Daryl's POV
Hilltops scouters had found an abandoned hospital not to far from their community and Maggie had asked if some of us could come and help scout the place.
Me, Dani, Rick, Aaron, Jerry and Michonne had offered to go with them. Maggie along with Magna, Yumiko, Connie, Carol, Ezekiel and Tomi, Yumiko's brother she had found in another community, agreed to go.
We decided to split up and explore different parts in three different groups. Me, Dani, Aaron and Rick search the ground floor where the old reception is. We split up and search the different rooms.
I end up with the records room and go to search through it when I hear a crash. I run outside and see walkers gathering up outside the glass doors, some of them are even using rocks to try and smash the windows.
These walkers are different. They are somewhat intelligent. It reminds me of the first time we had come across the Whisperers, only these walkers are real.
"Block the doors!" Dani shouts, pulling a gurney over with her. "Aaron, help me with this." Aaron runs over and helps her wheel the bed in front of the doors just as the glass begins to break, just enough for one of the walkers to reach inside.
Aaron grabs it by its wrist and pulls it forward, before stabbing his knife through its head. As I move to help Rick, I see Aaron and Dani fighting off any walker that tries to get through as they try and keep the gurney in place.
Me and Rick used everything we could as the others ram down to help us, obviously hearing the crash. Everyone tries blocking the glass as I see Dani stop and stare out one of the large windows. Her eyes go wide and I follow to what she's looking at.
A walker holds a brick in both its hands and start banging against the glass. Tendrils from as the glass begins to break. As it starts to creak, all the other windows begin to crack. "We've got to go!" Carol yells.
We all start to run off as I hear Dani scream out the loudest she ever has. I turn around in time to see a walker dragging her arm through the window as her arm scrapes across the broken glass.
As I push through everyone to get to her, I see her pull out a knife and weakly stab the walkers head. She moves to pull out it once the walker drops and the force is too much as she falls backwards and her head slams against the solid floor tiles.
"NO!" I yell as I get to her. The glass around us breaks even more and walkers move to push through. I hook my arms under her limp body and lift her up, running away right as the glass completely shatters and walkers flood in.
******
"She got bit!"
"Put her on the table. Grabs some gauzes, anything you can find!"
"Find something to can use as a tourniquet, quickly!"
I block out all the voices as I lay Dani on a table as her eyes barely stay open. I place a pillow under her no doubt, pounding head to make her a bit more comfortable. I grip her left hand with all my strength, letting her know I'm here.
"D....Daryl...." She tries to speak as she whimpers in agony, and I tighten my grip on her hand. "Shhh, it's gonna be okay." My voice is quiet as tears drip down my cheeks. Rick stands behind me as he watches Tomi and Carol.
She cries out when Tomi grabs her arm and leans it on the cold surface. "Be careful." I snap at him as I watch her face scrunch up in pain. Carol ties a rubber band around her upper arm and she tries to move her arm out of reflex, only for Carol to hold it down.
"Someone needs to hold her down." Tomi tells us fast. "She's shuffling around to much and I won't be able to do it properly."
"I got her." My voice is scared as I put my free arm across her chest to hold her down, still clinging to her hand with my free one. I squinted my eyes close as I sniffle, gathering myself as I watch the love of my life in so much pain.
Tomi is cleaning all the blood he can whilst he waits for someone to bring over the gauzes and towels. He had to reach in and hold an artery that was spurting out blood and he applies a firm pressure, pushing the artery against the one to stop the blood flow.
He frowns as he looks down at her wound. "It's not a bite." My eyes shoot over to the man along with everyone else's. "W-what?" I gasp through my attempts at holding back a sob.
"It's too clean a cut, and there's glass in there." Tomi explains, remaining as calm as possible. "Trust me, I know the difference. Looks like when her arm was dragged across the glass, it got lodged in there but the walker didn't get to bite her in time."
I stare at the doctor in shock and Tomi gives me a small smile. "It's not a bite, Daryl." He confirms. Relief flushes over me, despite the urgency of the moment. Fresh tears build as I look down at my wife.
Carol and Maggie rush over with gauzes, starting to put pressure on her wound that travels from the inside of her elbow to her forearm. Tomi keeps a firm pressure on where the majority of the bleeding is coming from whilst also trying to clean the blood around the laceration.
