Miracle

Daryl rushed out after Eugene, who had already jumped in his vehicle and left. He quickly got in the Land Rover without even saying goodbye to Anna and headed to the clinic at break neck speed. "There's been an accident" was reverberating in his head. He prayed it wasn't Rick or Micah. Whatever it was when he pulled up to the clinic Dr. Jordan and Ghita met him at the door and rushed him inside. The first thing he noticed was Ms. Cynthia covered in blood and his heart hit his stomach. Little Kasey must have been injured in some type of accident. But how and why did Eugene rush to find Daryl and not Rick?

"What's going on?" Daryl asked Dr. Jordan.

"Follow me, I need you to be discreet." Dr. Jordan replied to him.

Ghita and Dr. Jordan led him into a room where Kasey was lying on a gurney, a large chunk of flesh missing from her shoulder. Ghita could barely contain her emotion "She was playing and got too close to the fences. A walker managed to grab her and she couldn't get away from it before it managed to bite her. She kept it from her Grandma until Cynthia noticed she was developing a fever."

"Why did y'all find me though? I ain't a doctor." Daryl said.

"Daryl I don't think I need to explain to you what happens from a bite. We want to take blood from you and treat Kasey with it to see if we can break the fever. It's our only chance of saving her." Ghita said.

Before Ghita could finish her sentence Daryl was already rolling up his sleeves "Tell me what I need to do."

"It will be like a regular transfusion. Just sit down here beside her and I will hook up the line myself. We have no idea if this is going to work or not Daryl, so be prepared one way or the other." Ghita told him. Daryl nodded in affirmation, only too happy to help the sweet little girl. He knew that there was probably a good chance that either they had waited to long or that this wouldn't work at all. But it was worth a shot.

Daryl sat patiently for two hours while they transferred his blood to the young girl. He had a special soft spot for Kasey as she always went out of her way to speak to him when he was down in her part of the town checking on others. He still kept the card she made him in the nightstand beside the bed and he would still read it occasionally whenever he needed a little pick-me-up. Finally Ghita came and removed the needle from Daryl's arm and told him that they were done.

"How long before we know anything?" Daryl asked.

"Hopefully by morning we will see some type of improvement, but no promises Daryl." She told him. Daryl stood up, a bit woozy from the loss of blood and Ghita caught him as he stumbled.

"Let's get you something to eat and re-hydrate you." Dr. Jordan said as he came in and they convinced Daryl to sit back down. He gladly accepted some toast with jelly and a glass of tea that Rosita brought him per Dr. Jordan's request.

"Daryl, we haven't told anyone outside of the clinic staff about your lack of the virus. We explained to Cynthia that you were here strictly for a blood donation and for now we need to keep to that story. The fewer people that know about this the better." Dr. Jordan instructed.

"Got it. But Anna knows and I don't like to keep secrets from her." Daryl said as he slowly ate his small meal.

"That's fair. There's something else and that is Rick and Michonne's son also does not show the virus in his blood. So far all of the children that we have tested that have been born since the outbreak are all clear. The outbreak started five years ago, and Noel is the youngest child in the community born before the outbreak and he does carry the virus. You are the anomaly and we don't know why." Dr. Jordan informed him.

Eugene added, "It would be of the utmost help if we could acquire your medical records to see if there is any common link between you and the children."

Daryl laughed "Unless someone wants to make a trip to a run down trailer park in the fucking Georgia Mountains that ain't happening. When all hell was breaking loose I wasn't thinking to grab my damn medical shit. The damn place has probably been burnt to the ground or over run with assholes who were already the living dead before the damn outbreak started."

"Just a thought boss. That information could be pertinent to our findings." Eugene said in a frustrated tone.

Rosita then spoke up "What if we could fly there and check it out. I know it's a long shot, but we are talking about finding a possible cure. Daryl you are a pilot, and I could go with you, I know what to look for."

"Are y'all fucking serious? We've got bigger fish to fry…like making sure this town survives an attack from Damien and his minions. You got a Plan B?" Daryl asked.

Dr. Jordan then spoke "Daryl's right. For now we'll just put it on the back burner. A cure isn't going to do anyone any good if we're all dead from an attack. Let us think on this for a while and we'll see what we can come up with."

Daryl nodded and everyone looked content with waiting until things calmed down except for Eugene, but without the support of the rest of his team there really wasn't anything he could do.

