Taken

by Sasusc

AU Alone/Slabtown, Beth and Daryl are both taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Taken

Summary: AU Alone/Slabtown, Beth and Daryl get taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Notes: Some of the scenes might be slightly out of order or changed.

Grady Hospital

Dr. Edwards stood beside Lt. Lerner as they stared at their new patients. One man, one woman. They were both found and brought in together, living on the run from the rotters. The man was basically healthy despite all the scars and wounds littering his body. He was malnourished which was expected of most of the people they brought in. A black eye and various bruises on his stomach and back were some of the more recent damage done to him. The worst was the giant knot on the man's head. The officers that brought them in must have used a ton of force to capture them. The woman had a sprain ankle…an older injury that he could only assume happened before they were found and likely slowed the couple down. It was mostly healed by now so the doctor didn't do anything to treat it besides wrapping it tightly. There were small scrapes all over the woman, a deep cut on her cheek, and bruising on her arms and the back of her head.

Lerner tapped the cast he had placed on the woman's wrist. "She won't be suspicious?"

He shook his head. "No, I dislocated her thumb and set it. It'll take four to six weeks to heal, but she won't be out of commission. Her ankle will still give her some trouble but nothing to be concerned about. They're both relatively healthy considering they've been out there surviving. I'm worried about the man's head. Gorman did a number on him. Concussion. Probably bruised ribs. He'll need some time to recover…if he wakes up."

She nodded. "Keep me informed. Only used the bare minimum. O'Donnell thinks the man could be useful. Keep my officers away from the girl. We don't know who she is to him and I don't want us to start off on the wrong foot. He's protecting her. If we want his help, she'll need to be safe. Got it?"

Steven Edwards grimaced. It shouldn't have needed to be said, but they both knew what happened to the girls brought into the hospital. Some of the men barely hid their intentions now. He did what he could to help, but it was never enough. The least he could do was to supply them with birth control and treat any injuries as they come.

He watched as Lerner left the room and turned back to his patients. It was easier to keep an eye on them if they were in the same room. He flipped through the patient charts he held, mentally calculating how much more medical resources he might still need to use on them. The woman should be fine without anything else…maybe some pain pills. If the man didn't wake up soon, he might have to start an IV drip. He hoped for all their sakes that the man would wake up. If O'Donnell was correct, the man was needed for their continued survival.

"Doctor?"

He glanced towards the doorway where Kasey stood hesitantly standing. She had been with the hospital for about five months now, another patient brought in by O'Donnell--a favorite of his. Her usefulness consisted of gardening and keeping their limited food pantry stocked with fresh vegetables and fruits. She had been a farmer's wife before this and raised on her family farm before that.

"What is it, Kasey?"

They talked in hush tones not wanting to disturbed the patients. Kasey was working on growing herbs as an alternative to their slowly dwindling supplies of medicine. His need for her work kept her mostly out of O'Donnell's hands for the last couple of weeks. He knew she was dragging on her research and planting, but he kept quiet as he wasn't desperate for primitive medical remedies just yet--and it kept Kasey safer.

He checked on the couple one more time after sending Kasey away ten minutes later. He nodded to Noah mopping the hallway, asking the younger man to keep an eye on the newcomers and to find him if O'Donnell or Gorman came sniffing around. Noah nodded and averted his eyes away when he passed him.

Beth slowly opened her eyes. She sat up in a panic when she saw the unfamiliar room. It looked like a hospital room. She glanced around and found Daryl in the next bed over. She quickly slid off her bed, her bare feet barely feeling the coldness of the floor, and went to his side. Those men--those cops--had done a number on him.

She remembered Daryl at the door trying to keep the Walkers out. Him screaming her name and telling her to run. How she refused to leave him even as he attempted to lure the Walkers away from her. Them getting outside where two men in police uniforms waited for them near a dark car they kept running. They tackled Daryl, the two of them ganging up on her companion without saying a word. Beth had ignored the pain in her ankle and jumped on the back of one of the men, stabbing him with her knife. She vaguely remembered hearing Daryl call out to her, but the man was able to throw her off of him. The rest of the fight became a blur. They men must have knocked both of them out…and transported them to a hospital?

Both her and Daryl wore matching hospital gowns. Her ankle was wrapped tightly and there was a short cast covering her throbbing hand and wrist. A black eye was blooming across one of Daryl's eyes and he had a busted lip. It looked like someone attempted to clean all the blood and grime off of him. A real bath or shower was what he really needed to be clean. Her too, she decided when she noticed some dried blood in the tips of her hair.

She brushed a hand over his forehand, running light fingers across his face. There was no twitching or awakening from her movements. Daryl had always been a light sleeper. Tears gathered in her eyes, and she slid her hands down to gather one of his between hers. The movement pained her bad hand, but she didn't care. She pulled his hand to her lips and kissed it.

Before the Walkers interrupted their dinner…their white trash brunch as Daryl had called it earlier…Daryl had been trying to tell her something. He had a look in his eyes that she thought she recognized. Hope. A hint of love? Maybe. Maybe she was being stupid--or crazy. It was probably all the hand holding, the serious piggyback ride, the bridal carrying her around so she could rest her ankle…her singing to him while he laid in that coffin.

They were all each other had--the only family they knew for sure that was still alive. But she didn't think it was only that that was pulling these feelings for Daryl to the surface. If she had ended up alone with Rick or Tyreese, she couldn't see her having these same feelings for them. It was because it was Daryl. Daryl in his gruff, but sweet ways. Brooding Daryl. Sarcastic Daryl. Funny Daryl. Gentle Daryl. Rude Daryl.

"You're awake. I-I should get the doctor."

Beth glanced over her shoulders to see a guy her age standing in the doorway. He was wearing hospital scrubs and a white t-shirt underneath that.

"No, wait," Beth said before he could turn to leave. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

The guy shrugged his shoulders and glanced away from her nervously. "Grady Memorial Hospital. Atlanta, Georgia," he added. "I think I heard Gorman and O'Donnell brought the two of you in."

"There were two men in police uniforms…they attacked us while we were fleeing from Walkers."

"Walkers? You mean rotters? And Gorman and O'Donnell are cops. They go out looking for survivors and bring them back here--especially if they could be useful." He nodded towards the bed. "Is he your boyfriend? Husband?"

