I wrote this one while having some free time at work. I've given up on getting anything done at home just because it's nonstop there. I might try to get some of chapter 6 written today but I won't be able to post until next week.

Anyway, enjoy…

Everything was black. She felt like someone had split her head open with a hatchet. She could hear someone yelling orders to someone else. She felt her body bouncing around as if she were on a jeep in the plains of Africa.

She had no idea what was going on or what had happened. And she couldn't open her eyes.

XxXx

When Daryl got back to her and took care of the walker his body ran on auto pilot. He bent down and grabbed her just as her body went limp and began running back to the cabin. Once he saw it through the clearing of the woods he began yelling for Gabriel. The scared priest poked his head out of the cabin long enough to see what was in Daryl's arms before he panicked and closed the door back, locking it up tight.

"Open the door! She ain't bit! Open the door!" Daryl screamed over and over again as he ran to the house. He put Beth down on the porch and turned the nob on the door only to confirm that it was locked. Anger filled him as he began kicking the door trying to get it to break but his legs were tired and weak.

"Don't bring her in here, son! She's as good as dead and will kill both of us." Gabriel pleaded for Daryl to understand.

"Open the goddamn door!" Daryl repeated. "She ain't bit!" He turned back to Beth and crawled over next to her head and felt her arms and legs for any sign of a bite. He found nothing but blood from the back of her head. He turned back to the door and shouted again, the anger turning to desperation as he begged the man to open the door. "She ain't bit! She hit 'er head!" He waited for a sign of life, a click of a lock, anything to show that the man inside heard him. There was nothing.

"Damnit, this ain't like the church! She ain't gunna die! I need to clean her head, open the door!"

"How can you be sure, son? People die from head trauma every day."

"This ain't then, before the walkers. This is now an' she ain't gunna die!" Daryl ran his hand down her face and neck, his fingers looking for her pulse. He found it just under her jaw, strong and steady. He laughed in relief in the moment and bent his head down to hers. "Stay with me, girl. You ain't quitin' on me today." He whispered in her ear as his lips grazed her temple. He heard the lock click and his head snapped up as the door opened.

"You take care of her if she dies. Before she turns." Daryl glared at the man as he hoisted her body up into his arms.

"Ain't gunna happen. She ain't dying today." He pushed them past the priest and down the hallway to 'their' room and set her gently on the bed. He turned and headed to the bathroom and looked for towels, washcloths, rags, anything that he could wet and clean up the red stains in her blond hair. Finding nothing he returned to the room and pulled down a shirt from the closet and began tearing it into pieces.

Father Gabriel stepped into the room with a bowl of water and a small first aid kit that Daryl was sure belonged to Beth. He nodded his thanks to the man and sat the items on the nightstand.

"Hand me that bucket in the corner. If I roll her, she might get sick." Gabriel did as told but with a puzzled expression. "Concussions make ya green." Daryl explained and climbed up on the bed next to her to roll her over. Sure enough, as he moved her to her side, she vomited down the side of the bed and into the bucket. Gabriel grabbed the bowl of water and dabbed a piece of torn cloth into it and wiped her face clean as Daryl did the same on the back of her head.

Once the blood gone he grabbed a flashlight from the nightstand and got close her to head. The wound was deep and bone was exposed. "I'm gunna need that kit." Gabriel handed it to him wordlessly and watched Daryl pull it apart looking for something to sow the gash up. Curiosity got the best of the priest and he glanced at the wound. His eyes widened and a small gasp escaped his lips as he dropped to his knees and began to pray. Daryl ignored is actions and set out to thread the needle he found tucked into a piece of gauze. "When yer done, there is a bottle of whiskey in the cabinet below the sink." Gabriel stood and ran to the kitchen, returning only a few seconds later with the bottle.

Once Beth's wound and the needle were drenched in whiskey he began to push the needle under the skin to close it.

"Will she be ok?" Daryl looked up to see the man sitting in the corner watching closely with fear in his eyes. His hands were clasped as if he were praying again.

"She'll make it."

What if she don't?

"She'll make it." Daryl repeated.

Gunna loose that sweet little thing to a rock.

"She'll make it!" a growl through clenched teeth this time.

Don't get your hopes up lil brother. 'member that 'coon? The one the old man beat with a rock?

Of course Daryl remembered. The old man cut the damn things head open and blood shot out like water from a hose.

Bout the only damn thing the old man taught us. Watch your head. Dear sweet daddy never taught her that. Daryl shook his head trying to push the thoughts from his mind.

"SHE'LL MAKE IT!" His voice echoed off the walls of the empty house and his breathing became labored as he fought the rage building inside of him. "She'll make it, she'll make it." He muttered over and over again as he finished the final stitch in her head. Gabriel was visibly nervous as he stood and pressed himself back into the corner.

"Son, I think you need to step outside." He dared.

