Chapter 2
Enid arrived as planned the following day. The only difference from the day before was that Beth had already left for the day. Their neighbour, Eric, had caught her just as she was about to knock to explain that Beth had received a call from work to pick up an early shift, before walking over to let her into the house with the spare key he had.
"Morning Hershel" she greeted easily as she swept into his room.
Instantly, she could see that he had reverted back to the miserable man she'd first encountered yesterday. Sighing to herself when she received no answer from him, she moved to make the bed.
Tucking under the last corner of the sheet, she glanced over her shoulder to where Hershel sat, "I know you don't like Beth working so hard" she admitted.
Startled, Hershel looked at her with wide eyes and concern on his face, "I told her I've got the funds" he sighed as he shook his head "but she's so darn stubborn"
Enid raised one eyebrow at his comment as she walked over to join him "Sound's like someone else I know" she teased.
He frowned before explaining, "there was some trouble a while back with my brother…he accused Bethy of wantin' my money, said she was only looking after me in the hopes that she'd get her hands on everything in my Will"
"And that's why she works so hard…" Enid stated before trailing off at Hershel's nod of agreement.
"I just hate to see her workin' so hard when I can help" Hershel admitted as he sat back in his seat.
Enid leant forward, her forearms resting on her crossed legs, "Maybe if we put our head's together, we could figure something out"
Hershel looked at her and offered a small smile of gratitude. He'd tossed and turned all night at the way he'd behaved to the young girl the day before. It wasn't her fault he'd received a death sentence. He was just glad that he'd been able to make some kind of amends or truce with her before she'd finished for the day.
A small part of him wondered if she would actually return, but when she'd walked in with a happy smile on her face, he knew she didn't just see him as another old man that was dying; she saw him as a person and that meant more to him than she could ever know.
"So…" Enid questioned changing the subject, "what do you want to do today?"
His head snapped to her expectant face. Not one carer had ever asked him what he wanted to do and for a moment his mind went blank. Over the months since his diagnosis, he'd made plans in his head but now someone was actually asking him what he wanted to do, he couldn't think of any one of them when suddenly an idea came to mind.
For a moment, Hershel frowned unsure as to whether she would grant his request, "I think I'd like to go to the park?" he questioned with an unsure tone in his voice.
Enid smiled gently at his request and nodded before raising from her chair, "Why don't I go and put together a picnic before we go" she offered before leaving the room.
…
"It's so beautiful here isn't it?" Enid exclaimed as she helped him through the trees to a clearing opposite the park itself, where they could already see some children playing, "My mom used to bring me here all the time when I was little".
Hershel simply smiled before holding out a hand for her to pass him the basket so that she could lay down the red and white polka dot blanket she'd brought with them.
After laying out the blanket, she turned to retrieve the basket only to find Hershel had already placed it onto the grass and was lowering himself to sit down. Noticing her wide eyes, he chuckled before admitting, "Gettin' down's the easy part, though I'll probably need your help to get up later"
Enid folder her legs beneath her as she too joined him in sitting and spotted an ice cream truck over his shoulder, "I can do that" she confirmed, "as long as you buy the ice cream later" she jutted her chin in the van's direction, causing Hershel to twist to look over his shoulder.
"You got yourself a deal" he replied as his head shook slightly before turning to face her.
They sat enjoying their food as they listened to the laughs and screams of the playing children. The sun was warm as it heated their skin, but a cool breeze took off the majority of the heat.
Noticing Hershel finish his sandwich, Enid reached back into the basket where her fingers gripped the hard spine of the photo album from the day before, "Okay, so I wasn't sure whether to bring this or not" she started as she pulled it out "But, you did promise that if I came back again that you'd tell me more"
Smiling, Hershel reached out a hand and took the offered book, his hand stroked the cover at the memories it held within. Looking back up, he nodded gently before tapping the blanket next to him. Enid quickly obliged and moved to his side as he opened the album. Instead of him tapping the first photo of Daryl and Beth like he did the day before, he pointed at a picture of a large farmhouse.
It was a beautiful large wooden house that had been painstakingly painted white. A large wraparound porch lined the entire ground floor, whilst the upper level had a short balcony. She watched quietly as his eyes clouded over and the first sign of tears grew.