Beth opened her mouth to say no, but instinct held her tongue. Instead, she offered him a smile "I'm Beth. And this is Daryl."

"I'm Noah." He fidget. "They think he'll be useful. It might be easier for you if they think…you're attached."

Beth heard the warning laced into his words. If the forceful way they were brought here wasn't an indication of something seriously wrong here, Noah's words set off alarm bells. She forced a smiled and squeezed Daryl hand

"Useful for what?"

Noah shrugged again. "Surviving. I better go get Dr. Edwards."

Beth quickly started searching the room for weapons. She couldn't find their clothing or anything else they might have had on them. No crossbow, no knives, no guns. That didn't surprise her. She did pocket a few medical instruments left on a side table: a small scalpel and a tweezer. She didn't have any pockets so she shoved them underneath Daryl's pillow.

"Noah tells me one of my patients is awake."

Beth studied the doctor. He was in his forties with dark hair and a graying beard. He had a white doctor's coat on and a stethoscope around his neck. It seemed so normal…a sight she might have seen before the Turn. He gave off a comforting impression, one he probably needed as a doctor before. He might have put her at ease if she hadn't had the warning earlier from Noah.

"I'm Dr. Steven Edwards and this is Grady Memorial. How are you feeling?" He had a clipboard in his hands--a patient chart. "You have a fractured wrist and sustained a superficial head wound. Do you remember your name? Where you came from?"

"Beth. Beth Dixon. What's wrong with my husband?"

She could have gone with sister, but the thought of tying herself in that role felt weird. And he wasn't old enough to be her father--besides the loss of her Daddy was too fresh to think about.

His eyes narrowed. "Your husband has a concussion. He probably has some bruised ribs. They didn't feel broken and I couldn't do a CT scan to be positive. We'll keep an eye on it, and see how he's feeling when he wakes up and starts moving," he summarized.

"Why are we here? Why did your people take us?"

Just then, a woman entered the room. Stern face, her hair slicked back into a severe bun, dressed head to toe in her police uniform. Her thumbs were tucked into her belt as she projected an air of authority.

"My men rescued you. They saw the two of you being chased down by the rotters. They stepped in to help."

Beth shook her head. "No. It wasn't like that. You're men attacked us."

The police woman pursed her lips. "You're remembering it wrong. The rotters chased you out of that house the two of you were holed up in. O'Donnell said your man was still in a fight or flight mode when he grabbed him to slow him down for help. They only did what was necessary to defend themselves while they risked their lives to bring you two back safely to us. You owe us."

Beth bit back the retort she wanted to say. Those men lied. This woman wouldn't believe a stranger over her own people.

"This is Officer Dawn Lerner. She runs this place. Dawn, this is Beth Dixon and her husband."

"You look a bit too young to be married to a man like him. How old are you?"

"Does that even matter nowadays?"

"It should. One day everything will go back to normal and we will have messes and wrongs to correct to get everyone back on track."

Beth couldn't tell whether Dawn Lerner actually believed that or not. She was still waiting on an answer so Beth supplied another lie.

"Nineteen. Daddy married us a few months back."

"You're from a larger group?"

Beth wished Daryl was awake for this conversation. He would know if it was better or not to mention their family and their separation. Would it help or hurt them?

"Don't lie to me," Dawn said.

"We were. We got separated a few weeks ago. There was this man. He wanted what we had. Arrived with tanks and a small army to take the prison."

"Prison?"

Beth nodded. "We found a prison. Cleared it out and made it our home. It had tall fences to protect us. Daddy was outside the fences when he got captured. The Governor… He killed Daddy. He destroyed the prison. My family…we had to run. I lost sight of my sister. Daryl found me and we escaped. We've been looking for our family ever since." She glanced down at her hurt ankle. "I got hurt so we needed to find a place to stay so I could heal. That's when your men…rescued us."

Dawn sighed. "We don't have the resources currently to send out a search and rescue team for your family. If they're still alive." She dismissed Beth from her mind and glanced at the doctor. "Any change in Mr. Dixon's condition?"

"No."

"Franco and McGinley should be back soon. Keep me informed. Mrs. Dixon--Beth--no one stays here for free. We spent precious medical resources on both of you. You'll work until you pay off your debts. Edwards, figure out where best we could use her help."

The Doctor waited until Dawn left before closing the door to the room and stepping towards his unconscious patient. It had only been a couple hours since he last checked in on them and he doubted there had been any changes in the man's condition.

"Do you have any useful skills? What did you do before this? What role did you have in your group?"

Beth had been a student before this, and then she was Judith's keeper…someone who kept their home running peacefully while the others risked their lives outside of it. That wouldn't look favorable to a new group. "I grew up on a farm. Daddy was a vet. He became our group's doctor. I assisted him when it was necessary."

"So you have some medical knowledge?" He quizzed her on a few things, finding out Beth had a good grasp on the fundamentals. "I could use an assistant." This should keep her out of O'Donnell and Gorman's reach for now.

In the two days she's been at Grady Memorial, Beth had learned a few things. The cops made it a habit of grabbing people under the pretense of helping them. They had a point system which they never bothered to inform newcomers until it was too late. They were now indebted to the Atlanta Police Department who ran this hospital. Beth and Daryl owed them for the medical assistance they received when they arrived and the continued medical care Daryl was receiving. She owed them for the hospital scrubs she had to wear and the food and water she needed to live on. Dr. Edwards had her helping Kasey with the herb garden when she told him she had been helping her Daddy with their own medical garden at the prison. She had more knowledge than both of them as she had been able to research it in the prison library. The hospital didn't have a large collection of helpful books in that area and the cops didn't think books were useful items to collect when they went out. It was a good thing she always had a knack for remembering things.

Daryl still hadn't woken up. She prayed to God every night that he would. Dr. Edwards seemed hopeful that it shouldn't be long. He already started an IV drip yesterday that she knew was costing them. She overheard Dawn telling the doctor if Daryl didn't wake up soon, they would need to cut their losses--they were wasting too many resources on a man that might not wake up, on a man they didn't even know would pan out for them. Beth was sure she felt his hand twitch earlier when she was praying over him.

