"You're gonna get out, B" The boy spoke from beside Beth, "Your group is gonna come get you two. You'll see your sister again, and she'll see her dad, you'll both be fine." He looked to the girl who sat staring straight forward, the girl who made no effort to respond.Beth hadn't left the floor of Rowen's hospital room since she entered just under a day ago. The blonde couldn't comprehend that the plan she had made to save herself and the girl, put the girl in worse condition.
The girl in question laid on an old hospital bed unmoving, the bullet hole in her shoulder that did nothing to hide the multitude of cigarette burns littering her skin. Beth understood now why the girl always had a jacket on no matter how hot it was. She knew the reason that Rowen's father was exiled from the prison, but she had no idea any human being could do something of that level to a child.
Beth started to believe Daryl's drunken words more and more every day. Maybe she wouldn't ever see Maggie again, and maybe Rowen would never see Daryl again. The blonde didn't know much of what would happen to Rowen if she didn't wake up soon, but one thing she did know was that if that girl died, Daryl would lose yet another person he was close to; and even though the man refused to admit it, he saw the girl as his daughter, even if it was just subconsciously.
"We're getting out. Not just me and her, but you too." Beth spoke for the first time since she entered the room, and as she looked at Connor, her eyes held a sort of determination, one that the boy had never seen from the girl before.
★
When Rowen woke up, the only thing she felt was pain. Her shoulder, her head, her ribs. Every inch of her body hurt. She couldn't move, she couldn't open her eyes, but she could hear. The conversation that seemed to be happening right above her was loud, almost intolerable.
"I was like you when I was younger," The same unknown voice from before spoke, "Nobody could tell me anything." she laughed quietly, "I'm not stupid." her voice was louder than before, gaining volume with every word.
"You know her, and somehow you both wound up here. Maybe that means something." The woman paused "You can be a part of this thing. All three of you. This is important, maybe the most important thing you do in your life." She stopped for a moment, silence encasing the room.
"What you did back there..." She stopped again, the pause longer than the last. "Gorman and O'Donnell hurt people. The world didn't lose anything when they died." The pounding in Rowen's head increased, as the seconds ticked by, Rowen was able to move her fingers, then her arms, her head, then her eyes. When her vision unblurred, she saw the cop sitting on the foot of the bed, she saw Beth and Connor next to each other on the ground, and she saw how defeated the two looked.
☆
As Beth helped Rowen into a wheelchair, and rolled her down a long hallway, some of the hope the girl had lost in the parking lot yesterday was returned. Beth told her the group was there, that everyone had come to save them. Rowen was skeptical, she didn't think Rick would risk the lives of the entire group for two people, but as she rounded the corner she saw them.
They stood at the opposite end of the hallway, three cops held by three members of the group. Rowen gained a little more hope then. Beth grabbed the girl's hand, squeezing gently. As their group walked closer, Dawn motioned for the two girls to step forward.
"They haven't been harmed," Rick spoke.
"Where's Lamson?"
"Rotters got 'im" One female cop spoke from the other side of the hall.
"We saw it go down." The male cop added.
"Oh," Dawn started, "I'm sorry to hear that, he was one of the good guys." Nobody spoke for a beat, the hallway filled with a tense silence. Until Dawn broke it once more "One of yours for one of mine."
Rick nodded for Daryl to hand over the man he was holding, as a cop from Dawn's side rolled Rowen to the middle. As soon as the girl was within reach Daryl was pulling her towards the group, "Ya good?" He spoke quietly. Rowen nodded, talking seemed like too much work at the moment.
Beth followed the girl shortly after, Rick hugging the girl as she reached him. When the blonde stopped next to the girl, her voice rang out, "He's coming too." her voice held finality, Rowen knew there was no way the girl was leaving without him.
Rick motioned for the boy to walk, Connor looked to Dawn who nodded silently while staring at Rick. "Glad we could work things out." As the group began to leave, she added to her original statement. "Now I just need Noah." Everyone turned at her words. "And then you can leave." she finished.
"That wasn't part of the deal," Both Rick and Noah walked toward Dawn,
"Noah was my ward, Beth took his place and I'm losing her and Connor, so I need him back." Dawn looked scared, like she thought Rick would just kill her on the spot, Rowen didn't think that was too far out of the question.
A cop began to speak from behind her, but Dawn quickly shut her down. It was all too loud for Rowen, her head felt heavy, and the ringing in her ears was getting worse by the second. She couldn't bring herself to listen to the conversation around her, and by the time she understood what was happening, Beth was leaving her side and walking towards Noah who now stood on the opposite end of the hallway.
She hugged the boy as they exchanged goodbyes, Rowen didn't know the boy very well, but she could tell Beth had found a friend in him during her time there.
"I knew you'd be back," Dawn said as she looked at the pair, Beth's hands dropped off of Noah's shoulders, she let go of the boy completely when she stepped towards Dawn.
"I get it now," Beth stated.
Rowen watched as Beth pulled a small pair of scissors from the cast on her arm, she watched as Beth stepped even closer towards Dawn. The red haired girl stood immobile as she watched, it all happened too fast.
Ten seconds ago the blonde stood next to her, four seconds ago the blonde was hugging Noah, two seconds ago the blonde stood in front of Dawn, and one second ago the blonde drove the tiny scissors into the cop's chest; and now, as a gunshot reverberated off of the walls around them, Rowen couldn't bring herself to look at the scene before her.
She knew, in her gut, what had happened, she just knew that Dawn had killed Beth; but when she opened her eyes and saw Dawn collapsed on the floor with a bullet in her brain and Connor standing, with a gun pointing towards where Dawn stood just seconds ago, there was a collective sigh of relief that washed over the group.
The entire group had seen the way Dawn raised her gun, the way she was ready to kill Beth, and if Connor hadn't stepped in, Beth would be dead, and Maggie would never see her sister again.
✰ Hey everyone!! Sorry that this chapter is so short and so boring, I wrote this at 2 am and I'm so tired I can't be bothered to write anything else right now. Another chapter will hopefully be out this week at some point but don't get too excited. Anyways there's only 5 more chapters of act 2 and I so ready for act 3..
Don't forget to comment, and vote !
-Sadie⭐️
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