…. Chapter 51 ….
Daryl closed his eyes, not trusting himself to say a thing as the significance of her words eased the storm that was raging inside of him. Not one to usually submit to blatantly raw emotions, he allowed himself to bask in it, having never been told such a thing with any degree of sincerity before. He wanted to tell her the same... that she meant all of that to him and more... but found that his limited emotional capacity had the sentiment faltering in his throat. He was spared the quandary when she proceeded to pass out again, her body slumping limply against him to bring him back to the present and the urgent moment at hand.
He carefully laid her back down on the ground before running over to pluck the expelled bolt from Len's battered head. Wiping it quickly down his pant leg, Daryl reloaded the Horton and swung the weapon onto his back, tightening the strap securely around his chest. As far as he knew, both Billy and Joe were still out there looking for them and he wasn't about to take any chances with either the girls safety or his own, not now that they had found each other again against all odds and despite the daunting amount of obstacles laid purposely in their way.
Coming back, Daryl gingerly lifted Beth into his arms and headed off into the woods, holding her limp body against himself as though she were made of glass. The two of them were much more conspicuous now that it had stopped raining and he made sure to stay pointedly aware of it, constantly scanning the surrounding area for anything out of the ordinary be it living or dead. He had to get her back to the house as quietly as possible, without those in the woods being any the wiser for it. Merle would know what to do and while his brother took care of business, he could come back out and finish what had been started once and for all.
It wasn't what he wanted to do by any means but what choice did he have. The way he figured, the two of them had this one shot… this one moment in time to eliminate any threat that could possibly return to haunt them. For Beth's peace of mind as well as his own, he had to take it. He had warned these bastards that he hadn't come here looking for a fight but now that one had been started he sure as hell intended to finish it. The girl had suffered enough, she didn't deserve to spend the rest of her life looking constantly over her shoulder and he was going to make damn sure she'd never have to.
Daryl made his way through the woods for several more miles, the sense of direction that came to him naturally serving him better than expected. Keeping to the straight and narrow, he cut right through the trees, bypassing the twists and turns that had led the way the first time around. His wounds were killing him but he pulled from his depleted reserve and bore it, wanting nothing more than to get Beth out of the cold and back to somewhere safe.
Hefting her back up against him, his gaze dropped apprehensively to where she was in his arms. His decision to leave the bolt in place had served its harrowing purpose, stemming the bleeding just enough to give him the time that he needed to get her back to the house. It went without saying that it was of little to no consolation. With all that she had become to him edging right at the surface, he found it close to impossible not succumb to the flood of emotions that were threatening to overwhelm him. The last fucking thing he needed was to think about was what it would mean to him if he failed and lost her now.
Beth suddenly winced and inhaled sharply against his shoulder, the shock of her injury having fully set in. With no other option, Daryl stopped for a moment to make sure that she was alright. Taking time they didn't necessarily have, he laid her down to check her pulse and the condition of the bolt, doing so as quickly as possible by manipulating his way around her as gently as he dared.
The bolt protruding abnormally from her back stood in jarring disposition to the translucently pale skin it was sitting in. The sweater she was wearing was tattered and torn around it, the wet material providing no protection at all as it had rendered out of the way. Daryl worried at his lower lip for seeing it, still somewhat amazed that it hadn't hit something a lot more substantial. Pulling his bandana from his pocket, he flicked it open and used its dampness to dab gingerly around the inflamed area. Christ, the damn thing had left behind one hell of a mess though…
He glanced down to see that her eyes were still closed. Despite the fact, he said to her quietly, ''Hold on for me, ya hear? We're almost done. I'm gonna get ya out of here, I promise…''
''That's funny...'' A gruff voice said from somewhere deep the shadows, "I thought I made it clear that there weren't no getting out."
Daryl's skin tightened as his heart plummeted to his stomach, finding it almost inconceivable that someone had managed to get the jump on him when he had been nothing but excessively cautious. With a panicked huff of dismay he went to go reach for the Horton only to be dissuaded from pulling the weapon from his back by the gun barrel that was now pointing at him dead square at the chest.
