Daryl's Angel (Book One in the Apocalypse Angel Trilogy)

Chapter 22: New Feelings

I'm in the bedroom, watching Hope's chest rise and fall slowly with my hands clenched in my lap. She looks like hell. Her face is pale and her grey t-shirt is damp with cold sweat. Most of the material has been cut away, so it looks sort of like a crop top. The bullet wound can be seen, but she's still covered.

I'm glad they did. Might as well give the poor girl some privacy. I remain rooted by her side, and Carl comes in.

"Hey Daryl," he says awkwardly.

I glance at him. "Hey kid."

He sits down next to me, watching Hope.

"Do you like her?" he asks after a moment.

I raise and eyebrow and glare at him. He squirms under my gaze and I almost smirk.

"She's my friend," I answer gruffly.

"Mine too."

"She's friends with everybody..." I think.

Hershel walks in, his mouth pressed together in a straight line. Good timing too. I don't need this kid asking me about my love life.

"I explained the surgery to you," he says to me.

"Yeah."

"You're in charge right now. Both of you have got to make some decisions, as this girl's friends."

I sigh and rub my knuckles, thinking.

"You've done this surgery before?" I ask.

"Yes, in a sense."

"In a sense? What's that supposed to mean?" Carl asks, curious.

"So, you are a doctor, right?" I ask, not waiting for an answer to Carl's question.

"Of course. A vet," Hershel says.

I cuss under my breath. "So...so...what? You've done this surgery on cows? Pigs?" I ask, my voice angry as I stand up. "Hope ain't an animal."

"I'm well aware of that, but I'm her only chance."

I start to feel dizzy from the blood I've donated and sit back down, gritting my teeth. Carl watches me anxiously.

"Listen...this girl is the one person who can stand bein' around me," I say quietly. "You're in completely over your head, aren't you?"

"Aren't we all?"

----------

It's dark out, and Shane and Otis still haven't returned. Hershel, Carl, and I are still in the room with Hope.

"Her pressure is dropping again," Hershel reports. "We can't wait much longer."

"Take more blood, take everythin' you need," I say, holding out my arm.

"You're giving too much, you'll barely stay on your feet," Hershel says.

I grumble something unintelligible under my breath, and Carl stares at me, his face serious.

"Hope needs you, and I can't do this by myself." He shakes his head, looking to the ground. "If you pass out or...or something, I'll be alone. I don't want that."

I glare at Hershel. "If she needs blood, take it from me. I can make more...or however that biology stuff works."

Hershel sighs and nods, setting up the IV. Time keeps going by slowly, and I can only watch her. I don't know what it is about this girl, but I just can't stop looking at her. She's got me thinking about her constantly, and now I'm giving my own blood so she can have a chance to live longer.