"It was a few months after they first met, that I met them myself" he explained before chuckling at the memory, "They'd been meeting, of course, over the weeks that followed their first introduction. Hell, Daryl had gone back to that swing set every day hoping to see Beth again"
Both of them looked over to the swing set in the park where several children were swinging backwards and forwards, their laughter reaching where they sat across the clearing.
"They'd become a strength for one another, they just didn't know how much" Hershel looked at Enid and she could see the memories floating through his mind and how upset he was becoming.
"You don't have to…" she started about to tell him he didn't have to tell her his story if he wasn't ready, but he simply waved her off.
Taking a deep breath, Hershel continued "They didn't have the kind of life that most kids had, they had to fight just to survive! It was an agreement that neither of them brought up or discussed, it was just there. Anytime Simon started on Beth or Will, Daryl's father, came home drunk, they'd just head to the swings and hope the other was there. More often than not the other was there waiting"
For several moments, Hershel sat quiet watching the children play. Wanting him to continue, Enid leant forward and tapped the photo of the farmhouse, "You said it was a few months after, that you met them?"
Blinking, Hershel glanced down at where her fingers grazed the photo, "That's right" he confirmed, "Found them in my barn cooking a damn squirrel for dinner"
"Eww, that's gross" Beth stated as she screwed up her small face at the now dead squirrel.
Daryl bent down and picked up his snare along with the dead animal before looking to where Beth stood, her small arms wrapped around her middle.
"Taste's better than it looks" he told her before standing and gesturing for her to follow.
"Well, how we gonna cook it?" her small voice called after him as she started to follow his tracks.
For two days now, neither of them had eaten. Whilst Beth was being punished for not doing her chores, Daryl's cupboards were bare; not even a can of sardines or peas. As they'd sat on the swings, Beth had been telling him that she hoped her momma wasn't really dead and that she'd be coming back to get her real soon, and when she did, Beth would make sure that they would take Daryl with them. She promised that he could live with them always.
Daryl enjoyed when Beth spoke like this, although he would often remain silent not wanting to upset her by telling her it was just a pipedream. Whilst they were only children, he often felt much older than his seven years and it was because he'd had to grow up fast. But when he heard her belly rumble with hunger and then his own, he'd made a decision and that decision was to hunt!
His brother had shown him how enough times when they'd had to camp in the woods when their father was on a bender and he was sure he could do it now, which is what had led them to this very moment. Daryl traipsing through the woods, a dead squirrel dangling from his hand and Beth following him wherever he went.
Daryl had found a spot and was just about to light a fire when the first crack of thunder sounded overhead. He'd immediately looked to Beth, who ducked at the sound, before the heavens opened; soaking them instantly to the bone.
As the thunder continued to crash overhead, Daryl leapt up and grabbed Beth's hand before pulling her quickly through the sheets of water that was making it difficult to see. Guessing they were heading in the right direction, he started to jog and felt the tugging on his hand as Beth tried to keep up with him.
It felt like they'd been running for hours when he spotted a break in the trees. Usually he was real good at tracking and finding his way around, but between the rain, thunder and Beth's hand in his own, he had gotten them lost.
Stopping under the protection of a large oak tree, Daryl stooped to catch his breath as Beth shivered beside him. He felt stupid right then for dragging her out so far when she was just wearing a flimsy cotton dress and what was once, white canvas pumps.
"Daryl, do you see that?" she yelled over the noise of the rain as she pointed across the field.
Turning in the direction she pointed, he squinted as a flash of lightening lit up an old farmhouse on the other side of the field.
"C'mon" he yelled over the noise as he once again took her hand and pulled her behind him to a place that they could hopefully find sanctuary in.
They eventually reached the house and stood staring at its grandness before Daryl pulled her to one side and signalled to the barn that sat across from it. He didn't want whoever lived here to catch them skulking around the house, especially when the two of them looked like drowned rats.
Beth followed him wordlessly as they darted through the rain and puddles before slipping inside of the large wooden structure. She stood shivering as water ran down her legs from her dress that was soaked through to her underwear. Uncaring of himself, Daryl immediately started moving around until he grabbed a blanket from the backseat of an old black car. He shook off any excess dust before bringing it to Beth where he dropped it around her shoulders.
