Chapter Six: A Helping Hand
Daryl sat on the steps to the infirmary, watching as people headed into their houses for the night as the sun started to go down. A curfew had been set about a year ago after an incident that left them five members down. Everyone was supposed to be in their homes after dark and only a select few were allowed to stay out. He took a final drag from his cigarette, savouring the moment before the last bit of smoke escaped his lungs. He flicked the butt onto the ground, using his foot to put it out before noticing that Aaron was making his way over. He raised his head slightly, giving the man a small nod of acknowledgment. It was a simple gesture, but for Daryl, it spoke volumes. He respected the man. Aaron had proven himself again and again, and Daryl was happy to fight by the man's side.
Aaron made his way over and leaned against the railing casually, shooting Daryl a small smile. "I thought it was your turn to sit with the girl. What are you doing out here?" He asked, as if he hadn't already put the pieces together. He tilted his body back a little, glancing through the window, and catching a glimpse of the girl who had her back turned towards the door. He remembers the first couple of times she woke up, and he wasn't surprised that Daryl got banished to the outside.
Daryl glanced up at Aaron before letting out a faint sigh, a sound that seemed to carry the weight of what he had been feeling. "She woke up, got upset, and yelled at me to get out," Daryl explained, shrugging slightly as if to dismiss the whole situation, but it was clear that Daryl was affected by it. "It should have been Maggie who was there when the girl woke up. She would have known how to handle it better," Daryl murmured as he continued to feel sorry for himself.
"Then it would be her sitting out here instead of you," Aaron remarked with a slight chuckle, "you remember how I was when I first woke up? I was confused and scared and I had a hard time understanding anything. It's even harder for her. She doesn't know anyone here. She's all alone, surrounded by people she never met, and in a place she doesn't know. To make things worse, she opened her eyes with a strange man beside her bed. Everything must be terrifying for her." Aaron explained.
Daryl waved Aaron off. He didn't need someone telling him what he had been thinking since the moment he was kicked out of the infirmary. He wondered if Maggie and he should have done things differently, but they didn't want the girl waking up alone, and it wasn't like Maggie could be by her side twenty-four-seven.
"When was the last time that girl had a proper meal?" Aaron interrupted Daryl's train of thought with the sudden question, pulling him back to the present. "Maggie mentioned that she found cans of food in the girl's bag—spaghetti, beefaroni, baked beans, ravioli—hardly anything that could be called real food. I have a feeling that it has been awhile since the girl enjoyed a good, hot meal—something that didn't come out of a can." Aaron explained, "a growing girl needed more than just spaghettios and baked beans".
Daryl raised his hand and pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose, sensing where Aaron was trying to lead the conversation. "I can't just leave. I told her I would be right outside if she needed anything." Daryl explained. He did agree with Aaron's point. The girl needed more nutrients than what canned food had to offer, and no doubt the kid was starving, but he couldn't just abandon her. Especially when she was already feeling scared and probably helpless.
"I can stay out here." Aaron offered. "You can go ahead. I'll just sit out here for a while. I really need some fresh air anyway."
Daryl furrowed his brow. "I can't ask you to do that." Daryl said, shaking his head. "What about Gracie?" Daryl asked, knowing Aaron needed to get home to his daughter.
"You didn't ask. I offered," Aaron pointed out, a light smile on his face, "and don't worry about Gracie. She's with Rosita, and the kid can sleep like a rock. She won't notice if I'm a little late." Aaron explained with a slight chuckle. "You go and make the kid some food, and I stay here. Nothing is gonna happen." Aaron reassured, stepping aside a little so Daryl could get up.
Daryl let out a slight sigh as he glanced back at the door, deciding on what he should do. After a moment, he rose to his feet. "Fifteen minutes." Daryl stated before stepping down and making his way towards his home, which was actually the basement of Maggie's house. It was a small, cozy space that suited his needs just fine. He didn't require much. All he needed was a warm place to lay his head after a long day. Both he and Maggie talked it over and agreed that it would be unnecessary for him to move into one of the larger houses. Daryl was perfectly happy to stay in Maggie's basement, and it gave her a chance to drop Judith and Hershel off with him whenever she needed time to herself.
Aaron couldn't help but to smile to himself, satisfied that Daryl had accepted his offer. He took a look around, making sure everything was the way it should be before taking a seat on the step that Daryl just vacated. He stretched out his legs, enjoying the brief feeling of relaxation. He allowed his mind to wander off a little before snapping back when a loud thud could be heard. "Shit," Aaron muttered under his breath as he rushed to his feet and opened the infirmary door to see the girl laying on the ground, her IV ripped out.
Aaron had to hold himself back from rushing over and assisting the girl, forcing himself to remain back. Instead, he closed the infirmary door and leaned against the wall, watching as the girl struggled to pull herself up from the floor. Slowly, she made her way to her knees and placed her arm on the bed as she tried to pull herself up. Every movement seemed to take all of her strength and he couldn't help but but admire her determination.
"Do you need some help?" Aaron asked, breaking the silence as he took a step forward but still kept his distance from the girl.
Alison turned her head to look behind her when she heard a new voice. Her attention was briefly caught by the metal arm the man was wearing, making her pause for a moment before going back to her task. "I got it." she said with a hint of annoyance. She shifted her knee up and pressed her foot firmly on the ground. She gritted her teeth, feeling the strain her body was under as she put all of her weight onto her arm as she tried to pull herself up using the bed.
