So.. and this is now chapter 12 :) Sorry one more time for confusing you guys, but now everything is in the right oder again. Last week I have uploaded the wrong chapter. Last weeks chapter is now chapter 12 and chapter 11 is the new one ;)


It was in the middle of a hot summer, when Daryl thought for the first time in his life, that everything was okay, that he could handle everything well, that just nothing bad could happen right now.

Beth told him at least once every day, that he was doing his job as a leader pretty good and slowly Daryl started to believe her words. They had enough from everything. Enough food, water, clothes, medicine, stocks. Daryl had really thought, that right now in his life he could deal with everything, till that one day.

Because Glenn, T-Dog, Tyresse and he had found new people by their last run, they slowly but secure needed more space to live. The three buildings they were already using from the prison weren't enough any more to give every one the space they needed.

So the four men decided to make the building on the very right side of the prison, which was looking best from all the buildings, which were left, habitable. But before they could get the new people inside there, they had to check, if everything was still secure enough. Because they hadn't really entered this part of the prison since weeks.

Glenn, T-Dog, Tyresse and Daryl just wanted to start with their mission, when Hershel was suddenly standing next to them. He wanted to come along to see, if he could find some medicine or at least some bandages. Daryl tried to talk the old man out of it. He offered him, that they could also look for these things, but Hershel just shook his head and told them, that he needed a nice variety to his garden work.

So Daryl didn't have a chance to change the man's mind anymore, and so they started to go inside the building. Like always Daryl had his crossbow ready to hand, while the other gave him backing, and so they slowly made their way through the old corridors.

The building wasn't that big, so it thankfully won't take that long, because Daryl had a bad feeling with Hershel following them with his slow, unsure steps. The man wasn't the youngest any more, even when he didn't want to admint it.

They had found some useful things, Hershel also got the things he was looking for and everything looked secure enough for getting the new ones inside. They were already on their way back, when they could suddenly hear steps and noises from a walker.

Daryl hadn't even turned around, when the walker suddenly came out of nowhere, stumbled and took Hershel with him on the ground. Just one second later Daryl was next to the man's side, but it was already too late.

Hershel's painfully screams told everyone, that the walker had got him. After Daryl had killed the walker with a shot from his bow, he quickly lowered himself next to the old man to see the miracle. The walker had bitten Hershel into his left lower leg, which was already bleeding badly.

Everyone was shocked, the room was only filled with Hershel's screams, while everyone was looking at him with an opened mouth, Daryl included. He just couldn't believe it, from one second to the other everything had changed. How should he explain this to Beth? That her father is.. No, Hershel was still alive and Daryl will keep him alive!

With that Daryl's limbs got to life again, when he quickly removed the belt from his jeans and constricted it over Hershel's left knee. "Everything will be good Hershel. You hear me? We will bring you outside and to Doctor S. You will make it." Daryl tried to calm the injured man down, while doing so.

With his eyes Daryl was searching for help by the other and he quickly got some, when everyone came closer and tried to carry Hershel. "He is losing much and quick blood Daryl. He probably won't even make it outside here." Tyresse said with widened eyes, like he couldn't believe his own words.

Hell no, they just couldn't lose him, not Beth's father! But at the same time Daryl exactly knew, that Tyresse was right. He probably won't make it, because of the blood lost and if it won't happen because of that, the virus will probably be in his whole body then. Didn't matter what will happen, they will lose Hershel either way, there was just one small chance to safe him, even when it was almost impossible. But Daryl had to try it at least.

"Com'on, get him inside here!" Daryl commented the other and quickly they carried still shocked and whimpering Hershel inside the next room. "Lay him on the ground!" After they had done what Daryl had told them, they were all looking all clueless and worried at their leader.

"Give me your ax Ty." Daryl said, still unsure if that was really such a good idea. Because Tyresse hesitated, Daryl yelled "Quickly! We don't have so much time left!" Finally the man handled him his weapon and even without telling them, everyone began to hold Hershel, while Daryl was looking into the man's worried and scared eyes.

