Chapter Eight
Daryl leaned against the wall, his gaze focused on the circle of men standing just behind the trees. They knew he could see them. They weren't trying to hide their intentions or anything and that made his lips turn up into a snarl even more. The fact that they were toying with them. Like one would do with their prey when they didn't have anything else to do.
The cabin they were holed up in was small. A one bedroom where the bed was stationed just up the stairs in the loft area and the bathroom was a small closet in the back of the house. Nothing special, and sure as hell wasn't a place for four people to be holed up for any length of time. Still, it provided them with four walls and a moment to rest while they discussed their next move and kept an eye on their stalkers.
The worse part was the men looked to be setting up camp. He could see them hunting down sticks, and building up a small fire where they could keep warm and cook up that meat that they collected from the traps earlier. Daryl was beginning to regret not shooting Lenny the moment he saw him and taking the rabbit for themselves. Lord knew it would have saved them from this current situation. Possibly. Maybe.
Swallowing whatever doubt he felt rising up at his thoughts, he focused in on the conversation that Rick was trying to have with him just in time to hear Carl say, "why don't we just go out there and take care of them."
Daryl flashed the boy a hard look. Not liking how easily he turned to just shooting them all down without any hesitation. His gaze turned to Rick, who was also giving his son an incredulous look that he quickly covered up with a shake of his head.
"They outnumber us, Carl, and we don't have a lot of bullets to be wastin," Rick explained. His voice strained to be calm and Daryl schooled his own expression to keep from causing too much commotion with the boy.
"But we're all good shots, Beth too. It's just one extra man," Carl insisted, sounding determined to make his father agree with him.
Again Rick shook his head as he knelt in front of the boy. Going into that cop mode that instantly made Carl's shoulders tense up. "One extra man that gives them more bullets than us. Now we got to be smart about this."
The scowl on Carl's face told him that he didn't like his father's reasoning. The boy fully believed they could take those men out there, and who knew, maybe they could. Rick wasn't willing to take the chance and all it took was one look to Beth sitting against the back of the couch staring at her arms, that told Daryl he wasn't willing to take the chance either.
Sure, they could go out there gun's blazing and walk away with only a few scratches, but what damage would it do to Beth, and Carl. How many more scars would that leave on them. Carl backed off, crossing his arms as he leaned against the couch. Beth looked up at Carl, giving him a half smile that was supposed to be reassuring as Rick went next to the opposite window. Rubbing at his chin as he thought about something. "They've got to let their guard down at some point," he muttered, keeping his gaze focused out the window. Daryl followed suite, his own eyes taking in the men. Especially the older man that kept looking their way, grinning whenever their eyes would meet. Telling him that whatever he had planned wasn't going to be pretty.
"He knows one of us killed his brother's," Daryl said, feeling the need to let Rick know how determined this man was to get them.
Rick gave him a side glance, looking toward Beth and Carl before looking back at him. "He know who?"
This time it was Daryl's turn to look at the two by the couch, the young blonde catching his attention with that apologetic look once again in her eyes before he focused on Rick and nodded his head.
Rick didn't bother looking back at the two youngest, his gaze once again going back out the window while the rest of them settled in. Waiting for something, anything, to happen. The men outside looked just as content to wait this out as they did and before long, Daryl found himself sliding to the ground and resting his head against the wall as he continued staring outside.
After what felt like hours, he noticed the men collecting sticks to build up a fire. Stoking the flames until they were noticeable from their station and doing nothing to hide the fact that they were setting up their meals. Almost like they were attempting to taunt them with their food. Weaken them even.
Daryl smirked, his hand going to his bag where he held his own can of food, and he looked to Rick as the man did the same. When he opened his can, almost tossed it aside to see that it was another can of peaches, but he settled for what he had and moved to eat it, only to have Beth come to sit next to him and hold her own can of food up.
"It's vegetable soup, but I know you hate peaches so..." She held the can of soup out to him, and he gladly swapped as he sat there, happily eating as their enemies did the same. The scowl on the older man's face was apparent even from this distance and he soon turned away. Focusing on his guys instead as he seemed to be shouting something.
