"Never Give Up (On Each Other)"
Author: carmen_085
Disclaimer: I do not own any Walking Dead Characters. I do own all original characters.
Summary: In the months before the beginning of the apocalypse, Daryl finds himself homeless, alone, and with no direction. An adult Beth is struggling to balance her job, sick parents, and the farm. Feeling like the world is suffocating her, will taking a chance on a stranger change everything ? Can these two find what they need in each other before life as they know it ends and they must do anything to survive. AU but eventual ZA with full cast.
Chapter Eleven
It had been two days since Daryl's run in with Old Man Mitchell in the woods. No one seemed to be looking for the old man, at least not yet, and for that he was grateful. While Daryl knew it was self defense, he was sure the police would take one look at him and think otherwise. Staking another post into the ground he wiped the sweat from his brow. What happened in those woods wasn't natural, the old man came at him like animal…like one of those things. It had been all over the news the past few days; people turning violent and attacking others. It started in New York but soon it was in LA, DC, Chicago, and Miami. Daryl knew it was only a matter of time until it came to Atlanta and then every other corner of Georgia.
Eyes flicking up he saw Beth standing in the door looking at him, worry etched on her face. He wanted to tell her about Old Man Mitchell, but the way she broke down in his arms made him reconsider. The girl had enough on her mind without worrying about one of those things right in her own back yard. Her Daddy was still in the rehab and just this morning, Beth got a call that he had made it through the detox process and was now working on the 'mental' aspect of his addiction. She seemed hopeful and Daryl smiled purely for her own benefit. He knew sooner or later, when things really went to shit, they would need to go get Hershel out of there. He could see Beth contemplating it, wanting both her mama and daddy close with things so uncertain. Ultimately she decided to leave Hershel where he was for the time being, knowing that if he didn't take care of his addiction it would just be another problem they had to deal with.
A truck rumbled up the driveway as Daryl took a moment leaning back on the shovel. Through hooded eyes he watched Jimmy pull up in front of the house and cut the engine. Like always, he worse tan Carhartt pants, a t-shirt, boots, and a backwards baseball cap. Getting out of the truck he paused taking in the fence before his eyes landed on Daryl offering a forced smile and clipped nod.
"What are you getting ready for ? An invasion?" He snickered but Daryl just stared at him blankly. He couldn't be that stupid. Jimmy, seeing that Daryl found no humor his comment, wiped the smile from his face as he cross his arms over his chest.
"Better safe than sorry." Daryl went back to digging not offering the other man another second of his time. If he was too stupid to recognize what was about to happen, Daryl didn't have the patience for him.
"Where'd you get all the wood? I'm sure a project like this can't be cheap…." He came to stand next to Daryl as he nodded toward the house, "I know Beth's been struggling to keep the farm running; I'm sure with her paying you now finances are even tighter than before." Had they been anywhere else Daryl would have turned around and punched that prick right in the face. Hell, Merle would have punched him right here, spit on him, and then laughed about it. This wasn't about a fence, or supplies, or money at all; it was about Beth still belonging to Jimmy in some strange way.
Daryl knew he was being baited and he wasn't going to fall for some jealous ploy to get him all riled up. "Found most of it." Jimmy huffed a bit as he fell silent clearly miffed that Daryl wasn't having the reaction he wanted.
Rocking back on his heels he looked to the west as he shook his head. "I'm sure Beth told you, Old Man Mitchell went missing. Another farmer called the police when they found his steer out on the highway…" Daryl stopped shoveling as a cold sweat broke out across his back. Jimmy seeing the pause in him quickly added, "You spend a lot of time in the woods…you haven't seen him, have you ?"
Daryl stared at the ground for a moment before leaning back again, this time meeting Jimmy's stare. "Nah…I ain't seen nobody." They held each other's gaze for a few moment before Jimmy relented and looked away. Daryl leaned against the shovel, not budging, making sure that nothing he said or did right now would make Jimmy doubt him. He didn't care about lying to him, not at all; it was easy in fact. Daryl didn't even care about himself right now, he just wanted to make sure he kept Beth safe. Protected her from what was to come…or what was already here.
