Complicated ✔

Ch. 92 - Nightmares And Mourning

KATHRYN'S POV

I watched as two of the officers that were with our group walked back to where I sat in the wheel chair with Beth behind me. The others that had been in front of us moved so that she could push me forwards until we were completely in view of Dad and the others. "They haven't been harmed," Dad called out to the woman who was in charge here at the hospital. I looked up at her before turning my attention back to Dad, noticing Daryl in the back slightly who had his eyes on only me.

"One of yours for one of mine," I heard the woman say from beside me. I looked up at here again and watched as she waited to see what Dad would do. "Alright," Dad agreed before looking to Daryl who pushed the officer in front of him towards us. I felt the chair I was in move before looking up to realize it wasn't Beth who was pushing me. I turned my attention back to Daryl as he stood there waiting halfway down the hall before the guy pushing me stopped and grabbed his partner's arm before walking off. "You alright," Daryl asked in a whisper behind me as he pushed me back to the others.

"Yeah," I whispered before reaching up with my hand and placing it gently on his just as we reached the others. I smiled up at Dad before we moved off to the side so that Dad could finish the deal. As Dad walked down the hallway with the last cop, Daryl helped me up out of the chair and kept his arm wrapped around me. I watched as the final move of the deal went down without a problem, and beth was back with us. But as we went to turn around and leave, that woman spoke up again. "Now all I need is Noah," she said.

"That wasn't part of the deal," Dad said walking up to her. "Noah was my ward," she said unphased, "I'm losing Beth. So I want him back." I looked to the guy as he walked up to Dad, Beth following behind before he spoke up saying it was okay. I watched, shaking my head. From what Beth told me, he wanted to escape so he could get back home. So why give it all up now? Especially for a bunch of strangers. "It's not okay," I whispered as I hopped forward still in Daryl's arms as he moved forward too.

I stood there watching helplessly as everything seemed to go downhill, fast. Noah walked up to that woman, going with her almost willingly if it wasn't for the fact that he really wanted to go home. Beth ran up to him, hugging him before lifting her head to look at that woman again before moving to stand before her. "Beth what are you doing," I whispered more to myself than anything, but I know Daryl heard me as he squeezed my waist. I never caught what Beth said to her before the sound of a gunshot went off. Daryl dropped me to the floor the second Beth fell, shooting the woman who now had a pair of scissors in her shoulder.

I bolted up right, my pulse pounding in my ears as I looked around, my surroundings finally reaching my eyes as they adjusted to the dark. That dream, no nightmare, was of the events that'd happened three weeks ago. I've had them every night since, which is why I sleep alone, only just barely in eye sight of who was on watch that night. Daryl's distanced himself since Beth's death and I can't blame him. Hell, I'm taking it hard too. I sat up from where I was sleeping, determining sleep would be impossible now. Damn, today was going to be a long day.

Everyone was suffering by the time we were on our way again. We'd lost Tyreese not too long after Beth, and so Sasha had tunnel vision and wanted to kill every walker in sight. We were low on supplies, and Dad thought it wise to just wait until the time was right. Daryl kept wandering off, I'd hope to find supplies, but I knew otherwise. I'd only seen him cry once, and I could tell from the look in his eyes that he was trying hard not to cry in front of everyone.

DARYL'S POV

We were getting lower and lower on supplies the longer we walked. Glenn tried to get me to drink some water, going on about how we could only survive together. I wanted to be alone right now so I just walked off into the woods to find me a place to sit and think. I'd be able to catch up with everyone when I was ready. As I walked through the woods, I came across this old abandoned barn, not too far from everyone else. Figuring this was good enough, I sat down next to a tree, lighting one of the last cigarettes I had on me before taking a hit from it.

I looked down at the tattoo I had on my hand, in the webbing between my thumb and fore finger, before taking the cigarette from my mouth and putting it out right there on the tattoo. I felt numb, I didn't even feel the burn from it. But as I dropped the now extingushed cigarette to the ground, everything that'd ahppened hit me all at once. I looked up at the sky as the tears slowly started to slip down my face. I didn't even move when I heard footsteps walking up behind me moments before a pair of arms wrapped around my shoulders.

KATHRYN'S POV

I don't care if he didn't want me to follow him, I did anyway. I stood back watching what he did, but when he started crying, I felt myself walk over to him and wrap my arms so that my left arm was under his left arm and my right arm was over his right shoulder. I placed my head on his shoulder, just sitting there and holding him as he finally lifted his arm up and placed his hand on mine. "Did you mean what you said," he finally whispered in a hoarse voice, "back in Atlanta when we were in that van?"

"Yes," I whispered without lifting my head. We sat in more silence before I lifted my head up and looked at him from where I was, chin resting on his shoulder. "Daryl what happened between you and Beth before you found me," I asked before watching him turn to look at me. I'd never force him to tell me, but I couldn't curve my curiosity on what had happened the few days I wasn't around.

So I didn't know if I would get to post today because my signal keeps going in and out cause of the weather. Anyway I know I keep insinuating something between Daryl and Beth, don't know if I plan to follow through with it, but I am open to suggestions if y'all want something there.
- Kenz