FYI.. If you have been reading this story you might want to read back through the end of Chapter 10. I made a few minor changes to fix up a few holes that have to do with first aid to Daryl's wound. I researched a minimal amount on gunshot wound treatment so I could very well be wrong… I think it's pretty basic considering no one in the van is a doctor. One more chapter left (or two) and this story will be finished.. Moving on to an AU!
11. Not much was said as they drove to wherever it was they were going. Beth was terrified. She was going to be face to face with him again. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. Not with all of them taken. This was a game changer. And Daryl was hurt. She looked over at him. He was pale, his hair hung in strings over his eyes. But he looked livid. That anger that would either save him or kill him was still there simmering. Glenn, Michonne, and Rosita sat across from them. Beth made eye contact with Michonne. Michonne nodded slightly as if to say, 'we will get through this'. And Beth trusted that this would be the case. They would. They had to. She leaned back against the vibrating wall of the van and tried not to think.
Daryl on the other hand was thinking hard. His mind was hyper focused on what the outcomes could be. What he could do in any given situation considering his current state. He probably only had the use of one arm and he knew that he must have lost a lot of blood which would account for the tunnel vision that came and went along with the vertigo. He squeezed Beth's hands again and their eyes met. This was the biggest problem right here. Trusting her enough to let her choose what to do on her own. He wasn't going to be able to take care of her alone. He was gonna make choices with her safety as his main concern because, well because that was just the way it was. He couldn't deny that. He'd fight for them all, but if it came down to it Beth was first. She'd probably be pretty pissed if she knew what he was thinking right now, but maybe not. He tried scooting a little closer to her, which hurt like hell so he leaned over. This didn't feel much better, but he was close enough to her now. "Don't know what's gonna happen.. You... " he didn't know what to say. Her eyes were filling with tears and he felt his own doing the same. "Survive. Love you.." She nodded and twisted her hands in his.
"Hey what are you doing?" the big guy had heard Daryl.
"Shut up man. What's he gonna do? He can barely move." Dwight said. The other guy sat back in the seat. Beth saw Dwight glance in the rear view mirror at them. He wasn't laughing or smiling and he didn't look at all smug, like he should. The walkie talkie crackled to life.
"We see your lights pull over next to the RV. Unload them." the voice on the other end was staticky and cutting in and out.
At the mention of the RV they all looked at one another. The others, from Alexandria? They were here too? They had them all? Michonne shook her head. Daryl was sure they all knew that this had just escalated by 100. No one was gonna ride up and rescue them. They were going to have to fight their way out of this. It was going to be bad. The van came to a stop.
"Go out there and get us some help. I'll start." Dwight told the other man. He did as he was told and Dwight climbed into the back of the van. He knelt down in front of Beth. "I'm gonna untie you and let you out the passenger door. You need to do exactly as I say or you are going to end up dead when Negan sees you. Get out and hide under the RV. When shit starts get in it. I'll make sure a back window is open or broken or something. Hide. Don't come out no matter what you hear. Negan is going to do what he's going to do and then he's gonna let your people get in that RV and go. If you are in it, you're safe and you will go home with Daryl. If not there's nothing else I can do for you. You understand?" he was already loosening the rope.
"Why ya doing this?" Daryl asked horsely. He couldn't fathom what Dwight was up to. But it felt like he was trying to help.
"I owe you. And I owe her. This is for Sheri. She made me promise. She knew. Somehow she knew. Negan will kill your girl for what she did." he looked pointedly at Daryl as he said this and then he looked back at Beth. "Don't try to do anything stupid. It won't work." Dwight said. He took off Beth's gag.
"Sheri?" she breathed. Dwight nodded.
"She was my wife before.."
Beth turned to Daryl. She put her hand on his cheek.
"Go." was all he said. And it took everything in him to say that. She leaned in and kissed him softly. "Love you." she whispered. She looked at the others and Michonne waved her on. Dwight took her arm and took her to the front of the van. He put her knife in her hand and he pointed out the window and pushed open the door and Beth slipped out.
Then she was just gone. Gone. Daryl exhaled and gritted his teeth. The pain in his shoulder was nothing compared to the pain of the void she left behind.
