Chapter Five: Emotional Storms
It had been three days since Daryl and Maggie returned to their home with the girl who had captured everyone's attention. In a short time she had become quite famous among the residents of Alexandria. People were buzzing around with excitement, eager to meet the girl who amputated her own arm. Daryl, Maggie, and Siddiq worked hard on keeping people at bay. Maggie made it clear that she would not tolerate anyone hanging around the infirmary as they tried to maintain the girls privacy the best that they could. Maggie understood that people were curious, but the last thing the girl needed was people lingering around and staring at her.
Last night, the tension that surrounded the girl eased significantly when her fever finally broke. Maggie and Daryl both felt a wave of relief . The two of them have been worried sick, fearing the worst possible outcome. Fortunately, all of their worries were for nothing. The girl didn't have the virus. So with her fever breaking it was a sign that she was getting better and she was on the road to recovery. It was an encouraging sign, and all they needed to do now was wait for her to wake up. Siddiq, who has been closely monitoring her progress since Daryl carried her into the infirmary, assured them that it was only a matter of time until she woke up.
Maggie made herself a cup of instant coffee this morning. She tore open the package letting the contents spill out into her cup. She stirred the mixture thoroughly, watching as the granules dissolved into the hot water. Over time she gotten used to instant coffee, but she still found herself missing ground coffee. She remembered the days when she would wake up early on the farm and blend herself a nice hot cup of coffee. She found blending medium and dark roasted beans gave it a nutty, chocolaty flavour, which was her favourite. What she would give for a nice cup of coffee these days.
After preparing her morning coffee, adding a small splash of maple syrup for flavour, Maggie made her way to the infirmary. Her attention immediately falling upon the girl and the extra blanket she had laying over her legs. Daryl must have done that, or Siddiq, Maggie thought to herself as she took the empty seat next to the bed. "Morning," Maggie said cheerfully, taking a moment to observe the calm expression on the girl's face.
"How are you this morning?" Maggie inquired, setting her coffee down before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a colourful sparkly get-well card
"My daughter Judith made this for you. She wanted to do something nice to help you feel better, and I thought you might like it," Maggie explained as she propped the card open a little to show the colourful flowers that Judith had drawn before placing it on the table. "She's only four and has really gotten into sparkles lately. I hope you don't mind the mess." Maggie added with a slight chuckle as she thought about the little bits of glitter that were going to end up on the table and surrounding area.
"I also have two sons, Hershel and Carl. Carl is roughly your age, at least, that's what I think. You guys seem to be around the same age." Maggie explained as she reached forward and grabbed her cup of coffee, taking a small sip. She pressed her lips together as she let out a small hum before turning her attention back to the girl. "Of course, you already know all of this. You need to wake up soon because I'm running out of things to talk about." Maggie joked as she took a glance at the clock that was hanging on the wall, eager for the girl to open her eyes.
"Winter is coming soon. I can feel it in the air." Maggie said, looking out the window at the clouds that gathered in the distance, turning the sky gray. "We had a good year with our crops, so I'm not worried. I'm sure we'll get through this winter just like we have all the others." Maggie continued to talk, unable to handle the silence of the infirmary.
As time passed, Maggie found herself talking about a wide range of topics. She talked about what was happening within the community, her life on the farm before everything. She talked about her sister, Beth, and how much she missed her. "She made it out of the prison with Daryl, but I didn't get to see her again until…I didn't get to see her again." Maggie corrected, the memory still too painful. "I wish I could see her one last time so I could tell her how much I loved her. I wish I could see lots of people again." Maggie trailed off as she thought about her dad, about Glenn. She could feel her eyes start to water when she heard someone clear their throat behind her.
Maggie took a brief moment to collect herself, feeling embarrassed that she allowed herself to get so emotional. It had been over a year since Glenn was taken away from her, but the wound was still fresh, as if it were only yesterday. She quickly wiped away her tears, regaining her composure before turning around to see Daryl standing behind her. Her heart raced slightly as she tried to shake off the vulnerability she felt. "Hey, how long have you been standing there?" Maggie asked as she turned back to the girl in hopes of hiding the tears in her eyes.
"Just got here." Daryl responded, offering up the small lie in order to spare Maggie her feelings. "It's my turn to sit with her now. Eugene wanted to see you. Something about the garden." Daryl passed along the message.
Maggie nodded. "Alright, I'll go and see him before picking Judith and Hershel up from daycare," Maggie explained as she stood up. She took a moment to stretch her back, easing some tension before tuning to face Daryl. "She hasn't woken up yet. Earlier she muttered a couple of words, but I couldn't understand what she was saying." Maggie explained.
Daryl nodded as he settled into the chair Maggie had just vacated. He waited until she left before he pulled out the worn copy of Lord of the Rings from his back pocket. If you were to ask Daryl about his reading habits, he would probably scoff and say that he had better things to do than read. However, deep down, he was enjoying the book. He had taken pleasure in reading to the girl, and he found himself genuinely excited to find out what was gonna happen next.
Daryl made himself comfortable before flipping the book open to chapter seven, "In the House of Tom Bombadil "The four hobbits stepped over the threshold and stood still, gaping. In a chair sat a woman. She wore nothing more than a bathrobe, her long yellow hair tangled in an unruly mess. It was obvious from her tired look that this lady had listened to more silly songs than was bearable." Daryl began to read as he propped his feet up onto the bed as he usually did.