Jimmy sighed as he shook his head. "It's a shame…old man never bothered anyone." Daryl almost snorted at that; Beth had told him what a dick the old man could be and how Jimmy called him Old McPrick. Funny how the tune had suddenly changed.
Daryl grunted as he continued patting the dirt around the fence post. He only had about ten or twelve more feet to go until the entire house was surrounded. After what happened in the woods, he'd doubled down on his efforts working almost non stop. Beth had come out to help him and collected spare wood wherever she could find it, skirting around the property on a four wheeler, dumping pile after pile at his feet. Hair falling out of her braid and framing her face, shirt sweat soaked and dirty; she had never looked better to him. And it had taken everything inside of him for Daryl to resist reaching out and touching her. Tucking that hair back behind her ear, rubbing that smudge of dirt off her cheek, massaging those shoulders which had to be aching right now. God he wanted her so much; an ache shooting down his spine right into the pit of his stomach every time he looked at her. Daryl knew he shouldn't but he couldn't help himself from thinking about her. While he was working and there was little else to occupy his mind his thoughts inevitably wandered to the kiss she placed at the corner of his mouth, the way her thighs clenched around him on the bike, and the feeling of her cold, trembling body pressed up against his. He knew…he fucking knew he shouldn't be thinking about that shit. Knew it would only stoke the want inside of him. But he couldn't help it, this girl had shattered nearly every last bit of his restraint.
"Jimmy ? What are you doing here?" Daryl snapped out of his thoughts as Beth appeared in front of him. She was dressed casually in jeans and t-shirt, her hair pulled into a ponytail with a thin braid running down the side. Daryl forced his eyes away from her as he picked up the rag he had sitting in the grass. Wiping his hands and arms clean, he became acutely aware that Jimmy was watching him.
"I was just asking Daryl if he knew anything about Old Man Mitchell…apparently he's gone missing." Beth instantly tensed giving him a clipped nod as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"We haven't seen him." Jimmy cast a doubtful look in her direction as Beth's eyes narrowed. "When we're not working, we've been taking turns looking after my mama. And that is a full time job itself." Daryl hated that Beth felt even the slightest need to defend him. That she felt compelled to make excuses on his behalf. That it entered her mind that he could do such a thing.
And yet…he had done such a thing. Not like what prep boy Jimmy was insinuating but just the same he had ended the old man. Except he wasn't a man when it happened and Daryl doubted that anyone would believe him. So he kept his eyes trained on the driveway ignoring the perusing glance. "Daryl are you ready to go?" Beth adjusted her bag on shoulder as she tensed. They were heading to Walmart to stock up on a few essentials before things got really crazy. If they ever did. She hoped they never would, but Daryl was right, better safe than sorry, once this virus and these things came here panic would surely ensue.
Staking the shovel into the ground, Daryl passed Jimmy giving him a hard stare. "Yeah. Let's go." Hands on his hips, Jimmy forced a smile for Beth as she met him with a glare. Daryl had walked away but he didn't miss what came next.
"Be careful around him, Beth." He reached out touch her arm and forgetting for a moment that they weren't seventeen anymore. "You don't know him like you think you do."
Beth bristled at his attempt as she sharply pulled away. "I do know him, Jimmy." She looked at the ground before meeting his gaze once again. "I'm not your responsibility…I never was." Pushing past him she ignored the wounded look on his face. "I'm sure that Theresa is waiting." She left him standing there, walking toward her car where Daryl was waiting. "Let's go." Daryl gave her a look for a moment, honestly wondering why she was defending him- a man she'd known for a short time to a Jimmy- a man she'd known all her life. Maybe Beth saw what was coming, and taking her pick she figured she'd hedge her bets with Daryl over the ignorant farm boy. Daryl shook his head, that was ridiculous. Beth wasn't like that, she was good and kind. Those thoughts were Merle, creeping around in his brain planting doubts where there were none.