Dwight came back and knelt in front of Michonne. "Hit me. In the mouth hard. Make it look good." He was faking her escape. He let her go. Michonne looked baffled, but she hauled off and hit him hard. Then she gouged his face with her nails for good measure. Dwight was knocked over backwards. "Good.. good.. Ok that's gonna.." he started and then the doors were opening. Cold air blew in. "That bitch got out the front! Attacked me when I untied her." he complained to the big guy.
"Should I?" the guy asked looking around the van.
"Nah. She's as good as dead now. We have more important things to do." Dwight said. He gave Daryl a sideways glance and hopped out of the van.
Daryl could see lights and shadows and movement through the doors. Saviors came and took Rosita and then Glenn, drug them out the back doors removing their gags and the ropes binding them. Next they came for Michonne and then Daryl was unceremoniously pulled from the van. But gentler, definitely gentler than the others. What he saw before him made his heart sink even further, if that was possible. He was sure Beth had taken it with her when she left only minutes ago. Everyone he loved was here. On their knees. Waiting. And somewhere under that RV Beth lay waiting and trusting that Dwight would do what he said. Daryl felt the anger building deep in the pit of his gut. It was like a caged animal pacing and prepared to bite and rip apart whatever he could sink his teeth into. His eyes landed on Rick's. Rick. He was in the same place Daryl was. But Daryl saw fear in his brother's eyes and up until that point Daryl hadn't been remotely afraid. That fear shook him. It unbalanced him. And as he was pushed to his knees beside the others he glanced at the dark space beneath the RV. She was there. Right there and he was helpless.
Beth felt gravel digging into her palms and her stomach. She could smell the gas and oil from the RV. She could smell her own fear, sharp and bright. She heard voices as the Saviors explained what was going on. She laid her head on the ground and tried to see what was happening in the clearing on the other side of the RV. She felt all the air leave her lungs. She blinked and willed what she was seeing to go away. Just be a nightmare she was having. Oh my god wake me up because this can't be happening. On their knees, in a semi circle, all the people she had left in this world. Her body burned to just scramble out from under the RV and do something, anything. But he had told her to go. Told her to survive. Now he was kneeling out there, the blanket hanging off his shoulders and so much blood.. The RV moved and someone stepped down from inside of it and the clearing was suddenly eerily quiet.
"Hi, I'm Negan." She froze. That voice. It came back rushing back, filling her with a sense of dread and she was on her knees puking on the cold floor in the factory.
Beth heard a window slide open and someone was whispering, 'Hey'. She shook her head to clear it and scooted back out. She stood up and searched the backside of the RV. A screen popped out of a window and Dwight was there.
"Come on." he put a hand out to her and letting go of all her fear that this could be a trap she reached back and he pulled her up and in through the small window. He looked at her and said, "Hide." and then he started climbing out window.
"I'm sorry. Sheri.. I'm sorry." Beth said quietly.
"She wanted out. You helped her. She was gonna do it anyway. You reminded her of someone.. it was important to her that you get out and home. You are." he dropped from the sill and she closed the window. Looking around she found a corner. A dark little space where she could tuck herself away and hide until they came back. Until he came back. Because she really believed that everything Dwight had said was true. She willed her heart to stop pounding so hard and she listened and tried to make out what was being said. She took a chance and peeked out the window. He was there, with a baseball bat. A bat wrapped in barbed wire. He was pacing back and forth in front of her family. And he was laughing and swinging that bat like everything was funny, like it was one big joke. Her heart was pounding again and she knew she should be hiding, but she couldn't move from where she stood. Her memory kept showing her things she didn't want to see. Things she was trying to put away. But he was walking back and forth reciting that rhyme, the one little kids used to help them choose who got to play and who didn't. She kept getting a view of his profile, a smile, and she wanted to scream. Beth's hand flew to her mouth. He was a monster.
Daryl was numb. He had removed himself from the situation the minute this bully had started his tirade. This was his father, pacing the living room, on a drunken rampage, using fear and pain to control two small boys. Daryl had been helpless then, unable to fight back because that would only make it worse in the end. It was best just to endure the initial outburst and hope that it was over quickly than to make it worse by trying to defend himself. It was going to hurt regardless. When it was over he could run. But this wasn't his father. And he couldn't run. His family was here. And Beth, she was in that RV. He had to believe it. He had to endure this to get back to her. This wasn't his father. This was the monster that had put his hands on Beth. He had touched her, had forced her.. Daryl hadn't let these images in for one reason, he knew he wouldn't be able to control what they did to him. And he couldn't afford to lose control. Not yet. Numb was good. It was best. For now.
