Beth winced as she slowly opened her eyes, her head throbbing in pain. Something had hit her…someone had…she heard faint noises, and she dragged her arms along the ground, before the situation came crashing down in her memory.
She pushed herself up, looking up wildly around the yard to see it empty.
Almost empty.
"Daryl!" Beth cried, scrambling up off the ground to run over to him. He was bleeding and his face was a mess.
He lay on his side, and she dropped to her knees by his body as she frantically dug in her pocket for her phone, her hands shaking slightly as she started to dial 911. Feeling a sob build up within her, she sat back on her heels, her hand holding her phone coming up to her forehead as she cried. An ambulance would take forever.
The truck!
Beth's eyes opened, her hand coming down to her side. She needed to get the keys, now.
She tried to calm her breathing as she searched Daryl's pockets, gingerly turning his body slightly to reach over him. He groaned, and she jumped in surprise as he shifted slightly, his eyelids flickering. A shaky sigh of relief left her lips, as she stared at him with wide eyes. She had no time to waste however, and when she heard the jingle of keys in his pocket she seized them quickly. She stood up to run to the truck when she saw Carol standing at the entrance to the yard, frozen as she stared at Daryl in shock.
.
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Carol drove the truck over and they struggled to get Daryl inside on the back seat, mindful of his injury. Beth took his vest off once they were in the truck and kept pressure on the wound, which was in his abdomen. This wasn't like when that man had dug his fingers in to Daryl's skin, inflicting a minor head wound. Two against one, it had never been fair. Beth clenched her jaw as tears pricked her eyes, her hands pressing down forcefully on Daryl's abdomen. How had those men found him? How had they known his name? Beth felt as though the air around her was impossibly hot, the car was moving ridiculously slow and the sunlight fiercely bright.
It was all a blur once they got to the hospital.
While Beth waited in the car, the time seemed to stretch out and all she could do was listen to her own breathing, which seemed incredibly loud in the rusty truck, her legs sticking to the leather seats. But once they were wheeling Daryl inside, people seemed to streak past Beth as colours drifting by. The doctors were talking to Carol as they jogged alongside the stretcher but all she could do was stare at Daryl. He was conscious and opened his eyes a couple of times, but he wasn't really moving.
The fluorescent lights seemed to move across his body as they moved down the corridor, and Beth was prevented from going any further by one of the doctors. It took a moment for her to realise Carol was with her, and she was standing in the middle of the emergency section of the hospital.
"He'll be fine, sweetie, it'll be okay," Carol said to her, placing a hand on Beth's shoulder. She nodded faintly in reply, feeling the older woman's concerned gaze on her.
"Let's get you patched up."
Beth looked at her then, blinking in confusion. Carol nodded to her as she gently steered her to the counter, and Beth looked down at her hands. Her palms had grazes and scrapes and were covered in dirt, and one hand was smeared with blood. She half listened as Carol answered the woman at the counter's questions, before walking back to the waiting area with Carol when directed by the woman once they'd finished.
Beth gave the older woman a level look. "I need to know that he's going to be okay."
Carol returned her gaze searching, smoothing back Beth's hair in a motherly way that made her lower lip quiver ever so slightly.
"You'll be here for him. We just need you to get you all cleaned up now, okay?"
Beth looked down at her hands before nodding slowly.
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They waited for Beth's name to be called in the small waiting area. It was a medium sized hospital, the largest in the region, but staff and resources were very limited in comparison to hospitals closer to the city. Considering the population size of the area it served, it was a constant topic for heated conversation in the community.
Carol had gone outside to make a phone call when Beth's name was called. She glanced over at the window to where Carol was standing, her back to the glass. Beth hesitated before walking over to the nurse standing at the door.
Beth was examined by a nurse and a doctor, answering their questions briefly.
"Can you tell me what happened before you fell?"
"How long were you unconscious for?"
"Any blurred vision, headaches?"
They cleaned her face and arms of the dirt and blood and informed her that the police were on their way. The doctor applied a bandage to her forehead, making Beth wince. She was starting to feel overwhelmed, and desperately wanted to go and see Daryl. The fluorescent lighting and hospital smell were bringing back memories and she felt incredibly anxious to see that Daryl was okay. She blinked as a flashlight was shone in her eyes before following it dutifully, her hands gripping the edge of the bed she was sitting on. The doctor informed her they wanted to check if she had a concussion from when she fell.
"I'm fine," she insisted as the nurse felt the back of her neck.
"Does it hurt here?"
Beth shook her head firmly.
"Okay honey, stand up for me."
The door to the small ward opened as Beth followed her directive and Sheriff Grimes and Deputy Walsh entered the room.
"Now, close your eyes and touch your nose with your index finger."
