couldn't hold it all in anymore, she had to let it out until there was nothing left.