From shock widened eyes, the Governor looked down at Daryl laying on the ground. From his opened mouth came almost inaudible death rattles, being unable to form any words any more, with the blood he had already in his throat.
Daryl had heard the gunshot, but expect the awful pain he was already feeling, no more was coming. He couldn't even realise what was happening, couldn't do anything, because he was simply not able to and too busy with holding his hands against his bleeding wound, when the Governor suddenly fell, without any warning, forward and finally landed by his feet.
Daryl had to fight so much with his pain and keeping himself from getting fainted, that he needed some moments, till he got it what had happened and he finally saw the silhouette of the person clear, who just appeared after the Governor had fallen forward.
"Daryl! Oh my God!" Beth screamed shocked, when she saw him laying wounded and helpless on the ground. And Daryl was never so happy and relieved to see her, even when she had brought herself in danger with not listening to him. He tried to straighten himself, but failed pitifully with falling back against the hard ground again, hissing out in pain.
"Don't, keep laying Daryl. It's over. Yeah, keep laying." Beth told him helpful, after she had finally reached his side. Even when she was so close now, he couldn't see her clear any more. Everything was so blurred and did spin around. Daryl slowly began to feel sick and getting crazy from the pain. Breathing also wasn't so easy any more. How could something so simply like that, about which you didn't even need to think or control any more, suddenly became so difficult.
"Keep calm Daryl, try to breathe deep and long. Everything will be.." Beth suddenly stopped in the middle of her sentence, when she finally saw his blood covered hands by his side and the big red spot on his shirt. She hadn't expected it to be so worse. She had hoped, wished that the attacker and he just had a fight, when one shoot accidentally happened.
Beth had prayed to God for it being not too late. Maybe Daryl had shot the attacker, or maybe he had got just a graze, but she wasn't prepared to something like that. To such a bad, deep wound, she couldn't cut off with her belt. "No, no. Daryl. Oh no." Beth said in shock and unknowing about what to do now.
Her voice already sound so far away and his eyes became heavy and heavier with every second. Also the pressure from his own hands against his still bad bleeding wound became more relaxed, he just didn't have the power any more. Daryl almost passed out, when Beth suddenly screamed "Help! Merle! Help! We are here!"
Now she exactly seemed to know about what to do, when she quickly slipped out of her vest and pressed it hard against his side to cause him to hiss out in pain. "I'm sorry Daryl, I'm so sorry." Beth told him sincerely, but didn't stop it for just one moment.
Once again, she screamed from the volume of her lungs into the silent building for his brother's help. He had never heard her screaming like that, it gave him goose bumps everywhere on his body. Daryl's eyes just began to flutter shot again, when he could feel Beth's soft, but also shaking hand by his cheek.
Like his, also her hand was covered from his own blood now, while she stroked calming trough his hair and over his temple. "You will see, everything will be good Daryl. Just stay by me and don't go away. You hear me? You have to stay awake for me, everything will be good then."
Her voice did sound so small and fragile, while she tried so hard to be the strong one from the two of them. With his last power, Daryl nodded carefully his head, because he just hated it to see her so worried. Beth had already tears standing in her eyes, while she looked down at him and kept on with moving her long fingers trough his hair and talking to him.
From far away Daryl could suddenly hear another voice calling for her. "We are here Merle! Hurry up!" Even when his brother was already closer, everything did still sound so damn far away, when he asked shocked "Fuck. What happened?" Also Beth's voice didn't sound that close any more, when she told the older Dixon "He got shot into his side. We need to get him to my dad and doctor S. Right now."
"Alright. I will take his upper body and you his legs." Merle commented Beth as tensed and worried like her. Before she did, what he had told her, Beth wrapped her already in blood soaked vest around Daryl's belly and fastened the sleeves hard with a knot by his belly, to stop the still bleeding wound.
"Do you have him?" Merle asked, already ready for taking injured Daryl up. "Yes, c'mon." Beth answered and in the next second, he already felt how the two of them carried him out of the building. Only every few seconds Daryl was able to open his eyes and whenever he did so, he saw Beth in front of him.
To see the worry and fear in her expression did also caused his heart to hurt badly. "Hold on Daryl. We are almost there." She secured him and tried to keep him awake. When the daylight suddenly hit directly into his eyes, when they had finally left the building, Daryl pressed his eyes closed, because it did hurt so much.
He could hear Beth screaming for her father and the doctor, but he was already almost by his end. He couldn't hold on so much longer. "Keep fighting little brother, like I have taught you. You will gonna be alright again." Merle tried to calm him down and encourage him to stay awake.