"So here we go. How do I choose? Who's it gonna be? Oh, I know." Negan smiled swung that bat in small circles and starting with Rick he went down the line. "Eeny, meeny, miney, moe. Catch a tiger by his toe. If he hollers make him pay. My mother told me to pick the very best one.. And you are it." he stopped and swung.
Someone was walking by the window outside the RV. People were screaming. Her people were screaming. And a man was falling from his knees to the ground. Beth slipped into that dark place. She hid and she shoved her knuckles in her mouth to stifle her cries. She rocked gently back and forth humming a nameless tune trying to ground herself. Survive. That's all she needed to do until her came back. But she felt like she was slipping.
Daryl watched Abraham fall. He saw the blood flying everywhere. He even felt drops on his face. Like rain. Blood rain. And next to him Sasha was staring at the ground in complete silence. He looked at the others, but paid little attention to what they were doing, how they were reacting, he was still trying to comprehend what had just happened when Negan spoke again.
"So there we have it. And eye for an eye. And it really didn't need to be that way. But I had to teach you all a lesson. I had to make sure…" Negan stopped and looked over at Rick. Daryl felt his body shaking because he heard it too and Rick needed to shut the hell up. He needed to stop now.
"What did you say?" Negan asks Rick.
"I said I will kill you. Not today, not tomorrow. But I will kill you." Rick said pointedly. All Daryl could do was watch.
Negan spread out his arms. "Go ahead. Take your best shot. But you do realize you are surrounded by 50 Saviors who will retaliate. Come on tough guy.. You haven't learned yet? Do I need to get some guys to run a train on your boy? I do have a few that are into that sort of thing." Then he pulled a fist back and punched Rick.
"Let's get this straight. I am in charge. You work for me now. You answer to me. You belong to me. Get used to it. Adapt to it and accept it and everything will work out just fine and dandy. This is the new world Rick. Now go on home. We will contact you in a week. Until then, ta-ta." Negan walked away followed by a group of Saviors. They climbed into their vehicles and onto their bikes and took off into the night.
And still the group knelt here on the ground. Frozen in this moment of horror. It was a sob from Rosita that set them all free. Daryl watched her as she crawled across the ground towards Abraham's body. Suddenly everyone was in motion. Glenn went to Maggie. Rick and Michonne went to Carl. Eugene and Sasha tentatively approached Rosita and Abraham's body. Aaron came over where Daryl still knelt on the ground.
"You're hurt?" he asked looking closely at Daryl's shoulder that was still covered by the blanket.
"Gunshot." Daryl said. He searched the windows of the RV, watched the door. Beth. Where was she? Michonne came running over. She gently took the blanket off of Daryl. There were voices. They were talking, all of them and it was all blurring together. 'Get to Hilltop. Maggie. Daryl. Wrap the body up. Take it with us.' Body? What body? Where's Beth? Daryl tried to stand and suddenly he was surrounded.
"Hey brother slow down. You're hurt." Rick's voice and his arm around Daryl's waist, lifting, supporting. "We gotta go. Get to 's a doctor." Rick said. Michonne was on his other side.
"Beth." Daryl said. He looked at Michonne.
"Where is she?" Rick asked. "I thought she was with you?" Daryl heard the edge in his voice and it started a small panic in his gut.
"Beth?! Beth?" his voice was hoarse and his body ached. And someone was dead. On the ground. Someone was crying.
"She's in the RV. She's there Daryl. He helped her remember? She's there." Michonne said to him and he struggled in her grasp. Daryl focused on the RV, but his vision was blurry and he kept seeing a bat and hearing screams and Beth wasn't here. He couldn't see her.
"You got him? I'm gonna get the others." Rick left Michonne to help Daryl into the RV.
"I got him." Aaron took the side Rick was on. And they moved towards the RV. Michonne told Aaron what had happened with the Saviors. Aaron opened the door to the RV and Daryl lunged forward pulling himself out of both of their grasps. He stumbled up the steps and into the dark room.
"Beth?" he didn't see her. Didn't see anything. And then he heard it, just barely from the back of the main part of the cabin. Humming. He shuffled forward. There was a small closet and the door was open a crack. He pushed it open fell to his knees beside it. Her. Knees to her chest, her arms wrapped around them, Beth was tucked inside that dark place humming.
