I can't believe how quickly I was able to write this chapter. It's short, but emotional, so I'll also be posting chapter 32 right after I post this one! Enjoy and please review!
Beth. No, not Beth. No, no, no, no, no.
Daryl was filled with sheer panic as he sprinted toward Beth. He hardly noticed the final walker that he distractedly put down with his knife as he ran. The only thing on his mind was Beth. He reached her as her knees suddenly gave out, and he caught her before she hit the ground. The place where her left shoulder met her neck was steadily bleeding, and Daryl felt utter dismay wash over him when he realized that the wound was not in a place that could be amputated to prevent the spread of infection. The bite wasn't as bad as some that he had seen, and it appeared that no major arteries had been damaged, but it didn't matter. Beth had been bitten. His insides turned to ice as the full realization of what had happened hit him.
Daryl clutched Beth tightly to his chest and clung to her as if he was hanging on for dear life. She was conscious, but seemed to be in a daze. He pulled back from her abruptly and hastily tugged the red rag from his back pocket. He pressed it to her wound, causing her to wince, and applied pressure to try to slow the bleeding. She stared up at him with wide eyes, still saying nothing. Daryl tried to swallow the lump in his throat and ignore the horrible sick feeling in his stomach.
"You're . . . you're gonna be fine, Beth," Daryl croaked out. "S'nothin' we can't fix . . ."
His voice didn't sound convincing, and the look in Beth's eyes told him that she knew what this meant. But still, he couldn't stop himself from continuing to apply pressure to her wound, as if it would save her. The moan of a single walker sounded from down the street, and Daryl quickly gathered Beth into his arms.
"Gotta go," he grunted as he began carrying her back to the truck. "We'll go back to the campground to uh . . . to get you cleaned up."
Or to give you a decent place to spend your last hours, his mind thought bitterly, and he once again had to stave off a wave of nausea as he thought about how his time left with Beth was limited. He had to focus on other things. He had to.
Beth didn't protest when Daryl put her in the truck cab. He raced around to the driver's side and quickly pulled out of the gas station parking lot. She leaned her head against the window and watched the surroundings go by as they drove the short distance back to Reed Bingham state park. Her silence was unnerving, but Daryl didn't know what he expected her to say. When the truck pulled back into the campground they had just left not even an hour earlier and parked in the same spot, he quickly jumped out of the truck and ran around to Beth's side. He scooped her into his arms again and walked around to the trailer door, pulling it open and laying her down on the bed. Her blood immediately stained the white covers, but he didn't care.
He hurried to the set of drawers closest to the bathroom and wrenched them open, finding the first aid supplies Beth had told him earlier that she had placed there. He grabbed some gauze, peroxide, antibiotic ointment, and tape before opening the drawer that held his clothing, pulling out a spare T-shirt. He went to the sink and wet it with clean water before turning to face Beth with the supplies in hand. She was sitting up on the bed now and looking more coherent, but she was still quiet. He quickly strode over to the bed and sat down next to her.
"Gonna get your shirt off so I can clean you up proper," he muttered. "Gotta get this wound dressed right away, don't want it getting infected."
"Daryl . . ." she said his name softly, and her tone was almost apologetic. Daryl ignored her and started gently wiping the blood away from her skin around the wound with the wet T-shirt. Beth watched him solemnly and raised her arms as best as she could in cooperation when he went to remove her shirt. She let him clean and disinfect the wound, wincing softly in the process. Finally the wound was covered with clean gauze, hiding the monstrosity from view.
"There, good as new," Daryl said, eying his handiwork. "We just gotta make sure we keep it clean—"
"Daryl, stop," Beth said gently. He looked up at her sharply, and the sadness in her large blue eyes was heartbreaking. "It's no use. You know it, and I know it."
Daryl shook his head furiously, as if he refused to accept it. He felt sick again, and there was a pressure in his chest that made him feel like something was squeezing his heart until it was about to burst. He tried to take a few deep breaths, but even breathing was painful.
"I don't know what to do," he choked out suddenly. Beth gave him a small sad smile.
"Just be with me," she said softly. "I don't know how much time I really have, and I want to spend whatever's left of it in your arms. There's nowhere else I'd rather be."
