Mute

E L E V E N

"Have you seen dad?" I ask Maggie. He disappeared after the barn incident and I can't find him.

"No. Did you check his room?" 

"Yeah, all I found was a flask." I sign

"Oh no." Was all Maggie said before rushing outside. Maybe Beth has seen him. 

I walk up stairs and into Beth's room, seeing the bathroom door slightly open. I walk in and find her in the bath and both wrists sliced open.

Oh my god! Panicking, I reached my arms into the warm water and picked her up. I rush her into her bed and go get some bandages. I bandage them and rush down stairs.

I run into the kitchen, being greeted by Patricia and Andrea.

"What's wrong Nicole?" Patricia asks, drying her hands.

"Beth." I sign frantically, waving my hand for her to follow then rushing up stairs. She follows me up stairs and into Beth's room.

"My God!" Patricia exclaims, going over to Beth and checking her pulse. "Faint. Go get Maggie."

I nod and run back down stairs, tripping and falling. I get back up and run some more. I go to Maggie who was talking to Rick and then try to sign Beth but end up failing.

"What is it?" Maggie asks, as i sign her name again then point to the house. Maggie sighs and nods to Rick before going to the house with me. I bring her up to Beth's room and watch her freak out and rush to our sister's side.

"Nicole, i'm gonna need some room. Maggie get me the iv." 

"I'm coming!" I sign Rick, taking one of the guns Rick had laid out. 

*Time skip*

"Nicole, I don't think you should with you being pregnant and all." Rick pressed his lips together in a line, as I rolled my eyes.

"Let's go!" I sign, opening the car door just for it to be shut again. I turned and looked at Daryl, his eyes were filled with anger. I shove his hand off of the door and try reopening it but he wont let me.

"No Nicole." He growled, grabbing my shoulder and pulling me back way from the vehicle. I stomp on his toe and shrug off his hand, turning and opening the door. He doesn't understand sign language and i left my dry erase board in my room, so i've got to show him through motions that i'm going one way or another.

"I'm ready." Glenn said, coming up to us, fixing his hat that Zoey keeps messing with. Rick nodded and got upfront, while Glenn got in the passengers side.

"The longer we stand here and fight about this, the longer Beth has to wait and the longer your father is in trouble, so move Nicole and go stay in the house." Daryl snapped, narrowing his eyes and getting closer to me. I huff and walk away, bumping shoulders with Daryl and going into the house. He was too stubborn and Beth needs dad. On the porch was Patricia and Maggie, talking about something, deep into the conversation.

I walk into the house and see Andrea sitting at the kitchen table. Whos watching Beth? I walk past her and up the stairs to find Beth not in bed, i panic and kick open the bathroom door, finding her crying and again with her wrist bleeding. I grab her and take her to the bed, wrapping and cleaning her wrist, as she past out. 

I ran down stairs, ready to kill them for leaving her alone. I found all three in the kitchen. They all look at me weirdly.

"What is it Nicole?" Patricia asked again. I grabbed one of dad's notebooks and a pencil and wrote.

"Why was no one watching Beth?"

"Andrea was supposed to be." Maggie responds, glancing at Andrea.

"I left her alone cause she asked me too." Andrea explained, with a small shrug.

"I found her crying, on the bathroom floor with her wrist sliced open again, you idiot!"

"If that's what she wants, why stop her?" Andera asked, again shrugging. That was all it took. I threw down everything I had in my hands and attacked her. I punched in the lip, busting it. She went to hit me back but Maggie pulled her away as Patricia did to me.

"You are not welcome in this house anymore." Maggie said calmly,  pushing Andrea out the door and slamming it in her face, turning and going up stairs. 

"Calm down. Go take a shower, read a book and relax." Patricia whispered to me and squeezed my shoulder, then walked up stairs behind Maggie.

*Time skip*

After my freak out on Andrea I took a long, relaxing shower, then read my favorite book. The Fifth Wave. I was about to start the third chapter when i heard the door slam. I sigh, get out of my bed and walk down stairs. They were back.

Dad rushed around, digging through his cabinets, making fear someone was hurt. Please not Daryl. 

"Nicole, have you seen my peroxide?" Dad asked, still looking around. I walked past him, into the room we held Carl and grabbed the peroxide off of the nightstand beside the bed. I walked back to him and handed it to him. "Thanks." He mumbled rushing up stairs as Daryl came in. His eyes locked on mine, and they stayed there. If i couldn't win against him when we were arguing about me going, i'm gonna win this staring contest! 

"Nicole." Daryl said firmly. I didn't do anything, I stared blankly at him, fighting back a blink. He finally blinked and came closer to me, as I backed away. With each step he took closer to me, the furth back I would go until I hit the cabinet. "Nicole." He repeated, grabbing my sides and pulling me closer to him. We we're so close that our noses were touching.

I stared at him wide eyed. I didn't expect him to do this, not after this morning. His blue eyes glared into mine as a tiny smirk came onto his face. I glared back, equally as hard, but didn't move.

"Don't give me that look." Daryl warned, his grip tightening on me. I rolled my eyes and smirked, giving him a 'or what' look. "Don't test me babe." Babe. That word made an explosion of fireworks set off inside me. 

I raised my eyebrow and slightly smiled. He knows what he's doing and he's loving it. His smirk grew as he bent down and kissed me. The kiss was full of passion, but was hinted with bit of roughness and eagerness. 

I kissed him back, with the same emotion laced in it. This boy. 

"Daryl?" A voice called out, walking into the house and letting the front door slam, making us jump away from each other. Rick came in, talking about how we needed to plan on how we were gonna keep food on the table during winter, but that didn't stop Daryl from staring me down and smirking. I knew I was blushing a deep shade a red which caused Rick to give us a weird look.

"Sounds good." Daryl said casually, as if we didn't just kiss. Rick nodded and satisfied and walked away, leaving us alone once more.

"Patricia get me the bandage." Dads voice was heard from upstairs, as he did his work. 

"I've gotta go, Nicole. See you around." He winked and walked out, like nothing even happened. What?