Joe emerged from the misty cover of the trees, doing so like he was some kind of vengeful apparition hell bent on destruction. The Beretta in his hand was unwavering, the black look on his face indicating that he was itching at the urge to use it.
''… guessing I failed to mention that meant for both you and for her.''
With the crossbow left hanging behind him uselessly, Daryl was forced into a quandary that was not of his choosing. Standing up slowly, his gaze narrowed as he waited to see just how this was all going to play out. He raised his hands in the air and stepped in front of Beth as inconspicuously as possible, doing whatever was necessary to keep Joe's attention focused on him and him alone. The man seemed to hone in on the slight movement immediately, missing nothing as he noticed that the girl on the ground wasn't moving.
''Well, well… will you look at that…'' Joe tsked as he looked on coldly, ''Damn, that's really too bad. Guessin' this thing of mine backfired spectacularly for the both of us, didn't it friend?''
Daryl regarded him with a barely contained level of disdain, managing to scrape together what was left of his fortitude to say, ''It's over now either way. It ain't too late for us all ta walk away an' be done with it.''
Joe gave a wry smile, one that was devoid of all emotion. ''Oh, one of us will be and I think we both know who that is. You see Daryl, all of my men are dead… so what started out here as a fun little undertaking has now digressed into a goddamn clusterfuck of epic proportions. Now, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but we both know that's all your fault… hell, hers too if that makes you feel any better.''
He pointed towards Beth with the gun in his hand, a look of stunned disbelief flittering briefly across his face. ''That little girl right there killed Billy as sure as I'm standing here wasting my time talking to you… killed him like he weren't nothin' more than a goddamn inconvenience standing in her way. Hell, I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't found her tracks leaving the body. Luckily for me, that's what led me here to you. The girl's tenacious, there's no doubting that… more fucking tenacious than I guess I gave her credit for…''
The man's eyes had glazed over as he pondered the huge miscalculation on his part… a miscalculation that was beyond rectifying and had played an unwitting part in the downfall of this whole fiasco. Either way, Daryl was done listening to him.
''So whaddya want?'' He demanded, needing to know just where all this was all going.
''Well, I'm glad you asked.'' Joe said, coming back to the moment and the business at hand. ''What I really want is for both of you to die. Thanks to you two assholes, I have to start all over again. That means recruiting and scavenging and doing all kinds of stupid shit that I already told you I really fuckin' hate having to do! You know what? I can't begin to tell you how much I wish Len had never seen either one of you! If you hadn't killed that dumb son of a bitch back there, I swear I'd be doing it myself!''
With his stomach rolling nervously, Daryl looked on as the gun pointing in his general direction flailed about in the air. The bastard holding it had worked himself up to the point where he was red faced and breathless, every word he said being spat out agitatedly. It was clear that the situation was starting to spiral dangerously out of control. The instability of it clawed at the surface of his skin and Daryl knew without a doubt that the vehemence being projected his way didn't bode well for anyone involved.
With his nerves frayed to a thin red line, the anger that came to him inherently seemed to stonewall any attempt he made at thinking straight. For all he knew, Beth could be laying there dying and this motherfucker wanted to stand there and bitch about all the wrongs done to him and the inconveniences that came from rectifying them? Was he fuckin' serious right now?!
''Ya keep sayin' all that like it's our damn fault any of us are out here!" Daryl sneered, unable to help himself as it all became too much, "In case ya forgot, we didn't ask ya to play this bullshit game 'a yours! What did ya think we were gonna do, jus' bend over an' take it? Ya don't know tha first thing 'bout me and ya sure as shit don't know a damn thing 'bout her!''
The sentiment echoed through the trees as the two men glared at each other heatedly. Daryl was immediately left berating himself for it, realizing almost instantly that he hadn't done himself or Beth any favors by throwing a barrage of verbal fuel on the fire. Struggling to get a grip on the situation, the nerve racking tension had caused the words to just aggressively spill out of his mouth, doing so without his knowledge and damn sure without his consent.
