Chapter Four: A Girl in Pain
Siddiq sat Daryl and Maggie down as he prepared himself to give them the bad news. It had been twelve hours since they came back with the girl, and her condition has only worsened since then. He took a deep breath as he folded his hands together. "She's not doing well," he began, his voice steady yet filled with worry, "she has a temperature of one hundred and four and climbing. I'm doing everything I can to bring it down, but it's not looking good. Now, the fever could be from the trauma she suffered. She had been through alot, and her body is struggling to cope, or it could be…"
"Or it could be the virus," Maggie interjected before looking over at the girl, watching as her head rolled to the side a little. Her heart sank deeper into her chest as she realized that after everything, they could lose the girl. Maggie brought her head down as she ran her hands through her hair, finding it hard to think.
"We have no way of telling which one it is." Maggie said, sounding defeated. She felt as if the walls were closing in around her, and the helplessness that washed over her was almost too much to handle. She was only a kid. She shouldn't have to go through this.
Siddiq frowned before nodding his head. "No, we don't," he confirmed. "We can either wait and see if she pulls through, or we can…." Siddiq trailed off as he struggled to say the other option.
They could continue to let the girl suffer with no certainty that she would pull through or do the merciful thing and put the girl out of her misery. Could he even bring himself to do it? As a doctor, he took a vow to do no harm, but since the end of the world that line kept getting further and further away. Maggie immediately shook her head when Siddiq suggested the idea of ending the girl's life.
"I can't…we can't do that, not when there's still a chance," Maggie said firmly as she looked at Daryl and then back to Siddiq, "that girl has fought so hard to stay alive, and as long as she keeps putting up a fight we are going to stand by her side and fight with her." Maggie explained, not about to give up on the girl.
Giving up was not an option, not for her. Not when there was still a small chance the girl could come though. Siddiq nodded, agreeing with Maggie, As long as the girl was still fighting, then he would do everything he could to help her.
Daryl looked between Maggie and Siddiq before speaking, "What about her arm?" Daryl inquired, his voice weighing heavily with worry.
"That's the only good news I haven't shared." Siddiq answered. "There are no signs of infection. If she survives, then her arm will heal up nicely, and fitting her for a prosthetic won't be difficult. The amputation took place below her elbow, so she still has full range of motion, which is good. She will need some physical therapy to gain back her strength, but I see her making a full recovery if we can get her past this part." Siddiq explained.
For the next hour, the three of them talked in detail about how they could help the girl until Siddiq had to excuse himself, having a prenatal appointment scheduled with one of the residents. After Siddiq left Maggie and Daryl took a moment, sitting in silence as they both absorbed everything that had been discussed. The weight of their conversation lingered in the air like a heavy fog.
"You should head home," Daryl finally said, "you sat with her all night, you must be tired." Daryl said, seeing just how exhausted Maggie was. The dark circles under her eyes were a statement to just how tired she was.
"Go home and rest. I'll keep an eye on her." Daryl told her, not taking no as an answer.
After a quick argument between the two, with Daryl winning, Maggie was soon on her way home as Daryl pulled a more comfortable chair over to the girl's bed and sat down. He replaced the cool, wet cloth on the girl's forehead with a fresh one before leaning back in the chair before resting his feet on the edge of the bed. He watched as the girls' chests rose and fell. Siddiq recommended cuffing the girl to the bed in case she turned, but Daryl quickly refused. The girl been through enough and he wasn't about to tie her down. If she happened to turn, then he would take care of it.
Daryl sat in the quiet infirmary, drifting off into his mind, processing everything that had happened in the past twelve hours to the point where he almost didn't hear the soft, small voice that spoke, "Daddy?" Daryl nearly jumped out of his chair from surprise as he looked over at the girl to see her staring at him. "Shit." Daryl muttered under his breath as he took his feet off the bed and leaned forward until he was sitting on the edge of the chair.
"...Da…daddy…it hurts" The girl's voice trembled as she spoke, her small frame shaking slightly from the pain she was in. Tears began to form in her eyes as her bottom lip quivered.
Daryl looked around the infirmary, his heart racing in panic. He desperately hoped that Siddiq or even Maggie had returned, but he was all out of luck. Comforting someone was not something he was skilled at. In fact he often struggled with it, especially when it came to comforting a child. The fear and uncertainty gripped at him as he looked at the girl. Her face was flushed, and it was evident that her fever was taking its toll on her, making her believe that he was her father.
Daryl felt a knot in the bottom of his stomach start to form the longer he stared at the girl. He knew he was way over his head. He wanted to help her and ease her pain, but he didn't know how. He regretted sending Maggie home. She would know what to do. She would probably have the girl in her arms by now. What was he doing? He couldn't even utter a single comforting word to the girl.
