Farmer's Daughter (Daryl Dixon Love Story)

Chapter 64

Melinda's POV

"Don't do this. Please. Let me help." I scream. My feet hit every stair as I get dragged down them.

"Rick please." My voice rings seconds before the door is slammed in my face and locked.

"Dammit let me in. Let me help him." My voice is raw as I beat on the wooden door.

"Stop it." A hand grabs my shoulder and pulls me down so I'm sitting on the top stair of the porch.

"How can you just sit here and do nothing?" I scream up to the older Dixon.

"We can't help him!" He sits next to me, his face hard. "If we stayed then we would have been in the way. And if that bullet doesn't kill him, that surly will." He pulls out a pack of cigarettes and shakily lights one.

"Yer covered in blood." He brings it to my attention. I look down at myself for the first time since the accident. My black bra was the only thing covering my upper body, bringing to my attention how cold it is out.

The entire front of my torso was covered in sticky crimson blood. My jeans stuck to my skin as it soaked up the liquid.

I look down at my hands, seeing the red stain that would now forever be with me.

The last hours events now catch up to me, making my stomach churn. I lean over the stairs and empty my insides. My body shakes as I begin to cry again. Fearing I'd never see him again. Just being stuck with this memory.

I feel warm fabric gently lay on my back. It's warmth gives me goose bumps. I use the railing above me to sit up and look at the man next to me. I nod my head, thanking him once I see his now bare arms. I pull my arms through the sleeves of the thin material, then lay my head in my hands.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do without him." I wipe my wet face, smearing blood across it in the process.

"Ye ain't gonna have to find that out anytime soon. He's gonna be fine." He pulls a rag from his pants pocket and gestures for me to lean closer.

"But what if he's not. What if he's not going to be fine and he dies." Merle wipes roughly at the drying fluid, staying quiet as he does so.

"I should have told him Merle." I reach up and grab his hand from moving. His hard eyes meet mine. "I should have told him a long time ago. And now, I may never get to." I drop my hands to my sides. His eyes soften before he turns away, looking out at the truck we came back in.

"He thinks I don't care about him." I shake my head as I think about the night at the cabin. "He couldn't be more wrong, but I didn't correct him. I just stood there like a fool. I listened to him say how he felt, and I listened to the hurt in his voice. And I continued to do it to this day. And for what? Because I was scared. I was scared of losing him. And I may just have lost him." I take the pack of cigarettes from his hand and bring one to my lips. I cup the flame as I bring it to my face. It warms my cold skin as the end of the stick becomes red as it lights. Smoke rolled from my parted lips as I close my eyes.

"I've never seen him like this." He meekly speaks up.

"Like what?" I take another drag of the cigarette, it becoming shorter with each puff.

"Open." He simply says. I blow the white cloud above us before looking to his tan face for a better explanation.

"I've never seen him as close to something, as he is to ye and these people. Hell, I've known him for thirty six years." He shakes his head, still looking out at the open doored truck. "He's not cold anymore. He's opening to y'all. I've never seen that." I nod my head, not wanting to push him any further. It was what he needed to get off of his chest, much like myself.

"Yer good for him." He cleans under his fingernails with his metal armor. "He may get irritated, and he may lash out. But he's never told a woman he loves them. So don't give up on him." His voice may have been gruff, and monotoned, but I could here the care behind it. I could see the meaning behind it. I nodded my head understandingly.

I flick the end of the Marlboro into the grass ahead of me, not bothering to put out the little flame left.

I could hear commotion coming from the house, but I didn't bother to move. I wouldn't be getting in anytime soon.

The commotion gave me a little hope. Knowing that they were running around meant they were busy keeping him alive.

I rock back and forth slightly, seeing Merle rub over his face from the corner of my eye.

"What's taking them so long?" He grumbles.

"Could be a lot of things." I whisper. Before my mind could begin to think of the plethora of options, I hear the lock on the door being undone. 

"Greene." I quickly stand to my feet to see Mike blocking the doorway. "He needs blood. He's AB positive." I blankly stare at him as I begin to put two and two together.

"Can you handle this?" I nod my head once before he opens the door all the way, letting me dart past.

"What the hell os she doing up here?" I hear my father yell as he makes eye contact with me. "Hold him down." Daryl squirms as my dad digs into his bullet wound, most likely getting a chunk of it out.

"They have the same blood type. Without her, he dies." Mike sets me next to Daryl in the floor and hands the man the iv.

"Melinda." His voice warns.

"Just do it dad." I hold my arm for him to stick my vein. Daryl thrashes as Rick holds down his shoulders, Maggie comes from behind to hold his arm still, allowing the needle to be stuck into his arm.

I quickly see the red blood slide down the tube, getting closer and closer to the man.

"There's just one more piece that has to come out. Then we're done." My heart pounded as my dad then began to search his wound. Daryl's muffled screams could be heard through the cloth in his mouth. I turn my head from the gory scene, moments later hearing the familiar ring of metal hitting metal.

Daryl's body falls limp as dad puts the fragment in a nearby tin. Rick lets his tight grip on his shoulders go, as I stare in relief.

A needle and thread repeatedly was pulled through his wound, closing it from all bacteria.

"Done." My father sighs. He grabs a nearby rag and begins to wipe his hands. "The bullet managed to miss all vital organs, only penetrating the soft tissue on his side. He should be awake by tomorrow, and be able to move around the house within a few days." A smile breaks out on my face, a choked sob leaves my lungs as my hand covers my mouth.

"I'll come back up in a few and unhook you both, but for now we'll leave you two alone." My dad stands to his feet and begins walking down the stairs. Rick squeezes my shoulder before him and Maggie follow short after.

I reach out and softly touch the mans face. The color was already returning to his cheeks.

"Daryl?" I softly ask. He doesn't move, telling me he's out like a light.

"I should have told you long ago. I should have told you when we were with the Claimers, and I should have told you at the cabin.

"Almost losing you today made me realize that I may not have forever. And I don't know what will happen from me telling you, but at least you'll know." I move my focus from his face, and down to his hand. I lace my fingers between his, pulling it up to my dry lips, and leaving a small kiss.

"I should have told you that I love you."

A/N

Okay she's closer. She told him. But he wasn't awake... so baby steps.

Vote and comment my children

-Melinda