Hush Baby Im here

Chapter 28

Yo. Thanks for reading. Love you. ~kristy

"Mornin." A voiced huffed from beside me as I peeled my eyes open. Immediately, I shut them, the light from the window pooling in hurt my head.

I blinked a few times before my vision focused and I remembered where I was. This night no terrorizing nightmare invaded my head while I slept.

I gasped loudly, sitting up, Daryl sharply turned expecting me to be in pain.

"Did I just sleep with Daryl Dixon?" I said with a large grin.

He blushed, and looked down, turning away.

"Maybe." He said raising his eyebrows and giving my favorite sheepish grin.

"Was I any good?" I asked, I could tell it was awkward for him, but he wasn't backing down.

"What?" I asked nudging him.

" 'Course" he shrugged, then in all seriousness; "best night I've ever had."

I laughed loudly, the type where you throw your head back with force laugh. I sat up, and looked back at him, his eyes were just drawn to my face.

"Sleep okay?" I asked, worried I'd keep him up all night with my stirring, snoring, or something.

"Great. You?"

I nodded biting the inside of my mouth. I shoved the covers aside and swung my legs out of bed, my bare feet hitting the cold floor.

"I have to go see Pete today." I exclaimed as I searched through the closet.

"Why?" He called as I disappeared for a minute, putting on skinny jeans and a tank top.

I exited the closet, Daryl's eyes following me.

"What?" I asked looking down at myself.

"Nothin, you just." I stood and waited for him to finish his sentence.

"You clean up nice." I wanted to laugh but I knew this was Daryl really trying to compliment me, even if he wasn't that good at it.

"Thank you." He nodded, as I grabbed my knife and tucked it into my belt.

My joints weren't as sore, and my ribs felt a lot better. I lifted my shirt to check the bruising.

"Shit. Beth, warn me before you do that." Daryl sputtered, looking the other way.

"Daryl. Its my ribs." I replied almost harshly. Then in a faint whisper I said; "unless you find that disgusting."

"What? Nah Beth that's not it. Its just clothes, they they should, on. I'm a guy, age gap, young girl. I'm too." I was more than confused of what he just said.

"All guys are too un-disgusted with that kinda stuff." He sighed at himself. Flopping back down on the bed.

"Sorry Daryl it won't happen again?" I asked.

"Yeah whatever." he brushed it off. I opened the door and left the room, before popping my head head back in.

"I'll just take my shirt off around other guys." I said, retreating quickly.

"Beth!" He shouted, as I sped down the stairs and out the door, grabbing my only sweater from the coat rack.

Whatever I had just done, made me feel giddy inside. He was jealous, I just knew it.
Or protective and doesn't want you getting pregnant at age nineteen. My inner self-conscious told me repeatedly, and I started to believe it.

When I got to Pete's house a women answered the door, not just any women, the one from the photograph.

She smiles at me, "can I help you?"

"I'm h-here to see Pete, to get my cast off." I replied, I was nervous for some odd reason, I felt like I should behave in a certain way that I was unfamiliar with.

"Of course."

"Pete!" She called behind her into the house, "you have a client."

"Are you part of Rick's group?" She asks while we wait for Pete to come down.

"Yes." I say skeptical about how she knew his name.

"I cut his hair." She quickly told, taking note of my tone.

"I'm Jessie." She stretched her hand out and I spoke.

"Beth."

Pete appeared behind her and motioned me inside. As I stepped by her she told us she'd be in the garage working on a sculpture with her sons. Pete just gave a nod and I smile at her, I liked her already.

"I have the chemicals and the machine to take it off" he said heading upstairs, I presumed I was supposed to follow him.

He entered the same room which I had woken up in, bottles of clear liquid now lining the cabinets. There was a small saw with a round blade and a scalpel.

I entered awkwardly and he shut the door behind me, I froze.

"Take off the sweater." Panic rose in my throat and I reached for my knife.

"It'll just get in the way, and we could stain it." I exhaled deeply and peeled of my sweater setting it to the side.

"Lay down" he motion's to the bed, there is a plastic tarp covering half the bed, "beside it." I did as I was told.

"How old are you?" He asks while mixing together chemicals in a bowl, his back facing me.

"Nine-teen." I said curtly.

"Twenty year age gap." I barely caught as he muttered to himself.

"What was that?" I asked, curiosity hinting in my voice.

"I was just measuring out the amounts we need." He replied turning with a paintbrush and a bowl.
Maybe that's actually what I heard and I was just being paranoid.

He started to paint the transparent liquid along the cast.

"What is all that stuff?" I asked, filling in the empty spaces.

"Its a lot of acids mostly, it will dissolve the outer layer of the cast, the shell. There's a more mechanical way to do it but we don't have that type of equipment."

"So instead we're using a hand saw?"

I asked, not frightened that I would get hurt, just curious.

"Well this will make the outer layer of the shell pretty soft, just not soft enough for a scalpel, we just cut an inch deep, then the rest with a knife."

I nodded in understanding. As he works away.

Eventually he started to pull the cast off, I winced at first, my muscles and joints loosening. But then I felt a sense of relief. I sighed as he slid the last piece off.

"Thanks." I stated pulling my arm in and flexing.

"I need to examine the bone to be sure that everything is healed correctly." He stated grabbing for my arm.

I would have given it to him, until something on my wrist caught my attention, and I jerked back.

"I-I forgot I had to be at my new job." I stammered, heading for the door.

"But I need-" he shouted as I tramped down the stairs.

"I'm sure it's fine!" I hollered back exiting the house. Running towards our.
It couldn't possibly be what I thought.

Yet I ran, into the back yard, and kept running until I reached a small grove of trees lined up against the fence.

I sat there. Breathing between my knees.

Before I fully looked at it.

There, placed clearly on my wrist, was a bite mark.