Beth suppressed a sigh in frustration, but did so as she avoided looking at the officers. The nurse nodded finally, turning to the officers.
"She's fine, you can talk to her, but she needs to stay here for a while for observation."
Sheriff Grimes nodded as he stepped forward, his eyes examining Beth in concern.
"I need to see Daryl," she informed him before he could open his mouth.
Deputy Walsh walked over to lean against the wall, fixing her with a condescending stare. Beth ignored him, still looking at Sheriff Grimes.
"I cannot for the life of me figure out what you're doin' with him, Miss Greene." Officer Walsh's lip curled as he stared at her.
While he didn't verbally reprimand Deputy Walsh, Sheriff Grimes stood with his hands on his hips, his head tilted towards the floor while he waited for the other officer to finish.
Deputy Walsh glanced at Sheriff Grimes with a wolfish grin that faded slightly as he saw he wasn't sharing in his patronisation. It did not, however, vanish entirely.
"How are you feelin'?" Sheriff Grimes enquired, looking up at Beth.
She shrugged, his question momentarily throwing her for a loop.
"I…I'm fine," she replied, frustrated by the question even as she appreciated his concern. He nodded, his eyes still examining her closely.
"Carol had to go home, but your father should be arriving soon."
Beth nodded.
"Do you remember anything?"
At this, Beth hesitated. She would have to tell them about that night. "I remember some of it, but…it happened so quickly. There were two guys, and…I'd met one of them before."
Sheriff Grimes furrowed his brow, and Deputy Walsh stood up straight.
Beth explained the events that had happened now roughly two months earlier, and just an hour or so ago. At times she felt like it sounded a lot less serious than it had felt at the time, and she found herself exaggerating slightly before catching herself. But she stopped talking about that night when she got to when they had run away after Daryl had seized a window of opportunity.
"Do you remember where the house was?" Sheriff Grimes asked, now writing notes in his police notepad. Beth tried to remember the roads they'd taken, but she hadn't been familiar with the route or area they had driven to.
"No, I don't," she shook her head. It felt like an age since she had gotten to the hospital. Surely someone could tell her where Daryl was and what was happening to him?
"You don't know the man's name?"
Beth shook her head. "No, I don't know. Daryl organised it, think it was an ad online."
"And you just went home after that?" Deputy Walsh asked, his voice slightly mocking.
Beth felt her face going red. "Um, well, we went to Daryl's house. He was bleeding, and…I, um, cleaned him up."
She picked at an invisible piece of lint on her jeans as warmth bloomed in her face as her words were left hanging.
Deputy Walsh cleared his throat, hooking his thumbs in his belt loops. "And how long did that uh…cleaning take?"
Beth shrugged. "Maybe half an hour?" She looked up to meet Deputy Walsh's gaze steadily.
"And then you went home?" He asked.
Beth blinked. "We went to a diner."
Deputy Walsh exchanged a glance with Sheriff Grimes before sighing, seemingly trying to be patient. "You didn't think, at any point, to inform the police?"
Beth's chin jutted out slightly. "Thought 'bout it."
The officers exchanged another glance. Sheriff Grimes tucked his notepad and pen away in his pocket with a sigh. "Your father know about this?"
Beth sucked her lips in, shaking her head guiltily.
"Well all right then. I'll let the doctor know you want to see Daryl, but I think right now the doctors are still attendin' to him."
Beth felt herself deflate slightly at the Sheriff's words, but thanked him nonetheless.
.
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After the Sheriff and Deputy left with the promise of speaking to her again, Beth asked the nurse if she could go to see Daryl, or wait outside his room.
"He's still in surgery honey. He won't be awake for a while." The nurse smiled sympathetically at Beth.
Beth blinked, feeling her heart rate pick up at the nurse's answer and she stared after the woman as she walked away.
.
.
As they wanted her to stay for an hour or so for observation, Beth had no choice but to sit on a chair and wait until they said she could leave.
She hadn't been waiting long however when the door to the ward opened again and her father stepped into the room, peering around the room until he saw her sitting by the wall.
He walked over to her, silently sitting down next to her with a heavy sigh. Beth slowly leaned over, resting her head on her father's shoulder.
"You okay?" Her father rumbled, turning his head slightly to look down at his daughter.
Beth nodded.
"He's in surgery. That's all they would tell me."
Beth closed her eyes for a moment, before nodding again.
.
.
As they sat and waited, Beth told her father what had happened. Beth was surprised but incredibly grateful that her father did not berate her for not telling him what had happened that night, only listened to her patiently and silently.