Suddenly Daryl could hear how someone came closer to them and after sharing some words, he couldn't understand any more, someone else than Beth was holding his legs now, while she was searching urgently for the two men.
Merle and the second person, who was carrying him now, took him into the very next building and when Daryl felt save enough to open his eyes again, he finally got it that Glenn was holding his feet now and looked shocked down at him.
The next thing Daryl could remember, was the pain running trough his whole body, when they laid him onto the next free, big table. He still hissed out in pain, when Beth also rushed into the room with doctor S and shortly after also Hershel entered the room. Quickly she told them what happened, while someone already took the fabric of her vest away from his belly.
Daryl couldn't focus on their fast, loud sentences any more, he only understood single words. Someone, it was probably Glenn, asked something like if he should bring some alcohol and make Daryl drink it, so he could stand the pain.
Hershel commented the Korean man to take the mentioned liquid, but they couldn't waste it for pain relief. They needed it more urgently to clean and disinfect the wound. Daryl had to get trough the operation without any medicine to stop his pain or make it more bearable. He had to get trough this, they didn't have time for that now.
They had to get the projectile out of his body, right now, or he won't make it. Daryl could already hear them handling with the operation items and feel that someone freed his upper body from his blood soaked shirt. One second later, Glenn was back with the alcohol and handled it to Hershel, who spilled, without any advance warning, some of it over his opened wound to clean it.
Daryl hissed out in pain, began to scream and tried to fight the pain with his last power. "Glenn, you will hold his legs and Merle, you his hands. He will probably pass out pretty quickly, he is shortly before already know. But if he will move too fast and hard during the operation, we can make everything even worse." Like the men got told, they tried to press his feet and hands hard down into the table.
Daryl didn't realise any more, what was going on, when Merle plugged some clothe into his mouth to suppress his coming screams and protecting him so from hurting himself. He already made himself ready for the coming pain, it won't last so much longer. Daryl moved his head to his left to not see anything, when it will happen, when his eyes suddenly caught Beth standing in the corner.
Her arms, she had wrapped in front of her chest, protecting herself. Beth was standing there all alone, the worry and angst had the upper hand of her body now. She was helpless, like the day when this horrible accident had happened to her father.
Daryl knew her expression just too good and also the knowing about what will happen next to her, frightened him even more, than she already was. Beth will become that panic attack again, it was written in the middle of her glassy eyes. Daryl had to do something, he had to stop it before it could even begin. Even when in this room he was the one, who needed the most help right now.
But he just wasn't and won't ever be able to stand it seeing Beth like that. The worry about her was bigger and stronger than the worry about himself, about dying. Merle was still holding his hands strong above Daryl's head, when he began to move and tried to bring his left hand free.
First Merle didn't give in, only when Daryl tried to call Beth's name, with the clothing still in his mouth, the man followed his look and finally understood and let Daryl stretch his hand out for Beth to come closer.
Her whole body was already shaking, when she stared at his hand, waiting for her to come and take it. Again Daryl tried to call for her, but even when no understandable words came out of his mouth, Beth knew what he meant.
Without any hesitant and forgetting about her own state, she quickly closed the distance between the two of them and took her shaking hand into this sweating. Even when Daryl couldn't speak any more, he tried to tell her to keep strong with just looking up into her eyes, even when just this was almost impossible for him to manage any more.
Understanding, because they didn't need any words, Beth nodded her head and caused so some tears falling over the edge of her eyes. "You don't have to be afraid, Daryl." Beth whispered down at him and he knew she didn't only mean him being not afraid about what they will do to him now, but also that he didn't have to worry about her. "I.. I will keep standing by your side. You will make it, Daryl." She whispered softly, trying to make him feel secure as good as possible. Finally Daryl could see Hershel and doctor S getting into their positions, holding a operation knife and a pincer in their hands.
Daryl knew and also didn't know what pain will run trough his body in a few moments, next to the one which was present since he had got shot. But he knew that he would squeeze Beth's hand badly, if he won't let go now. He didn't want to hurt her, that was the last thing he would ever want.
So he stopped holding her hand, even when he didn't want to do so at the same time, but he knew he had to. Instead, he gripped for the fabric of her oversized shirt and hold himself onto it. Beth had laid her still covered in blood hand on top of his head and had just moved the third time trough his hair, when the two men began with their work.
The pain, which was running trough his body now, was nothing in contrast to what he had ever felt in his life before. It was just indescribable horrible. Daryl tried to scream from the volume of his lungs, but the screams got stuck by the clothe in his mouth.