It took him a second to realize that she was smiling at him. The tips of his ears were burning as he ducked his head looking away. One thing he knew for sure was that he didn't deserve this good, kind, smart, kick ass woman who, for only reasons God knew, looked at him like he was something special. Sometimes, like right now, it was honestly too much for him. His stomach churned, his heart squeezed, and a shiver went down his spine. God…he couldn't let her down.
Grunting his agreement he slid into the passenger seat as Beth did the same. Settling herself in the driver's seat she watched, in the mirror, as Jimmy got into his truck slamming the door. Shaking her head Beth started the Camry. Jimmy needed to mind his own business. This wasn't the first time he had come by to 'warn her about Daryl', and the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach told her it wouldn't be the last.
The Walmart in Senoia was always busy. There was an Aldi, a Winn Dixie, and a Target nearby but Walmart was always the busiest. Still, there was always a place to park; maybe you had to walk a bit but it was never like this. Circling the lot, Beth shook her head. "I've never seen it this busy…" She trailed off sighing as she worked her lower lip.
Daryl survey the situation through hooded eyes as he grunted in agreement. Her faith in him had left a lump in his throat that he couldn't seem to clear since they left the farm. Beth had known Jimmy most of her life and yet here she was with him. Daryl had never been anyone's first choice, never been the one who was selected over another. He had always just been kind of there, overlooked and unwanted.
Beth cast a brief glance at him before looking away. He wasn't stupid, far from it in fact, and there was no way he hadn't heard what Jimmy said. The whole visit was accusatory and completely unnecessary. Yes Jimmy had helped her around the farm after the accident but that had only been a few times. Before Daryl showed up he had come over when she called for a job too big or too difficult to handle herself but then always went straight home afterward. Beth surmised that Theresa was less than pleased he was helping her, or perhaps she didn't know at all and he was desperate to keep it that way. Either way, everything had changed when Daryl arrived. It was like he was jealous of him and needed to stake his claim as the one who had her first. It was all so ridiculous that it made her head hurt. Beth had so many other, more important, things to worry about right now. Still, she couldn't shake the dread in her stomach that this wasn't the end of it.
Daryl's eyes roamed the shopping center. It seemed that chaos has already began to set in and he couldn't help but to wonder if something new had happened since he last turned the TV on. Full families at Walmart on a Monday afternoon; mother, father, and kids all pushing a cart each full of water, canned goods, toilet paper, and camping gear. Daryl smirked, always toilet paper in a panic. Could wipe your ass with damn near anything and people were worried about having Charmin double ply in a crisis. Camping gear wasn't the dumbest thing but it also wasn't the smartest. Neighborhoods crowded with people would be hit hard and first and people were right to think that they would need to flee. But a nylon tent was hardly any protection against the violent and hostile. Any place could be reasonably fortified, most of which with things folks already had on hand. But dismantling a deck, chopping the kitchen table in two, or taking the beds apart meant that this was real….very real. Buying a fifty dollar tent and throwing it on a shelf in the garage was a flippant afterthought. A cheap hope that some greater power would swoop in a fix this whole mess before it became reality.
Nah…nah. They were here for water, if there was any left, a few select canned goods that Beth hadn't already made herself, medicine, batteries, and few other survival items. Daryl had assured her it wouldn't be much, most of what they needed they could make at the farm. That piece of land was going to keep them protected and cared for until whatever this was blew over. They were luckier than most in that regard. A space vacated up ahead as Daryl notched his head and grunted.
"Oh…" Beth snapped out of her own thoughts as she slid the Camry into the spot before anyone else could claim it. The ride had been quiet, both of them with a lot on their mind, and she, for one, was grateful for the distraction of shopping. Both grabbing a cart they joined the line of people streaming inside. An elderly man stood at the front, he seemed overwhelmed by the sheer number of people influxing into and out of the store. Naturally Beth offered him a friendly smile as she shook her head.
"You guys must be giving stuff away in here…" She offered a light laugh that tickled Daryl's ears.
"Oh miss, haven't you heard ?" He wrung his hands together suddenly looking upset. "Those things….the infected….they're in Atlanta now."