Rick chuckled, his gaze going to everyone in the room as they smiled as well. Glad to see that their enemies plan backfired on them. After that, things seemed to settle down. Beth stayed next to him, though Carl moved to sit across from her, and together the two played a few games of tic-tac-toe on some paper that Carl managed to scrounge up when he decided to search the place for anything useful.
It was a damn shame that this cabin was going to be abandoned again. It was small and quaint. A simple place for a man to disappear to whenever things seemed to overwhelm a person. He wondered, briefly, if whoever owned the cabin abandoned it long before the outbreak, or if the place been visited often. There was a musty smell that lingered in the air, and layers of dirt on the floor and furniture that told him the previous to be true. Which was a sad thought in itself, because Daryl would have loved a place like this even before the outbreak.
He let his thoughts linger on that. Thinking about how he would have spent his time, and the improvements he could have made to the cabin as the sun seemed to creep across the sky. Turning early morning to early afternoon before anything of real interest stirred up. He gaze going to a couple of men that disappeared further into the forest, and he looked to Rick to find the man noticed the same thing. Carl stood next to his father, looking to see what peaked their interest before turning to the back of the cabin.
"There's a window we could crawl out of back there," he said, pointing toward the back of the cabin. Daryl looked at it, noting that it looked to be wide enough for all of them and he looked to Rick in question. The man shook his head. "We have a better chance to fend them off here."
Daryl cocked his head to the side as he looked to his gun, preparing it for whatever was about to come when he looked to Beth who was looking at him with wide eyes. The girl hadn't said a lot this whole time, and he worried that this situation was trying on her in different ways.
"Hey," he said, motioning for her to come to him. She did, coming to stand at his side expectantly,
"Where's your gun?"
She pulled it out of her back pocket, holding out for his inspection, but he pushed it back toward. "Keep it ready." She nodded, her gaze once again going to the floor and he ducked to make her look up at him.
"This isn't your fault, Beth, " he said, stressing his words so that the young girl would believe him. Carl heard what he said and he came over to nudge her arm.
"We were both there," the young boy said, almost smiling to help lighten the mood. "It was both of us." Beth nodded, a small smile of her own showing as she bumped shoulders with him. Daryl nodded, squeezing the boy's shoulder just as a shout from outside caught their attention.
"We really gonna sit here all day?" the man from earlier asked. His voice a little louder than necessary. "Just waitin each other out."
Rick nodded to the front and back windows, telling them all to keep a look out and Daryl directed Beth and Carl to each of the front windows while he took the back as the man continued. "Come on. I'll start. The names Joe, and I'm hoping for a friendly conversation tonight. What about you?"
Rick took his place at the door, opening it slightly so that he could talk to the man. "Well, Joe, that's up to you. You're the ones that followed us here," he said, keeping himself inside the cabin and away from the entrance. Daryl glanced back at the door to make sure that nothing looked to be coming at them, then back out the window. Watching the woods, mostly for the men that disappeared.
"Well, you see," The man stated, his voice coming out in a drawl. "I just wanted to know what happened to my brother's. Isn't that only fair to ask."
Rick nodded, his gaze not really meeting anyone's as he looked to Carl and then Daryl. Daryl passed the glance on to Beth, who seemed to visibly swallow as she turned her gaze back out the window.
"They attacked our children while they were out alone. Our kids only did what they had to, to protect themselves."
There was a round of chuckles coming from outside that made the hairs on Daryl's neck stand up as he looked out the door. Waiting for anyone of those men to come rushing in. "You tellin me a couple of kids took out my brother's? You really expect me to believe that?"
Rick scowled, a heavy breath coming out as he nodded his head and hollered back, "My son's still got the marks to prove it. The girl too."
"Well then, let me see these marks."
Daryl froze, his gaze narrowing on Rick as he tried to understand what the man was doing. It didn't make sense to send them out there. Too much of a risk that this man would take his revenge then and there.