Aaron had no choice but to admire the girl's stubbornness, he was very much the same way himself. He was determined to prove that he was still able to do everything he had been able to do before he lost his arm. He didn't want to be seen as weak or limited by others. He wanted to show he was still the same person. "You know, when I first woke up I really struggled. I needed help just to get around. My legs felt like jelly, and it was a challenge to even take a single step without collapsing. It was scary," Aaron admitted, "there's no shame in asking for help. No one's gonna think any less of you." Aaron reassured her.
"I don't need any help." The girl snapped sharply. "I got it." she said as she continued to struggle to pull herself up.
Aaron nodded, glancing around before reaching out and pulling a chair closer to him with a slight scraping noise against the floor. Settling down in the chair, he made himself comfortable as he prepared himself to wait until the girl tried herself out. He kept a careful watch over her, making sure she didn't end up hurting herself in her attempts to get up. With each passing minute, time seemed to be moving slower, almost dragging, but Aaron remained patient. Eventually, the girl let out a heavy sigh as she collapsed out of exhaustion. She lowered her head to rest on the side of the bed, taking a moment to catch her breath before looking over at Aaron.
Alison sat quietly for a moment before speaking, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can't do it," Alison admitted, sounding defeated. After a brief pause, she spoke again, "Can…can you please…help me?" Alison struggled to ask before looking down into her lap.
Aaron remained silent as he stood up and moved behind the girl. "I'm going to wrap my arm around you, and on the count of three, I'm going to lift you up," Aaron informed the girl before squatting down and wrapping his arm around the girl's stomach, "one…two…three." Aaron counted with a firm grip, pulling the girl up to her feet before placing her on the bed. " There we go." Aaron said, making sure the girl had her balance before letting go.
"...Thank you." Alison mumbled, her gaze fixed on the metal arm.
"Admiring my arm?" Aaron asked with a lighthearted chuckle. "It's alright," Aaron reassured, seeing the girl's cheeks flush as she quickly advertised her eyes, "the unicorn stickers belong to my daughter. She likes to decorate my arm every now and again. She likes to make it look pretty." Aaron explained. "I know it might look silly to some, but it makes her happy." Aaron said with a slight shrug.
"...Not silly." The girl muttered under her breath as she kept her eyes averted. "Where…where did that other guy go?" An awkward silence hung in the air as she hesitated for a moment before asking again, "Where…where did the other guy go?"
"Daryl?" Aaron asked, already knowing who the girl was talking about. "He went to get you some food. Figured you might be hungry." Aaron explained, his tone light and friendly as he spoke. Aaron gave the girl a small smile as he went over and picked up the book along with the cup and placed it back on the bedside table. "Just a fair warning though, he's not the greatest cook." Aaron joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"...He's not mad at me?" The girl hesitated to ask, her voice wavering slightly.
"Mad at you? No, he's not mad at you." Aaron reassured as he made his way back over to the girl. He could see the tension in her soldiers, the way she fidgeted with the bedsheets, clear signs that she was feeling anxious. "It's alright. You didn't do anything wrong. Daryl has some tough skin. You will have to do a lot more to hurt his feelings." Aaron explained as he took a seat on the bed, making sure he was as far away as he could be. "What were you doing getting out of bed?" Aaron asked after a moment of silence between the two of them.
Alison continued to fidget with the sheet, pitching the fabric between her thumb and finger and twisting. "I needed to go to the bathroom." Alison admitted as she felt a rush of warmth spread across her cheeks, causing her to blush a deep shade of red.
Aaron nodded in understanding. "For the first couple of days someone had to help me to and from the bathroom. I couldn't manage it myself, even though I tried. Paul, he's now my boyfriend." Aaron made sure to point out that detail, making sure the girl knew that he would have no interest in her. He didn't know what she'd been through, but he knew what the world was like, and he wanted to make sure that she felt safe with him.
"He goes by Jesus. He ended up having to take me to the bathroom and wherever else I wanted to go. If you like, I can go get Maggie, or I can help you to the bathroom." Aaron offered.
Alison chewed on her bottom lip a little as she twisted the blanket even tighter. "I just need help getting to the bathroom. I can do everything else on my own." Alison explained, her voice firm.
"Alright," Aaron nodded, "there's a lock on the door that you are more than welcome to use for your privacy." Aaron explained, standing up and making his way to the girl and gently wrapping his arm around her side. "On the count of the three," Aaron said, waiting for the girl to show that she was ready with a nod before he began to count, "one…two…three." As he reached three, he carefully got the girl to her feet and helped her to the bathroom. "One step at a time, it's not a race." he encouraged.
Alison gritted her teeth as she forced her feet to move where Aaron was guiding her. Every step was a challenge as she felt her legs trembling beneath her. The guy was right. Her legs did feel like jello, making each step unsteady. Alison was pretty sure if she didn't have a firm hold on the man, she would drop in an instant.
"Alright, here we are." Aaron said once they reached the bathroom, with Aaron opening the door to reveal a small, cozy-looking bathroom. "We have our own water system, so you don't need to worry about using too much. We have plenty to go around," He explained, "we have lots of supplies. Feel free to use as much as you need. You will find everything you need in the draws."
Alison nodded as she slowly let go of the man and stumbled into the bathroom, quickly placing her hand on the sink so she didn't topple over.
"Take your time. I'll be right here once you're finished." Aaron reassured before closing the door, hearing the distinct click of the lock the moment the door was shut. Aaron stayed by the door for a few moments, making sure the girl was alright before making his way over to the bed and sitting down, waiting until he was needed.