Don't Leave Me

Chapter Twelve

I didn't move from Beth's side after I woke up.

I said I wouldn't leave her and I meant it.

Beth wouldn't talk to me but she would clutch onto me.

Beth would play with my hair as I cuddled into her side.

"I love you, Dru." She whispered.

"Love you too, Bethie," I whispered back, kissing her cheek.

The day passed by slowly, Maggie would come in with meals and Hershel would come in to check our bandages.

"Do you want to go outside for some fresh air?" Maggie questioned as Beth slept.

"No." I shake my head. "I'm good."

"Dru, you're paler than a sheet. Let's go outside."

"No, I told Beth that I wouldn't leave her." I insist.

"Ten minutes. Please?" Maggie begged.

I looked at Beth's sleeping face.

"Eight." I counter.

"Deal." Maggie moved forward and pulled off the bed and into her arms as she carried me outside.

We get outside and Maggie sets me in her lap as she sits on the rocking chair.

Glenn takes a seat on the one next to us.

"Hey, buddy." He greets, reaching out to ruffle my hair.

I can see Maggie watch Andrea as she works on the watch.

"Is it her fault?" I question causing the pair to look at me.

"What?" Glenn scrunched his face up in confusion.

"Is it my sister's fault that Beth's hurt?" I clarify.

"Sort of," Maggie admits.

"Is it my fault?" I then question.

"No, not at all." Glenn rushes to answer me.

"Oh." I look at the barn. "How much longer?"

"Six minutes," Maggie tells me as Glenn stares at her funny.

"Six minutes until what?" He looks at me.

"Six minutes until I can go back inside." I clarify.

"Hey, how about we go visit the horses in the stable," Glenn suggests.

My face lights up and I nod furiously. "Yes!"

Glenn stands up and stretches before taking me from Maggie.

"I'll take him for a little bit." He tells her and Maggie reluctantly nods.

Glenn carries me to the stables where we see the horses.

I pet them and feed them treats, being careful around Nelly.

"Hey, Glenn." I suddenly break the silence to ask a question that has been nagging me.

"Yeah?" Glenn pets one of the horses.

"Why do people hurt on the inside?"

Glenn stopped and turned me on his hip so he could look at me. "What makes you say that?"

"Beth says that she was hurting on the inside. She said that there's only one way to get rid of it. She hurt herself." I explain.

"Well..." Glenn seems to struggle to find the right words. "Sometimes, people get sad. They get so sad that they feel... like hurting something. Most of the time, they want to hurt themselves. They feel that by hurting something else, the hurt in their brain will go away. Beth was hurting in her brain, she was really sad that her mom and brother died. She thought that the only way to make the hurt go away was to make her body stop working. But there are better ways."