It was nighttime, and she was finished with all her work for the day. Officer Gorman had cornered her at dinner. He tried to tell her she should be more grateful that she was now living in the hospital and she could follow him back to his room to show her appreciation. He looked angry when she turned him down and snarled at her, "Pretty soon that husband of yours will be gone…you're gonna need a new protector."

She paled but refused to let him see how scared she was. She quickly finished her dinner and hurried back to her room. It was the same one she had woken up to and where Daryl stayed. At night she would push her bed next to his and fall asleep clutching his hand. She made sure to lock the door behind her. It was entirely likely Gorman had a key or could get one to this room. The lock would only delay him slightly. She was counting on herself still being safe from his reach.

Noah, who quickly became a friend, had heard Dawn and her officers talking about Daryl. O'Donnell and Gorman had spent a few hours stalking them. They had noticed the ease Daryl had with his crossbow and knife. They had gotten close enough to hear them discussing tracking and hunting. They decided he would make a great addition to their team. They needed a hunter…someone who could get them fresh meat and handle himself with the rotters. They thought Daryl would welcome living in the hospital instead of living on the run. It was a bonus that he had a pretty little thing he might be willing to share. Now that it was becoming more unlikely that the hunter would be waking up, they were making up plans to see who would be the first to get his girl. Gorman was calling dibs. They were just waiting for Dawn to pull the plug.

She pushed her hospital bed next to his and lowered the side rail. She reached for his hand and squeezed.

"Daryl…you got to wake up. Please," she whispered. "I don't know how to do this without you."

She was learning, but she didn't like it. She had to keep her head down and her mouth shut. Noah and Kasey told her how things worked here, and Dr. Edwards had been showing her more advanced medical knowledge her daddy didn't have. She was using all her free time to map out the hospital and trying to locate where they locked up Daryl's crossbow and their knives. She refused to take more than she needed despite Dawn's insistence that she needed more and she'll have the chance to pay it back. Noah already told her it was all a big fat lie.

She was just drifting off to sleep when she felt Daryl's hand squeeze her fingers. She sat up and peered down at him. The moonlight shone through the window, landing softly over the beds. Beth watched as Daryl's face grimaced in pain before his eyes fluttered open.

He licked his dry lips. "Beth?" His voice came out hoarse.

He tried sitting up. Beth pushed on his chest to hold him down. "Don't. Don't move."

"Where are we?"

"Grady Memorial. What do you remember?"

Daryl had a hazy recollection of getting jumped by some cops as they ran from the funeral home. Fucking cops! Where the fuck did they come from? And why was he in a hospital bed?

"Funeral home. Walkers. Cops."

Beth smiled and tucked a strand of his overgrown, shaggy hair behind his ear. He caught himself relaxing into a smile at the tender look in her eyes. He let his eyes roam across her face. It was hard to see much, but he noted the stitches on her cheek. He went to touch it. There was a tugging sensation on the back of his hand that pulled his attention away from her. He had a needle in his arm. He yanked his hand out of hers and started pulling at it.

"Stop!" She brushed his hand away. "Here, let me do it." She carefully removed the medical tape. She was quick to pull the large needle out and stanch the blood with the bedsheet. She winced and apologized.

It didn't take her long to whisper to him about Grady Memorial and its residents. He shifted on the bed, trying to get his bearings on all of his injuries. He felt battered and bruised--nothing he hadn't felt before with the bar fights he had gotten into with Merle at his side. No broken ribs, but his head hurt even with whatever they had been pumping directly into his body. Beth assured him it wasn't much and she had been monitoring the doctor every time he came around.

"We have to get out of here soon. Noah thinks he knows where your crossbow is. Dr. Edwards showed me the elevator shaft they use to dump dead bodies. It'll be our way out…right through the Walkers. We need weapons first."

"You trust this Noah?"

She nodded. "He's a good person. He wants to come with us. Says he knows a place…up north where it's safe. A walled community where his family lives."

"Then why the fuck is he here then?"

Her thumb ran circles across the inside of his wrist. "He left with his dad to find his uncle. It led them to Atlanta. They took him and left his dad behind. They claimed they couldn't save both of them. I got lucky when they wanted you. Some of the men here…well, they save girls so they will owe them."

He didn't need her to clarify. He knew exactly what she was implying. They ran into people that dealt with similar situations. A few women did what they had to do to survive; a handful of men thought they could continue that practice when they were brought into their group. Rick was quick to disabuse them of that notion. And Daryl was always the first to use his fist if he caught them breaking the rules.

He growled as he thought of the faceless men here forcing Beth to use her body. "Did they..?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "They want your help. They didn't know who I was to you when they brought us in. Noah… Well, he implied I'd be safer if I was attached to you. So I said you were my husband. They've mostly left me alone."

Daryl wasn't sure what to think about the husband comment. That was never a title he thought would be applied to him--before or after the dead started walking. The familiar tug of longing…of wanting family and someone to love and love him in return clutched at his heart. He had started to find that at the prison, and then later on the run with Beth--something slightly different and new… That night at the funeral home--however long ago it was--where he had stared at her letting his walls fall and she had stared right back at him, he thought they might be starting something. At the very least, she knew he had feelings for her--feelings beyond the familiar bonds their group formed together. It was up to her now on where they went from there. He was older than her, and knew he was in a position of power. He never planned to pressure her on learning what kind of feelings she might have for him. And now she was forced to "marry him" or get raped by the men in this group. He definitely wasn't going to take anything she said or did during this time to heart. Beth will do what she needs to do to stay safe, and he'll do whatever was needed so that they could escape.

They slept. Daryl couldn't stay awake, and Beth hummed softly putting them both to sleep when they lapsed into silence after discussing their options and plans. They would play along--both with playing house and the plans the cops had for them. They still needed more time. He'll give himself a couple days to heal and learn more about their enemies. In the morning, Beth fetched the doctor and the leader, Dawn Lerner.

Daryl had seen cops like her. She was a woman in power, one that had made all kinds of sacrifices to get on top. She had to be tougher to get her authority across. She knew how to play the various systems she worked in, and she'd turn a blind eye so that she wouldn't show weakness. She kept herself puffed up in an effort to make herself bigger and badder than she really was. And she was exactly the kind of cop that wouldn't have hesitated to rough Merle up when he ran his mouth or add extra bullshit charges when arresting someone.