It was well past midnight before Daryl finally headed home. He had told Rosita to let him know about Kasey's condition as soon as they knew something. Before he left he checked in on Cynthia and she couldn't stop thanking him for helping out. He assured her that it was no problem and that he hoped for the best. To date, other than amputation no one had ever known anyone to survive a bite and if Kasey did indeed survive they were going to have to decide how they would break the news to everyone. Dr. Jordan and Eugene were emphatic about not revealing to anyone about Daryl's immunity because if the information got into the wrong hands not only could Daryl's life possibly be in peril, but the safety of New Hope would be in question as well.

When he entered the house Anna was asleep on the couch and he hated to wake her, but he knew she would be uncomfortable if he left her there. He quietly stooped down and called her name "Anna."

She stretched and then gave him a smile that always melted his heart "Hey superman, what time is it?"

"Late. You need to come on to bed…no need to sleep out on the couch." He told her. "I'd carry ya but I gave blood and Doc told me not to do any lifting with my arm for twenty-four hours."

"Shhh sweetie, I'm a big girl, I can get myself to bed." She said as she stood from the couch, but not before giving Daryl a kiss.

He led her to their room and pulled back the covers for her to slip into the bed. She didn't bother undressing and he knew she didn't want to fight getting in and out of clothes. "We'll find you some clothes you can put on easier. Maybe one of them sundresses or something." Daryl told her hardly believing those words were coming out of his mouth. Merle would never let him hear the end of it if he had heard Daryl say something about women's fashion.

"Look babe, you don't need to worry about those kind of things, you got enough on your plate as it is. Just close your eyes and get some rest. Rosita told me what ya did, and I know you well enough to know you aren't going to relax until you know how Kasey is going to come out of this. Just do the best you can." Daryl was lying on his stomach beside her and she began rubbing his lower back until she felt his tight body relax. She was rewarded a few minutes later when she heard his breathing even out and Daryl was asleep. She said a silent prayer for Kasey and in a way for Daryl as well. If they did determine that Daryl was some type of cure, then that meant his life wouldn't just be his anymore, there was a whole world that would want whatever it was that he had and that worried her.

…

The next morning when the sun broke through the windows Anna woke and noticed it was raining outside. It seemed fitting, as today would be the day that they laid Marty to rest. She never dreamed of a time when her loved ones would be buried on the land that she resided and it was bothersome that one more would be added to the mix. Her parents, her son, her aunt and now her uncle all had been returned to the earth. Gone, but not forgotten. Even her troubled brother Marco had been buried on the property in an unmarked grave that Daryl dug but never mentioned to anyone but her.

Anna carefully removed Daryl's outstretched hand from her belly and got out of the comfortable bed. Daryl didn't move an inch and she knew that with all he had been through over the past few days and then giving up more of his precious blood last night he was worn out. She couldn't wait for the day where Daryl could finally sit back and relax and let others worry about running the community, but she knew that right now they needed him more than ever.

Rosita had just come in from her night shift at the clinic and Anna asked her about Kasey "She's still hanging in there, but there hasn't been much change since last night. She hasn't gotten any worse though, so I suppose that's a good thing." Rosita told her, exhaustion evident in the girl's face.

"How is Andrew doing? When are they going to move him back home?" Anna asked, noticing a smile passing over Rosita's face.

"Probably sometime today. Last night we got him up on crutches and he was able to get around pretty well. Dr. Jordan said after they re-evaluated his knee that he might not need any further surgery. He's gonna have a limp, but all things considered he was pretty lucky. The hardest thing is going to be getting him to take it easy…especially with them losing their momma. Bill's not taking it so well. Mark stopped by the clinic last night and said Bill has taken to drinking over the past few days. It's gotten so bad that Mark and Beth are moving in with Glenn and Maggie." Rosita informed her.

Anna let out a sigh. "The Mocksley's are good people and I hate hearing this. My parents were close with Bill and Evelyn and Evelyn made my wedding dress back when I got married to John."

"That's right, I forgot you had been married before. Daryl's such a natural with Hunter that it's easy to forget…" Rosita said before stopping, feeling like she had touched on a forbidden topic.

"It's OK Rosita. We just haven't told Hunter about him yet. Daryl's the only daddy she knows and the longer we keep waiting to tell her the harder it's gonna be. Honestly at her age I don't even know if she would understand. She does recognize my parents as her Grammy and Grampy from photos, but how do I tell her that her father died before she was born?"

"What was your first husband like?" Rosita asked, curious.