"You can see them through the window," Rick hollered back. Daryl released the breath he sucked in at that moment and closed his eyes in a silent thank you above before turning back to the window. A figure loomed in the shadows just out of his sight, though from it's stiff form he could imagine who it was and he looked to Rick with a quick nod. The man nodded, and he hesitated until he heard the man from outside again.
"Yeah, that looks like Benny and Steven's handy work," Joe said, a hint of amusement in his voice that made Daryl bristle as he continued. "Don't mean the two don't deserve retribution. A life for a life. That's the rules."
"Bullshit," Rick hollered, the man's words bringing out his anger and Daryl nodded toward Carl, motioning him to the window since he was the one with the silencer on his gun.
"It was your brother's lives or theirs. That's the way it is now!"
As Rick attempted to control his anger to control the situation, Daryl focused on the man in the woods as he pointed him out to Carl. The boy nodded, handing his pistol over to Daryl at his request and opening the window when he nodded at it. As soon as it was high enough to get the barrel out, he shot and watched as the man fell down before looking around the space for any of the other men.
When it didn't look to be anyone else, he handed the weapon back to Carl and motioned for Beth to head on over. Carl climbed out first, keeping low as he stepped to the side to wait for Beth. When both of them were outside, they pulled their weapons out and crouched down. Daryl hesitated, waiting on Rick as the man outside continued hollering at him.
"Guess that means we're going to have to agree to disagree then," he said with the sound of footsteps coming closer to the cabin. Whoever his men were, they weren't all that quiet and Rick took a step toward the back window. Keeping his feet light and away from the doorway as he turned and replied, "Guess so."
Daryl was out the window, crouched and ready as Rick made his way over. He didn't hesitate to head Carl and Beth into the woods, following close behind them when he noticed one of Rick's legs poking out the window and someone hollering in the cabin "Their escaping!"
Rick shot a couple of rounds before pushing himself out the window and following after Daryl who was already doing his best to catch up with the two younger ones. Knowing full well there were others in the woods. The forest echoed with the sounds of branches being crushed underneath heavy feet. All pretenses of being silent gone now that their escape been announced. He could hear their pursuers steadily gaining on them and he only looked back long enough to see that Rick was right behind them. A few yards behind, but still behind them as the four of them rushed through the woods. Unsure of what they were going to do now. Only that the safety of their fences and people would give them a real chance to survive these assholes.
Gunshots rang out behind them, and Daryl instinctively ducked as something whizzed by him. When the sound was gone, he turned his own weapon on the enemies and let a couple of rounds go off. A loud groan rang through the forest and he turned his attention back to the path that they were steadily cutting through the woods. More gunshots rung out and he ducked behind a tree, happy to see Carl and Beth doing the same thing to avoid being shot.
Looking around, he noticed the men steadily coming at them and he raised his gun. Aiming for the head as a shot behind him sounded off. The men rushed to take cover behind the trees at that time and he turned to see Beth quickly ducking behind a tree of her own. A smile spread across his face, a sense of pride growing in him at the knowledge the girl wasn't going down without a fight.
There was three still out there, possibly four, though Daryl couldn't be sure if his last shot did any real damage. What he did know was that they couldn't stay here. If there was any walkers in the area, their gunshots would bring them these way. He looked down the way they came from, and noted Rick staring at him. His own back pressed against a tree for a moment before he ducked his head to see if the other men were looking and he was off again. Daryl mimicked his movements and pulled on Beth when he spotted her standing behind a tree. Carl followed along behind, but being the smallest and fastest, he was soon ahead of them again. Ducking as more bullets whizzed above their heads. Cursing, Daryl pulled Beth down and watched as Carl ducked behind a tree.
He sat there panting for a moment, his heart racing as he looked behind him, trying to see what was going on. When he looked to Beth, he could see the way she was doing her best to copy his calm and he held a hand up. Motioning for her to stay down before crawling toward a brush where he could look back to see Rick standing where he once did and the men not from him. Their weapons up as they attempted to hide behind a few brushes like himself.
