Chapter 7 –

Beth, last night continued

After Daryl announced to the room that Beth was alive, she could feel and hear chaos erupt around her. They intubated her again and Daryl hung close, following Hershel's instructions on keeping her breathing. She felt the pin prick of the needle from the IV enter her arm and slowly she began to feel exhaustion entering her body. Perhaps the medicine makes ya drowsy? She thought

"Daryl it's been over 24 hours since you left for the medicine and you're exhausted. Go get cleaned up and get some rest, I will take care of Bethy." She barely heard her father say before exhaustion grabbed her and dragged her into darkness.

Beth began to feel the darkness around her deepening, growing colder and she struggled to pull air into her lungs. Thump….her heart gave a weak, shuddering beat and she frowned.

No, I'm not leaving them again! She screamed internally but she felt so tired. And weak. I can't leave them. I love Daryl and he needs to know that! He needs to hear it. He needs to know that he's a good man. Hell, he'll prolly be the last man standing in this world. He'll do everything he can to insure everyone else survives for as long as possible. He's our hero.

Maggie needs to know that I will always love her, even when she's bossy and over protective. Glenn needs to know that he's the best brother-in-law I could ever ask for. That I'm proud to call him family, that I'm glad he found Maggie. That I know he will always do everything he can to keep her safe and make sure she feels loved.

And Daddy…he needs to know that I heard Mama…that I'm proud of him for stepping up and doing what he knows is right, even when it put him at risk.

"Bethy?!" she barely heard beyond the darkness.

Beth felt a soft sigh leave her body and everything went still and cold.

Back to Daryl, the next day

Rage still roared through Daryl's body as he stomped his way to Beth's cell. As he neared the room, he saw Maggie sitting up and talking with Glenn. She looked up and smiled, but it was a sad smile that didn't reach her eyes. Daryl felt his chest constrict at the look.

"Where's…Where's Beth?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. Maggie stood up and walked out of the cell to stand beside Daryl.

"Daddy moved her last night. She's down this hall," Maggie led the way down the hallway and Daryl diligently followed. The two came to another hall of cells and met Hershel as he walked out of one of the cells.

"How's Beth?" Daryl asked and Hershel smiled.

"We had a couple more scares last night but she's in there resting right now. She woke up for the first time about an hour ago. She's been asking about you, if you want to see her," Hershel stepped aside as he talked and Daryl frowned at the older man.

"What do you mean 'a couple more scares'?" he asked gruffly, not yet moving even though he really wanted to. Hershel sighed tiredly and Maggie put her hand on his shoulder.

"We lost her a couple of times," she said quietly. "She just…went still and her heart stopped. We took turns watching her and reviving her throughout the night but she's responding to the antibiotics and is breathing on her own now. Go on, get in there Daryl, before I put my boot up your ass."

"Maggie," Hershel chided but put his hand on Daryl's shoulder and gave a slight push to get him moving. Daryl growled slightly at the two of them before walking into the dark cell and looking at the pale, thin blonde laying on the cot in front of him. Someone, he imagined Maggie, had cleaned her up and changed her clothes from the bloody ones she had been in when he last saw her. Her hair was combed and braided over one shoulder. The IV was in her right arm and the bag hung on a zip-tie on the bed. Her eyes were closed but her breathing was steady and he felt himself relax at the sight of it. His eyes followed He quietly pulled the chair closer to the bed and raised a shaky hand to gently hold hers.

Beth felt the gentle touch of calloused fingers around her hand and knew immediately who was there with her. She forced her eyes open and blinked away the bleary feeling before meeting the dark blue eyes of Daryl Dixon. She immediately felt butterflies of happiness burst through her stomach and chest and she smiled at the man in front of her. His lips tilted up into a smile of his own and Beth felt herself blush slightly at the realness of it. It was a real, full blown smile. Her eyes traveled back to his and she saw they were moist.

