Chapter 7

Enid had been awake all night, not daring to close her eyes in case Hershel or Beth needed her. She could feel the grittiness of the tiredness in her eyes each time she blinked, but still she fought the pull until the light of dawn began to shine through the windows.

It was just as the first streaks of pink, purples and oranges adorned the room that Beth began to stir. Enid watched in concern as Beth lifted her head from where it had laid on the bed next to Hershel's hand and saw as several emotions flitted over the young girls face.

"I can't believe I fell asleep again" Beth whispered so not to disturb Hershel from his own slumber.

Enid shook her head as she held out a spare cup of coffee that had cooled to just above lukewarm from the unit at her side. Beth took the cup gratefully before balancing it between her knees as she pulled her blonde hair free from where it was tied in a band.

"No one's judging you, Beth" Enid explained, "We all know what you've been trying to juggle to help look after Hershel when you can."

Beth looked longingly back to where Hershel laid asleep, "I jus' feel that I should be doin' more for him. He's been more of a father to me than my own father ever was."

Enid opened her mouth to speak at the same time the door to Hershel's room opened. Both women looked to the nurse that smiled warmly at them before stepping closer to check the various machines that Hershel was hooked up to.

"You girls have been here all night" she stated quietly.

Both of them just nodded in confirmation, each sipping from their coffee before Enid yawned. The nurse looked at them knowingly with a raised eyebrow.

"Why don't I stay with him a while, so you two can head home for a few hours" she suggested.

Enid looked to Beth and could see she was about to protest but the nurse simply shook her head cutting off whatever she was about to say.

"You're gonna be no good to him if you don't rest yourself, honey. I know it's hard, but I promise I'll stay with him as much as I can until you're back."

Beth knew the woman was right, but she was worried that if she left, that he wouldn't be there when she got back. It was a feeling she couldn't help but feel and it had been churning within her since the day the doctors had told them that his illness was terminal.

Looking to Enid, she returned the small, encouraging smile before offering one curt nod of acceptance. As if silently agreeing, both girls stood and gathered their things before Beth stepped forwards to lay a kiss on Hershel's forehead, "I'm comin' right back" she whispered low enough for only him to hear as the ball of emotion tightened in her throat.

The fresh air felt good as they stepped from the confines of the hospital into the cool morning that was ready to greet them. For a moment, Beth simply stopped to admire the world around her and she couldn't help but wonder why god had chosen to take someone so good when the world was full of so many bad. Knowing that Hershel had already made his peace with god, Beth shook her head to clear her thoughts and followed Enid to her car.

"How're you holding up?" Enid questioned gently as they drove down quiet roads towards Beth's home.

Beth dragged her eyes away from the empty streets to glance in Enid's direction as tears filled her eyes, before she quickly looked to the side and out of her window. Buildings and trees flew by in a blur until the car began to slow, signalling that they were reaching the crossroads that sat centrally to four towns. Finally seeing, Beth noticed a white house tucked back behind some trees to one side and couldn't help but feel the regret bubbling inside her that Hershel would never see his farm again.

Pulling away from the crossroads, Enid allowed Beth her silence. She knew it was hard on her and couldn't imagine what she would feel like if her it was her dad instead of Hershel in the hospital at that moment.

"I jus' thought…" Beth whispered causing Enid to jump slightly after so long in silence, "I mean, I had so many plans y' know? And I feel that it's jus' all slippin' away"

Leaning her head on the coolness of the glass window, Beth closed her eyes as the first tear fell, "Daryl and I, we used t' make plans, discuss a future and I always jus' imagined that when the time came that Hershel would be right there with us".

Daryl and Beth laid in bed as the moon hung low in the darkened sky. They'd finally taken Hershel's hints and began occupying the spare bedroom on the nights they'd sneak out. It wasn't every night, just the nights that Will Dixon came home drunk. The first time it happened was back when they were just sixteen and they'd come out to the farm to find it in darkness; Hershel had clearly gone to bed judging by the time.

It had been Daryl that suggested they sit on the porch swing for a while and Beth had been more than happy to oblige. She'd sat as he told her how his father had come home clearly high, drunk or both before laying into him for no reason except for existing. After receiving a few blows here and there, he'd climbed out of his bedroom window and headed to the swings hoping Beth would find him.

Beth in turn explained that she couldn't sleep and had been tossing and turning until she'd decided to head to the swings for some air. It was then that they'd spotted one another and made a spur of the minute decision to head to the farm.

It had been a few hours later when Beth felt herself growing tired, her head flopping to rest on Daryl's shoulder as he leaned back on the swing seat. Whether it was the heat from his embrace or the evening air she wasn't sure, but the next thing she knew, it was morning and they'd been covered by one of Annette's handsewn quilts.