"You got nowhere to go," Joe shouted, standing up so that he was in clear view. Daryl raised his gun, hoping that he wasn't obvious before he pulled the trigger. The man ducked at the last minute, and Daryl cursed as Rick came running after them.
Dragging Beth up from the floor, the four of them took off again. Doing their best to get ahead of the men before another round of bullets slowed them down. He wasn't sure how much stamina was in himself, much less the two in front of him, though it was more than he thought. The idea of running through the Georgia forest, dodging bullets wasn't on his list of things to do today. That was for damn sure.
Another bullet whizzed by, this one catching on Beth's arm, making her stumble and fall as she gasped. Her hands came out to stop her before she landed face first, and Daryl didn't give her the minute she needed to check her wound before he was yanking her up by her good arm and dragging her long. Forcing her to pick up the pace as they continued moving around the trees. Dodging left and right, and sometimes even under some of those fallen limbs.
A rather large log loomed up over them, and Daryl shoved her forward. Turning so that he could keep an eye out as the Carl and Beth climbed over first. The scream that emitted from the other side stopped his heart and he turned to see Beth kick at a walker coming at her. Her hands going to her hip for her knife before Carl came up behind the thing to stab it through the head before Daryl could even make his way over and help.
He ducked behind the log, giving them both a moment to breath from their unexpected encounter before poking his head up to see Rick managed to get closer. A questioning look in his eyes as he asked if they were okay. A quick nod was all he could give the man to reassure him before their focus was back on the men poking their heads out, ready to aim and fire at them again. He raised his own gun, not surprised to find two more coming up next to him as they all fired off at the same time. Causing the remaining four men to jump back behind the trees and allowing them to take off again.
The creek loomed before them, telling Daryl exactly where they were and he shoved Beth and Carl in the direction they needed to go just as another walker crept up on them. This one coming from the side, knocking into Carl. Its arms wrapping around the boy as he attempted to fight it off. Steadily, he forced his arm between the two of them so that he could rest the barrel of his gun against the walker's jaw just as the thing clawed at his shirt, tearing it slightly as it's head cocked back and the thing slumped against him, it's heavier weight bringing him down before Daryl could rush over and yank the thing off the boy.
"You alright?" he asked, almost glaring at him as Carl nodded his head, mumbling a quick, "yeah." They looked back in time to see more walkers coming toward them. A small herd steadily gaining on them as the men chasing them shot more rounds, causing them to duck and run between the two groups trying to tear them apart. He looked back long enough to see Rick rushing forward. Doing his best to get ahead of the small herd and the men as a gunshot rang forward and caught him in his side
The man stumbled, going to his knees as he clutched at his side. Daryl let out a heavy breath, his first instinct to go back and help his friend, but then sound of Carl screaming "Dad" in the mist of the walker's and shooters and Beth's own cries caused him to stop long enough and evaluate the situation. After a moment, Rick forced himself up. Waving at them to continue and Daryl nodded, shoving the two younger ones forward even as they protested.
When a couple of walkers reached them, the two stopped their hollering. Thinking long enough to bring the walkers down with two bullets. Another set came at them and Daryl managed to bring one down himself before he heard a click click.
He turned in time to see Beth look at her gun and then up at the walker that was already upon her. Without thinking, he kicked at the one standing before him, knocking it back into a couple more before rushing forward to stab at the one threatening Beth. When it was down, she turned to look behind him, breathing, "Rick" as if he needed to be reminded that his best friend was in trouble.
"Just run," he shouted ,shoving her toward the direction of the cabin and safety. He looked back long enough to see the old man following him, steadily gaining on Rick. His gun already poised and raised at his friend's head, and he took a second to stop his fight with the walkers to aim his gun at the man.
The shot ringing at the same time another bullet whizzed by and he noticed the man dodge one ,but the other one slammed into his thigh. Bringing him down as well, and giving Rick the moment he needed to keep moving. Daryl turned just in time to see Carl focus his gun on another walker and shoot that one down before no more bullets exited his gun, no matter how many times he pulled the trigger.
