Chapter 5

Enid had been caring for Hershel for a couple of months now and in that time she'd grown close not only to him but to Beth and Annie too. Which is why it was no surprise that she was running late for work having stopped off at the store on her way in, after receiving a call from Beth first thing.

"Sorry I'm late, Hershel" Enid rushed as she quickly put down her bag and started sorting his medication for the day, "Beth called first thing to see if I'd pop to the store for her on my way in."

Hershel placed his bible on the arm of his chair and smiled at Enid's apology. Truth was he wasn't angry, she already did far more for him and Beth than any of the other carers ever had.

"Doesn't matter none" he told her, "not like I'm going anywhere these days"

Enid stopped what she was doing as Hershel gestured to his room. The truth was he'd been losing more weight these last few weeks and no longer resembled the same man she'd met when she'd first started working here. She also knew that his bouts of pain were becoming more and more frequent, not because he informed her of it, but because Beth did each morning she arrived.

"What did she need from the store this time?" Hershel quizzed gently, changing the subject.

He knew Beth's tiredness was getting worse and had lost count the amount of times she'd forgotten one thing or another whilst grocery shopping. Just the other day she'd planned to cook one of Annette's recipes, honey roast ham, but had forgotten to buy the ham.

Approaching where he sat, he watched as Enid set down a bottle of water from the small fridge he kept in his room and his pills. Leaning forward he popped them in his mouth, just like he did every day, before sitting back in his chair waiting expectantly for Enid to answer his question.

He watched as a small blush bloomed on her cheeks, "Oh, you know. Just the usual" she explained but received a raised eyebrow in response, "Woman's things" she confirmed quickly.

Hershel chuckled at the revelation, "I swear that girl never changes" he mused as he shook his head.

Enid moved to tidy the room and make his bed. Each time she'd arrived lately, he would launch right into his memories, as if afraid he wouldn't get to finish the story he'd started telling several months ago, which would leave her little time to complete her chores. So she'd decided that she would try as often as she could to get them done first.

"What do you mean?" she finally asked as she tucked the last corner of his bed sheet in.

"If you recall" he started "Beth was only six when she was sent to live with Simon after her mother passed" Enid nodded remembering the information from the first memory he told her, "Well, like most girls her age, she had a few friends in school. But, Daryl was her go to! Where he went, she went and vice versa. Weren't a day went by when those two weren't together"

"Obviously, not having a female role model in her life left a bit of a void when it came to discussing women's business, if you know what I mean"

Enid nodded again and turned slightly when Hershel motioned for the photo album that sat on the shelf near the door. Pulling it from its resting place, she walked towards him and placed it in his hands before sitting next to him.

"She was just twelve when it happened" he told her. Enid watched as he tapped a picture of Beth who was huddled under a blanket and surrounded by chocolate wrappers.

Beth swung backwards and forwards on the swing like she had done so many times before, but this time was different; she felt different and she didn't know why.

She'd been fine first thing, but when she'd gone to the toilet a little while ago she'd noticed blood in her knickers. As time went on, her stomach started to ache but felt so much worse than a normal bellyache. Scenario's ran through her mind as to why she was bleeding when she knew she had no cuts or sores in that area and the only thing she could think of was that she was dying. She was actually going to bleed to death.

As usual, she'd fled to the only safe place she knew and waited just like she always did for the one person that she could count on.

It didn't take long before Daryl's familiar face came around the corner of the closest trailer. As he approached her, she tried to muster as much of a smile as she could but it felt like her heart was breaking at the thought that she was dying and he would be left alone.

"What's wrong?" he immediately asked, seeing straight through her forced smile.

She couldn't hold it in any longer as the first tears fell. She felt his young arms circle around her to pull her into his embrace. He allowed her to sob into his shirt for a few moments before pulling back to look at her with a concerned gaze.

"I think I'm dyin' Daryl" she whispered.

She watched as the blood drained from his face at her words before a frown pulled at his eyebrows, "What ya thinkin' that for?" he questioned.

Feeling embarrassed, Beth looked down at the floor unable to meet his gaze, "Well, I'm bleedin'…"

She felt Daryl begin to move his hands over her arms before moving back her t-shirt to check her for injuries. She reached up and captured his hand in her own, "Not there" she admitted.