"I'm sorry." Daryl whispered, before he upswing and hit the ax right into the man's leg. Hershel's screams were even more terrible than Daryl had expected, but he had to keep on, not even able to imagine what pain Hershel just had. By Daryl's second hit he could feel, how he broke the bone and Hershel's screams got silent, when he passed out. After the third hit the lower leg was separated and Daryl's whole hands were full of blood.

Daryl was still just working in shock when he took off his vest and pressed it against the wound. "We have to stop the bleeding!" Daryl yelled, before the other began to give him some more fabrics, which he finally fastened with the belt.

"We just have a few minutes to get him outside and to doctor S! Glenn don't forget the bandages he had found, we will need them! C'mon!" Daryl screamed, before they were doing what he had said.

"Find doctor S, we will get Hershel in the examination room!" Daryl commended Glenn, while he and the other carried still fainted Hershel inside. They had just laid him on the examination bed, when the doctor appeared. "What happened?" He asked strong, trying to get the control over the situation.

"He got bit. I have cut the lower leg off. Since that he isn't by conscious any more." Daryl simply told the doctor, still being in shook and just working by instinct. "You have probably saved his life with that." The doctor determined, before he commended over his shoulder "But first we have to stop the bleeding. Give me as much bandages as you can find!"

Daryl just wanted to give the doctor the things he needed, when his eyes caught Beth standing in the doorway. With widened and already glassy eyes, she was just standing there in shock, her mouth wide opened in unbelieving. Being the same, Daryl just didn't know what to do, when Beth suddenly began to move and got next to her father.

"Daddy. Daddy." Beth whimpered helpless, while she framed Hershel's cheeks with her shaking hands. Still just watching the happening, Daryl prayed to God that it wasn't too late. That he had saved Hershel and that he won't turn into a walker, because Daryl already knew it right now, that Beth won't be able to handle this.

Doctor S was still trying to stop the bleeding wound, when Hershel's eyes suddenly snapped open and in shock he gripped hard the upper arms from Beth, not knowing what was going on and because the much pain he had.

It was instinct that made Beth scream heartbreaking, while she tried to get free from her father's grip. That was the second when Daryl finally got back to life and he quickly stepped next to Beth's side and tried to get her free.

"He hasn't turned. It's just the shock." Doctor S tried to calm them down and in the very next second Hershel stopped the grip around Beth's arm and passed out again. Protective Daryl shoved Beth away from her father and into his arms, while he said "Come here."

It broke Daryl's heart, when Beth got almost lifeless, without any resistance into his arms and buried her face helpless into his shirt, while the tears were already running down her cheeks. The room was filled with her whimpers and sobs, while Daryl was holding her close to his body.

Only then he noticed that Maggie was also inside the room, standing next to her husband with tears in her eyes and the same broken expression like in Beth's face. Daryl was still holding Beth close to his chest, when Hershel suddenly began to scream that heartbreaking and horrible like never before.

Beth tried to look what made her father scream that way, but Daryl just covered her face with his palm and said "I will bring you outside. You shouldn't see this." With that Daryl leaded her carefully outside, away from her father and getting by her sister.

They had just got a few steps away from the room, when Beth's legs began to boycott her bodyweight and she began to fall. Easily Daryl caught her and took her in his arms, knowing that she won't make it to her cell on her own. "I got you." Daryl whispered, while he was carrying Beth bridal style out of the building and to her cell.

The whole way Beth had clutched her arms around his neck, while she buried her face still deep inside the fabric of his shirt. Daryl didn't care about the expressions from the other, while he went by them on his way to her cell. He just had to bring Beth away from what was happening right now, she just shouldn't see this.

After Daryl had finally reached her cell, he sank with his knees on top of the mattress of her bed, Beth still carrying in his arms. With his back leaning against the wall Daryl placed her carefully on the bed, her upper body still in his arms.

Her tears and sobs still hadn't stopped, in contrast Daryl thought that they were even louder and worse now. "Shsh.. It's okay sweetheart. Shsh.." He tried to calm her down, while he was gently stroking Beth's trembling head, only to notice that his hands were still full of the dried blood of her father.