"You're okay now, that's what matters." He told her, and she felt a rush of affection for her father that warmed her. The time seemed to drag on, and her father left a couple of times to bring her water. A nurse came around with apple juice at one point, handing the plastic cups out to the few patients who sat in the chairs around Beth. There was a television on a wall, and Beth's eyes would drift to it occasionally before she would look at the door to the ward. Every time it opened she hoped it would be someone looking for her, letting her know she could go and see him. She knew there were more pressing problems to be looked after, it was an emergency department after all, but she just wanted to be told something, anything about what was happening to Daryl.
.
.
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At long last she was told that she could leave and Beth and her father made their way out to the waiting area. Hershel took a seat while Beth approached the counter.
"Hi, I came in with a man, Daryl Dixon…I think he's in surgery now. Is there someone I could speak to, or somewhere we could wait…?"
Beth shifted from one foot to the other, trying not to sound as nervous as she felt.
The woman looked up at Beth distractedly before reaching over and grabbing a clipboard up on a shelf.
"You need to check in, fill in this form, and someone will take you to the surgical waiting area."
Beth quickly filled the form out, scribbling her name and her father's name and scrawling a signature that could barely be recognised as her own before pushing the clipboard back across the counter. The woman glanced up before taking the clipboard off the counter and placing it next to her.
"Take a seat, we'll call your name in a moment."
Beth mumbled her thanks before going back and sitting down heavily next to her father. She'd barely sat down when a woman called her name, and Beth and her father followed the woman through the hospital corridors to another waiting area, which was really just a corridor and a television mounted on the wall. The mood in this area was remarkably different in comparison to the emergency department, where it felt a little more frenzied, where everyone seemed a little on edge. Here, in the corridor, people sat quietly. There was still a sense of urgency, but it was tightly reined.
Beth and her father took their seats and after a moment Beth leaned against her father again while he picked up a magazine to read from the table next to him.
.
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.
What seemed like hours and hours later, a pair of doors opened further down the corridor and a doctor strode out towards them.
"Beth…Greene?" He called uncertainly, looking around at the people waiting.
"Yes," Beth answered quickly, standing up. Her father put down his magazine but did not join Beth as she approached the doctor.
"Are you a…relative of Mr Dixon's?" The doctor asked, looking down at Beth seriously.
Beth shook her head. "No…he doesn't…well, his brother is in prison," she explained, looking apologetic even as she couldn't explain why. Her heart was pounding as she waited for him to tell her whether the surgery had been successful or not.
The doctor pushed back the glasses that had slipped down his nose. "I see…but you were admitted with him?"
Beth opened her mouth, unsure exactly if they technically were admitted together, but was starting to get really frustrated. "Yeah, I was," she said confidently, her chin jutting out slightly.
The doctor nodded. "Well, he's going to be fine. It was necessary for exploratory laparotomy to determine the extent of the damage, and there was…some minor tissue damage, but the surgery was successful. His blood pressure has stabilised and…the wound has been sutured closed." The man tilted his head as he spoke, clearly trying to stick to plain English for Beth's sake. "He needs to remain here for a few days for observation as there is a risk of infection considering where the blade penetrated the abdomen, and after that he will need to rest at home."
Beth felt a smile break out across her face, her heart lifting as she felt a weight lift off her chest. She tried to focus on what the doctor was telling her, but after hearing the word 'fine' it was difficult.
"…cleaned and the dressing will need to be changed daily, once he returns home. Does Mr Dixon live with you?"
Beth blinked, her smile faltering as the doctor's words registered in her mind. "N-no, he doesn't." Her eyes flickered past the man and down the corridor to the double doors that swung open as a doctor entered the walkway. "He lives alone."
The doctor pushed back the glasses that had again slid down his nose while he spoke. "He'll need to have someone around in the days following his return to home. And he cannot operate heavy machinery, or do any heavy lifting, or strenuous activity. So he won't be able to drive. Will you, or someone else, be available to drive him home?"
Beth nodded as her smile faded completely. While she was relieved that Daryl would be okay, she was starting to realise that Daryl would require quite a bit of help in the days following his discharge.
"Is he awake?" Beth asked anxiously.
The doctor hesitated. "No, he won't be awake for a while. He may be awake tomorrow, if he's up to it, you may be able to see him then."
He smiled in what he probably thought was a kind way, and in a way it did ease Beth's mind but it seemed a practiced smile.
After thanking the doctor, Beth turned back to her father who was sitting patiently in his seat by the wall. He peered up at her as she approached him.
"How is he?"
Beth sighed. "He'll be fine, but they won't let me see him just yet. He's asleep now."
Hershel considered his daughter and her tired state, before nodding slowly. "We can come back tomorrow then."
Beth nodded, glancing down the corridor at the doctor's retreating back.
"I think you need some rest yourself," Hershel said gently. Beth looked at her father, feeling her shoulders slump, as the day's events seemed to catch up with her. In the windowless corridor she wasn't sure what time it was, but she knew it must be at least evening by now.