''That just may be true but luckily for me, I don't have to.'' Joe muttered, the demented smile on his face indicating that he was more than willing to play along, ''You see, both of you are completely dispensable to me, much like everyone else I know. I'm in this for me and me alone. I make it a personal habit not to trust anyone. That includes your brother Merle, just in case you were wondering. He was kind enough to remind me of why I prefer it that way with his little trip down to to see you in the basement. I know what he told you. Hell, there ain't a damn thing that happens in that house that I ain't aware of. With a price to be paid by everyone in the end, he'll be paying his when I get back. I reckon the two of you will be seeing each other soon enough, probably not in this world but definitely in the next. Who knows, maybe all of this was just what I needed to start off again with a clean slate… out with the old and in with the new so to speak..."
Through the residual haze left behind by the rain, Joe raised the gun and cocked the hammer back decisively, "All that being said, your participation is no longer required…''
Daryl tensed and braced himself the best he could, inanely wondering if he could survive such a thing. He had never taken a bullet before... despite the many guns that had been pulled on him over the course of the turn. Fuck it, if it was his turn to pay the piper he was as ready as he was gonna be… anything for the girl laying wounded behind him. For her, it was worth it. Standing between her and the threat presenting itself was exactly where he was supposed to be.
As he waited for the searing pain and the black stillness of death to overtake him, every fear Daryl had ever known... every shitty nightmare he'd ever had, all raced though his mind at once. He could feel the damp condensation at his neck trickle down under the collar of his vest, could hear the ambient sounds of the forest roaring in his ears…
And then… nothing.
Christ sakes, what the fuck was Joe waiting on, a goddamn written invitation? The gunshot should've been reverberating through the forest by now! Standing there with his heart pounding, Daryl almost wished it was... better that than to continue what was now an excruciating wait for it.
Thinking about Beth and all the things he wished he could've said, Daryl pried open his eyes... having not even realized that he had closed them in the first place.
Joe was still standing there with the Beretta held at the ready, a strangely vacant look plastered on his face. He blinked in confusion before looking down at his own chest, causing Daryl to do the same from where he was standing a few yards away. A patch of red bloomed at his shirt, spreading that much faster for the rain water that was already soaked there. His eyes widened in shock as the tense set of his body released and he fell face down into the dirt, landing with a heavy weighted thud to leave Merle standing there with the bayonette of his prosthetic dripping in blood.
''Motherfucker never did know when ta shut tha fuck up.'' He said nonchalantly, flicking the residue away with a sharp swing of his arm. He looked over to see Daryl staring at him slack jawed, ''What say you, Darylina? You 'bout done playin' hide an' seek out here or what?''
Completely at a loss for words, Daryl could only nod, never so glad to see his brother than he was at that very moment. He had a million questions, so many he didn't know where to begin... but asking them came secondary to what was important.
''Help me with her, will ya?'' He rushed to say instead, turning back around to Beth now that he could. ''She's hurt real bad an' there ain't much time…''
Sensing the urgency without having the need for it to be stated further, Merle came over and quickly assessed the girl for himself. Daryl could only watch as he carefully sat Beth up, taking in the bolt and the damage done by it. She hung limply on his arm while he did so, looking even paler for the time spent wasted with Joe and the hindrance he had provided.
''Jesus…'' Merle muttered, more so to himself than to his younger brother who was hovering anxiously nearby. ''What in hells name did she do? Jump in front of this fuckin' thing like it was comin' over ta say hello?''
The pallid look Daryl was giving him must have been answer enough. Reading it as such, Merle stood up with Beth in his arms, the minimal weight she added not giving him much pause. After telling Daryl to grab Joe's gun and the keys from his pocket, the elder Dixon had him stomp the man's head in for good measure before the two of them then headed off into the woods, leaving the decimated body behind them. With Merle leading the way, they discussed the situation minimally… each of them filling the other in with as few words as possible. They trudged through the remnants of the storm debris until they finally cleared the tree line to see the house sitting alone in the distance.