Daryl got lost in the story. He moved steadily through chapter seven, then chapter eight, and was in the middle of chapter nine. "So refreshed and encouraged did they feel at the end of their supper (about three quarters of an hour's steady going, not hindered by unnecessary talk) that Frodo, Pipein, and Sam decided to join the company. Merry said it would be too stuffy. 'I shall sit here quietly by the fire for a bit, and perhaps…." Just then, Daryl was interrupted by a small voice coming from the bed. He lowered the book to see the girl wide awake and looking at him.
"It's pronounced Pipin…not Pipein." The girl explained, her voice sounded rough and strained. She cleared her throat, but the action only made her wince since it felt like sandpaper scraping against her vocal cords. She brought her hand up and gently rubbed at her neck, hoping to ease some discomfort.
Daryl was hesitant for a moment, contemplating what he should do before deciding. He put the book down and poured the girl a glass of water from the pitcher on the bedside table. He was careful moving to the bed, making sure the girl was able to see all of his movements. He didn't know what the girl had been through in her life, and he didn't want to risk startling her or cause her to feel uneasy or scared. "Here, sit up a little." Daryl said as he placed a steady hand on the girl's lower back, helping to lift her up just enough that she could take a drink without difficulty. "Small sips, you don't want yourself getting sick," Daryl instructed as he held the glass up to the girl's lips, holding it at an angle so the water was at the edge of the glass.
The girl sat up slowly, managing to choke down a couple of sips of water before having to push the glass away. She glanced around the room, taking in her surroundings. The place smelled faintly of antiseptic, and the walls were painted a dull colour that seemed to make the room smaller in a way. Beds lined one side of the room, and on the other side seemed to be a metal table with medical supplies surrounding it. The girl closed her eyes tightly as memories of being held down came back to her. "Where am I?" The question hung in the air as she continued to look around the infirmary as she tried to piece together how she got there.
Daryl froze for a moment. He had always been able to handle the girl when she was either asleep or in a state of confusion brought on by the fever. However, this moment felt different. Doubts crept into the back of Daryl's mind, and he questioned whether he was the right person to help her. "You're in a community called Alexandria. Maggie and I were on a supply run when we found you. We brought you back here for medical help," Daryl explained, looking at the girl, searching for any signs of recognition from her. "Do you remember anything about what happened?"
Daryl's heart raced as the girl started to tear up in front of him. He felt a tight knot in his stomach as he gazed around the room, eyes darting in every direction, hoping that someone would appear out of thin air to help him. Daryl felt completely lost. He didn't know what he could say or do to make the girl feel better. With Judith, he would always give her a hug, but he doubted this girl would appreciate a strange man hugging her.
"I was scavenging, looking for warmer clothes, when a bunch of Creeps snuck up on me. I can usually take out one or two, but there were so many. I couldn't fight my way through. One of them grabbed my arm…" she trailed off, her gaze dropping to her arm, now amputated and sitting comfortably in a sling against her chest. She couldn't help but let out a heartbreak sob as she wrapped her arm around herself.
The sight was enough to take Daryl's breath away, filling him with a sense of helplessness. He would give anything to take this girl's pain away. He wished he could find the right words or actions to comfort her, but he had nothing of value to offer. What could he possibly say that would bring the girl any form of comfort? She lost her arm, a traumatic event. She had every right to be upset. With a mix of nervousness and compassion, Daryl reached out a tentative hand, his fingers barely brushed against her leg before she flinched at his touch, causing him to quickly pull back, making him even more helpless.
"Don't touch me!" The girl cried, her voice filled with fear, but Daryl couldn't blame her. Anyone would be frightened right now. In this new world, it was hard to know who you could trust.
"I'm not gonna hurt you," Daryl reassured her as he moved himself back to the chair in order to give her some space. He recalled the moment he had spent with Aaron when the man first opened his eyes after losing his arms. Back then, Daryl patted the man on the shoulder and told him he had done well. However, he sensed that this was not the same situation.
A gentle touch or encouraging words no longer felt appropriate. He needed to find a way to connect with the girl in front of him, show her that he wasn't there to hurt her. Daryl understood that everyone reacted differently, and he wanted to make sure that he approached her in a way that showed that he understood and cared. He needed to find a way to create trust between the two of them so the girl felt comfortable enough to put her guard down; he just didn't know how.
"...I know it's difficult, but... " Daryl began as he tried to come up with the right words to say. Before he could finish his thought, the girl exploded with anger. "Get out!" she yelled, her voice raising with each word. "Get out, get out, GET OUT!" With each shout, her tone became sharper and more demanding. She reached over to the table and grabbed the book. In one swift and forceful motion, she hurled the book at Daryl. Alongside the book, she swung her arm and sent the glass of water flying across the room, the water splashing everywhere as the glass hit the ground. "I SAID GET OUT!" The girl screamed once more, her voice echoing throughout the infirmary.
Daryl was taken by surprise when the girl suddenly lashed out at him, glitching back in response. He defended himself from the girl's attacks while pushing himself up from the chair and taking a few steps back, putting distance between the two of them. Daryl tried to come up with anything he could say, but he decided that the best thing he could do was give the girl some space. She needed time to process her feelings and to grieve her loss in privacy. "I'll be right outside if you need anything," Daryl informed before showing himself out.
Daryl let out a long breath once he closed the infirmary, taking a couple of steps down before sitting himself down on the top step. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a cigarette that he had rolled earlier in the day. He flicked his lighter a couple of times until he was able to get a flame and lit the cigarette. Taking a long, deep drag, he felt the smoke fill his lungs before slowly exhaling it into the cold night sky. The girl needed time to process her feelings, and Daryl was willing to sit out here for however long it took.