"Beth?" he whispered. She continued to hum, her eyes squeezed shut, her body rocking gently back and forth. He put his hand on her knee and her eyes snapped open.
"Daryl?" she breathed. He tried to nod, but his head was spinning and all he could see was her and even she was fading.
When Daryl slumped over on top of her she started screaming. Suddenly there was light and Michonne and Aaron lifted Daryl's body and moved it to the back room of the RV. Beth bolted from the closet and scrambled up onto the bed where they had laid Daryl down. She touched his face and ran her hands over his shoulder loosening the ace bandage. She was back to humming. Aaron watched her closely.
"She's in shock." he said. Beth felt a blanket draped around her shoulders, but her attention was still completely on Daryl.
"Beth! Beth look at me!" Michonne tried getting the girl's attention. She took Beth's chin in her hand. "Beth."
It was like waking up. Beth shuddered and looked at Michonne. "He's gone?" she asked. Michonne nodded.
"Yes. He's gone. You okay?" Michonne asked her.
Beth thought about that for a minute. She looked at Daryl on the bed and pulled the blanket off and covered him with it. She touched his face. Noted it was cool so no fever. Then she looked at Michonne and nodded.
"I'm ok. What are we doing? Who needs help?" Beth pushed everything deep down inside and reached for the strength she knew she had. She wouldn't break. Wouldn't let a monster break her. Not now. Her family needed her. She would be the strong one now, for Daryl. She'd do what he would've if he could.
Michonne smiled and took Beth's hand. "Come on. The others, we need to get everyone in the RV and go to Hilltop. There's a doctor."
Maggie was on the bench seat with her head in Glenn's lap. Beth let her hand rest on Glenn's shoulder and she knelt beside Maggie. "What's wrong with her?" she asked looking up at Glenn. Maggie was burning up.
"We don't know. Rick was taking her to Hilltop when they were ambushed." Glenn looked terrified and Beth laid her hand over his.
"We're going there. Were gonna get there." Beth gave him a small smile. She looked at Maggie again. And she felt her throat close up, but she swallowed and leaned over and kissed her sister's forehead. "Hang on Maggie. Please just hang on." she whispered and then continued through the RV. She looked out the door. The others were wrapping up a body in a tarp. She moved slowly towards them taking in the scene. Rosita was sobbing next to Eugene. Aaron, Sasha, Rick and Carl were arranging ropes and tying knots. Abraham. She hadn't had the chance to get to know him. But he had been family. Michonne came and stood beside Beth.
"Help Rosita inside if you can. They are going to put Abraham's body on top of the RV." she said quietly. Beth nodded and moved over towards Rosita. She put a hand on Rosita's back.
"Come in the RV. It's cold out here. They are going to take care of him." Beth said gently. Rosita looked at her and then back at the others. She turned and walked towards the RV. "Eugene?" Beth held out a hand to the man. He shook his head.
"I'm going to help." he said stoically.
Beth followed Rosita into the RV. She found another blanket and wrapped it around Rosita's shoulders.
"Why'd that Savior let you go?" Glenn's voice startled Beth. She thought he was asleep.
"Something Daryl did for him. And.. a woman, she was at the factory where I was. She helped me. Saved my life actually and I guess she was his wife, before.. Negan.." Beth felt an inkling of panic fluttering in her stomach.
"He hurt you Beth, didn't he?" Glenn looked at her. Maggie slept with her head in his lap and Rosita sat across from them wrapped in the blanket Beth had given her. Aaron and Carl had come in and were in the front of the RV getting ready to leave. She looked around at them all. She knew they'd heard the question, knew they were listening for her answer if she chose to give it. Maybe she just needed to say it. Maybe they all needed to know. They were going to have to destroy this monster. They needed to know what they were up against.
"Yeah. He hurt me. He raped me." she said quietly and then she slipped back to check on Daryl. He was there on the bed. Broken, but whole, still here. When she sat down he turned his head and looked at her.
"Beth… you, are you.." he mumbled and reached for her.
"I'm fine." But she wasn't. Not really. And he knew that.
"Ya ain't." he grabbed her wrist and pulled her down beside him and she buried her face against his chest and cried. She'd been strong for about as long as she could for now.