Nowadays, instead of sleeping outside, they slept in a bed. They didn't do what a lot of the kids a school talked about; they were just happy being in one another's company.

"So, we'd jus' go to the ocean for our honeymoon and then what?" Beth giggled quietly as she propped herself up on her elbow so she could look at Daryl's face.

Daryl laid looking at the ceiling, a smirk resting at the corner of his mouth, "We'd come back here t' the farm" he stated before rolling on to his side, "I'd get a job…maybe mending bikes or cars, or sumthin'" he suggested.

Beth smiled as she moved her hands between them to entwine her fingers with his "And, what about me? What will I be doin' why you're workin'?"

Daryl rolled on to his back and stared once again at the ceiling wondering if it held the answers to the questions Beth asked. He enjoyed the plans she made and would chip in with his own bits here and there, but sometimes he couldn't help but wonder if they were just two kids living in a dream world.

Feeling Beth rest her head on his chest as she moved closer to him, he wrapped an arm around her cementing her to him like an anchor, "You'll be here with the kids, and Hershel. He'll teach them to look after the farm and I'll teach them how to fix things"

"Kids?" she asked surprised, "Well, how many we havin'?"

Daryl pretended to be deep in thought and chuckled slightly when she tickled his side to get an answer, "I dunno Beth, why don't we jus' wait and see. Gotta have some surprises don't we?"

Beth laid quietly as the crickets chirped outside. Daryl was right, somethings were better left as a surprise.

"Daryl?" she questioned a few minutes later before receiving a 'mmhmm' in response.

"I think…I think I'd like Hershel to be the one to walk me down the aisle"

Daryl considered her words and laid a soft kiss to the top of her head. She always talked about her wedding and how it would be a simple affair with just the two of them and Hershel. Finding no words he simply pulled her tighter into his side and eventually they both drifted off to the quiet thump of one another's heartbeat.

"Stupid, right?" Beth laughed at the same time she cried, "I mean, c'mon we were jus' kids"

Enid shook her head and for the first time Beth realised the car had stopped and her house stood in the background through Enid's car window.

"You weren't stupid, Beth" Enid started but stopped when Beth shook her head.

"You know, I used t' dreamed of my wedding day all the time and whenever I did, the only person I saw waitin' on me was Daryl" Tears flowed as Beth took a breath, "Ain't never gonna happen now and even if it did, Hershel wouldn't be there."

Beth gripped the door handle, "Growin' up, I pictured Hershel and Daryl in every plan I made and now Daryl's jus' gone and Hershel's dyin"

Enid reached out to comfort Beth as the woman's shoulders began to shake as sobs took over her body, "I can't lose him. Not like this" Beth cried.

Enid provided the comfort Beth needed in that time, even though her own heart ached at the prospect of the man leaving these plains. Instead of speaking, she remained silent and allowed Beth to take whatever strength Enid could give her to get her through such a difficult time.

It was movement over Enid's shoulder through the window that broke their embrace, causing them both to find Beth's neighbour, Eric, with a smiling Annie on his hip. Immediately, Beth swiped at her cheeks to remove the evidence of tears before moving to grip the car door handle once again so she could claim her daughter.

"I can't thank you enough for what you've done for us" Beth explained honestly.

Enid simply smiled and leant in to repeat the words Beth had spoken herself during her childhood, "There are still good people in the world, Beth".

Beth's brows pulled together as the memory of the day she'd spoken those very words floated to the forefront of her mind before she composed herself and stepped out of the car.

…

As Enid reached the crossroads once again to head home, she slowed the car to a stop before heading back the way she'd came. She didn't take the turning for home, instead she followed the road back to the hospital.

She knew she should go home, she'd barely slept in the last twenty four hours, but all she knew is that Hershel was worried that he wouldn't get to finish telling her his story and if there was one thing she could do for the man that wouldn't be with them much longer, it was that she could give him whatever time he needed to finish what he'd started.

Opening the door slowly, she smiled when she saw Hershel sat up and awake in his bed talking with the same nurse that had sent them home only a few hours ago.

Ignoring the raised eyebrow from the nurse as she left the room, Enid took off her bag and placed it on the side before sitting back in the chair she'd sat in most of the night.

"Beth resting?" Hershel asked.

"Mmhmm, I just dropped her off at home. Eric was waiting for her with Annie"

Hershel nodded and smiled before relaxing back into his pillow "I wasn't expecting you back so soon" Hershel explained as he too rose an eyebrow in her direction.