"Shit," the boy cursed, tucking the thing back into its place on his belt and pulling out his knife. Daryl looked at his own gun, knowing the sentiment all too well as moved to push the boy forward.
"Go, the gates that way." He pointed in a general direction, and noticed Beth already yanking on Carl. Pulling him with her and hollering that they had to get away. "We have to get help."
Daryl hoped they made it. Hoped they were able to get some help, but he wasn't holding his breath waiting either as he turned to take out another walker stumbling toward him. The small herd steadily surrounding him even as the assholes down the hill continued shooting their bullets in his direction. He used his body weight to bring one walker down, both of them slamming to the ground as a bullet whizzed past his ear and he took the chance to sit up and stab his knife into the skull, only to feel more fingers clawing at his back. The groaning in his ear muffling that of his friends as Joe jerked his leg out from under him. Daryl yanked the knife out of the skull, and shoved it up behind. The squelching noise, blocking out that of flesh pounding against flesh as he glimpsed Joe raise his fists up to slam it against Rick's face.
With a grunt of his own, he shoved the dead weight off of him and turned to see another walker coming at him. This one he kicked back, giving him a good look at the small herd as it fanned out. Their attentions being diverted by him, the two men wrestling on the ground, and the other two at the bottom of the hill shooting at him.
A couple of the walkers loomed over Joe, their hands reaching for their afternoon meal just as one of their heads flipped back and they fell back. Letting Daryl focus on the bit surrounding him with the knowledge that as long as Joe was resting on top of Rick, he had a chance. He swung out, stabbing the walker at his side in the side of the head and pulled his knife out in time to raise his arm up to stab the one that he kicked moments ago. Grabbing a hold of the body to use as a shield as he rushed toward his friend and Joe.
His arms and legs burning by the time he got close enough to drop the body and bring his knee up and slam it into the man's face. A satisfying crunch ringing in his ears as the man flipped back, cursing while grabbing at his face.
Rick rolled over, taking in deep gasps of air to refill his lungs as he rubbed at the spot Joe was just holding onto. The gunshots stopped, and Daryljumped over Rick to take out another walker. This one he shoved into the incoming crowd, so that he would have enough time to turn and take Rick's hand. Hauling him up and holding his weight as the man wrapped an arm around his neck. Rick leaned heavily on him, the blood that soaked his shirt quickly soaking Daryl's jean jacket and he looked up at the hill with a hint of sadness. Knowing there was no way the both of them could climb that, and fight their way through the walkers.
Rick raised his gun up, taking out a walker that was stumbling far too close and Daryl mimicked him, taking out the one after that and allowing them some distance so that he could turn them away from the herd, hoping to put some distance between them and the walkers. They only made it a few yards before Rick stumbled, his hand barely reaching out to stop himself as Daryl heaved him back up. Pulling enough that he could stand up straight and shove the man against a tree. Allowing him to take in Rick's pale, sweat soaked face. He'd lost too much blood. Not just from the hole in his side, but also the cut on his hand where he held off Joe's blade and the nick in his shoulder, though those were the least of his worries.
"How many bullets you have left?" Rick asked, still wheezing from his fight with Joe.
"One. I think," Daryl answered, glancing at his soon to be useless weapon. He looked to Rick with the same question burning in his eyes and he nodded. "I think."
"Shit," Daryl cursed, once again hearing the gunshots ring out. Only this time they weren't aimed at them. They were going for the small group of walkers that were steadily heading toward Joe as the other two men slowly paced up the hill. Rick and him momentarily forgotten in a common foe. One that they weren't looking to get any help with either.
With the walkers steadily coming at them, Daryl looked up the hill. Praying that Beth and Carl at least made it out of there. When he moved to grab Rick's arm again, helping him pull further back the man said, "you should get out of here." Daryl looked at him like he was crazy.
"Save yourself," Rick urged, shoving his arm away.
Daryl shook his head, "ain't leavin ya." He tucked his gun away and pulled his crossbow out. Checking the bolt as Rick said. "You're being stupid. I'm a dead man and you know it."