Beth gasped as she brought a hand to her lips. "No…I…hadn't heard." Daryl stared at him, his stomach suddenly tying into knots. This was all happening even faster than he expected.
"Yes…Breaking News…just a little while ago. Apparently people were attacked in the street, bitten…" He paused looking both ways before he added. "Killed."
Daryl had to fight the urge to cup her elbow and drag her away right then and there. They needed to get moving. There wasn't going to be anything left in this place by the end of the day.
"Oh my…" Beth trailed off looking at Daryl with wide eyes, her throat suddenly dry as a bone.
"Yes miss. You be careful…both of you." He glanced at Daryl offering him a nod as the younger man was suddenly struck with a funny notion. Just being here with Beth, standing beside her, it somehow legitimized him in society. He hadn't changed, same as he always was, but being with her made him somebody. Not just a dirty smudge on the fringes of a civilized world. Strange this should come at a time when society itself was in danger of crumbling all together.
A women came up behind them giving an impatient huff and Beth took that as her cue to move. Nodding her thanks to the kind greeter she entered the store taking her first look around. Shelves were already becoming bare. Looking toward Daryl she couldn't hide the apprehension on her face.
"Now what?" Out of all the moments in the last few months, this moment was one where Daryl knew exactly what to do. This was survival, well the beginning of it anyway, and he was a fucking pro at making it. Anyway…anyhow….just get through it and get it done. The story of his entire life.
"Go look over the medicines and see what you think we should get, after that head over to the canned goods. You know what you canned already and what you still need." Beth nodded almost relieved that Daryl was taking charge. "I'm gonna get batteries, water, and see if there's anything else we could use in sporting goods."
"You think we need to get water ? The wells have never dried up…." Daryl considered it for a moment only because he figured it might be a fistfight around the water pallets. Then shaking his head he reaffirmed his earlier decision.
"Yeah…just in case the well gets contaminated. Buy us some time until we can figure out what to do next." Beth nodded her agreement, that was smart. She should have thought of it. All this came so natural to him she couldn't help but to wonder just how bad his life really was before they met.
"Alright. Meet you back by the registers in about an hour?" Daryl had left his shitty flip phone back at the farm so meeting up an hour would have to do.
Grunting his agreement they parted ways. Beth found the plenty of medications missing from the shelves. Still, as a nurse, she knew what could be used for different ailments better than most. Grabbing a bottle of Aspirin she knew that would come in handy for so much, two bottles of Tylenol, and the only Motrin left was for children but she took it anyway. The entire cold/flu section was pillaged and she silently wondered if people really thought that this sickness could be fought off with a bottle of Nyquil. She grabbed Lidocaine patches, antibiotic cream, hydrocortisone, and Benadryl. Five boxes of tampons for herself, and a whole case of diapers for her mama. Trolling the shelves a thought came to her mind that she hadn't considered until just now. Maybe she should take some things from work. Not bandages and gauzes, she already done that in the past for one thing or another, but medicines. IV antibiotics, lidocaine for suturing, and narcotics. She felt a wave of nausea come over her at the thought of it. Taking Morphine or Fentanyl, stealing it for her own personal use. Under normal circumstances it was called diversion when a nurse pilfered controlled substances. Most of the time using the drugs on themselves or in rare cases selling them for profit. The thought had never crossed her mind once in her whole career. She'd worked with a few nurses who had done it, one injecting himself right on shift; often times reappearing at the bedside with a blood stain on the back of his arm. He'd gotten a fit for duty, after weeks of suspicious behavior, and ultimately went to rehab. But afterwards he was prohibited from ever working in a setting with controlled substances ever again. Not only was it wrong and immoral, Beth just always thought it was so stupid; putting your license and your career in jeopardy like that.
Fear built in the pit of her stomach as she imagined something happening to her mama and there being no hospital to take her to. Everything shut down until this passed and everyone left to fend for themselves. She thought about her mama falling and breaking a bone, in terrible pain and yelling out, and herself as a nurse with nothing more to offer her than a couple Tylenol. It made her feel sick and for the first time in her life she considered what it would take to slip a few vials of narcotics away without anyone noticing.