She burrowed deep within the scratchy material and stepped forward as Daryl then began hunting for something for them to use to cook their catch. She watched him skilfully procure some hay along with twigs and bark to create a small fire inside of a galvanised bucket that she'd spotted to one side. Each of them held out their hands when the flames erupted; hoping to warm their fingertips.
Daryl looked at her with a look of trepidation on his face as he began skinning the squirrel he'd caught for them. However, instead of the same grimace that he'd seen when he'd spotted the animal in his snare, a wide smile sat on her face and he couldn't help but offer her a small smile in return.
"You saved them didn't you?" Enid questioned when Hershel paused.
He looked to her face where he saw her smiling at his words before frowning when he shook his head, "No, I'd say they saved me that day"
Enid frowned, "What do you mean?"
Closing the album in his lap, Hershel glanced up to the sky, "When my wife, Annette, passed I took solace in sin" he looked back to Enid who still frowned, "We'd been together for forty six years when she died, but I'd already lost her long before then"
Hershel pulled out his wallet before flipping it round to show Enid a picture of his late wife.
"She was beautiful Hershel"
"She really was" he admitted "no idea what she was doing with me, mind you" he chuckled before sobering.
"She had dementia" Enid's smile fell at the man's words. She'd worked with a few patients in the past that had suffered from dementia and knew how cruel of an illness it could be.
"It was hard but we managed. But, when she died, a part of me died too" Enid reached over and squeezed his hand reassuringly "Before Annette and I met, my childhood had been a lot like Daryl's. As I got older, the beatings didn't happen as much anymore, but by then the damage was done"
He shook his head before removing his hand from under Enid's so that he could place the photo album on the ground next to him.
"When something happens, like what I went through, it changes you. It can make you better, stronger or it can make you look for an outlet and unfortunately I took the outlet" he admitted, "found that alcohol made things better, at least for a little while anyway, but by the time I met Annette I was drinking all the time"
Enid kept quiet as she allowed the man next to her to digest his thoughts and memories.
"She was the one person that didn't keep walking and the one person I saw a reason to change for, so that's what I did; I changed and we lived so many happy years together"
"It was the anniversary of her death, when I found them kids in my barn. The bottle had been in front of me, taunting me, when I caught sight of them going inside to get out of the rain. I watched them for a while, they were no bigger than knee high and I knew they'd likely stumbled through the woods that sat between my farm and the trailer park so I just let them be"
Confused, Enid leant forwards, "I thought you said that was the day you met them?"
Hershel chuckled and smiled, "It was. I'd been watching them for about twenty minutes when I saw the first trail of smoke filter through the barn doors. Ignoring the bottle I'd been staring at all morning, I grabbed my rain coat and ran outside"
He shook his head before continuing "I assumed they were the same as those other kids and were just trying to cause trouble"
"What in the world!" a strange man boomed from the open doorway.
Instantly, Daryl leapt to his feet and stood protectively in front of Beth, who was also moving to stand slowly. He felt her small fingers clutch the back of his shirt in fright.
Both of them jumped as the man stepped forward before grabbing a bucket of sand from by the door and dowsing the small fire they'd gotten going. Beth gasped as she realised their meal was now ruined, causing the man to whirl on them.
Seeing the anger in the old man's face had Daryl puffing himself up to as much height as his seven year old body could muster.
Hershel grimaced as he saw the same fright in the children in front of him from his actions, that he'd seen in himself when he was just a boy.
"You can't be lighting fires in barns" he told them sternly "you could've lit the whole damn place on fire".
Each of them looked around the barn as Hershel gestured to the dried hay and feed, not to mention the car and oil.
It was Beth that stepped out from behind Daryl, despite the boy trying to shield her as she moved, "We're sorry" she whispered.
The man's face softened at her words as he took in the small bruise that was yellowing on her cheek, "You kids from the trailer park?"
"What of it, old man?" Daryl questioned and Hershel knew the boy was just trying to act tough to protect the girl at his side.