"What if something happens when I'm not here?" Beth hated how small her voice sounded as she asked her father. She knew what the doctor had said but she couldn't help it. He stood up slowly, his joints stiff after sitting for so long. He put an arm around his daughter, pulling her in to his side.
"He'll be all right. If anything does happen, I'll have them call our house."
Beth nodded reluctantly and allowed her father to lead her out of the hospital.
The sky outside was a velvety inky blue and Beth realised it was later than she had expected. The drive home was silent as Beth leaned her head against the window. Her father glanced at her periodically as he drove, but she was too tired to notice his concerned gaze.
Once they'd gotten home, Beth said good night to her father and headed upstairs to her room, while Hershel wandered into the kitchen.
.
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Beth lay in bed restlessly, her mind unable to leave Daryl at the hospital. No matter what had happened between them the night before, she cared for him and that was the last thing on her mind now. Daryl's recovery was her first priority, and she would be there for him in the morning.
One hindrance to her resolve was that her last exam would be the following week, but Beth was sure that she could work around this little fact and help Daryl while also preparing for her test. She thanked her lucky stars that most of her classes this semester did not have exams and only assessments, meaning that she would finish her semester a lot sooner than some students at her college.
Beth surmised from what she could remember the doctor saying that Daryl's injury could have been a lot worse, but nevertheless he would require help getting home. Not to mention once he was home…Beth could just see him neglecting the doctor's recommendations. Or rather, ignoring the doctor's recommendations.
It occurred to her that he might not want her help. Beth frowned as she shifted, her body tangled in her bed sheets. The push and pull of their want and need both enthralled and staggered Beth in their ferocity. It simmered barely hidden beneath his skin, crawling through his veins. Yet, she had seen moments of softness. At times she had felt it when he looked at her. While he may not want her help, she knew that he would need it. And she was counting on those moments to pull them through.
On top of that, in the back of her mind, Beth had the niggling thought that those two men were still out there. She didn't know how they had found Daryl. She tried not to think about it too much in the darkness of her room. She especially tried not to think about how if she'd been stronger, if she'd been smarter, maybe she could have prevented Daryl getting hurt. Maybe that was silly; Daryl had told her to run. They were two fully-grown men with weapons and without a conscience. If she hadn't been there it could have been worse, she reasoned.
That she couldn't help Daryl in that situation did not make her feel helpless. It only hardened her resolve to help him in a way that she could, and it was only when she came to this resolve that she fell into a fitful slumber.
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Beth awoke slowly, the sun sneakily peeking through her curtains and filling her room with golden rays. Her head hurt, and she lay awake in bed briefly as she listened to her father's noises downstairs in the kitchen, presumably making breakfast.
Visiting hours started at 9 am, but they were unlikely to get there before 10:30am, much to Beth's frustration. She was extremely anxious to get to the hospital. However, her father had quite a few chores to get done first in the fields. She had a quick shower and when she passed by the bathroom mirror on her way out she stopped and did a double take, staring at her reflection in horror.
On her forehead was a large bruise around the bandage the doctor had applied and she winced as she remembered last thing she could recall before everything had gone dark. After examining the bruise for a moment, she started to turn so she could check for marks on her back but stopped herself. The doctor had said it looked like she had been rammed into by someone's shoulder. Beth hadn't seen anything and so did not know, but one thing she did know was that whatever had happened she wanted those men behind bars.
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After breakfasting with her father, they got into Hershel's truck and set off to the hospital. There had not been any phone call from the hospital, which Beth was hopeful meant that there had not been any complications through the night. Her father had not said much during breakfast, only enquiring how she was feeling. She had assured him she felt fine, and was feeling up to going to the hospital.
Her father drove to the hospital in silence, Beth staring out at the dusty road as the truck went over bumps and potholes before they turned on to the highway.
As if he could sense her impatience, her father dropped her off outside the front of the hospital and drove off to park the car. Beth strode inside, standing in front of the directory for a moment. Her eyes ran up and down the board, before she gave up and walked over to the desk. After speaking with the staff member briefly, she was informed to wait for the doctor, as she was not sure if he would be allowing visitors yet.
Beth sat and waited for the doctor, eyeing the door at the entrance every time it opened, expecting her father to walk in at any moment. Finally, she saw the doctor she had spoken to the day before walking down the corridor. She stood up immediately, wringing her hands together.
"Miss Greene," he nodded to her as he approached.
"Yes," she responded, looking up at him anxiously. He gave her a half smile.
"Come with me. He's awake, and you can see him now."
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A/N: Hey everyone, hope you had a great Christmas and New Years! (Yes, I know it's February)
Thank you so much for your follows, favourites, reviews and for reading. I love reading your comments and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter!