Chapter Fourteen
Pain erupted in her side as she tried to stand up but her knees only gave out and she fell to the floor. She curled up tight, the cool hardwood pressing against her face that felt as if she had been sitting in an oven. Hot tears were falling down her face now and another rush of pain shot through her, white hot and feeling as if her side was ripping open.
"DARYL!" she screamed again, her free hand clawing at the hardwood as she tried to move. What the hell was going on? She felt fine yesterday, she felt fine this morning besides a bit of nausea and soreness. What was happening to her. Frightened tears kept flowing and another scream tore from between her lips as a harsh spasm ripped through her side. She heard the front door slam open and heavy footsteps running towards her.
"Beth!" Daryl shouted as he slid to his knees next to her and tried to roll her over to look at him, "Beth, what's wrong? Beth!"
"M-My side..it...Fuck Daryl this hurts!" she cried out, her face twisting up to show pure agony. He scooped her up, whistling for Maisy who ran into the house and straight to her dog bed in the kitchen. Daryl pulled the door closed behind him and hurried to his truck. He was able to grab the handle of the door and open it just enough to nudge his knee in and swing it open, laying her on the seat.
"I'm takin' you to the hospital now, just try and breath, Beth." he begged before hurrying over to his side. He slid in his seat, resting her head in his lap and cranked the truck. He tore down the driveway, gravel and dust flying behind up in the air. Once he reached the highway he turned his emergency lights on and tore down the pavement, flashing his brights and beating his horn at people who were in the way.
"Daryl..Daryl it hurts so bad!" she wailed, trying to take a deep breath but cried out as the ripping feeling came back. She could only take quick, shallow breaths and her head was getting dizzy. He reached down and stroked her cheek trying to console her.
"Shit you're burnin' up." he muttered and glanced down at her, he blue eyes shut tight as tears poured down her cheeks, "Beth I need to call your dad. Where's your phone?" he asked as he kept his eyes locked on the road, stopping for only a split second at a stop sign before pushing the gas and taking off again.
"I l-left it on the kitchen counTER! DAMMIT!" she shouted and curled her body up tight, her hand flying to his thigh and gripping it tightly as she held her breath through an intense wave of pain. It was refusing to let up, coming in wave after intense wave.
"Are you pregnant?" he asked and she hissed through her teeth as she let out her breath.
"No I'm friggin' dyin'!" she cried and he reached down, placing his hand on her shoulder and giving it a firm squeeze.
"I ain't gonna let you die, Beth. We're almost there I promise."
"D-Daryl? Please...don't leave me alone." she begged, opening her eyes to look up at him.
"I promise." he said and saw the blue hospital sign on the side of the road with the arrow pointing to the left. He made the turn quickly, Beth moaning in pain as the truck rocked side to side when he straightened back up. He apologized quickly, turning at the Emergency Room sign and swinging into the first parking spot he could find. He jumped out of the truck, barely remembering to take his keys out of the ignition and running to her side. She managed to sit up enough to move out of the cab, Daryl scooping her back up and hurrying up to the doors. They barely had time to slide open before he barreled through them and up to the sign in window.
"Hey!" he shouted at the girl who sat casually talking on the phone. She jumped at the sound of his voice and slid the window open quickly, looking from Daryl to the crying Beth he held in his arms.
"What's wrong?" she asked as she pulled out a clipboard and a pen.
"Somethin' about her side hurtin', I'm not sure what's goin' on but I found her lyin' on the floor."
"P-please..." Beth begged as she looked over at the woman, "Please I c-can't stand this...OW!" she wailed and tensed up in his arms, people sitting in the waiting room craning their necks to try and see what was happening.
"What side is it, sweetie?" the woman asked as she picked up the phone, pressing a few buttons before she finally got a hold of someone, "Yes, I need a wheelchair out here, we have a young woman in severe pain, location on her right side. Yes thank you." she answered after Beth pointed to her side, "Are you her kin?"
"No, no I work on her dad's farm, she was stayin' home with me today." he said and the woman raised an eyebrow just as the ER doors swung open and a wheelchair was pushed out accompanied by a male nurse.
"Can I go with her?" he asked and looked over at the woman.
"You're not her family, I'm sorry." she said as the nurses started to push her away, but Beth reached up and grabbed his hand.
"N-no, I refuse t-to go unless he goes with me." she said and tightened her grip on his hand, her eyes pleading with the nurse, "I won't go alone." Her voice was quiet, strained, and she was trying not to scream through the pain.
"Go on." the woman said and waved them on after handing Daryl the clipboard she had been writing on, "Fill it out and give it to the nurses station in there when you're done." He nodded and walked in with the nurses and Beth, never letting go of her hand as they walked into a room, another nurse walking in with a hospital gown.
"Do you need my help?" she asked Beth who shook her head, "Let me know when you are changed." After they walked out and shut the door, Daryl set the clipboard down and helped her off of the stretcher, slowly peeling her shirt away from her body for her. He unclasped her bra and the button to her pants, helping her with those before she slid the gown on. He pushed the wheelchair to the side, scooping her up again and laying her on the bed. He helped to get the pillow behind her head and covered her up with the blanket before opening the door to get the nurses.
"How old are you sweetie?" the older woman asked as she took Beth's vitals.
"Eighteen." she answered weakly and sniffled, "My birthday is in three days."