Enid shook her head, "I almost didn't make it up here" she replied.

"Oh?" he wondered in concern, unsure if she'd had car trouble or something.

"Yeah, there was two kids fighting out in the parking lot" she started "The police were trying to get them under control and pretty much blocked the entrance but one of the guards from last night waved me through."

Hershel shook his head, "I remember Daryl getting into a fight once" he reminisced as his eyes floated to the window before looking to where Enid sat waiting for him to continue.

"They were in high school when it happened. Daryl was nearing eighteen" he began.

Daryl stood in the locker room getting changed from football practise when two jocks known as Jimmy and Zack sidled up to the lockers next to him. He knew of the boys, both were from the rich side of town and often had all of the girls trailing after them.

Keeping his head down, he started stuffing his sweaty kit into his bag as one of them made a comment that had him freezing where he stood.

"Oh man, did you see Beth today?" Zach moaned appreciatively as he leant his side on his locker, "I mean god, does she even know what she does to half the guys here when she wears that yellow shirt and those damn jeans?"

Jimmy looked over Zach's shoulder to see Daryl tense. They all knew that Beth and Daryl were some sort of package but no one really knew just how far their ties went.

Oblivious to Daryl's knuckles turning white as he fisted his bag, Zach continued, "It's always the quiet ones that are crazy in bed" he chuckled before Jimmy joined in.

Their laughter didn't last long as Daryl's reached a hand out to grip Zach's letterman jacket before spinning him to face him. His chest heaved as Zach frowned at him, "the fuck y' say?" he fumed.

"Woah man, I didn't mean nothing by it" Zach protested as he released Daryl's grip from his jacket.

Thinking that was the end of it, Daryl turned and snatched up his bag before flying towards the door but stopped when Zach decided to continue, "Hey, do you think she'd want to spend the night with a real man instead of some trailer-trash hillbilly?"

Turning, he watched as Jimmy backed away from his friend at the look on Daryl's face.

Not knowing when to stop Zach continued as he stepped towards Daryl, one slow intimidating step at a time, "Do you know how to satisfy a woman, Daryl?" he goaded, "or is old man Greene tapping that first?"

Daryl remained silent as his fists shook next to his sides; his bag now long forgotten next to his feet.

"Why, I bet if I snapped my fingers and brought her some flowers or something she'd be laying in my bed with her legs wide, waiting as a thank you"

Daryl's fist connecting with Zach's jaw brought the silence of the words that fuelled his anger. For several moments the only noise that swept through the locker room were the sounds of flesh on flesh and grunts of pain before Zach drove his shoulder into Daryl's stomach causing them to fly out of the locker room door and into the busy school hallway.

At first no one moved, they all just stood watching the scene unfold in front of them until several teachers rushed forward to intervene. It took three teachers to hold Daryl back from Zach's bruised and bloody body; his chest still heaving in anger.

As Beth stepped out from her English lesson, she froze at what she saw before rushing down the hall and out into the car park as she fumbled for the cell phone that Hershel had gifted her on her birthday.

Quickly dialling the number she needed, she held the phone to her ear.

"Hershel?" she questioned when he answered, "It's Daryl" she stated.

"What's the matter? Is he okay?" she could hear the worry in his voice.

Thinking back to what she saw, she shook her head forgetting he couldn't see her "I think he's been in some sort of fight with that Zach kid" she stated before continuing, "Do y' think ya could come down to the school?"

"I'm on my way, honey" Hershel confirmed before disconnecting the call.

It was the only thing she could think of to do. She knew the school would likely try and call Will Dixon and that would be the last thing Daryl needed. Waiting by the door, she stood in the chilly wind for Hershel to arrive.

"Then what happened?" Enid questioned as she leant back and stretched her aching muscles.

Hershel smiled, "Why don't you grab a coffee and I'll tell you the rest when you get back".

At his words, Enid felt her caffeine withdrawal hit her with full force. Shaking her head, she stood from her chair and left the room in search of the nearest coffee machine.

Deciding on two cups instead of one, she headed back to Hershel's room before propping the door with her hip to allow her to enter.

"Oh, so you think that you can just fall asleep without telling me the rest?" Enid joked as she noticed Hershel opening his eyes.

He chuckled and gestured to the chair, "As I pulled in the parking lot, I saw that Will had already beat me there" he continued.

"What the fuck, Daryl" Will roared.

Hershel could hear the man hollering from inside his truck. It was only as he watched Will Dixon punch Daryl in the gut before moving his fist to Daryl's face that had him slamming on the brakes, before moving the car into park; not caring that he was likely blocking the way.