"Less of the old son" Hershel reprimanded as he bent down in front of the bucket that they'd been burning a fire in. He frowned when he saw the sand covered remains of what looked like a squirrel.
Standing up, his knees clicked with old age as he turned to face the two young children, "Name's Hershel. Hershel Greene" he announced.
As before, he watched as the young girl stepped forward slightly, "I'm Beth and this is Daryl" she confirmed as she gestured to the boy next to her who was scowling "We didn't mean any harm, we got lost in the storm".
As if her words conjured it, a large crack of thunder exploded overhead causing Beth to jump before huddling herself into Daryl's side in fright. The boy's arm automatically wrapping around her small shoulders to pull her tightly against him.
"How old are you?" Hershel quizzed.
Daryl kept one small arm on Beth, he knew she hated storms and loud noises. Moving slightly, so he stood in front of her, he cleared his throat, "Seven" he confirmed as if he'd just said thirty instead. Moving his gaze to Beth, Hershel raised an eyebrow in question and received a whispered, "six" in response.
Sighing, he shook his head. If his wife was still alive she would skin him alive for not helping these kids.
"You' two hungry?" he questioned as his eyes once again caught sight of the charred and sandy animal they'd been trying to cook.
Instead of waiting for an answer, he turned and began making his way to the door.
Beth moved to follow him, but stopped when Daryl laid a hand on her arm with a look of confusion and concern on his face, "Beth?" he whispered.
She smiled at the boy next to her before turning her arm and capturing his hand in her own; their fingers entwining as she smiled, "He ain't gonna hurt us, Daryl"
"How'd yer know that?" Daryl whispered as he glanced at the man's back as he waited by the door.
Beth giggled, which pulled his gaze back to her face. No matter how many times he caught sight of her crystal blue eyes up close, they still took his breath away each and every time.
"He has a bible in his pocket Daryl, I don't think he's gonna hurt us" Beth stated simply, as if the bible answered everything.
Hershel concealed his chuckle at her words. It was right for the boy to be so uneasy, for all they knew he could have been a murderer.
"That don't mean nothin' Beth" Daryl rushed "My daddy's got a bible but don't mean he's a good man"
Beth nodded in agreement before admitting, "There are still good people in the world, Daryl"
She released his hand, knowing he would follow her, and made her way to Hershel's side. Just as the man looked to her with a kind smile, Daryl stepped up beside her and retook her hand.
Rushing through the rain, they entered the main house and Beth blushed when she realised that they were now dripping water on to the clean, dark stained wood flooring.
As if sensing her thoughts, Hershel smiled kindly, "Don't matter none" he advised before lifting his arm towards the room off the hall, "Why don't you two head on into the den and I'll fix us some hot chocolate" Beth beamed at his words and started walking as soon as he finished speaking. She pulled Daryl reluctantly behind her as they walked in front of him.
When they entered the room, each of them stopped and turned to him, as if waiting for instruction, "There's some blankets and towels in that trunk there" he offered as he pointed at a large wooden box that was used as a coffee table, "why don't you kids get out of them wet clothes while I fix us something up" Daryl scowled at his words so Hershel quickly added, "we can pop your clothes in the dryer until it's time to take you both home".
With that, he left them to it and headed to the kitchen.
"I like him, Daryl" Beth explained as she began to take off her dress before dumping it in a pile at her feet.
Daryl heard her, but continued to look around the room instead of answering. His eyes lingered on the different certificates and photographs that lined the walls.
"He's jus' how I pictured my daddy to be before I was sent to live with Simon" Beth admitted as she approached his side and looked at what he was staring at, "He seems kind" she added gently.
Daryl nodded slightly, it was true, the man had shown them kindness when he could've quite easily have shown them the door. But, then he glanced at a wedding picture that showed a younger version of the man that they'd met and he frowned, "If he's so kind, then where's his wife?" he questioned.
"She passed away four years ago" Hershel announced from the doorway where he held a tray in his hands. The proclamation made both children jump, unaware of his presence.
Daryl glanced at Beth who blushed in apology as Hershel made his way to the trunk, where he set down the tray of food he'd prepared. Standing he grabbed their wet clothes before leaving the room once more.