With his whole power he tried to free himself from the pincers deep inside his wound, even when he knew that this was the only way for him to survive this all here. Some tears of pain ran out of his pressed closed eyes and down his cheeks. Beth screamed at her father and the doctor to stop the torture and finding another way to save him. It was the last thing Daryl could remember before he got finally fainted.
Waking up, just simply waking up, was never so difficult and hard than like right now. Daryl tried his best to open his eyes, but he just couldn't. His whole body felt horrible. He had a strong headache, his mouth was dry and even when his eyes were still closed, they did already hurt badly.
The first few moments he didn't know why his body reacted the way it did right now. What had he done last night, that he felt so awful? Even when he was younger and had drunk way too much and had taken the next best, cheap drugs he could find, he still hadn't felt the way like he did right now.
He didn't even dare to move just one inch, being afraid about that one of his limbs will simply fall off his body after doing so. Daryl tried to remember about what had happened, but even when just his brain worked right now, it was already enough to send new waves of pain trough his body.
But then it suddenly hit him like a sleep into his face. Breathing was difficult for him before, but after remembering about anything again, it was almost impossible for him now. And at the same time his eyes snapped opened, when he remembered about Beth.
He remembered about her, before he did about getting shot and operated, almost dying. Heavily and urgently his lungs searched for air, while Daryl's eyes tried to focus on the ceiling above his head.
Slowly and very hesitantly, he forced himself to stop his rigid gaze and tried to move his eyes. Daryl didn't know the room he was inside and obviously laying in a bed, it at least felt like one under his body. Some faint light was coming from the corner on his right, but Daryl didn't dare to look at it, knowing that it will almost burn his eyes.
Instead, he did something, which frightened him, but he had to do. Because he had to know what had happened to Beth, he had to go to her. With holding back his breath, Daryl first tried to move his right leg. It worked instantly and he smiled to himself for something so stupid like being able to curl his toes.
He also got it, that he wasn't wearing any socks, while doing so. The same Daryl tried with his left leg and toes, but this time it did hurt much, because it was the same side he had got shot. He suppressed his need to hiss out in pain and went on with moving his left fingers.
Also this he could manage without any problems, but when he wanted to try the same with his right fingers, he was more than just shocked, when he wasn't able to do it. He just couldn't move his whole hand just one inch, something prevented him from doing so.
Even when he didn't want to look down at his right hand, Daryl still did so and the new pain that ran trough his body then, didn't stop him from smiling lovingly, when he saw the reason why he couldn't move his hand.
Sleeping Beth Greene was sitting on a chair close to his bed, her upper body laying on top of his half arm, her soft hand was still holding his, even in her deep sleep. She looked like an angel, like the guardian angel she was for him. How long she was probably already sitting like that next to his bed? How long was he gone anyway, Daryl asked himself. Beth had taken a shower, she wasn't covered with his blood any more.
But even asleep, she looked worried and exhausted. The deep rings under her eyes told him, that she had cried much the last time, probably only because of him. Beth Greene had worried about him, Daryl Dixon. What had he ever done in his life, that he deserved the worry and attention from someone so beautiful like her? Daryl didn't deserve Beth.
Carefully, even when it did hurt, he tried to remove his hand, slip out from between the mattress and her body. It wasn't easy, took also longer than he had expected and cost more pain, than he had thought he was able to give right now, but finally Daryl had managed it, without waking her.
Beth only moved a little, after his arm was gone, but she was still in the land of dreams and looked like a sleeping princess. Lovingly Daryl stroked with his weak fingers trough Beth's blond locks and finally he whispered with a weak voice "Keep on dreaming sweet angel."
But Daryl's wish finally caused the opposite, when Beth's eyes slowly began to flutter open, before she lifted confused her head. When her still dreamily brain finally realised what her tired eyes did see in front of them, she said all surprised "Daryl."
With his hand still deep inside her golden locks, he smiled lovingly back at her and said, trying to sound a little stronger than before "Hey sweetheart. How are you feeling?" Daryl didn't know what he had said wrong, when suddenly tears built up in her eyes.
Being worried about her reaction, Daryl let his hand slip down her head, but Beth caught it, took it into her soft one and kissed relieved the back of his fingers. "You have almost died and the first thing you do after waking up is asking me how I feel. Oh, Daryl." She said with his skin so close to her lips.
Clear tears were falling down Beth's cheeks, while she eyed him closely. "Of course I do sweetheart. You were also the last thing I have seen, before I have passed out." Daryl answered gently, while he tried his best with whipping the fallen tears away from her pretty face.