With everyone who had lived there now deader than shit, Daryl never thought he'd be as relieved as he was to see the place again. Despite everything that had transpired there before his time and during, it would still have the medical supplies they'd need to take care of the girl. It would also provide the safe haven for them to do so, making it the best of the few options available. For his part Merle seemed unphased as he approached it, booting the door open to carry Beth upstairs straight to her room.
He went in and laid her carefully on her bed, being sure to keep her on her side so not to put pressure on the bolt or the shoulder it was lodged in.
''Go downstairs and boil up some of the water that's kept stored in the pantry. There's a propane stove in tha kitchen, grab ya self a pot and bring it up ta me when ya done.''
''Nah, fuck that! I ain't leavin'…'' Daryl bristled.
''You'll do what I say when I fuckin' say it if what ya want is for her ta live.'' Merle bit out, his tone not brokering any further argument on the matter, ''Ya bring that hot water ta me along with all tha clean towels ya can find! Antibiotics… needle an' thread… bandages… anythin'! Ya got that?''
Swallowing at his reticence, Daryl took off to see it done, feeling much like that seven year old punk kid that had just been put firmly in his place. Forcing himself to focus on the task at hand, he set the water to boiling while he scavenged through the rest of the house to find what was needed. Shoving things aside, he cursed the world and everything in it under his breath. The place was a fucking mess with trash and empty liquor bottles everywhere. When no clean towels presented themselves, he resorted to rolls of paper towels. Everything else was found easily enough in the upstairs master bathroom.
With his hands full, he carried everything back to her room, the intensity of the moment threatening to overtake him now that the crucial moment had come. His brother was sitting next to the girl on the edge of the narrow bed, having settled her down on a clean set of sheets. Daryl rounded the bed himself to see that she was surprisingly awake, her eyes lucid and clear despite the worry that was there in their depths as well. Braced carefully on her stomach with her fists curled up tightly under her chin, her back was completely bare of any potential impediment that could possibly get in the way.
Prepped for the bolt's removal, the remnants of her shirt lay in scattered pieces on the floor, having been forcibly cut from her body while he was downstairs and wasn't around to object.
''What tha fuck?'' Daryl started, sure as hell objecting now as he practically dumped the shit he was carrying onto the side table, ''Why'd ya go an' do that for?''
The gamete of hell he'd been run through in the last few hours had the question being asked before he even realized he had opened his mouth to ask it. Of course her shirt would need to go, especially if what needed to be done was going to be done right. If his head was on straight about it, he would've been the first to realize that. He hadn't expected it to be so hard seeing the girl laid out battered and bruised like she was. Just because stripping her down was a necessity didn't mean he had to fucking like it.
To his credit, Merle pointedly ignored him as he began opening the package of bandages, laying them out at the ready without saying a word. Fighting back the wave of possessiveness sweeping through him, Daryl hunched down at her side, his fingers finding a way to thread into her damp hair to tuck it gently behind her ear.
''Hey baby…'' Was all he could think to say, the worry in his voice resonating low on the air between them.
She regarded him thoughtfully as Merle used the hot water to cleanse the expanse of her back of the blood trails that stained it. His methodical actions seemed to confirm that she had obviously consented to him doing what needed to done for the bolt to come out.
''Hey…'' She whispered back, fear causing her lower lip to catch between her teeth.
''Ya know what needs ta happen here, don't ya?'' He asked quietly, doing his best to stay calm for her sake. ''It's gonna hurt somethin' fierce but there ain't nothin' for it.''
She nodded slightly. ''I know… it's ok. I can handle it''
''Pfft, damn straight ya can.'' Merle assured from behind her, his tone practically daring either one of them to say anything otherwise. ''We already talked about it, ain't that right girly? So if ya don't mind now Darylina, I'm gonna need ya ta step outside.''