He followed Dawn as she showed him around. Gorman and O'Donnell smirked at him as they were introduced. They had the nerve to tell him that he should be thanking them for bringing him and his pretty wife in off the streets. He wouldn't be hesitating slicing their throats if given a chance when they were able to escape.

There was a commotion that one of their prisoners, a woman named Joan, had escaped. Dawn sent Gorman a hard look and demanded several of her men to go bring her back. Daryl mentally took notes to their responses. They weren't about to let anyone leave them. Whether it was to prevent anyone talking about their location and keeping them safe or if it was just a powerplay, he couldn't say. Dawn wouldn't just let them leave.

Joan didn't get far. Less than an hour later, a couple of officers held up a bloody, angry Joan between them. She was screaming and trying to get away.

"Rotter got her," the woman said.

Dawn directed them to a room and told them to get the doctor. Daryl trailed behind them, grabbing up a pocket knife someone had left out on a desk.

Beth and Edwards showed up, and Beth was forced to hold the woman down as they sawed off her arm. Beth ran into his arms after the ordeal, shaking. He held her tight. He knew they were both thinking about Hershel.

Dawn stared at them. "We saved her life," she tried to explain.

Daryl gave her a short nod of acknowledgement. "Yeah. Her daddy lost a leg like that. It…hit a little too close to home."

"Beth told me what happened. We need more people like you…who could survive in this world until this is all over. You understand, right? Why we brought you in? You and your…wife"--Daryl knew she wasn't sold on their marital status when she hesitated on using that word--"are safer in here."

He hummed noncommittally.

"Change into clean scrubs," she addressed Beth. "And you, Mr. Dixon, should probably get some rest. I don't want all our good work to go to waste. You're valuable--a hunter who knows how to navigate out there. After dinner, come find me. I have some maps I want you to take a look at. We can mark the areas you and your group used for supplies and areas that would be good for hunting. We're surviving on guinea pigs and pigeons. Deer or rabbit would be a nice change. Officers Alvarado and Licari mentioned they've gone hunting before. I'll send them out there with you so you could show them a few things about tracking and hunting."

Beth took a last deep calming breath before pulling away. She tangled her hand into Daryl's and smiled.

"Come on. You can meet Noah."

Daryl let her lead him through the wide hallways. They only encountered one old man who was mopping the floors--something Daryl thought was useless and a waste of water. The old man turned his eyes away as they passed him.

Noah wasn't exactly like he imagined when they arrived at the laundry room. At first glance, the boy seemed weak. He noticed the slight limp as he moved around. He was Beth's age and Daryl felt his hackles raised when he smiled at Beth. He refused to name it as jealousy. He had never felt that over a girl before and he wasn't going to start that now.

"You must be Daryl. Beth couldn't stop talking about you."

Beth blushed and cleared her throat when they both looked at her. "I need a new set of clothes."

"We could hear Joan screaming. Micheal said he heard she got bit."

Beth nodded slowly. "Yeah… Dr. Edwards had to cut off her arm." She gestured to her outfit. "I had to assist."

"Found the crossbow. Dawn has your stuff locked up down the hall. They already added most of your supplies to theirs. She set aside most of your weapons--the crossbow, a couple of knives--to return back to you when you join them. But your gun and ammo was added to their weapon locker."

"What about our clothes?"

"They already trash or recycled Beth's stuff. I washed your clothes yesterday and they're next to your crossbow. Not a fan of sleeves?" Noah chuckled.

Beth giggled. She reached up to squeeze Daryl's bicep. "Me and Maggie used to make bets on how long it would take him to rip the sleeves off of his new shirts. It never lasted long. The Woodbury women used to say it's because all the muscles in his arms from carrying deer back on his shoulders were too bulky for sleeves."

"Rick, Carl, and Tyreese always grabbed the t-shirts first. All I'm left with are button ups… The sleeves restrict my movements when I need to fight. They had to go."

She shook her head laughing. "You thought they always took the t-shirts first? Come on, Daryl! Who do you think sorts everything that was brought back from the runs?"

Daryl rolled his shoulders. She grinned mischievously. "Me and Carol… Let's just say we know what looked good on who. Tyreese's shirts were always a size smaller than he requested. For the longest time he thought we kept forgetting. Sasha finally had to tell him. He blushed a whole week around me and Carol."

His shocked and scandalized expression only caused Beth and Noah to laugh harder. He had to smile at them after a while. He should have realized sooner. Carol always had a smirk on her face when she handed him new clothes, and Tyreese had made a comment about letting people have their fun when he bitched about breaking in a new shirt several weeks before the Governor came. Even Rick was laughing as Daryl ripped the sleeves off of his shirt. He didn't think nothing of it at the time. He figured they thought he enjoyed destroying clothes.

He rubbed at the hem of the scrub top he was wearing. He felt his ears turn red when he realized that Beth had been checking him out before they escaped the prison together. Also some of the other men in their group, but Beth had helped pick out clothes for him to wear. She wanted to see his bare arms--to look at the muscles hard work had given him.

"We need to get out of here iffen you wanna see these biceps again," he teased her, smirking softly when she blushed.

Noah sobered up. "We need to grab the keys from Dawn and a big enough distraction so they won't notice us missing right away."

Daryl felt ready to bash some heads in the next day. Beth was once again off with that doctor. He had two patients in need of constant care, Joan and another man. With Daryl up and about, he had more time to devote to helping the other man who Beth said had internal bleeding from a fall.

A few of the cops at lunch whispered that the man was a doctor and Dawn was looking to replace her current one with the new one. Alvarado, a smarmy looking man, joined him for lunch. Daryl sent the man a glare which only got him a smirk as the man ate. He knew cops like him. Thought they were better because they were the law, but they were just like the people they abused and arrested.

"Dixon, right? You from around here?" He didn't wait for an answer. "I knew a Dixon. A talkative bastard. A druggie. You related to him?"

Because of course he would run into a cop that knew his brother. He scowled, but the cop only grinned as he took another bite out of the mystery meat on his plate. Fucking dick already knew the answer. It would be pointless to lie about it.

"Sounds like my brother."

"Yeah. His sweet baby brother…that's you, right? He sure went on and on about you that weekend we had him locked up. How you're a no good brother who refused to pay his bail. You let him sit in jail for the Fourth of July holiday."