Daryl was even more confused by her words, "So where are ya bleedin'? I can't see no blood"

"I don't wanna say" she replied getting upset again, "I jus' no that I am and my stomach hurts real bad"

As she finished speaking, he grabbed her hand and began tugging her towards the woods, "Where we goin?" she asked as she stumbled behind his quick steps.

"Hershel's" Daryl replied, "He'll know what t' do" Daryl then abruptly stopped and turned to face her, gently brushing a piece of hair behind her ear, "I ain't gonna let ya die, Beth"

She knew he was telling the truth and that he would do everything he could to keep her alive. By the time they made it to the edge of Hershel's field, Beth was in a lot of pain and she was sure she'd bled more because her underwear felt wet against her skin.

"Daryl, I don't think I can walk anymore. It really hurts"

Seeing no other choice, Daryl simply bent at the knee and scooped her up into his arms and carried her bridal style across the wide field. For a moment, Beth let herself enjoy being in his arms and so close to his heart.

Daryl obviously felt the same, because when they reached the house he didn't put her down, he simply climbed the steps and kicked open the door before calling out for Hershel.

When Hershel rushed from the kitchen at the commotion, he swore that his heart stopped at the sight of Beth in Daryl's arms and for a moment he saw Daryl the night Will had beaten him.

"What happened?" he questioned as he reached and took Beth from Daryl's young arms before turning and rushing into his clinic.

"She says she's bleedin'" Daryl stated from behind Hershel's shoulder.

Looking over Beth, he saw no immediate injuries but he did see an extremely frightened face looking back at him.

"It's okay Beth" he soothed, "We're gonna fix you right up, but I need you to tell me where your bleeding from so I can help, okay?"

He watched as Beth nodded weakly before her hand moved to the crotch of her jeans. At the sight, Hershel blanched. It was at that moment that he wished his wife was around. Pushing his thoughts away, he asked the first thing that came to mind, "Do you have any pain in your belly?"

Beth's face scrunched up as she nodded in confirmation.

"And when did it start?"

Beth's face whitened as her stomach tensed in pain, "I was okay this mornin'" she confirmed, "but then a few hours later, I went t' the bathroom and it…" she trailed off and looked to where Daryl was gripping the back of Hershel's chair; his knuckles white from the intensity of his grip.

Noticing her worry, Hershel looked to the boy behind him "Daryl, can you give us a minute son?" he asked over his shoulder. He watched as Daryl fought over whether to stay or go, "Why don't you head on in the kitchen and finish making those sandwiches? Beth's gonna need something to eat after we've finished talking"

Daryl nodded and looked to Beth who smiled gently, his small shoulders sagged in relief before he left the two alone.

Turning to face Beth, Hershel grimaced. His wife would've known how to handle this better than he could.

"Am I dyin?" Beth whispered.

Hershel's eyes widened and he couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him, "No honey, you're not dying…but, I think you may have gotten your first period"

"You should have seen her face, when I told her that she'd have them at least once a month" he chuckled.

"I can't imagine not having my mother around when I first started mine" Enid admitted as she felt a sense of pride at what Beth had been through with only Hershel to guide her.

"After, I spoke with both kids about the facts of life, something that was just as painful for me as it was for them"

Enid laughed as she recalled a memory of a discussion with her own parents and how her father had acted. It was one of the most mortifying times in her life she'd ever experienced and she could only imagine how Beth, Daryl and Hershel must have felt.

"So, now that Beth's bleedin' she can have babies?" Daryl questioned with a confused look on his face as his head bobbed backwards and forwards between Hershel and Beth.

Hershel simply nodded but grimaced when Beth's small voice asked a question from beside him, "But, how do they get in there?"

For a moment, Hershel turned beet red and could feel the room becoming hot as he contemplated how to answer. In the end, he'd decided to just be honest.

"Well honey" he started as he moved to sit between the two children "when you fall in love with someone…"

"Like y' did with Annette?" Daryl asked interrupting him.

Hershel smiled at the boy and nodded, "Mmhmm, just like I did with my Annie" he confirmed before continuing "As I was saying, when you love someone and I mean truly love them, there comes a time when you want to give a piece of yourself to them and them to you."

