Never Have I Ever Fallen in Love

Chapter 24

"Patrica! I need help!" I heard Hershel's voice boom through the Greene's house. Me and Maggie looked at each other in alarm. We were currently sat together in Maggie's room talking about...well...anything. I hadn't really done anything today, nor did I feel like it since the sick feeling in my stomach from the thought of Daryl having to go through something by himself had firmly placed itself there and refused to move, no matter what I tried. It had started getting dark a while back and I was planning on going back down to the tent to see if Daryl had got back yet. I wouldn't have been overly surprised if he wasn't but you never know."Bethy. You too." Hershel's voice sounded again, this time with urgency in his voice.

"What's happened!?" I wondered out loud to Maggie as I got up from my seat. She frowned deeply and got up to, then we both ran towards the door, through it, down the hallway, down the stairs and towards the shouting and banging in the spare room downstairs.

"I said I can do it by myself." a voice hissed and my heart dropped along with my mouth. Without thinking, I flew towards the closed door and opened it in to look at the scene that was undergoing inside. Tears started forming in my eyes as I looked towards the bed and saw, to my horror, Daryl laying there with numerous deep gashes across his torso and a beat and bruised face.

"Son, you was found collapsed. Who knows how long you was out there for. Accept our help. We're doing it from the goodness of our hearts." Daryl grunted in reply then pressed the heel of his right hand into his eye.

"W...what happened?" I stuttered out, walking in to come face to face with the hard glance that came from Daryl.

"Noth..."

"He was found near his tent by one of your group with these wounds and they bought him up. They could be deadly if we don't treat them now. You're going to bleed out or they could get infected." 

My eyes widened and I rushed forward to Daryl's bedside and balled my fists up desperately. "No. No, no, no. Please. Please, Hershel, do something. Please, I'm begging." I bit my lip and didn't look down at Daryl. I knew he would be sending me a 'what the fuck?' look but I didn't care. He might think I don't care that much about him but I do. 

Daryl started groaning from where he was layed and I glanced down at him quickly. He now had both hands on his face and he was writhing in the bed. Hershel glanced behind him to Patricia and Beth and nodded as a silent 'let's do this'. They both nodded then busied themselves with their jobs. Beth advanced on Daryl and pressed a damp towel to his cuts, making him groan. I didn't miss the blush on her face as she continued to clean Daryl's cuts on his muscly and very much naked chest and stomach. I clenched my jaw and puffed out an angry puff of air. She glanced up at me in surprise then quickly back down when she saw the look on my face. Her gaze was now set firmly on the bed next to Daryl's body. Hershel and Patricia was getting the things ready that they required to sew Daryl's cuts up and was doing so silently until Hershel suddenly spoke up.

"Maybe it's best if you leave, Scout." he muttered, concentrating on the task on hand. I raised my eyebrows and barked out a mocking laugh.

"Yeah, sure." I said in a sarcastic voice and I felt a hand on either of my shoulders.

"C'mon, girl. Let's get you outta here. This ain't gonna be pretty." Maggie  muttered in my ear and I jerked my shoulders out of her grasp.

"I'm staying." I snarled and, just to prove my point, plonked myself down on the chair next to the bed. Maggie sighed then walked back and closed the door. She turned and stood, watching the whole scene. Hershel shook his head in the corner of my eye as I stared at Daryl and silently willed him to be ok.