"Dad…" Alison mumbled softly, her voice barely above a whisper. She stretched out her hand, finger trembling slightly as she sought out comfort.
Daryl did another quick look around the infirmary, hoping someone, anyone would appear. He would even take Eugene, whom he often found frustrating, but it was obvious that no one was coming to save him. With a bit of hesitation, he took the girl's hand as he slowly moved to sit on the edge of the bed, making sure she knew he was there for her. "I'm right here, kid," Daryl softly reassured with a gentle squeeze of her hand, hoping to provide some comfort.
Daryl gently ran his thumb along the back of the girl's hand, careful not to disturb the IV that Siddiq had placed. He could see the pain etched on the girls face and knew he needed to do something. "I know it hurts," Daryl said softly, "but you're doing such a great job. I've seen grown men who would be bawling their eyes out right now. You're stronger than all of them. The pain won't last forever, and once you heal we'll get a prosthetic made for you, and you will be stronger than ever." Daryl explained, adjusting his position slightly before continuing.
"And…I will be with you every step of the way. I won't leave," Daryl promised, "I know it's gonna be hard, but you can do it. If anyone can, it's you." Daryl soothed as he continued to run his thumb along the back of the girl's hand. "You just need to get through this part."
Daryl leaned forward and removed the damp cloth that rested on her forehead. He moved the cloth towards the bowl of cool water that sat on the bedside. Dipping the cloth into the water, he waited a moment before he wrung it out. With tenderness that Daryl didn't know he had, he brought the cloth back and softly dabbed the girl's skin. "How does that feel? You feel any cooler?" Daryl inquired, his voice soft as he continued to dab around her forehead.
Alison leaned into the coolness of the cloth, letting out a small sigh of relief. She sniffled a couple of times, trying her best to hold back her tears. Her voice came out soft and quiet, almost lost in the air around her. "I want Mr. Buttons," she muttered.
Daryl was confused for a brief moment as he tried to understand what the girl was asking for before remembering that Maggie mentioned that the girl had a stuffed rabbit that she kept in her bag. "Right," Daryl mumbled softly to himself as the memory clicked into place. He pulled his hand away from the girls before reaching under the bed and feeling around until his fingers grasped the straps of the girls bag and pulled it out. As he searched, he placed a few items from the bag onto the bed until he found the stuffed rabbit buried at the bottom of the bag. Carefully he pulled it out, being careful not to damage it any further, and handed it to the girl, watching as she reached out with a shaky hand to take it.
The moment felt special, as he knew this small act would bring comfort to the girl. Carl had his fathers Colt Python, Judith had the small Sheriff doll that Maggie had found for her, and he had his brother's motorcycle. They all had things that brought them comfort. It was evident that this rabbit had been by her side since she was very young. It was likely her only possession when the world ended.
The stuffed rabbit had witnessed her laughter, her tears, and the innocence of her childhood. It was more than just a toy. It was part of her identity, offering her comfort, and a sense of safety in a world that was unpredictable and scary. It was the one thing that she could always trust.
Daryl began the process of putting everything he had taken out of the bag back inside. He tossed everything inside until he came across a book. The book caught his attention, and he paused for a moment, holding the book in his hands. His brother was, without a doubt, an asshole, but he did have his good points. Whenever he was sick as a young child, his brother would read to him. It was the very few good memories he had of his brother. Those few good moments were comforting and brought a sense of warmth to him. "Why don't I read to you for a little bit?" Daryl offered as he thumbed through the pages.
There was no bookmark tucked between the pages, and neither of the corners had been creased over to show where the girl had left off in her readings. Daryl sighed softly as he flipped to the first page. "Alright, I guess we are starting from the beginning." He mumbled to himself. Daryl's eyes moved quickly to the beginning of the chapter. "Chapter one: A long-expected party." Daryl read out loud. "When Mr. Bilbo Baggons of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton." Daryl paused for a moment as he flipped the book around to see what he was reading "The Lord of the Rings." Daryl muttered as he flipped the book back around and continued reading.
Daryl watched as the girl's eyelids started to flutter as she fought to stay awake, the stuffed rabbit tucked safely in the crook of her arm. The soft sounds of his voice filled the room as he continued reading, his eyes skimming the pages while he remained aware of the girl's battle to stay awake. Suddenly she broke the trance he was in with a soft plea, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please don't leave me again. I can't do this on my own." She said as her eyes fluttered shut, unable to fight the tiredness of her body.
Daryl paused, taken aback by her words. Silence hung in the air until Daryl finally spoke, "I'm not gonna leave you, kid." He promised, watching as the girl slowly relaxed. Her breathing evening out as she drifted back to sleep. In that quiet moment Daryl felt a mix of emotions knowing that he would be there for her, no matter what.