Still unbelievable, Beth shook her head, while she tried to form a thankfully smile, but her trembling lips didn't let her do so. "I was so worried about you Daryl. I have really thought you won't make it. I thought I will lose you." Beth's last words were only a whimper any more, before she broke down into tears.
"Hey princess. Stop worrying about me, alright? I won't go anywhere anytime soon. I will stay right next to you, do you understand me?" Daryl tried to calm her down, with using her last words to him. Of course Beth got his intention and smiled with tears still rushing down her cheeks.
Understanding and trying to calm down again, she nodded her head, before she whipped her face clean from her tears with the sleeve of her vest and sniffed long and caused Daryl to smile bright so. "How can you even manage it to be so damn cute, while crying?" He asked Beth to give her other thoughts and also get her more relaxed again.
"And how can you manage it to make me smile, after you have almost died?" She asked bewildered back, before she took his hand into her left and with her other she stroked gently over his sweated face. Just the less movements from before had caused him to sweat so badly.
"Seriously, how are you feeling?" Beth asked earnest and also worried again. "All serious, I feel like shit." Daryl answered her truthfully and he wanted to take it back the second, he saw her damn worried and compassion looking face. Without any warnings, Beth sprang on her feet, let his hand go and said "I will take daddy, he needs to give you stronger painkillers."
Daryl couldn't hold her back from stepping away from next to his side, he just wasn't able to, but he tried to keep her from leaving the room with saying "Beth. Don't, please stay. Don't go." His words had the effect he had hoped for, when she stopped, turned around to face him again and telling him "I won't be gone for more than one minute. I will hurry up. You need help Daryl."
He tried for Beth to suppress the need to form a pain distorted expression, when he stretched his right hand out for her and said "All I need at the moment is you staying by my side girl. Please." And without any hesitant, Beth got back to him and took his waiting hand so support it.
"It's alright, don't worry Daryl. I want go anywhere, if you don't want me to. How can I help you to feel better? Do you need a second pillow?" Beth asked softly, being in her job as his personal nurse. That thought and her overprotecting way, caused Daryl to smile up at her, even when he felt already so damn tired again.
"I want you to lay next to me." He finally told her and the first few seconds Beth only looked with a shocked expression down at him. "Are you sure? Don't you be afraid about me hurting you?" She asked thoughtful and unsure.
"Yes, I'm sure. Come here girl, lay yourself next to me." Daryl offered her and even tried to pull the blanket away, so she could slip inside. But he didn't manage it with his pained and tired limbs. After some more seconds looking down at him, thinking about if it was really such a good idea, Beth finally crawled onto the mattress, slipped inside the warm blanket and closer to his body.
"That's alright for you? Aren't I'm hurting you?" She asked still worried, but Daryl calmed her down with saying "It's more than just comfortable girl. Don't worry, I have maybe got shot, but I'm still not made of porcelain." He joked and after Beth had smiled this unbelievable smile down at him, still not getting it how he could be this way after almost dying, when she finally made herself comfortable next to him.
Her right arm she had wrapped around his and in contrast to all the other times, her legs were laying next to each other and stayed where they were and didn't take place on top of his, like she liked so much. With her face, Beth crawled closer to his, till her nose almost touched his cheek.
Peacefully Daryl tried to listen to her breathing and feeling her body heat so close to his skin. Just her presence made him feel better and also caused him slowly to drift off into sleep again. "I'm so happy to have you back, Mr. Dixon." Beth whispered into his ear, her voice did also already sound damn tired. But before Daryl could answer anything, he followed her into the land of dreams.
Next morning he woke up with the sound of the room's door getting opened. Even before he had opened his eyes, he told himself to not bother about whoever will stand in the door frame now and watch Beth and him sleeping in one bed together.
When Daryl finally opened his heavy eyes, he still couldn't deny it, that he was damn happy to see his brother and not Hershel or Maggie, who were looking at them. Merle formed a smile, when he saw Daryl waking up and knowing so, that he will survive it all and had also already started to recover.
It was his instinct to protect the girl in his arms, when Daryl tried to pull Beth a little closer to his body and she moved in her sleep by his touch. Nodding understanding and also being happy to see his little brother awake again, Merle smiled once more back at the two of them and finally left the room again.
Even when his older brother hadn't said even one word, Daryl knew, that he will keep watch in front of the door and warn them, if someone will come closer and want to get to them. With that knowing, Daryl fell asleep again.