"Happy birthday, even though I know this isn't the way you wanted to start out your weekend." the woman said and looked over at Daryl who was filling out Beth's information as best he could, asking her questions every now and then if he wasn't sure of an answer.
"What's wrong with me?" Beth asked and the nurse looked back over at her, tucking her hair out of her face.
"We're waiting on the doctor now, and he'll come in and talk to you. Do you have any family on the way?"
"They don't know I'm here." she answered, her voice pitiful as she looked over at Daryl.
"I'll go see if I can find a phonebook and call your dad, okay?" he asked and walked over to her, taking her hand, "I'll be right back I promise." he said and she nodded, managing a smile when he lowered his head and kissed her knuckles. He walked out of the room and up to the nurses desk, laying the clipboard down and seeing a young nurse look up and give him a sweet smile.
"Can I help you with anything else?" she asked as she took the clipboard from the counter.
"Do you, ah, you got a phonebook and a phone I can borrow so I can get ahold of her parents?" he asked as he pointed to Beth's room.
"Of course." she said as she grabbed the phonebook and picked up the receiver, "Where are you calling?"
"King County Animal Clinic." he said and she flipped through the pages quickly, running her finger down the column of numbers before finding the one she needed. After dialing she waited for a ring before handing it over.
"King County Animal Clinic, this is Patricia, how may I help you?" a voice said from the other end.
"I need Hershel." he said and rested against the counter. His heart was finally getting a chance to catch up with him after rushing to pump all of that adrenaline through him, and he found his hands a little shaky as he tried to hold the receiver.
"He's with a patient right now, can I take a message?"
"I need to talk to him, now." Daryl demanded, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from yelling at this 'Patricia' on the other line.
"I'm sorry sir, but he's-."
"Beth's in the Emergency Room. I need to talk to him now." He heard her gasp on the other end and said she'd be right back. He heard the clatter of the phone being set down and within a minute he heard it being picked back up.
"What's goin' on?" Hershel asked from the other end, panic already evident in his tone.
"Hershel, it's Daryl. Beth's here at the hospital, in the emergency room. She said she didn't feel good earlier and when she went to lay down I heard her screamin', says it's her side. She can't stand up or hardly breathe, she needs you here." Daryl rushed, stopping to take a breath, "I didn't know what to do, Hershel. I rushed her here as fast as I could."
"I'll be right there. Give me fifteen minutes." he said and bid his goodbye, Daryl handing the phone back to the nurse who gave him a sympathetic smile. He walked back to Beth's room to see an older man in there with her in a long white coat and he prayed it was her doctor to tell them what was going on.
"We'll take you for a CT scan in just a few moments, and get a good look at that side. From what you told me and what I saw, it looks like you have a pretty severe case of appendicitis." the doctor said and Daryl saw Beth swallow hard.
"How do you fix it?" she asked meekly, reaching over and taking Daryl's hand in hers. He gave her a comforting squeeze and felt her fingers trembling but she returned the gesture.
"If it is your appendix, we'll have to perform surgery." Her eyes grew wide and she looked over at Daryl, fresh tears brimming in them, "An appendectomy is a routine surgery, they are performed more than you realize, but it is an emergency surgery and if you don't do this, your appendix will rupture."
"What happens then?"
"The body will poison itself, and could be fatal." the doctor answered Daryl and Beth tensed up again, hissing through another bout of pain, "Are you ready for your CT scan?" the doctor asked and Beth nodded, "I'll go get the nurse."
"You're gonna be okay, I'll be right here when you get back." Daryl soothed as he ran his hand over your hair, "Your dad is on his way, and I'm sure Annette and Maggie will be too. We're all gonna be here for you Beth."
"You promise?" she asked as fresh tears began to stream down her cheek, "I've never had a surgery before, I'm sorry I'm just scared."
"Hell, Beth, that's normal for just 'bout anyone." he said softly, "I'll be waiting for you here when you come back from your scan." he said as the nurse wandered back in with the wheelchair.
"Alright, Miss Greene, let's get you scanned." she said kindly as Daryl stood, helping Beth to stand and sit down in her wheelchair. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head before she was wheeled out of the room. Daryl sank down in the chair and rested his elbows on his knees, placing his face in his hands and sighing hard. He ran his hands back through his hair and closed his eyes, taking a slow deep breath.
"Please be okay..."
"Daryl? Where is she?" Annette's voice called from the doorway. He looked up in time to see her running up to him, Daryl standing up from the chair just before she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him, "Where's my baby?"
"They're doin' a CT scan right now, they think it's her appendix." he answered as Annette sobbed into his shoulder, Daryl hesitating before giving her a slight hug and patting her back, "Why don't you sit down, Mrs. Greene." He stepped to the side and let her sit down, Hershel grabbing a box of tissues off of the counter and handing her one.
"Daryl, I want to thank you for bringin' her in."
"It's ain't nothin', I couldn't stand seein' her lyin' there in pain." he answered and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the blush spreading across his cheeks.
"You're a good fella, Daryl." Hershel said and pat his shoulder, "I can't thank you enough for takin' care of my Beth." he added as Maggie stepped into the room, looking at Hershel to Annette, then her eyes finally resting Daryl.
A/N: I had appendicitis way back in middle school, and if any of you guys have ever suffered through something like this, you know it's total hell so I kinda felt bad for putting Beth through this. Once again, thank you for all of the lovely reviews and comments, and I hope you guys are enjoying!