Dani's eyes shut tightly and she's cries out. "S-STOP! STOP!" Tears leave the corner of her eyes as she frantically shakes her head and screams out. She sobs as she writhers on the table. "I.....I-I can't...."
"You're gonna be okay....you're gonna be okay." I tell her over and over again. It sounds like I'm trying to hold my own tears back, my voice strained, and a higher pitch than normal.
"I'm- I'm scared. I can't leave the boys or you." She whimpers through her sobs. "I know, I know." I feel tears dripping down my cheeks, my heart breaking. "Just breathe. Stay awake for me, okay?"
I look over to what Tomi and Carol are doing, my heart pounding at the heavily bleeding coming from her arm. Every time they wiped the blood away, fresh crimson blood took its place. I'm so thankful it's not a bite, but the pain she's in and the screams that are tearing out of her throat are enough to send me on the verge of a breakdown. Guilt floods me as I wish I could trade places with her and take her pain away.
She isn't bitten. That's all I had to focus on.
She's was not bitten.
The glass has gone deep. Too deep. There is so much blood, that it had created a trail along the ground as I carried her to the room and the blood soaked her shirt. Even the front of my shirt and jacket is stained with my wife's blood and the feeling of that alone is enough to kill me inside.
Blood is still pouring out, no matter how much Tomi and Carol try to stop it. Rick, Maggie and Aaron all stand around the table as they watch Dani with tears in their eyes. Everyone else is around the room watching nervously. I can hear Jerry biting his nails worriedly as he watches his best friend. Ezekiel and Connie bring more gauze over and try to help as much as they can.
But despite all their efforts, it seems like it's no use. Any gauge or bandage they use is immediately soaked through, rendering them futile.
Dani's eyes begin to roll back, her screams of pain turning into whimpers as she begins to lose consciousness. She no longer struggles against my hold. "Dani? No, no, no, no. Hey." I panic. "Nelle, stay with me. Stay with me, come on. Keep your eyes open baby, please." I'm sobbing now as tears stream down my face when I get no response and I can hear Rick crying next to me as he watches his sister.
"Please, please, stay awake. Don't do this to me, please." Still no response.
"She's losing to much blood." Tomi mumbles under this breath and I can hear the regret in his tone as he keeps trying to clean the wound. "Can't you just try and stitch it?" Rick questions loudly. "Do something!"
"I'm trying my best, but she's bleeding to quickly." Tomi sadly states. "The glass hit the ulnar artery. I'm holding it closed for now, but if she loses any more blood, which she will...." He shakes his head, clearly regretting what he's about to say. "She has minutes, maybe seconds."
I take my arm off of Dani's chest and hold it out to him. "Take blood from me." I demand. Tomi looks up at me. "I'm O-negative. Universal. My brother used to make me sell it when I was younger."
"Daryl, you do this and you could pass out-"
"You're wastin' time!" I growl before I look at Carol. "Do it." I tell her firmly and she nods. I couldn't give two shits about becoming weak for a bit. I don't care about my suffering if I have too much blood taken. A few days of mild wooziness would be nothing compared to the suffering I'd face if I lost Dani for good.
Carol gets to work on inserting a needle into my arm and then the other into Dani's . She moves back to helping Tomi clear up the wound, putting a lot of pressure on the artery with more gauze as they clean around the area. They finally get to a point where they can stitch up.
Her eyes are barely open to the point where I can't see the green irises I fell in love with years ago. She looks right at me and I can tell she's trying her best to stay awake. She uses all her strength to squeeze my hand.
I don't take my eyes away from her face, just watching her as she lay there. Her face is pale, not like the usual tan colour it normally is. Her eyes are red and swollen, and her tears are staining her cheeks.
"Stay awake for me darlin'." I whisper just to her. "Don't leave me like this. The boys need you." Reaching out with my finger, I wipe the tears away from her face, feeling the smoothness of her skin under my knuckles.
As Tomi is doing the stitches, I watch the rise and full of her chest as she breathed come to a stop. Her eyes drifting the rest of the way closed. Any strength she was using to grip my hand is immediately lost as her body goes limp on the table. The room is quiet except for mine and Rick's cries.
"No!" I stand up, letting go of her hand and shaking her shoulders a little. "No, no, no! She ain't breathin'!" Tomi tries to stitch her arm as fast as he can before the wound bleeds again. "Check for a pulse." He tells me urgently.