Daryl hated himself so much for what had happened. He should have known it better, should have never let Hershel go with them, so nothing of that would have happened. He had known that everything was just too good to be true in the last time. Something bad just had to happen, because Daryl wasn't and won't ever be a good leader, they all should have known that before and now this happened.

Next to Beth's mother and brother he had also almost killed her father, maybe Hershel won't make, then Daryl will have almost killed her whole family. And the worst of all the beautiful girl in his arms still didn't know anything about that. Because he was such a stupid, cowardly dork and didn't have the balls to tell it to her.

When this with Hershel will be over Daryl will tell it Beth instantly. He was just too worried, that she won't want to meet him again, just talking or even looking at him one more time. Daryl didn't tell it Beth, because he was afraid that she will leave him, but exactly that will happen and he couldn't stop it, because she had the right to know about what the man had done, she trusted.

But Daryl just couldn't tell her right now, because in this moment she needed him, even when Daryl didn't get it how a beautiful girl like her needed someone like him. He was still just holding her close to his body, when her breathing suddenly got very loud and irregular.

Worried Daryl looked down at the girl in his arms, just to see how her hands cramped, her eyes widened in shock, looking absently at nothing and her opened mouth searched urgently for air. Beth's lungs were working very fast, so her upper body rise and fell quickly, but still not enough air was getting inside her lungs like she needed so badly.

Daryl had never seen someone in such a condition, but still he knew that Beth was in a very bad shock right now and if he couldn't make her stop, it probably will get dangerous for her very quickly.

"Beth. Sweetheart, what's wrong? Are you in pain?" Daryl asked damn worried, while he framed her cheek with one hand and made her so looking up at him. Even when her eyes were looking directly into his, Daryl knew that this weren't the eyes from the Beth, he liked so much. They were empty, broken and the worst of all hopeless.

Between her loud, hysterical breathes, Beth tried to manage to whimper "Daryl.. Help.." And it broke his heart into million little pieces. Daryl was clueless, so damn clueless. He didn't know how to help her, to make this stop, but she trusted him one more time, when she was begging for his help.

Gently he began to stroke her still tearstreamed face, while he whispered soothing to her "You have to breath normal again sweetheart. Everything will be good then, you have to breath slower."

In her expression Daryl could read, that she was really trying it, but when Beth got it, that she hadn't the control over her body any more, she got even more hysterical and nervous. It was again instinct, that made Daryl pull her closer to his chest, trying to calm her down while doing so with saying "I got you sweetheart, everything will be good again. I got you."

Gently he pressed Beth's ear against the part of his body, where his heart was beating inside. "Listen to my heartbeat and breathing baby girl. Try to match it." Daryl knew, that his heart wasn't beating normal, he was also damn worried and nervous and he couldn't do anything against that, but at least he tried to bring his breathing into a more normal rhythm, even when it wasn't easy right now.

It needed about one minute, till his try to calm her down, slowly began to work, when Beth's breathing got more regular and quieter. "That's right sweetheart. Keep on. Don't be afraid. I won't leave you."

Soothing he was stroking up and down her arm, while he was still holding her close. After one more minute Beth obviously got a feeling into her hands again, when her fingers suddenly searched for Daryl's hand. Gently he took her so cold and shaking hand into his so much bigger one and lovingly Daryl stroked with his thumb over the back of her hand and tried to warm her up.

Even when Beth's decision got better with ever minute, he was still damn tensed and worried, till he could even feel how Beth began to relax in his arms, almost fell in herself together, letting all the shock out of her body.

Only then Daryl began to relax too and he laid his chin carefully on top of her golden locks and breathed her familiar scent inside his lungs. Finally Beth's body even stopped to tremble, before Daryl looked down at her face and saw, that her eyelids were closed and relaxed.

Before Daryl leaned his head against Beth's, he kissed gently her forehead and whispered "I will protect you sweetheart." Never stop to cradle, stroking, pulling her close and holding her hand, Daryl was sitting with her like that already about one hour, when he also just began to drift off and Maggie suddenly entered excited the room.