"Not yet, " he muttered as he took aim and took out a walker. Rick snorted, his head hanging for a moment before he raised his gun and shot his last bullet into the walker after that. Giving Daryl just enough time to reload and take down another walker. Rick's groans caught his attention and he caught the man pushing himself off the tree. His hand gripped around his rather large blade before he shoved off and used his weight to shove another walker to the ground and stab the head. Daryl raised his bow and took out another walker, the gunshots ringing through his ears, though he didn't expect any of it to be of help to them. Unless, by some miracle, the would be attackers grew a conscious
Somehow, Rick found it in him to pull up enough and grab another walker around the legs, bringing it down to the ground so he could take it out as well just as Daryl managed to shoot another arrow. It was while he was reloading his bow that he caught the sound of more gunfire. These differed from the last, and he realized that it wasn't handguns being fired off, but rifles. Shooting off his bow again, he looked up in time to see Glenn, T-Dog and even Lorie come over the hill. Their rapid shots easily taking out the left over walkers just as a flash of blonde came into view. Her eyes scanning the area before landing on him, and the biggest smile he'd yet to see appear on her face.
"They made it, Rick," he said, shaking the man's shoulder. He remained on the ground, his breathing coming in gasps, but he found enough energy to look up and see their family coming toward them.
T-dog reached them first, instantly wrapping his arm around Rick's side as Daryl took the other, and together the two of them heaved the man up the hill. Glenn, Lorie and Beth providing back up from the walkers as they pushed forward. Eventually, carrying the man through the fence and up the stairs of the cabin.
Once inside, they got some help from Hershel, who grabbed his legs and the three of them managed to haul their fearless leader up the stairs and into a bed. Lorie not far behind as she stood at the edge of the bed. Her own face pale, and eyes wide with fear as Hershel ripped Rick's shirt open to take a look at the wound.
"Turn him over," he ordered. With the help of Daryl and T-dog they manage to flip Rick over to find another exit wound. "If it didn't hit any major arteries, he should be fine," Hershel said, giving an apologetic look at Lorie who merely nodded her head in understanding.
There wasn't much they could do to see if there was any internal damage. They were just lucky that Rick was still breathing, no matter how labored it was, and that he was still somewhat lucid as he muttered, "I'm fine."
"You'll need to rest," Hershel instructed. His own strict tone going throughout the room as he looked from Rick to Daryl as if to include him in that statement. Daryl just gave him a hard look of his own before backing off. Allowing Lorie to take his place, and the doctor in the group to do his job. As he stepped further from the group, he was quickly wrapped up in another set of arms that nearly knocked his breath out before he tentatively wrapped his arms around Carol.
The woman pulled him in tighter as she muttered, "oh, Daryl, you have no idea how scared we were when Carl and Beth came rushing in, covered in walker guts and muttering about you two being trapped out there."
Daryl nodded, patting her on the back as best he could while trying to pry her away. The woman eventually gave, and wiped a few tears before continuing. "It was like deja vu all over again, only worse because they said there was walkers, and men, and..." her words trailed off as Daryl grabbed her shoulder's and gave them a quick squeeze.
"I know, but it's okay now. We made it." He gave her another reassuring squeeze before she pushed forward and wrapped her arms around him a second time. This time Daryl didn't hesitate to return the hug, and pat her back before looking around the room to spot a small blonde leaning against the wall. Her hands going to the ripped sleeve with the blood still seeping from it.
"Did anyone look at Beth?" he asked, pulling Carol away. The woman shook her head.
"They didn't give anyone a chance to really look over either of them. They just stormed in, pulling on arms and weapons, screaming that you two were still out there."
Daryl nodded, understanding the urgency as he looked to Carl who was standing in the corner of the room with Maggie, watching as Hershel worked on his dad. "Carl came a little too close to a walker, and might have a scratch on his backside. Go check on him, and I'll look after Beth."
Carol nodded, once again, wiping her eyes as she rushed to the child, pulling him discreetly from the room to avoid upsetting his mother even more, while Daryl quickly headed toward Beth. Not giving her a moment to hesitate as he took her arm and ripped the sleeve to get a better look.