" 'is his own fault for trying to sell drugs to teenagers."

"Your wife's a teenager. Did you know her before or after? Gorman has been frothing at the mouth wanting to get some action from her. He was hoping you'd die and leave her all alone here. Wanting to comfort the grieving widow." Alvarado leaned closer. "None of us really believe the whole marriage thing. Figured you two use that as a ruse to keep her all to yourself."

He growled. "Ain't some ruse. Her daddy was a very religious man. He caught us together and demanded a shotgun wedding. I went along with it so the group wouldn't kick me out. At least that way I could have her as much as I want and I could stay." He played into the redneck white trash they thought he was. They already thought he would prey on young girls like them. He'll let them think it too if it means it'll keep Beth safe. "And it kept the other men away. I could claim her as mine and didn't need to share. I ain't sharing now, either," he growled. He hoped he was menacing enough to keep the men away from Beth.

Alvarado held up his hands. "Hey, it's cool, man. We have an agreement here. Whoever brought in the girl, gets first dibs. We don't rape. Maybe a little coercion for those that are reluctant to give thanks for rescuing them. In the end they cave." He chuckled at that. "And it's only one girl, got it?--that we don't have to share. Gorman had Joan, but he was planning to trade her in for your wife. He's none too happy that you woke up. I wouldn't suggest being alone with the guy." He grinned, flashing all of his teeth. "Dawn barely keeps him in line nowadays."

Daryl felt disgusted sitting with this man. They might not think it, but they were still raping the women here. They were in a position of power and they purposely chose to bring in people who needed help, people who believed they didn't have any other choices. What would have happened to Beth if they hadn't needed him? She was a Greene. He knew she would resist; she would fight to survive. How long would it have taken her to submit to them in order to survive? Would she be another Joan? He clenched his fist in his lap. He wouldn't let it happen to Beth Greene. And if he had the chance, he'd take out as many of them as he could.

He knew the patients--their prisoners--were weak and downtrodden. They already had all the fight taken out of them. They believed these fuckers that it was impossible for them to survive without their protection. They had the same look in their eyes as his mom had before she died. These people won't be much help. Noah had some fire, but he knew without a catalyst, the boy wouldn't make a move to escape. Joan had made an attempt. He couldn't decide if her capture and amputation would result in her giving up or fighting harder. He hoped for her sake she'll keep fighting.

"I think you'll make a great addition to our team. Stick with me. I'll show you the ropes. And don't worry too much about Dawn. She might be running this place now, but it won't be long until she makes a mistake. Gorman and O'Donnell are just waiting for the opportunity to take control back from her."

They needed to leave sooner than later, Daryl theorized. Dawn wouldn't be able to keep her men in line for much longer. He already saw the cracks before his talk with Alvarado. And with regime change, he and Beth would be less safe.

Daryl spent the rest of the day following Alvarado, gaining more knowledge about how this place was run. The man was apparently assigned to keep an eye on him. He attempted to get Daryl to talk but he stayed quiet, barely answering any questions. The man filled the silence by telling him about the layout of the hospital and the surrounding areas. They kept the cars gassed up and the keys in the cars for quick access. But they kept a man or two guarding the parking lot in case the wards decided to make a run for it. He noticed the people on watch were lax. They cluster together talking and only occasionally took a walk around. They mostly left the Walkers alone, and the fences were far enough away to allow the cops to freely move and talk between the hospital entrance and their cars.

Beth wasn't in their room when Alvarado finally sent him away for the day. It was close to dinner time and he was planning on them eating as much as they could. He had no problem letting his debt build. It wasn't like he was planning to stick around to pay it off. They needed to eat to make it out of here. He found her and Noah together. The kid was sporting a shiner and he was standing stiffly.

"What happened to you?"

Beth flinched, and Daryl realized Beth had been involved somehow. He searched her body with his eyes, not finding any new injuries.

"Dawn punished him because I killed Trevitt."

That didn't make sense at all. He knew Beth didn't like killing. He didn't even think she had a body count. It was possible she might have killed a few of the Governor's men the day the prison fell, but it wasn't likely. She was more like her father than her sister in that regard.

"It was Dr. Edwards' fault," Noah butted in. "He knew Trevitt. He was a doctor…a threat to his usefulness here."

"He told me the wrong drug to give him. He--he just started seizing. I couldn't do anything."

He would have pulled Beth into his arms if Noah hadn't been there. Instead he reached out and snagged the sleeve of her top.

"That's not on you."

Tears filled her blue eyes. "Noah said it was an accident…that he accidentally unplugged something. But Dawn knew. She knew what I did--what Dr. Edwards had done. She punished Noah anyway so that she didn't appear weak. Daryl," she pleaded, "we gotta get out of here."

"We'll leave tonight. I need my crossbow. I could pick the lock. Shouldn't be too hard." Noah had pointed it out yesterday.

"And the key to the elevator. It's the fastest way down. We can use these towels to make a rope and climb down."

Daryl nodded. He told Noah to start now, making sure he knew how to securely tie the knots. Beth followed him down the hallways and stood as a lookout. She was too quiet. He didn't like it. He knew she was in her head, thinking too much about Trevitt's death. After the escape, he could make sure she knew she wasn't to blame. Right now he had to concentrate to keep them safe and alive.

The door clicked open. He was quick and efficient. He slung his crossbow over his shoulders and found a pile of his clothes. There was clothing from other people…and even a few things still with tags on them. He searched the room for other weapons. His hunting knife and Beth's white handle knife laid in a pile on a table. He snatched them up. He slid them both into his boots. Several backpacks were nearby, and he took one, throwing his clothes and several more knives into the bag. He grabbed some clothes he thought would fit Beth…something bright and colorful. And as an afterthought, he threw in a change of clothes for Noah and various items he thought might be useful.

He frowned as he left the room. Someone needed to retrieve the elevator key. Someone who could be quick and light on their feet. He didn't have the first clue which key it was but Noah and Beth had both seen it. Noah wasn't easily able to sneak into Dawn's office for the key, but Beth could. He didn't like it, but they didn't have a choice. The elevator seemed like the quickest and fastest way to the ground floor undetected.