Pushing his door open, he leant back over to the passenger side where his shotgun rested under the seat. As he moved to jump down, he clocked Beth who'd rushed forwards to put herself in front of Daryl to protect him. Moving as quickly as he could, Hershel stepped over towards them as Will moved to strike again.

"You touch that boy again, and I'll put you in the ground" Hershel snapped in his deep southern voice.

As if shocked at the intruder, Will turned to look at Hershel with a snarl on his face before realising that Hershel had his shotgun trained on him.

"Beth" Hershel started as he kept his gaze on Will, "Help Daryl into the truck"

He watched as Beth helped lift Daryl off his knees from where he'd sunk after being struck in the gut by his father. He could see blood and the start of several bruises marring the boys face before he levelled the man in front of him with his stare.

Hearing the truck door close, Hershel stepped forward, "I warned you before Will" Hershel explained.

"So what, ya gonna call the cops?" Will spat as he flung his arms wide.

Hershel shook his head, "I told you then and I'll tell you now, Daryl doesn't want the police involved"

Will simply "Pfftt" in Hershel's direction before glaring at Daryl who sat in Hershel's truck.

Following his gaze, Hershel made the decision he should have made long before, "The boy's gonna stay with me from now on" he stated.

"So, you just took him home with you?" Enid asked as she finished her first coffee.

Hershel nodded, "I told Beth to head on back to school and to come by the farm when she'd finished. It gave us time to get Daryl settled in, not that he had much, but it gave him the time he needed."

"And, what about school and that Zach kid?"

Hershel snorted, "Obviously Zach's parents had money and he turned it round so it was all Daryl's fault. Daryl got suspended for a while but Zach was back in school the next day"

"It's always the way" Enid said out loud as she shook her head at the situation.

"Daryl spent time helping me on the farm and I don't think I'd seen him that happy for a long time. After he went back to school, we all agreed that both him and Beth would give Zach and his friends a wide berth" Enid nodded at the logic, "Daryl didn't get into any more trouble at school after that".

"Are you seriously telling her everything we got up to as kids?" Beth laughed from the doorway pulling both of their gazes in her direction.

Smiling wide, Beth walked forwards and hugged Hershel tightly. She'd listened to him retelling the story from the doorway of his room and recalled how grateful both herself and Daryl had been that day. It was the day that Daryl didn't have to worry anymore about whether his father would come home drunk or high, whether he would have any new bruises he'd need to try and hide, or if he'd go to bed hungry that night. No, that day was the start of a brand new life for Daryl Dixon.

"Only the best parts, honey" Hershel admitted causing them all to chuckle.

For a while after that, Hershel enjoyed retelling some of his other fond memories not just of Daryl and Beth, but of his wife, Annette. Beth and Enid laughed and cried at his tales, whilst Hershel simply enjoyed their company.

It was only when he finished telling them how he'd proposed to Annie that the mood changed. They all seemed to sense it at the same time and none of them knew what to say; it was as if no words could help.

"Beth?" Hershel asked on a whisper as he looked at his blanket covered legs, "I don't want to die here"

She felt her throat tighten at his words and leant over to grip his frail hand in her own. All she wanted to do in that moment was hold him close and tell him that she wasn't going to let him go.

"I want to come home" he started, "If I'm going to go, I want to be somewhere familiar and with my family at my side".

Her throat hurt from the tears she tried to keep at bay as she nodded and rose from her chair. Without a word, she left the room and found Hershel's doctor at the nurse's station where he was picking up his rounds.

"Dr Steadman?" she questioned as he turned to her.

"I'm Hershel Greene's daughter" she explained at his confused face, "I need to know who I need to speak to in regards to taking him home".

He immediately put the files back on the counter and gestured for Beth to move to one side so they could speak, "You do realise how sick he is, right?"

Beth nodded with confidence, "I do, and so does he. But, he doesn't want t' be here when it happens and if there's anythin' I can do for him, then I'm gonna do it"

Seeing the resolve on the young woman's face, Dr Steadman nodded, "I'll get his papers ready" he explained, "He should be fine to leave this afternoon".

With things moving, Beth headed back to Hershel's room and retrieved his bag from under his bed before beginning to pack the few, meagre items that had been brought in with him.

"Beth?" Enid questioned in confusion.

Looking to Hershel who watched her and then back to Enid, she laughed and smiled.

"If Hershel's comin' home this afternoon, we should make sure he's packed and ready to go" she explained.

Without asking for help, Enid joined her in gathering Hershel's belongings as Hershel smiled at their movements. Although none of them voiced it, each of them was happy because Hershel Greene was coming home.