"Hey," his deep voice was soft in volume but rough and Beth felt herself calm as the sound of it washed over her.

"Hi," she replied softly. Her throat was slightly sore from the past few days of illness and lack of use and Daryl turned to grab a water bottle behind him. He helped her sit up and drink from it before lowering her back to the cot before resealing the bottle and setting it on the floor beside him. Beth smiled gratefully at him and grasped his hand tightly in hers when he was done.

"Are you okay?" she asked him when she saw his eyes were still moist. He laughed and shook his head.

"You're the one who has been sick, the one who…" his voice gave out and he cleared his throat. Beth knew what he was going to say, she was the one who died a couple of times last night, "and you're asking if I'm okay? You're unbelievable, Greene." He gave her a small smirk and she smiled in return.

"A good unbelievable or bad?" she asked, feeling slightly insecure. She had heard him talking to her, she knew how he felt about her but now that she was getting better, she was concerned. People change in stressful times. He may have just trying to be supportive. Using the knowledge that she had feelings for him to try and get her to fight and stay alive. He smiled softly and squeezed her hand.

"Good. Too good, Beth."

"No, there's only one definition of too good, only one name under that title. Daryl. Everyone owes you for saving them. I owe you. You've saved my life countless of times now, Daryl. You're a good man. Too good," she replied softly. Daryl frowned at her and shook his head.

"You may need to remind me of that every once in a while," he mumbled.

"Okay," she replied with a nod. A comfortable silence fell between the two but Beth could see a struggle going on in Daryl's eyes. She gently placed her hand on his cheek. He flinched slightly at the contact but then leaned his face slightly into it making her smile more. She felt a tear roll down his cheek and brushed it away with her thumb. She opened her mouth to say something but he interrupted her, anger at himself in his voice.

"I know, I'm sitting here crying like a pussy," he growled out. He leaned away from her hand and she dropped it back to the bed.

"That's not what I was going to say, Daryl," she scolded softly. He looked at her doubtfully and she sat up, ignoring his attempt to push her back down. "I was going to tell you it's okay. This whole ordeal has been terrifying for me, I can only imagine how it must have felt being outside of this cellblock. It's okay to cry, Daryl." His eyes met hers for a moment before he crumpled in front of her. Her arms immediately wrapped around him, albeit somewhere awkwardly due to the IV of antibiotics she was still hooked up to.

Daryl's arms wrapped themselves tightly around her small frame and he put his head in the space between her shoulder and neck, inhaling deeply her smell around his tears. Beth put one of her hands in his hair and gently massaged his scalp.

"I thought you were gone…" he choked out against her shoulder. "I found myself thinking that…" he stopped and sighed against her. Beth waited a moment but when he didn't say anything more she sighed.

"I heard you…when I first died. I heard you talking to me. Its part of what brought me back…Mama's voice was…so soothing and there weren't any walkers or screams or feelings of being afraid or lost…but then Mama told me to listen and I heard you." She heard him suck in a breath and she was sure her telling him this embarrassed him. It probably mortified him. She would rather tell him and have him know that she had heard him then it be this big secret that made their interactions tense and awkward. Daryl leaned back and met her eyes.

"I thought I couldn't live without you," he said softly and Beth felt her breath hitched.

"Daryl, I…I've got somethin' to say, and I get it if you don't want to hear it…but I need to say it," Beth put her hands on the sides of his face and used her thumbs to brush away the remaining tears that were there. He looked at her, his doubts and insecurities rising to shine in his eyes again. Beth smiled and took a deep breath.

"Daryl, I fought as hard as I could to come back to you. To tell you…that I have fallen in love with you, Daryl Dixon," Beth blushed as she whispered the last of her words and Daryl leaned forward to put his forehead against hers, relief flashing over his features. He had thought she was going to tell him she couldn't or didn't want to be with him. He hadn't expected her to say that she loved him. He took a deep breath.

"And I love you, Beth Greene."