"Beth," he mumbled. "You think you could get that key?"

A tight-lipped smile spread ugly across her face. "Yeah. I'll meet you at the elevator."

He grabbed her hand when she turned away from him.

"Beth."

Her eyes met his. A true smile upon her lips. "You know, we have a conversation to finish when this is over," she said quietly.

"Yeah?"

She hummed and nodded.

"Be careful," he said instead of all of the other things he wanted to say or do. Like lean down and kiss her, or tell her how much he cared for her. But she didn't like goodbyes and that was a little too close to saying goodbye…as if he won't ever see her again. He would. She would get that key and meet them back by the elevator. They were getting out of here together.

She squeezed his hand and left. He went back to Noah. Daryl took the rope he had made and sent him to keep an eye on Beth, a small concession on his part for Beth's safety. It would look suspicious if he was found loitering outside Dawn's office. He didn't want Beth to be alone for too long on her mission.

It felt like forever waiting near the elevator for Beth and Noah. He checked that his crossbow and bolts hadn't been damaged or tampered with before pacing anxiously in the hallway. He heard the drag of Noah's foot before anything else. He met them as they turned the corner down the hallway.

Beth's eyes were wide, and he noticed the splatter of blood on her shoes. Fresh blood. They didn't have time for questions at the moment. Something had happened.

"They should be distracted for a few minutes," she said, holding up the keys. Beth was quick to insert and turn the key to open the elevator door.

They could hear the hungry drone of Walkers down the elevator shaft. Daryl quickly peered down and assessed the situation with a flashlight Noah had given him earlier. He took the makeshift rope and tied it around a pole and gestured towards Beth.

"You go first. If something happens, you run. Save yourself first." He helped her into the backpack, wanting her to have it just in case. His hands lingered on her shoulders.

"I ain't leaving you."

He grunted. There was no arguing with a Greene once they set their minds to something. The faint sounds of screaming and gunshots kicked them into gear. Whatever distraction Beth had set up was in motion.

He carefully lowered Beth down, then held the rope steady as Noah climbed down. There was a sudden loss of weight and the sound of a body falling. He scrambled to sit up, wincing where the crossbow had dug into his back when he tipped over, and poked his head into the elevator shaft. Beth was helping Noah sit up on top of the pile of body parts.

"All good?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Noah replied.

Daryl gave the rope a final tug before climbing down. The squish of body parts and congealed blood under their feet made it difficult to navigate. Noah took the lead. His crossbow would be useless in this small, dark place. He pulled his knife out of his boot. He was in the process of getting Beth's knife out--kicking himself for not handing it over to her when she went to retrieve the key--when a Walker reached out for Noah.

Gunshots rang out, lighting up the area in flashes. He had given Noah the flashlight when he landed, and the beam of light was bouncing all around the hallway. He cursed as he drove forward on instinct and started stabbing Walkers in the head. Several Walkers' heads exploded as bullets went through the center of their foreheads. The three of them ran towards the exit Noah had pointed out.

The brightness of the sunset temporarily blinded them as they exited. He urged them forward, towards a hole in the fence. Noah limped ahead of them, dodging the incoming Walkers. Beth used the gun she mysteriously held and fired repeatedly. Daryl dual welded both his and Beth's knives. He caught flashes of Beth fighting--her perfect aim, stomping on heads of fallen but not dead Walkers, a twirl and a kick before pistol whipping a Walker.

This warrior Beth wasn't the girl he knew at the prison. But it was someone he had slowly seen since they ran off together. She was a fighter, much like her sister. Not so much as timid as she was a thinker…slower to burn, but much brighter when she did. Maggie had been the opposite, and it was this difference that hid just how strong Beth actually was.

Noah slipped through the second fence; Beth hot on his heels. Gunfire erupted behind him. A quick glance showed several cops firing. He cursed. He ran faster, catching up to Beth just as a cop took her down.

He growled and stabbed the man in the back. He screamed and released his hold on Beth. She kicked her way out from under the cop. Daryl struck a final blow to the man's temple. He tugged her to her feet and pushed her towards the gap in the gate. She barely fit through with the backpack on, and Daryl knew he wouldn't fit with his crossbow strapped to his back. He quickly removed it before squeezing through.

Blood, hot and bright splattered his face. He flinched as some landed in his eye. Beth's gasp was loud. There was blood dripping down her face and staining her blond hair. She stared at him in shock as she reached up to touch her face.

"Beth!"

"I'm--I'm fine. Just a graze," she said calmly.

A Walker near them fell from another bullet. They needed to get out of here now. They couldn't check to make sure she was alright. She was still moving and talking. Daryl had to take that as a win.

"Come on," he growled.

Several hours later, they were holed up in a building. Not the original building Nolan had taken them too. Daryl felt it wasn't safe when he pressed Noah on details about the place. Noah sat on the floor, head back against the wall as he watched Daryl and Beth. Beth had suffered the most damage on their escape--although the men were still suffering from bruised ribs from the beating they both received in the last couple of days.

Beth was sitting on top of a table while Daryl prodded at the head wound she sustained on their escape. The side of her face was all bloody, dark red stained her clothes and hair.

"You can't feel that?"

"Nope. Doesn't hurt. It's just a graze, Daryl, I'm fine."

"You're not. There's too much blood."

He tilted her head back slowly and poured water over the wound. She closed her eyes to keep the liquid from stinging them.

They had found several untouched vending machines in this building. Daryl was able to break into it and grab several bottles. Noah had a bottle of sprite near him and a bag of chips he hadn't opened yet. Daryl took the water to clean her wound.

He tried to distract her by talking. "Damn, girl. I didn't know you could shoot like that. Those were damn near perfect headshots. Why weren't you coming out on the runs with us?"

Beth couldn't help but grin at the proud and awed tone in his voice. "Maggie and Daddy never wanted me out there."

He stilled in shock as the blood was washed away. There was a hole in her head. This wasn't some small burn across her temple. He carefully tipped her head forward. He ran his fingers through her hair looking for an exit wound. He found it behind her ear.

"Beth?"

"Yeah?"

"You…really don't feel that?"

Beth hummed as she thought about all the aches and pains she felt. Her hand was still a little sore, the cut and stitches are her cheek throbbed and itched, her ankle was mostly healed, but her head? Nothing but a headache. She said as much.