"Hey…" She snapped her head to the side as a woman looked at her annoyed and it was only then that she realized she was blocking the entire aisle. Turning forward she pushed the cart out of the way as she walked numbly down the next aisle. She couldn't think of these things right now, she would just need to wait and see. Too bad that wasn't how anxiety worked. No…she wanted…needed all the answers today. She needed to now how this was going to work out, what she was going to do, and how she was going to do it. Thank God for Daryl, without him she would be totally clueless and unprepared for what was about to come.
Lost in her thoughts and worries, the hour went by faster than Beth had anticipated. In addition to medicines she also picked up hygiene supplies like soaps and deodorant, packs of underwear and socks for herself, and several needles and different widths and thicknesses of sewing thread. She'd also stocked up on canned tuna, rice, canned chicken, and beans. Her garden and the orchard at the farm gave them plenty of fruit and vegetables but she wanted to have some other essentials on hand just in case. There were, of course, the animals at the farm; cows, chickens, and goats but those animals also provided them with milk, eggs, and cheese. There was also no telling if this virus might affect them as well and render them useless as a source of food in the future. Always have a plan and a back up; she was learning a lot from Daryl.
Standing near the registers, she worked her lower lip looking for him. Lines were long and people were getting frustrated with words being exchanged and complaints being launched into the air. They must have been running low on bottled water because a woman was in tears, going around pleading with people to let her buy a case from their cart. Offering ten dollars for something that didn't even cost half that much she was met with stern looks and shakes of the head. Frustrated she stomped past Beth toward the back store. Now that the virus was in Atlanta the tension was palpable as she began to see fear in people's faces.
"You get everything?" Daryl appeared beside her, able to move silently even in Walmart. Nodding quickly she looked to his cart finding three cases of water, batteries in the most common sizes, flashlights, lanterns, more bolts for his crossbow, along with some rope, nails, and screws. It didn't look like much, but Beth knew if Daryl had selected it that it must be important.
"Yeah, I think so." As they moved to the back of the line Beth hoped that the tearful woman looking to buy water didn't come back. With three cases and two working wells at home it would be hard not to give her one. Hard for Beth at least, she was sure that Daryl would not feel quite the same seeing the situation for what it was and not acting on emotions. "We're lucky to have gotten the water."
Daryl nodded in agreement. "Got back there just as they were unloading the last pallet. Was gone in a couple minutes." He was quiet for a moment before asking, "You find some things for your mama? Make sure we don't run out of anything she needs."
"I got a case of diapers for her, we have two in the basement already. Some pain meds, a few other things." Beth didn't honestly know what Annette might need although she was sure a situation would come up and there would be something.
"What about that pill she takes ?" The line moved forward but Beth stopped cold. She hadn't even thought about it, her mama's pain pill for the neuralgia. How could she not have thought about it? It was essentially the only thing that kept Annette from turning into a quivering, sobbing mess. Not an actual pain pill but a special medication for nerve issues it was literally the only thing that made life bearable for her. And it was a prescription so it wasn't like Beth could pick some up right under the Excedrins. Looking toward the pharmacy she saw an even longer line and knew that simply asking for more meds without a script wasn't going to fly.
Fuck…Fuck…FUCK
She felt Daryl's warm hand on her elbow as he guided her forward. They didn't keep that pill at work so that was out of the question. The only place she knew of that kept it on hand was the small pharmacy not far from the farm. Dan, the pharmacist, had owned the little shop for years and the Greenes brought all of their business to him. For Annette he kept a couple months worth on hand just in case. That would be her play, she would have to explain he situation and hope he dispensed it to her without a request from a doctor which would take days or weeks for sure. Exhaling the breath she had been holding she looked at Daryl and smiled.
"It will be alright. I'll figure something out." Daryl stared at her for a moment before looking away. Beth had to be one of the most selfless people he had ever met. She always thought about what everyone else needed before she ever thought of herself. He knew if whatever this was lasted very long that her mama could be in serious danger. A person as weak as Annette needed all the comforts and services of the modern world to survive. He was sure that Beth had taken meticulous stock of her food supplies knowing that Annette needed a special diet, the linens and diapers and soaps and creams needed to keep her clean and her skin healthy, and the medications to make her as comfortable as possible. It was clear to him that she hadn't thought about her mama's prescriptions until just now, the worry evident on her face.