"He was quiet, but sweet and hard working. I had gone down to Texas to go to school and met him when I went out with some friends. He was very shy…and as you can tell, I'm not. I got him to open up to me and the next thing I knew was that I couldn't be away from him. I called my parents and told them I was dropping out of school, taking a job, and getting married. I figured they would be angry, but instead they said they would be coming to Texas for the wedding. We had only been dating for three months, so I guess you could say it was a bit impulsive, but for some reason my parents weren't angry…just happy I had met someone that I loved. They showed up the day before the wedding and Evelyn and Bill had tagged along. Evelyn had made me a wedding dress and it was beautiful- simple and elegant…perfect for the occasion. John and I got married and moved back to North Carolina shortly thereafter. We tried for years to have a child and had no luck, then the world came to an end and Boom…I'm pregnant." Anna told her; slightly teary eyed remembering her first husband.

"So how did Hunter's Father pass…?" Rosita asked cautiously.

"We were in Florida on vacation when the outbreak started. John was a good ole country boy with a lot of survival skills he had been taught over the years so we managed to make it out of Florida and into Georgia. It took us about three months to make it just South of Atlanta. John thought that if we could get to Fort Benning we might have a chance. We didn't know the base had fell like everything else. Along the way he taught me what he could about surviving and even though I wasn't a natural at it, I caught on enough. We ended up with a group, but that turned out bad when the leader tried to rape me, and John nearly killed him. We barely escaped with our lives, but we got away. We ended up in an old hotel and stayed there for about a month. One morning John went out to scavenge for supplies and one random walker caught him off guard. Just like that John was bitten and there wasn't anything we could do. I sat with him for two days as the fever over took him…and when he drew his last breath my name was the last word on his lips. I put a knife through his brain and then buried him behind the hotel. Not exactly a fitting memorial for such a kind man, but it was the best I could do. I was pretty much a robot for the next few days, but after another week or so I figured out something wasn't right and I suspected I might be pregnant. I found a pregnancy test in a ramshackle pharmacy and confirmed I was. Finding out I was carrying John's legacy is what kept me going, and a few months later Daryl found me in the woods. I guess you can figure out the rest." Anna told the younger woman.

"Wow…Anna you are such a survivor. I don't know if I could do it." Rosita said.

"Rosita, you are much tougher than I am. You would do whatever you had too…I don't doubt that one bit. I have to credit Daryl for helping me out. If he hadn't found me I don't know if I would have made it home to birth Hunter and most likely would have died alone during childbirth. He truly is my miracle." Anna said, not able to hide the smile that crossed her face.

Rosita gave Anna a pat on the shoulder and then made her way up to the loft to catch a little sleep before she headed back to the clinic to help Andrew return home. Rosita always wanted to believe she was strong, but there were more times than not that she thought she wasn't worth the air she breathed. She hadn't lost loved ones since the outbreak, and she didn't have a harrowing story like Anna to tell. Angel and Abe had let her feel defeated, but something about Andrew gave her a hopeful feeling she hadn't felt in a long time.

Andrew had admitted to her that he had never really dated and wasn't sure what to do to pursue a relationship. He had spent his entire life here in the mountains working with and caring for his family. Before the virus there had been five boys and two strong parents. But now it was just Bill and three of his sons left, and losing Evelyn was going to be a true test of survival for the family. Last night Andrew confessed to Rosita that he had strong feelings for her and that he wanted their relationship to grow. Rosita knew with everything that had happened, the breakup with Abe had left her gun shy, but in this world there was no guarantee that you would be around tomorrow, so she decided to allow herself to commit to Andrew. Where it would go she didn't know, but Andrew seemed to make it worth the risk.

…

Marty's funeral was a touching tribute to the man who had led this community for so many years. Daryl held Anna and the kids close, covered by a large umbrella to keep them dry from the rain. There had been a large turn out as many offered their condolences to Viv, Joe, and the rest of the family. Rick spoke eloquently; reiterating the words that Daryl had asked him to speak the day before when they had brought Marty up out of the ravine. Viv stood strong, but Daryl could tell she was close to breaking.

Mark and Matthew Mocksley had stayed up late and built a casket made out of Carolina pine and had taken it to Viv the night before. Rick, Daryl, Joe, and Mark were the pallbearers and as they lowered Marty into the ground for his final resting place Hunter began to sing "Amazing Grace" and was soon joined by most of the mourners. It was a touching tribute and once it was over, Viv encouraged her family to come back to the compound to spend time together and in true Martinelli fashion…eat a small feast.

As with all good Southern funerals, people in New Hope had been dropping by all day to bring food to both Viv and to the Mocksley's. Bill had locked himself in his room to drown his sorrows and Beth had said that Bill really hadn't been doing well since he lost his youngest son Luke. Daryl was concerned about the older man, but wasn't sure what he could do to help alleviate the man's grief. Anna suggested that maybe in a day or two he and Rick could stop by and talk to Bill, but she knew right now was probably not the best of times to try. Andrew would be home and maybe that would help in Bill's grieving process.