Daryl tipped her head back to stare into her eyes. "You were shot. You were shot in the head. It looks like it went straight through."

Noah shot up and stood next to the couple to look at Beth's wound. Beth frowned and reached up to probe at it. Daryl batted her hand away.

"I was shot?"

"She needs a doctor. We should go back."

Daryl cursed. "Fuck that. We can't go back." But maybe he could sneak in and kidnap the doctor. He glanced sideways at Noah. "Would you know how to get in undetected?"

"I'm fine! It's only a headache. The bullet obviously missed anything vital if I'm still here and talking to you. We got out. We're not going back." She tugged on Daryl's shirt. "Patch it up. We can't stay in the city. Dawn will send her people out to look for us. She will. We just made her look bad--weak--in front of them. If I feel worse…if my head hurts more than this headache that I got, I'll let you know."

"You were shot, Beth! In the fucking head! You need a doctor!"

"No, Daryl! I don't even trust Edwards! He's not going to mess around with my head. If you aren't going to bandage my head, then Noah will. And then we'll get some rest. And in the morning, we'll make plans. Noah? Your community…does it have a doctor?"

Noah nodded. "They did a year ago when I left. But that's in Virginia. It'll take us a couple weeks to get there."

Without another word, Daryl turned and walked away. Beth and Noah flinched as Daryl took out his anger on the furniture. He pulled things off the shelves and threw them against the wall.

Beth took a deep breath and tried to ignore the destruction. She reached for the backpack and started pulling out the various items Daryl had shoved into it. She found a baby pink blouse that must have been for her to change into when they were safely away from Grady Memorial. There was the set of clothes Daryl had worn the night they were captured and another set meant for Noah. It looked like she would be wearing the scrub top for a bit longer. She took her knife and started cutting strips out of the blouse.

"You know how to dress a wound, right? You must have learned a little something living there."

He smiled. "Yeah. I might have learned a thing or two." He studied the entry wound. "We should probably find something to disinfect it and try stitching it up."

Beth nodded in agreement. "For now, let's just wrap it. It's not bleeding anymore, and I don't want anything else getting into the wounds."

Noah talked as he worked. "You really didn't notice you got shot?"

"I knew I was shot at. My head was bleeding. I just assumed it grazed the side of my head."

"You must have some special guardian angel looking out for you. People die when they get shot in the head." They heard a fist punch a hole in the wall. "Think we're gonna need to patch him up next?"

Beth shrugged her shoulders. She thanked Noah when he was finished. She handed him his clothes. "Here, change into these."

Noah nodded and took his clothes. He sensed Beth wanted some time alone with Daryl. He wasn't sure if it was such a good idea with the violent mood Daryl was currently displaying. But Beth knew the man. She never once acted like she was afraid of him. He had to trust she knew what she was doing.

She hopped off the desk, feeling slightly lightheaded. She closed her eyes and ignored it. She wasn't about to give Daryl anything else to worry about. She still wasn't sure if he planned to ignore her wishes and try to get help from Dr. Edwards. They risked their lives escaping the hospital. She wasn't about to let him risk it again to go back there.

She gathered Daryl's clothes and cautiously approached him. "Daryl…"

He stilled, looking like a dangerous caged animal. He glared at her through his dark hair.

"I'm okay. Really. We'll get out of the city. Find some medical supplies…a new shirt for me," she said with a smile. She tugged at the scrub top. "This blue isn't my color. Then we head to Richmond, Virginia. You can check off 'never been out of Georgia' off your list."

"My list?"

"Bucket list…goes hand and hand with Never Have I Ever. I never rode a motorcycle so when we get to Noah's community, you are gonna find us a bike and take me riding."

He let out a strangled laugh. He grabbed her and folded her into his arms. He tucked his head under her ear and inhaled her scent. It was coppery--tinged with the blood she had split--and the natural musk of Beth Greene that he had started to crave. "Beth… I don't want you to die."

"Shh… I'm not going to die."

"I used to not need anyone, but now? Now I don't think I could survive if you were gone. I need you."

Beth held him to her, rubbing soothing circles on his back. "You can, but I don't plan to make you survive without me. Remember me telling you that you'll be the last man standing? Well, I'm going to be the last woman standing. I'm Beth Fucking Greene. I just survived a gunshot to the head. We're gonna make it. You were made for this world, but I was forged through it. We'll just keep going, you and I."

He shuddered.

"Noah said I have a guardian angel watching over me, but I think it's more than that. Momma and Daddy, Shawn and Merle…they're all up there looking down on us. They want us to live…to be happy too. I…don't think I'll be happy if you weren't there beside me."

"Me neither," he barely whispered. Beth heard. "And there's no fucking way Merle is up there with your Daddy."

Beth hummed. "Sure he is. Merle might not have been a good guy, but he wasn't evil. He loved you. He sacrificed himself so you could live. That has to count for something. God forgives people. I know Merle is watching out for you. You need someone tough like him up there." She sighed. "You ready to finish that conversation yet?"

Daryl pulled away so he could cup her face. "I ain't good with words or emotions."

"I know."

He slowly leaned forward and placed his lips on hers. It wasn't a kiss, not yet, but then she pushed herself forward, pressing her lips harder against his. It wasn't like any kisses he ever had before. This was tender and sweet, not full of lust and quick release. It felt like a promise. A future. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her. He was going to believe--have faith. He pulled back and rested his forehead against hers.

"You sure about this?"

She smiled and nodded. "Now, changed out of those clothes, Mr. Dixon. Scrubs don't look half as good on you as button-up shirts with the sleeves ripped off."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Let's see if we can find anything else useful here before we catch some sleep."

They were in North Carolina days later. They found a car with enough gas to get them out of Georgia. Beth suffered from headaches. Daryl found her a pair of sunglasses to help her headaches during the day, and she mostly tried to sleep in the backseat when her head hurt too much. The men were worried, but they didn't know what else to do for her. They found her a new shirt, but medical supplies were hard to find. Everything had been mostly cleaned out already. She changed out her bandage at night, cleaning it with the water and soap they had managed to find.

They eventually ran out of gas and had to walk. Darly wasn't happy about it. The car had been a godsend for Beth, and it allowed both Noah and him to heal even if they were a little stiff whenever they stopped. They were camping in Pisgah National Forest. Beth had pointed that out when she found a sign.