Both of them made their way timidly across the room and took in the roast beef sandwiches and glasses of sweet tea that Hershel had brought in for them. Their bellies rumbled at the same time causing them both to reach for a plate.
Hershel returned to see the two children eating enthusiastically and smiled as he sat down in his reclining chair, his own plate of food in his lap.
"So, are you a doctor?" Daryl questioned as he thumbed over his shoulder to the certificates he'd seen on the wall.
"Vet" Hershel confirmed "and a damn good one too".
"I'm sorry about your wife" Beth whispered before adding "my momma died" in a small voice that could barely be heard.
He watched as tears grew in the girls eyes and the way Daryl moved ever so slightly as if he could take away any hurt or pain that threatened the girl.
For a few hours, they sat talking and getting to know one another until the storm began to subside. He learnt that Daryl liked to read, though hardly had any books, and that Beth enjoyed singing. Eventually, Hershel excused himself to retrieve their dry clothes before passing them to awaiting hands.
Shortly after they dressed, Hershel ushered them into his truck and drove them back to the entrance of the trailer park. Both of them sat unmoving as the truck idled before Daryl gripped the handle and pushed the door open.
Hershel watched as the small boy reached up to help Beth down and his gentleness in every touch, as if he was caring for a small bird rather than a girl. The slamming of the door jolted him and he cleared his throat before tugging the lever into drive and turning the truck around to head home. He noticed Daryl and Beth standing hand in hand at the entrance as he pulled up alongside them.
"You ever need anywhere to go…" he started "you just go on and come out to the farm"
"And they did, didn't they?" Enid gushed as he reached an end to his story.
Hershel didn't reply, he simply smiled before looking towards the ice cream truck she'd mentioned earlier, "Fancy that ice cream now?"
Just like the day before, Enid knew his story telling was over for the day and she began gathering their things and returning it to the basket before helping Hershel to his feet.
…
"Somethin' smells amazing" Beth cooed as she walked sluggishly through the house, Annie as usual on her hip; one had waving throughout the air and the other tugging at the hair that had fallen from Beth's ponytail.
The early shift always was a killer, without having to do the afternoon shift as well. She just hoped she'd get a break soon, because she didn't know how much longer she could keep up with looking after Annie, caring for Hershel when she was home as well as keeping house and working two jobs.
Just like the day before, Beth entered the kitchen to find a smiling Hershel sat at the table with Enid stirring their dinner at the stove. After such a long day, this is just what she needed; happy memories, with the man she considered more of a father than her own, before he succumbed to his illness.
Quickly changing from her work uniform she cleaned up Annie, who babbled happily as she laid back on Beth's large bed, before joining Hershel and Enid downstairs.
"Did you two have a good day?" she enquired as she dug into the spaghetti and sauce the duo had prepared, a moan leaving her lips as the herbs and spices they'd used danced along her tongue.
Enid smiled at Beth's closed eyes, "It's good, right?"
Beth's eyes opened to find both Hershel and Enid staring at her, a smile on both of their faces. Blushing under their gazes, she smiled and released a small "mmhmm" as she sucked up another piece of spaghetti; realisation hitting her when she remembered eating a similar recipe so many years ago.
Placing her fork on the side of her plate, she took a gulp of her sweet tea before asking, "Is this Annette's recipe?" Hershel nodded in confirmation as he ate his own meal.
Enid leant forward to reach for her own drink, "Beat's eating squirrel" she commented before sharing a wink and a knowing look with Hershel.
…
Later that night, Beth checked on Annie and Hershel before falling into her own bed. Her bones ached with tiredness but each time she closed her eyes she saw the face of a boy that she saw each day that she looked at her daughter.
Feeling the familiar lump in her throat, she turned on her side as the first tear fell.
She tried not to think of him often, but the memories of him were always there; reminding her that he was out there somewhere. She wondered if he ever thought about her or recalled the many days and years they spent together before he left. If he thought of Hershel and how the man had given them so much love and happiness, that they would never have experienced if they'd not wandered into his barn so many years ago. Pulling up the duvet, she ran memory after memory in her mind as if it was a film reel before allowing sleep to pull her into its warm embrace.