"What like a present or something?" Beth questioned before glancing at Daryl and the leather plaited bracelet she'd gifted him on his birthday that lined his wrist.

Chuckling, Hershel followed her gaze, "No sweetie. It's not something you buy and just give like a present. It's…it's…well it's more than that. It's a time when a man and woman come together and confirm their love for one another"

"I wish my parents had explained it like that" Enid gushed before blushing.

Hershel smiled gently, "At first they'd just sat staring at me like I'd grown another head, but then they started asking a few questions. I was as honest as they needed me to be with them"

Enid got up to retrieve a blanket from the end of Hershel's bed when she noticed him shiver slightly. Walking back over, she covered his legs before retaking her seat.

"Then what happened?" she asked as she leant her head on her hand, from where her arm was dipped at the elbow.

"After that, I left them on my sofa, whilst I headed into town to stock up on whatever Beth needed." He confirmed before shaking his head in disbelief.

"It was only after I'd entered the damn store that I realised I was out of my depth. There were just shelves and shelves of the stuff and I had no clue what to get" he admitted "When Annette was younger, they didn't have the same selection as today, so I just stood there."

"Can I help you, sir?"

Hershel glanced from where he'd stood for at least half hour to see a pretty young brunette with a kind smile staring at him. He leaned forwards to read her badge 'Maggie' before turning back uneasily to the shelves that had been tormenting him since he'd arrived.

"I need to pick up a few things for…" What could he say? That he was picking up sanitary items for a young girl that often came to his house? Not a chance in hell, it would make him look like those men on the TV that took little girls from their momma's. "My daughter" he finished.

It was the first time he'd used the word and to be honest he enjoyed the way it rolled of his tongue.

The woman didn't bat an eyelid at his proclamation, she simply clapped her hands and turned to the selection in front of them, "Okay, how old is she?"

"Twelve" Hershel replied.

"And, what's her flow like?" the woman now known as Maggie asked.

Hershel could feel the heat spreading over his face as his blush took hold "It's her first"

The woman simply nodded before reaching out to grab two different packets. "Aw, these should be fine for her" she handed them to him, "but tell her to wear the blue ones at night"

"Thank you" Hershel offered in gratitude before turning to leave. He only made it as far as the end of the aisle when the woman called out to him, "You might wanna stock up on chocolate and maybe a hot water bottle too, if you don't already have one"

He turned and smiled gratefully before heading to a few more aisles before heading home.

Stepping into the house, he found Beth and Daryl exactly where he'd left them; Beth snuggled under a blanket as Daryl sat with her feet in his lap as he read from one of Hershel's many books.

"I'm gonna need all that?" Beth asked wide eyed when she took in the grocery bag full of items he'd purchased.

"No, honey. I picked up enough so that they last you a while, but I've also stocked up on some chocolate, pain killers and a hot water bottle too. The lady at the store said it would help with the pain and apparently you'd like the chocolate a lot around this time of the month"

Daryl lifted his arm for Beth to remove her feet from his lap so that she could go and change her underwear before applying one of the pads that Hershel had purchased. She'd twisted this way and that at the uncomfortable feeling they caused. It felt like she was wearing a nappy and swore that people would be able to see it through her pants, but when she looked in the mirror, she was shocked that she couldn't see it at all.

When she emerged from the bathroom, she found Hershel and Daryl sat waiting for her and a mountain of chocolate candies on the table next to where Hershel sat.

Slipping in between the two most important men in her life, she snuggled back under the blanket and felt the warmth of the now heated water bottle as she rested her head on Hershel's shoulder and entwined her fingers with Daryl's.

"You would have made an excellent father, Hershel" Enid whispered, as tears filled her eyes with what the man had done for Beth.

The lump in Hershel's throat tightened at the young woman's words. Whilst himself and Annette had never felt ill feelings towards god for not blessing them with children, he couldn't help but wonder what his wife would have been like as a mother.

"It was a few years later, when Beth turned sixteen, that I arranged for her to go on birth control."

Enid gasped but Hershel simply patted her hand, "It wasn't like that" he explained, "I just wanted them to be responsible when the time came."