At Viv's house Joe started telling stories about Marty, and the sadness was slowly being replaced with fond memories and finally laughter. This is how Marty Martinelli would have wanted to be celebrated. As the evening progressed Viv managed to catch Daryl and asked him to follow her. She led them to her room and told him to take a seat.

"What's going on Viv? You OK?" Daryl asked, concerned.

"No, but I will be. I've gotta be strong for those girls and the rest of the family. I've had Marty for nearly forty years, now it's time for the Good Lord to have him. I want you to have something that meant the world to him." She said as she opened up a wooden box on the dresser. She pulled out a gold chain with a medallion and handed it to Daryl.

"This was Marty's Saint Christopher. He used to wear it everywhere and it is said to offer safety and protection. I want you to have it Daryl, and I'm sure Marty would have wanted you to have it as well. I'm not going to pretend that you are going to settle down and take up farming. Daryl, you are a fighter, and I know you will continue to fight for New Hope until you feel your family and this town are safe. I don't know your religious beliefs Daryl, but I know mine, and I believe this will protect you." She said tearfully as she handed the chain and pendant to Daryl.

Daryl accepted it from Viv and then spoke "Will you help me put it on? It means a lot to me that you would give me this. I think it will make Anna feel better too."

Viv nodded and helped Daryl put on the simple chain and pendant. It wasn't gaudy or over bearing and Daryl actually liked the way it looked when he admired it in the mirror.

"Viv, promise me you won't grieve yourself to death. We need ya." Daryl said as he gently pulled the older woman into an embrace. Neither said anything and Daryl just held her.

Finally Viv spoke "Daryl Dixon, don't you worry about me. I'm one tough cookie and I'll get through this. Marty didn't marry a damsel in distress and as long as I have breath in this body I will fight for my family and make sure that not only are we all safe, but we will be happy too. Just because the world as we knew it decided to change doesn't mean we can't enjoy our lives. It's what my Marty would want, and it's what I will do!"

Daryl gave her a smile and then a kiss on top of the forehead and the two left Viv's room and joined the rest of the family.

…

Anna was so stuffed from all the food she had been indulging in that she didn't think she was going to be able to move. The twins were active and everyone got a kick out of feeling the babies move inside her belly. Hunter would giggle every time Anna placed her hand on her stomach to let the child feel the small thumps inside.

Michonne had nursed Micah and asked Anna if she wanted to hold the infant, and of course Anna was ecstatic to be asked. Holding the baby almost brought her to tears as she recalled the last time she held a baby was the day that Michael had been born. She felt blessed that she had been given another chance at motherhood and couldn't wait for the day she held her and Daryl's twins in her arms. Rick and Michonne looked on with smiles on their face as they saw the joy it brought to Anna. Daryl came and sat down beside his wife and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek "Motherhood always looked good on you woman. I don't think I've ever seen ya look more beautiful."

"Shhh Daryl, I'm a hormonal mess, If you keep talking like that I'm gonna be a heap of tears." She told him. He just gave her a rare smile and pulled her tightly to him. Even after all this time Rick still couldn't get over the change in Daryl. The surly redneck he met back at the quarry was now a strong upstanding man with the fiercest loyalty Rick had ever seen. The apocalypse would either make or break a man, but in Daryl's case he flourished into the type of character most would aspire to be.

As the evening wrapped up and everyone said his or her good-byes, Ghita returned from the clinic. She had a huge smile on her face and couldn't wait to grab Daryl and tell him the news. Kasey's fever had broken and the infection was healing. Daryl's transfusion had worked and it looked like Kasey would be the first known person to actually survive a walker bite. What that meant for the future no one knew, but for now they discovered a huge miracle and that miracle was Daryl Dixon's blood.

Sorry there wasn't a lot of action in this chapter...but the group needed to mourn. I truly hope everyone has a Happy and Blessed Memorial Day-Keep in mind why we celebrate and I want to give a shout out to all who sacrificed their lives for Freedom.

I am hoping that everyone is enjoying this story, I haven't had a lot of feedback so I don't know if that is a good or bad thing. If you think about it I'd love some reviews...I've only received one or two for each of the chapters and I don't know if that's because the story is dead or if people are trying to catch up. I'd love to hear from you and if you have suggestions I'd love to hear those also. I will be bringing Alexandria, The Hilltop, and even Negan into this story...so stay tuned.

Take Care and Cheers-

Missy

XXOO