Daryl had taken off to hunt alone leaving Noah and Beth to set up a camp. Beth went to fill up their bottles with water from a nearby creek. She heard a commotion just beyond the creek. She pulled out her knife and crept closer. If it was a Walker, she wanted to put it down. It was too near their camp to allow it to keep wandering.

She found a man hovering over a dead Walker on the ground. He was mumbling something, a prayer perhaps, as he closed the Walker's eyes and mouth. He was respecting the dead…giving him some kind of funeral rites.

"Hello," she called out softly, hoping not to startle him. The man stood up quickly. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Hello."

"Are you out here alone?"

The man didn't answer, but she didn't need him to. She could tell he was alone. Frightened. Beth put her knife away and smiled, hoping to put him at ease. "I have a camp not too far from here. I was just getting some water. Are you hungry? We should have enough to share." He only stared at her. She nodded towards the Walker. "What were you doing?"

"Releasing his soul."

"I'm Beth."

"Siddiq." He gestured to his forehead. "Are you--are you hurt? I'm a doctor in training…or I used to be."

She laughed and sent a thank you to the heavens. "You know anything about gunshots? Or head injuries? Come, help me fill up the water bottles. I'll bring you back to our camp and feed you. And then maybe you could look at this."

She filled the silence with chatter while Siddiq observed her. There was a black man attending to a fire when they made it back to camp. They didn't look like a couple that was used to camping in the woods, but their camp looked like they built it many times before. Probably had. Their new world had changed everyone.

"Beth?"

"Noah…this is Siddiq. He's a doctor. Do we still have any protein bars left?" They had found a small stash in the office building they had been in the first night of their escape along with the vending machine snacks.

Noah threw a bar to her and watched as the doctor devoured it. "I used to think you were unlucky since you found yourself at Grady, but now I think you're just super lucky. Only you could survive a bullet to the head and then find a doctor wandering in the forest."

"What? You were shot in the head?" Siddiq quickly finished eating and wiped his hands off on his pants. He positioned Beth to sit next to him and slowly unwrapped the pink cloth around her head.

He pulled out a first aid kit he carried with him and set about disinfecting the areas. There wasn't much he could do out here in the woods. He had no way to tell what kind of damage the bullet had done to her head. Beth told him about her frequent headaches and light sensitivity.

"That's probably normal. I would also expect possible seizures. If you do have one, you should be rolled on your side with something soft under your head. There's not much else to do for you without medication."

He did the only thing he could do for her, which was to stitch the entry and exit wound up. "It's not totally unheard of that people could survive a gunshot to the head. I remembered hearing about a case a few years ago when I was in the middle of school. A woman was shot in the head and didn't even know it. The projectile of the bullet went through her head in such a way that barely caused her any brain damage. That might have happened to you. You don't have any typical signs of brain swelling. You seem like you're talking and moving like normal. I feel like you have a good chance of surviving this. You just need to keep it from getting infected."

When he was done, he picked up her hand in the cast. "This got treated. What happened here?"

She twisted her hand. "They said it was fractured, but… I fractured my hand before. My horse, Nelly, was afraid of storms and she kicked me when I was trying to calm her down. This doesn't feel like that."

"Hmm… How long ago was this put on?"

"Maybe four or five days ago?"

Siddiq nodded thoughtfully. "I don't think you will be able to keep this cast clean… You already got it all bloody. We can see how you feel with it off, and I could wrap it if it still needs it."

He carefully cut the cast off. He pressed the bones in her hand carefully but didn't notice anything wrong. There was slight swelling and bruising near her thumb and it was the only place she really winced when he touched. "I don't think this was fractured. Maybe something happened to your thumb…like it had gotten jammed or dislocated."

"I wouldn't put it past them to make up injuries to add to your tab," Noah remarked. "Can't say if I heard of it happening, but Dawn wanted Daryl there. She wouldn't think anything of it to have you guys pay off more debt if it kept you around longer."

A familiar bird call sounded to the left of the camp. Beth whistled back. "That's Daryl's call."

A man holding a dead rabbit and several squirrels stepped into the camp. He glared at Siddiq. "Who are you?"

Beth quickly stood up and went to him. She grabbed the dead animals. "Daryl, this is Siddiq. He's a doctor. He was wandering near the camp and I said he could join us. He took a look at my head and stitched me up."

Daryl grunted. "Girl, you're too trusting."

"There's still good people around."

He nodded. "What did he say?"

She grabbed his hand and squeezed. She told him what Siddiq had told her before sitting down to skin the animals for their dinner.

Noah watched with disgust on his face. He had never seen an animal skinned and gutted before. Daryl spent the time quietly observing the stranger. And Beth and Siddiq talked about their faith and their similar beliefs in releasing the souls of the dead.

They took turns on watch, although Daryl didn't trust Siddiq enough to allow him to take a shift. Daryl had taken the last shift and he woke the group up just after dawn. Siddiq thanked them for the food but he told them he was going to go his own way. Beth tried to talk him into joining them, but he was adamant that he needed to be on his own for now. She hugged him and told him to find them in Virginia if he changed his mind.

Daryl had mixed emotions about his departure. There was safety in numbers and he was a doctor; but on the other hand, a tiny part was jealous of the easy friendship the man had developed so quickly with Beth. He had never instantly clicked with someone. Daryl knew he shouldn't feel jealous. It had always seemed like Beth made friends easily. Noah and Siddiq were both proof of that.

Beth waved goodbye and took Daryl's hand in hers. She leaned her head against his shoulders. He glanced down to look at her.

"Do you think we'll see him again?"

"Dunno. It's a small world. You're okay we're not looking for Maggie and Glenn?"

She squeezed his hand as she slotted their fingers together. "We're not not looking. Noah deserves to be with his family. And I know Maggie and Glenn are still alive. I know we'll see them again."

He squeezed her hand back. He knew she believed that with her whole heart. He couldn't help but believe it too. One day they would find their family…Maggie and Glenn, Rick and Carl, Carol, Michonne, Tyreese, and Sasha. Until then, they had ever other. Beth Greene and Daryl Dixon. Daryl and Beth, the last people standing.