"No." Daryl grunted. "Not leavin' her." He wiped the sutures clean and gently rolled her back over onto her back with her head turned to keep pressure off the wound. "She's gunna wake up soon." He brushed the hair from her face and reached down and took her hand.

Don't hold yer breath, lil brother.

"SHUT UP MERLE!" He couldn't keep it inside any longer. He shouted over and over again for the voice in his head to quiet. Gabriel found courage in the man's inner struggle and walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. Daryl pulled back as if to hit him but stopped when he realized what this looked like.

"Breathe. Relax. You're right. The good lord will wake her up soon. I'm sorry I didn't see that before but he has shown me now. Calm down, son." Daryl's body relaxed slightly out of obligation not comfort. "Who is Merle?" Daryl sat quiet, unmoving, and unresponsive as he watched the rise and fall of her chest with each breath she took. His fingers felt their way over her wrist to her pulse which was still strong and steady.

"She'll be ok." He whispered after a few minutes. Gabriel nodded and stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him.

XxXx

Daryl's eyes snapped open at the sound of the front door closing. He didn't know when he had fallen asleep propped up against the wall holding Beth's wrist for comfort, but it must have been hours ago. The light was fading from the room and the memories of this afternoon flooded him to the point of drowning. Before he could get up to investigate the sound that woke him, Gabriel walked in with a poweraide and fresh bandages.

"I'm sorry if I woke you. You've been asleep for almost four hours, I think." Daryl glanced down at Beth, his chest constricting in panic. "Don't worry, she's fine. She's making a few noises here and there so I think she's starting to come to." Daryl's eyes flashed full of hope and he slid down on the bed next to her and turned her face gently to him.

"Beth?" There was no response, not that he expected much more than that. "C'mon, girl. Wake up." He murmured softly. His hand cupped her jaw and his thumb ran circles over her cheek.

"Daryl?" It was the first time Gabriel had used his name and not called him son. Daryl grunted a response. "These days' people deal with more demons in their hearts and minds than they used to. I need to know, what's going on in you?" Daryl didn't want to talk about it. He wanted to ignore the questions and pretend some things never happened. However, considering he couldn't take away what Beth was going through, he knew he couldn't run from Merle. Or the question the priest was right to ask.

"Member that guy I's telling ya bout? The Governor?" Gabriel nodded. "Kill my brother before he attacked us. Found him chewing on bodies a few miles away from the prison. He's all I had before shit turned bad. Still here." Daryl pointed to his head as he spoke. "Tells me things, pisses me off, makes me hate myself." Gabriel remained silent. "Happened once before. When a lil' girl from our group went missin'. Thought he was dead an' he showed up after my dumbass fell from a cliff raggin' on me for being stupid. Then turned out he was alive. When Beth went missin,' he and the ol' man showed up this time. Tellin' me I couldn't track her and I'd never find her again."

"He speaks to you when you lose someone or come close to losing someone close to you?" Daryl thought for a moment and nodded.

"Guess so."

"Life is different now. There is too much dead in the world to hold their spirits, however vengeful, in our hearts." Daryl understood what he was telling him, but he knew it wouldn't matter. Merle would always be there, always torturing him. He just nodded again and turned his attention back to Beth. "You should eat something."

"No."

"You're gunna be no good to her weak or dead. Come eat." He pushed.

"No." He wasn't going anywhere. Gabriel was about to protest when there was a small gasp from the bed. It was feminine and fragile. Daryl rubbed her cheek again with his hand and brought himself closer to her at the same time. "Beth?" She moaned again and her head moved slightly. "Come on, girl, open yer eyes." Her hand lifted up from the bed and came up to her forehead. The movements were slow and tiring but it was happening and Daryl's heart leapt in his chest. "Beth, open yer eyes an' look at me." He was all but begging now and it was apparent in his voice. Her eyes slowly and painfully fluttered open and took in their surroundings. It took her a few moments to finally settle on him.

"Dar-" She started to speak but pain rushed through her head causing her eyes to clinch shut and a painful groan escaped her lips.

"Ya' alright. Ya hit your head in the woods getting away from a walker. Fixed ya up, myself." He smirked for a second and then moved his hand to the side of her head and kissed her forehead. "Don't ya do that t'me again, ya hear?" She opened her eyes and saw the pain in his. She felt horrible but guilty more than anything.

"Don't remember." She muttered through gritted teeth.

"Don't matter." Daryl looked up and realized that Gabriel was gone and the door to their room was closed. He never heard him leave.

"Sorry." She whispered. "Thank you… takin' care of me." Daryl snorted at her manners.

"Stop talkin' an' rest. You been unconscious most of the day. I'll keep my eye on ya tonight." She wanted to protest but she was so tired. Her eyes drifted shut again and she was asleep again before he could count to ten.

Still ain't outta the woods, lil brother. Shouldn't let her sleep.

Daryl calmly responded "She's made it"

The rest of the night was spent in silence as he watched over her.

Well, what did you think? I'm dying to know!