Follow You Down - Bethyl Fanfiction

The Mighty Fall

A herd. Everyone had scattered and jumped into cars to get back. Everyone had made it back to the prison. Everyone was back. But at a cost.

Daryl had been fending off the herd of walkers in front of the cars to let them pass through. The bike was quickly abandoned as the sheer number of dead threatened to swallow them up like water through a broken dam. Daryl was alone in front of the cars, yelling the moment anyone tried to get out and help. No. Too much to lose for everyone else. He had nearly been bitten countless times already and the path was only just clearing enough to move the cars through. He was bruised and beaten by the many hands that scrambled for him. Then one grabbed his leg. Down he went. Falling felt endless, into the depths of the dead. However, he didn't just hit the ground. His chest had met with a mangled bit of metal and it sliced deeply into his flesh as the dead piled on top of him. There was no way out. He just kept going down.

-

The day had gone from slow motion to everybody moving very, very fast. Daryl had ended up in the boot of one of the cars so he could lay on his back. Rick and Glenn lifted him from the boot as the residents surrounded it. Beth could see, between peoples shoulders at the back of the crowd, the deep gashes in his chest. Daryl's head rolled onto his chest and a strained cry came from his mouth as being set upright had more blood pouring from him. Beth froze in place, watching helplessly while Glenn and Rick got him inside the cell block.

Beth ended up inside the cell block, stumbling slowly through the space. The sounds were awful. So many rushed voices talking over one another laced with the quiet whimpers of Daryl as Dr Subramanian worked on his chest. There was a crowd at his usually very private room, many concerned heads poking through the bars. Beth couldn't stand it. The image of him being lifted to stand and seeing those deep cuts, going diagonally from his pectoral to his abdomen. Two gaping, wet slices that gushed blood like a squeezed sponge. Beth looked at the mess of wet redness on the floor that she had subconsciously followed into their block. There was so much. So much blood. How did anybody have so much blood?

Beth stood in the middle of the room, arms wrapped around herself, tears rolling down her cheeks. She knew what would happen. What had happened to everyone she cared for. They all left in the end. The weak outlived the strong sometimes in this new world. Even the strongest. 

-

After a while the voices quietened. The whimpers had stopped. Feet shuffled down the stairs and moist hands met Beth's elbows. She didn't look up. She didn't acknowledge. Facing whoever was in front of her and hearing the news that Daryl was dead was something she simply would not do. Could not do.
"Beth." No. The muffled word tried to penetrate her fuzzy bubble of denial. She would not let it in. "Beth look at me." Her eyes glazed over the bloodied hands on her arms. Male. Male hands. "Beth." The voice became clearer. Rick. It was Rick's voice. 

She blinked a few times, lashes flicking tears from her eyes. Taking shallow, quick breaths, she looked up at her leaders face. He had blood smeared over his forehead from where he must have wiped away sweat from his brow.
"I-I know." Said a voice that was apparently hers. But it didn't sound like hers. It was shaky, hoarse, thick from crying. "I know he's gone." She couldn't say the word. Dead. Even though it was the only word she could think. He his eyebrows rose a little and his eyes narrowed, head ducking down to keep eye contact.
"No Beth. He's not gone."

Everything was suddenly in sharp focus and Beth realised she had spent the whole time hiding away from him, wasting what she believed to be his final moments. She didn't know what she meant to him but she was starting to realise what he meant to her. He would have died and she wouldn't have even heard his last words. Guilt flooded her now very aware and tense body. Daryl was alive. He was still alive. Rick's bloodied grip tightened on her elbows as she came around to reality. 
"He said your name. I think maybe he wants you to sing to him? He always likes it when you sing." A lump formed in Beth's throat. He was asking for her and she had just been stood there, frozen. She should have gone up, pushed past everyone hand forced her way to be next to him.

She nodded to Rick and forced her concrete legs into motion, shakily walking past Rick who kept a hand on her arm. She must have looked so weak and wobbly for him to support her as they headed to his cell. She could make it right. There was still time.

Daryl's cell was a mess of crossbow bolts, plaid shirts, knives and now medical supplies. Dr S must have left with the crowd because he wasn't in the room. Just Carol, Glenn and Daryl remained. Beth looked over the archer. A sheen of sweat, grime and blood coated his face, neck arms and chest. His bottom half was covered with a clean blanket and bright white padding, tape and bandages that contrasted with the filth. His eyes were closed but he was breathing too heavily to be passed out or asleep.

"Daryl, she's here, Beth's here." Carol said and patted his arm as she stood to move out the way. His eyes opened just enough for Beth to see a flash of blue. She wiped her cheeks and moved into the cell, focused only on him. She knelt on the floor next to the bed and smiled sadly at him. He raised his hand and brushed away a tear that had escaped down her face. Beth's eyes closed at the touch, his hand was cold and he was breathing hard, so hard she could hear it and his eyes were on her and he was alive and real and there. And he was comforting her. More weakness on her part. He was the strong one even when walking the line of living and dying. Beth mentally berated herself once more. Daryl's hand fell back to the bed but his eyes stayed fixed on her. Carol returned with a bowl of soapy water, sponge and a towel. Beth reached to take it. After a moment, Carol obliged.

"Get some rest." She instructed Daryl before moving away.
"Take it easy" Glenn reciprocated.
"Tell us if you need anything." Rick finished before they all went, leaving just Beth, a sponge and Daryl.