Daryl had known this since the moment he had seen it happen, but hearing her say the words made it too real. He felt himself crumbling, all of his strength evaporating into nothing. A strangled sob escaped him, and he was unable to stop the onslaught of tears that followed. He felt like his heart was being torn from his chest. He covered his face with his hands, sobbing into them without abandon. Beth leaned against him, embracing him as best as her injured shoulder would allow.
"I can't lose you, Beth," Daryl spluttered between sobs. "Can't go on without you."
"Yes you can," Beth said firmly, her voice oddly strong. "Remember what I told you? You're gonna be the last man standing."
Daryl's mind flashed back to that night, and he also remembered what else she'd said. You're gonna miss me so bad when I'm gone, Daryl Dixon. The memory only made him cry harder when he realized the cold hard truth of that statement Beth had made all those months ago. Beth's wrapped her small hands around his wrists and pulled his hands away from his face. She laced her fingers with his and held both of his hands tightly in her own as she leaned her body against his.
She let him cry for a while; how long, Daryl wasn't sure. He finally managed to regain some control of his emotions, but the sharp ache in his chest was still there, and he imagined that the ache would probably be there forever from then on. The hole in his heart where Beth should be. He realized then that he had never told her how he felt about her, and he turned to her, feeling vulnerable and open.
"Never got to tell you how I feel," he said, his voice scratchy and rough from crying. "I—"
"I know," Beth said quickly. "I know how you feel. You don't have to say it."
"But I want to."
Beth shook her head. "Don't. If you do, it feels like goodbye. I don't want to say goodbye."
Daryl swallowed hard, using all the strength he could muster not to burst into tears again. Beth smiled sadly at him.
"You don't need to tell me with words how you feel," she said. "You've shown me every day. And I know this sucks, and it certainly isn't how I hoped I would go, but you need to know that the past few months have been the best in my life. And that's because of you. I'm so thankful for that. You showed me more about myself than I ever could have hoped to learn on my own. You believed in me. And you made me feel like I'm strong. And most importantly, you made me feel loved. No one, not even my family, has made me feel as loved as you do."
More tears escaped Daryl's eyes and he nodded in understanding. He didn't know how Beth could be so positive at a time like this, but then again, that was Beth. Even when the end was near, she still saw the bright side of things. It absolutely killed him to know that her light would soon be extinguished. The world needed more bright souls like hers. He drew in a shaky breath and tightened his grip on her hands.
"Should've protected you better. Should've kept you safe."
"Stop," Beth ordered. "Do not blame yourself. This was not your fault. You did keep me safe. And without the skills you taught me, I probably would have been gone long ago. You helped me grow into the strong woman I am today. Remember that."
Daryl nodded once and stared down at their entwined hands. He remembered who Beth had been when he had first met her: the sad, suicidal teenager who thought she couldn't handle living in this world. It was truly incredible how far she had come since then. She was right, she was strong, one of the strongest women he knew. But in the end, her strength hadn't been enough.
"What am I gonna do?" he asked her helplessly, his tone sounding like a lost child.
"Just live, Daryl. You just gotta keep living. Keep going down to Florida, just like we planned."
"Can't do that," Daryl shook his head. "Can't go without you."
"Sure you can. You're strong, Daryl. You'll get through this. Last man standing, I promise you."
He nodded, though he didn't believe her. Beth had become the foundation of his strength. Without her, he felt that he would crumble and disintegrate. All of his fears about falling in love were coming true, and he had no idea how he was going to get through the trials that followed. He took in another shaky deep breath and released Beth's hands from his vise-like grip. He propped up the pillows on the bed and lay back, motioning for her to lie with him in his arms. She carefully maneuvered herself to lie on her good side with her head on his chest, and she tangled her legs with his. Daryl wrapped his strong arms around her and held her close to him, trying not to think about how this would be the last time he could hold her like this.
"Daryl?" Beth asked softly. He hummed in response. "When . . . when the time comes, promise me that you won't let me turn. Death doesn't scare me as much as I thought it would, but I can't stand the thought of becoming a monster that could hurt someone else."
Daryl's throat constricted again, but he nodded. He couldn't stand the thought of Beth's reanimated body either. She was too good and too pure for such a fate.
"Okay," he murmured. "Won't let you turn. I promise."
"Thank you," Beth replied softly, snuggling closer to him.
Two tears escaped Daryl's eyes and slid down his face as he looked down at the love of his life in his arms.
"Anything for you, Beth."
Poor Daryl. Now, on to chapter 32!