Daryl quickly glanced up, his gaze hard and unyielding as it narrowed in on his brother through his hair. ''Yeah? Well too damn bad, I ain't goin' nowhere.''
''It's ok…'' Beth whispered, probably looking to avoid the holy hell that was about to be unleashed at the unexpected request. ''Really, it's alright. I… I want you to leave…''
Figuring that she couldn't possibly mean it, Daryl pulled her hand against his chest, not much giving a shit that his brother was sitting there watching. ''Nah, fuck that. I'm stayin' right here.''
Her eyes misted over at his adamance as her fingers threaded with his, ''No, you… you don't understand. I don't want you to stay. Please, I… I don't want you to see this. If you've ever had any feelings for me… I'm asking you to leave… please?''
Despite everything inside of him that wanted to stand his ground, Daryl was no match for tearful look she was giving him. The imploringly heartfelt plea lingered between them, doing so until his jaw clenched into a hard line of forced compliance.
''I'll do it but only 'cause ya askin' me to,'' He managed to say, ''… not 'cause it's what I want.''
Releasing her hand with a reassuring squeeze, he pushed himself to his feet… completely overwhelmed with the guilt that came from knowing that he had put her there as surely as if he had fired the bolt himself. It was because of him that she'd been out in the woods to begin with, because of him that Len had been able to come back around again to torment her like the piece of shit that he was. The pain she was about to go through was all his fault and was something he was going to have a hard time living with for the rest of his life.
Merle was sitting on the side of the bed silently listening to the very personal exchange, using the time it had taken for them to have it to soak the paper towels in hot water and thread the needle to the best of his limited capability. Upon seeing him struggle with the simple task, Daryl almost changed his mind, ready to damn the consequences and the dissenting protests that would come from both of them. A hardened look from his older brother was quick to dissuade him of the notion, the elder Dixon managing to remind him without a single word that he had managed to get along just fine before Daryl had stepped back into the picture and he'd do so long after he left it as well.
Almost to the door, Daryl paused for a moment and turned around to regard his brother solemnly.
''Don't think this needs ta be said but ya best be careful with her." He imparted, feeling the need to say it anyway. "I'm dead serious.''
Merle looked over at him, at his wits end with the unnecessary delay, ''Boy, ya best jus' get tha hell on outta here. Tha sooner ya do so, tha faster I can get on with this an' be done with it!''
Daryl bit down hard on any urge he had to say something else, knowing it would only be asking for trouble. After all, what good could come from telling Merle that he was now solely responsible for the only thing in this godforsaken world that was even remotely important to him? Already more intuitive than he had a right to be, the shrewd son of a bitch had probably already surmised as much from the interaction he had just witnessed. What Daryl was choosing not to say was that he best do everything in his power to make sure she survived it if he knew what was good for him… that if he didn't, hell and everything that could be rained down with it would be waiting for him downstairs. No good could come of it, not when so much was on the line, so with the sentiment lodged in his throat Daryl turned back around to leave.
His hand was on the doorknob when his brothers voice reached him from the other side of the room. Daryl looked over to see both Merle and Beth staring after him, the rigid bolt lodged in her back the only thing separating the two of them from one another. Dragging his gaze forcibly from hers, he waited to hear what his brother had to say, the connotations hitting home for him immediately as he made himself clear.
''Ya want dead serious? I'll give ya dead fuckin' serious. Don't ya open that door again for nothin', no matter what, ya understand? Ya gonna hear shit in here that ya ain't gonna like… ya ain't gonna like it one bit… but ya best jus' suck it up an' fuckin' deal with it. You come back in here an' you're puttin' her life at risk. Lock that door behind ya an' slide tha key under it when ya done. Ya leave us be an' I'll come find ya when I'm finished.''
…..
Thank you so much for reading "What Still Lies Ahead". Please be so kind as to leave a review, I love to read each and every one of them!