"Hey," she protested, grimacing at his movements, but silencing once he glared at her.
"You need stitches," he said as he dropped her arm and nodded toward the master bedroom.
"You?" she asked, giving him this incredulous look that told him she'd rather wait for her father, or even Carol before letting Daryl tend to her arm.
"Come on, I've stitched up plenty of skin, even before the apocalypse." He gently grabbed her arm, and pulled her from the room. Doing his best to remember there wasn't any urgency at the moment. That they could take a breather and slow down. Beth followed along, reluctant at first, but then without protest as he pulled her into the main bedroom where he knew Hershel kept most of the medical supplies for Lorie. Just in case.
Once inside, he ordered Beth in the bathroom with the better light as he dug around in the bags until he came across one of the small boxes of first aid kits. Heading into the room, he placed the kit down and watched as Beth pulled the sleeve up. Doing so gently so as not to jostle the arm, and finally settling down to watch him pull out the alcohol and cloths.
"This might sting," he said, leaning closer to the wound.
"Ya think," Beth muttered, and Daryl gave her a quick glance before pouring the alcohol onto her wound instead of dabbing it.
"Oww," Beth hissed, almost jumping in place.
"No lip," Daryl muttered, giving her a sharp eye that she returned as he actually dabbed the wound dry this time. She was quiet after that, her gaze on him as he burned the needle to ensure it was clean before threading it.
When he moved to her arm, Beth took a deep breath and looked away. Making him almost want to smile at the girl. She could back talk him, and dangerous strangers. Even face down a couple of walkers without flinching, but a needle is what makes her flinch. "So," Beth said, pulling him from his musings and making him pause to look at her. She still wasn't looking at him, but instead staring at the wall on the other side of the bathroom. "How did you learn to stitch people up?"
Daryl shook his head, his brows furrowing together as he thought about revealing his past to someone. To her. "Merle would get into fights a lot, and there wasn't always the option of going to a doctor."
He kept it vague, hoping she wouldn't ask any more questions as he again looked at her arm. His hand coming up to pierce the first part of her skin, and slowing when she let out a hiss. When he managed to pull the string through the first time, he stopped to look at her.
"Merle's your brother, right?" she asked, still gritting her teeth. He nodded his head when she glanced at him and he moved his gaze back to her arm, again pulling the needle through skin to keep her from continuing this conversation. He didn't like thinking about his brother. Especially when he didn't know what happened to him, or where he was. "Glenn told me what happened, back in Atlanta," she said, her voice lowering. Daryl froze again, not wanting to look at her, and instead focusing on continuing to stitch her up. He managed to get two more loops before she said, "he said he was a tough sonofabitch."
Daryl smirked, barely glancing at her for the language as he moved to finish his work. By now she wasn't flinching and hissing, allowing him to move quicker, though she would still tense up whenever he pushed the needle through the sensitive skin.
"He is," Daryl muttered, keeping his focus.
"So you believe he's still out there?"
He could hear the light tone in her voice, the almost hopefulness that Daryl hadn't given up on that yet. "Only a Dixon can kill a Dixon, and as far as I know, me and him are the only Dixon's left."
He looked up to see Beth smiling from ear to ear, the radiance coming from her lasting only a moment before he focused back on her and made the smile disappear as he shoved the needle through for the last stitch.
"There," he said, tying it off and clipping the string shorter so it wouldn't get in the way. He pulled through the bag again until he came up with a couple of Tylenol and handed them out to Beth. The girl took them, swallowing them just as he said, "just don't strain that arm too much."
"Yes, sir, Mr. Dixon."
An extra long chapter for the Christmas weekend. Hope it was a good one.
By the way, I don't remember if it was on the show that I heard the phrase "Only a Dixon could kill a Dixon." or if I read it somewhere on here. I just remembered it and I liked it. if it's from someone on here, and you happen to know who. My apologizes for stealing your quote and if you let me know who it is I would happily give you credit for the phrase. If it was from the show, well, anyways. Thanks again for reading.