Mushaboom • Daryl Dixon

40

Rachel

My eyes shot open as I felt excruciating pain. I gasped instantly. It took my eyes a few seconds to adjust. I had no clue where I was or sense of surrounding until I could make out the woman next to me, and the uniform she was wearing. I tried to think of why I was even here, but I couldn't remember. I started to freak.

"What the hell is going on?!" I gritted through my teeth. "What happened?!"

"Miss Marquez, you've been in a car accident-"

My heart dropped and my ears were pounding, "Where's Daryl?!"

"He's already at the hospital. They're helping him now; he will be okay." She spoke slowly, trying to keep me calm.

I nodded quickly, breathing, while trying to adjust to the pain in my lower left side of my stomach. My eyes widened and I started to get worked up but the paramedic took my hand and hushed me calmly, I looked to her and my eyes watered, my voice was broke, "I'm pregnant." Her expression shifted, but she nodded slowly, "Okay, we're gonna take care of you."

I started crying, fear was all I could feel, apart from the pain that was becoming too intense. My chest was pounding, and I started to zone out, and my vision blurred. I managed to speak weakly, "My parents-"

"They're already on their way to the hospital, hang tight, you're doing great Rachel." I nodded and felt my sight leaving me.

Rachel

There was nothing but a dull aching pain on my head and stomach. I tried to lift my head but it was to heavy, it took a second, but I managed to open my eyes. I looked around and saw that I was in a hospital room. I saw my mom eating in the corner, and my dad next to her, staring at the wall, unaware that I was up. I look down to my arm and saw I was hooked up to an IV. My mind started but I mentally walked myself through it. We were driving. We got hit. Daryl's okay.. Am I okay? The baby?

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. My eyes watered but I wouldn't cry, not yet. I looked back to my parents, "Mom?"

Both of their heads shot over to me and they stumbled to get up and over to my bed. My mom smiled at me, my dad looked scared, "Hey Rache." She held onto my hand but they didn't say anything. They're faces were hard to read, so I asked, "What happened?"

"Head on collision with a truck, the driver.. He fell asleep. You were pinned pretty bad- You had to have surgery.. Rachel.."

Her tone alone was telling. My stomach dropped and my heart began to pound.

"Rachel, you lost the baby.. your wound, the stress on your body, it was too much-"

Gone.. Daryl. "Where's Daryl?"

"He's alright Rachel-"

"W- he-"

"Ricky checked on him last night, he'll be okay."

I nodded, and the news again to set in. My eyes started to blur from tears I was holding back. Not yet. "Did, did you guys tell him? How is- is he-"

"He's fine. Ricky said he was up and talking-"

"Does he know?" They only stared back at me and I started to freak out. I couldn't catch my breath and I lost any handle I had on the pain and anxiety that was building up. "I have to see him-" I tried to sit up and was met with a sharp pain on my lower stomach. I gasped and they tried to lay me back down.