Spider Monkey

Chapter Thirty - Six - Beth

( Notes: TW - Emotional and Violent :3 )

A lot happened after Gareth's group was taken care of.

Abraham, Eugene, Rosita, Tara, Glenn and Maggie left to get Eugene to DC.

Daryl and Merle came back without Carol but with a young boy named Noah. Noah told Rick where Beth and Carol were and how to get them back from where they were kept.

As Rick, Daryl, Merle, Tyreese got ready to go with Noah to get Carol and Beth, Hedley showed Daryl a card.

'I'm going with you'.

"No." Daryl shot down.

Hedley underlined the note, stubborn.

"No." Daryl said again.

Merle came over, "Ya still recoverin', lil' Dixon. Don't go pushin' yourself now."

Hedley wrote something down. 'I want to help bring them back'.

The Dixon brothers looked at one another.

"It's your kid not mine, baby bro." Merle shrugged, going back over to pack his bag.

Daryl looked between his brother and Hedley's note then let out a big sigh, "Fine. But you do exactly as I say. No runnin' off, no talkin' back, no gettin' yourself hurt again. Got it?"

Hedley nodded. Daryl hugged him tightly.

"He has you wrapped round his lil' finger, bro." Merle said, smirking.

"Yeah. Yeah." Daryl rolled his eyes, "I'm raisin' a soldier."

Hedley grinned as best he could, twitching in pain as his stitches pulled.

"We're going to a hospital." Rick reminded, gesturing to Hedley, "Might be wise to swipe some meds and stuff for his face."

Daryl agreed with a grunt while Merle was already at the door, yelling out, "Come on! We'll lose light if we keep washing each other's ass'! I wanna get ma woman back!"

"So, Carol's your woman now?" Daryl smirked, nudging him.

"Better be after what we did the other night."

Daryl's nose wrinkled and so did Hedley's - as best he could due to his tight scabs. It made Merle belly laugh at the sight.

*****

They got hostages for the exchange, they made their way up the stairs of the hospital, silent.

Merle kept close to Hedley, the boy looking around at the white walls, inspecting every detail.

They entered the hallway, and four officers were waiting, guns drawn. When Dawn ordered the officers to holster their weapons, the group got closer, holstering their own weapons.

Carol was wheeling in a wheelchair, being pushed by Beth, a doctor by their side.

Seeing Beth and Carol made Hedley whine, attempting to go over but was stopped by Merle. "Not yet." He whispered, eyes on Carol.

Carol looked back at Merle, a small sigh of relief escaping her lungs.

"They haven't been harmed." Informed Rick.

"Where's Lamson?" Dawn asked.

"Rotters got him. We saw it go down." Said the hostages.

"I'm sorry to hear that. He was one of the good guys." Dawn said, nodding to Rick, "One of yours for one of mine."

"All right." Rick let go of the hostages, watching them move. Beth pushed Carol, carefully making their way back to the group.

Beth saw Hedley and gasped at his face, "Spider Monkey. What- Oh my god." Tears filled her eyes as she hugged the boy tightly. Hedley whined with excitement, bouncing up and down on his toes as he smiled up at Beth. He didn't mind the pain it caused.