"I'm come with you…if you want." She turned to look at him not sure what he was talking about. "To get the medicines she needs or whatever."
Instantly the tension melted from her face as she burst into an honest to God smile and not one of those forced smiles she had been giving him since they left the farm. Reaching out she touched his arm and it took everything in him to not pull away. Not because he didn't like that, nothing could be further from the truth, he liked it plenty. Her hand on his arm made him feel all sorts of ways that a grown man should be way past feeling from such an innocent gesture. But because touch had never been a positive thing for him and his reflexive action was always to pull away, cower, shield himself. Not stay there, lean in, and return the gesture. But he wanted to God did he want to.
Beth sensing that she was treading in uncertain waters pulling her hand back quickly as it was now their turn to unload the carts. Daryl watched her, leaning on the cases of water as she meticulously unloaded everything making mental notes and determining if anything was missed. He had known it for a long time, but she was absolutely beautiful. A few strands of blonde hair had fallen from the ponytail and framed her face as her blue eyes perused everything over and over again. Even with most of the summer working out in the yard her skin was still impossibly milky white, and her fingers were delicate but so capable. He wanted to know what those fingers would feel like in his own, he wanted to know what they would feel like in his hair and on the back of his neck, and shamefully he wanted to know what they would feel like holding every last part of him. Daryl felt his ears burn red as Beth turned to him. She smiled not noticing the way his face was aflame with embarrassment.
"Your turn." Daryl began to unload his own items onto the belt leaving the water in the cart to be scanned there. It was some kind of sick joke that he waited a lifetime for someone to actually care about him and now everything was going to shit and he finally found that person. Well at least he thought he did. He didn't want to assume anything but Christ he knew he cared about her a ton. Love wasn't anything he ever desired for himself, to have a girlfriend and do all that shit that couples do…well he just didn't get it. But now that he was this close to someone he cared about more than anything in the world he found he wanted it all. And he wanted her. Fucking Christ he was so ashamed to even think that but it was true.
Daryl exhaled a shaky breath as he slid his debit card into the machine and collected the receipt. He was thankful that his pants were baggy and the cart blocked most everyone's view because just looking at her and indulging in his thoughts for even a moment made him half hard. In Walmart of all fucking places. It seemed that when Beth was around his dick had a mind of its own and he was beginning to find that he was terrified by that. Not having control of himself was one of Daryl's biggest fears. Not to mention that they were here trying to prepare for some ungodly, unpleasant situation that would require his utmost concentration. These thoughts and these reactions needed to stop.
A few steadying breaths and he felt himself calm down by the time they had reached the car. If possible the parking lot was even more chaotic than before with a police car now blocking an entire lane of traffic. Beth popped the truck and they began to unload their purchases when something caught her eye. The police weren't here for crowd control, as one might assume, but instead for someone passed out in a car. Craning her neck she saw the officer drag a lifeless body from the driver's seat onto the pavement. It as a teenage boy by the looks of things and with color that pale Beth knew that something was seriously wrong with him.
"Oh I should go over there and see if I can help…" Daryl's head spun around to the lifeless body on the pavement. Before he could stop her, Beth was already moving in that direction. He paused watching her go marveling that she could think of helping someone else at a time like this. A small crowd had gathered but parted when Beth came to kneel beside the young man. The police officer explained to her that he had no pulse and he began doing CPR, Beth took up position near his head tilting it back and opening his airway. She was a professional and knew better than to put her mouth on a stranger's even in a situation as dire as this.
Looking the boy over she saw track marks on his arm. What a shame, he was so young. Another police officer showed up and brought a medical bag over as Beth offered him a grateful smile. Finding an Ambu Bag inside she began to fill the young man's lungs with air the best that she could. Until his heart restarted narcan would do nothing. What he needed was the medics and all the medications they brought with them. Daryl finished loading the car as he took a few steps toward them keeping a distance while still keeping an eye on Beth.