"You see" he started as he flicked the next page of the photo album before tapping his finger on a picture of a teenage Daryl and Beth who were both soaked to the bone, "It was two years to the day of Beth's first period, that I realized their relationship was changing"

Enid leant over and took the album to get a closer look. She smiled at the sight of the youngsters looking so happy. Daryl in a pair of denim jeans that had been cut at the knee into shorts and Beth in some kind of pale pink polka dot bikini top and her own denim shorts. She could see they'd likely been swimming or had some sort of water fight from the sheen of their skin and wetness of their hair.

"It was the hottest Summer we'd had on record" Hershel began, "Daryl had found some old fixer-upper"

Noticing Enid's frown, Hershel clarified, "He got himself some old bike from the junkyard and brought it out to the farm" Enid nodded in understanding.

"You just gotta clean her up now, son, and you can take her for a spin" Hershel confirmed from where he finished putting his tools away.

He watched as Daryl smiled and for the first time since he'd met him, Hershel was shocked into silence because on Daryl's face was the first, full, genuine smile he'd ever seen. It was a smile of pride.

"I'll get the water" Beth shouted before running off to grab the hose.

Daryl circled the bike over and over, taking in the work he'd put in to make the bike what it once was.

"You did good, son" Hershel told him as he gestured to the bike.

For a moment Daryl's mouth opened as if he was going to say something but before he could, a cold spray of water hit them both. They vaguely heard the giggle from Beth as she held the hose on them both instead of on the bike.

At first, Hershel froze unsure how Daryl would react, but he'd had no reason to be concerned because the boy had simply shouted, "Yer gonna pay for that, Beth" before chasing her around as she continued to spray him with water.

Hershel shook his head at their antics before walking over to the house, their laughter and screams floating on the wind around him.

After retrieving two towels, he'd headed back outside to find silence and the hose discarded. He'd popped his head in the barn, but found it empty. Frowning, he'd been about to return to the house when whispered voices brought his attention to behind the barn.

Heading round the outside, he halted when he spotted Daryl and Beth laying in the grass, hands entwined between them. For a moment he'd simply watched, happy that they were able to find such a love within one another that others only dreamed of.

It was only as Daryl raised himself up on one arm to lean over Beth that he'd turned to head back to the front of the barn where he'd leave the towels for them to find. However, before he could move he caught Daryl's head dip and Beth's arms swing around his shoulders to bring him closer.

Stepping away quietly, he left them to enjoy this moment. It wasn't every day you got to experience your first kiss after all.

Enid shook her head, "My first kiss was awful" she admitted. Hershel simply raised an eyebrow at her revelation, "It was sloppy, and I don't think he'd even brushed his teeth!"

Hershel couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out him and soon Enid joined in before leaving to retrieve their lunch. Within a few minutes, they sat with their sandwiches.

"So, did it take Daryl all Summer to fix his bike?" Enid quizzed as she took a bite.

Hershel placed half of his uneaten sandwich back on the tray. He was feeling less and less hungry as the days went on.

Sipping some water, he turned back to Enid, who watched him carefully as he shook his head, "When school broke up, that boy was at the farm from sun up to sun down tinkering away. He got that bike finished within a few weeks. Beth didn't mind none, she was happy just to sit and watch, but do you know what the best part of that Summer was, though?" Hershel asked.

Enid shook her head. Hershel smiled as a tear filled his eye and his throat tightened, "The best part, was that Daryl wanted my help" he whispered as he took back the photo album from the arm of his chair and rubbed his finger over the photo affectionately, "We worked together on that bike every damn day and for a little while…for a little while…" he tried again before trailing off.

Leaning over, Enid took Hershel's hand in her own. She'd seen the man getting upset whether he would admit to it or not, "For a little while, what?" she prompted.

If a car had of driven past, Enid would swear she would've missed Hershel's next words, "I'd pretend he was my son."

When Hershel finally looked to Enid, he allowed a tear to slip down his cheek as he watched her own flowing freely down her face. Clearing his throat, Hershel closed the album but left it resting on his lap; as if scared it would disappear, taking his memories with it.

"I'd bet my life savings that he pretended he was your son, too" Enid whispered and received a small smile of gratitude from the man next to her that was clearly upset.

Looking to the window, they heard a motorbike rev in the distance before it passed the house, Hershel wiped at his tears, "I just hope he knew how much I loved him" Hershel explained before adding, "How much I loved them both."