She was good at what she did, confident and capable. Despite their best efforts, however, the young man was still limp on the ground. Nobody knew how the virus was transmitted but the track marks on his arm and the needle in the cop's hand left little question what the problem was here. An ambulance pulled up and two medic jumped out with a monitor, a bag, and an oxygen tank. Beth spoke with the one of them for a few moments before moving aside so that they could do their job.
Later, if you asked Daryl what happened next he most likely would not have been able to tell you. It was so fast and so unexpected that even he never saw it coming. The medic leaned over the boy's face preparing to place a tube in his throat so that he could ventilate him, his partner doing CPR, Beth standing nearby in case she could help, and the police watching with their hands on their hips. It all seemed so ordinary until it wasn't. The boy, suddenly thrust himself upward, teeth sinking into the guy who was bending over his face and blood squirting everywhere. Beth, being so close got sprayed across the face as she gasped in surprise. The medic doing CPR fell backward onto his ass as he stared in horror. His partner was now on the ground, the boy seeming to reanimate and had him pinned, tearing away at his flesh as the poor bastard screamed bloody murder. Beth scrambled to her feet as one of the cops pushed her out of the way. They drew and fired striking him in the back and the chest but he didn't stop. A crowd had gathered as people shrieked, some ran off in terror still others could do nothing but stand and stare.
The guy on the ground trembling violently as blood pumped from the wound on his neck. The gunfire drew the boy's attention as he stood up staring at the police. His eyes were white and his face was smeared with blood. He growled and and hissed as he took an unsteady step toward them. Beth, seeing that the man on the ground needed help badly took an unsteady step toward him wanting to at least comfort him even if his injuries were too severe for her to fix. He was pale, his eyes were bouncing all over the place, and his partner had taken off to hide in the ambulance. Falling to her knees right next to him, she took his hand as she looked into his face.
"I'm here. You're going to be alright…" He choked on his own blood as his body spasmed in agony.
What seemed like minutes was actually a second…maybe two. Not even enough time for Daryl's brain to catch up to what was going on. The boy turned and before Daryl could force his legs to move the boy gripped onto the back of Beth's ponytail. Her terrified shriek snapped his legs into action as he darted toward her. Daryl's arm was around her shoulders in a second as he reared up his leg kicking the boy right in the chest. He stumbled backward and it gave Daryl just enough time to wrap Beth up against him.
Crashing into his chest she gasped for air. Her legs were moving but she didn't know where they were going. If it took two seconds for that entire horrifying chain of events to happen, it took a split second for Daryl to get her back to the Camry and shove her into the passenger seat. The driver's door shut and the car roared to life. As Daryl backed out she looked over his shoulder toward the direction they just came. The police were still fighting the boy off as Daryl rolled down the window.
"A shot to the head ! Only thing that will stop 'em.." Gunfire again as Beth jumped, reflexively bringing her hands up to cover her ears. Putting her head between her legs she began to cry as Daryl floored the gas heading toward the interstate.
As they drove and Daryl began to regain his composure he realized that Beth was still a sobbing, shaking mess beside him. Out of the corner of his eye he looked at her in the passenger seat. It was all his fault…letting her get that close, not getting to her sooner. What the fuck had he been thinking? He wasn't thinking…that was the problem. Worrying more about his pecker and everything else that didn't matter one bit. The only thing that mattered right now was keeping Beth safe. Whatever he had to do, however he had to do it. He just had to get it done.
Reaching over he placed a tentative hand on her back and was relieved when she didn't flinch. "Nothing like that is ever going to happen to you again…" Her sobs quieted for a moment as she inhaled deeply. "I promise."
TBC….
Oh now Daryl can't promise that and it's going to come back to bite him in the ass next chapter.
This chapter was not overly excited but I promise the next will make up for it. It will be a long one and I have big plans for it ! Will be working on it this weekend and hope to have it posted within the next week.
Thanks for everyone who is still reading. Please review.