I did as instructed, putting my fingers on the side of Dani's neck. I swear my own heart stops when I desperately try to find my girls pulse.
I feel nothing.
I don't even speak as I start doing chest compressions. My ears are ringing, tears are still free falling down my cheeks, and it feels like everything is in slow motion. I can barely hear as the people in the room speak.
Carol and Tomi keep working on her wound, and when Tomi is finishing up, Carol moves around the bed to stand beside Rick, putting her hand on his back in support. She has tears of her own as she watches Dani.
"Come on." I begged pleadingly, grunting every time I pushed down on her heart. "Please baby, breathe for me. C'mon.....please I need you." My voice is high as I whimper. My life with Dani flashes before my eyes, a new image of her smile or laugh popping up in my mind with every compression I push into her chest, counting in my head.
"Dani. Dani Grimes."
One.
"I really want to kiss you."
"So kiss me."
Two.
"Just means I'll have to be near you more Dixon."
"I don't have a problem with that Grimes."
Three.
"I'm in love with you."
"I'm in love with you."
Four.
"You're a Dixon now baby."
"Yes I am. You're stuck with me now Dixon."
Five.
"You're mine."
"I'm yours."
Every image of her face is more faded than the rest. I fight through the memories in my head as I keep going, fighting for her life, and refusing to give up. My blood is still travelling through the thin tube, giving her life even now. I ain't giving up.
"Daryl...." Tomi calls me but I ignore him and continue going, never taking my eyes of my girl.
"Daryl."
"No."
"Daryl, she's lost too much blood." Tomi says quietly, his voice catching in his throat.
"Let him save her." Aaron mutters lowly. I keep going, not even remotely fatigued by my rough movements I was making to get the mother of my children's heart started again. They need her as much as I do. The sound of her heartbeat is one of the best sounds left on this earth and if I never hear it again or feel it, my own would stop.
I count again as more memories enter my mind before fading away again as they flash before my tear filled eyes.
One.
"You'll always be mine Dani Dixon."
"And you'll always be mine Daryl Dixon, in this life and the next."
Two.
"Do you know how much I love you?"
"I think I have an idea as I feel the same way."
Three.
"You are mine Nelle. I don't care what happens but you will always be mine and mine only."
"I'll always be yours."
Four.
"I'll always love you Daryl."
"I'll always love you Nelle."
Five.
I keep pressing down feeling my heart break when suddenly, her stomachs rises and her eyes shoot open as she sucks in a sharp breath, choking on air as her heart finally starts.
Everyone lets out sighs of relief as I suck in a gasp, reaching for my girls hand and gripping it tightly. Tomi runs to find an IV bag, as everyone else cries softly.
Dani's breaths are slow and wheezy, her throat dry. I'm no longer able to fight my sobs as I hunch over the bed and wrap her in a hug, burying my face in her neck. My tears spill from eyes as I cry, falling down my face and onto her neck and shoulder.
"I love you....I love you." I cry, pulling away from the hug and resting my forehead against hers. "I love you so much."
Her eyes are still flickering between open and closed as she does her best to look at me. She can barely lift her head up as she opens her mouth to try and speak. "I.....I lo- love you
t-too."
I choke out a sob as I press kisses all over her face, my lips trailing from her forehead, her temples, her cheeks, her nose, her jawline.....everywhere.
"What....what h-happened?" She stutters, her head lolling around on the pillow, in a complete daze.
Tomi appears beside me, setting up an IV bag and placing the needle in the back of her left hand. He removes the needle that is taking my blood and he gets a small cotton pad to stop the bit of bleeding on her inner elbow.
"Dani, you with us?" Tomi asks clearly. You're gonna be fine, you hear me? Just take deep breaths."
"Hmm." Her eyelids look heavy as she hums, barely nodding her head. She suddenly panics as she looks down at her arm that is finally bandaged and her breathing picks up. "I....I got b-bit."
"No baby, you didn't." I tell her quickly, moving her hair away from her face. "You didn't." Her eyebrows furrow in confusion. "You got cut by the glass when the walker grabbed you sis." Rick explains softly, standing right beside me, a look of relief on his face. "Went deep and you lost a lot of blood, but you're gonna be okay."
"So, I....I'm not g-gonna to leave our boys?" She asks shakily. "No." I whisper, shaking my head. "You're not gonna leave our boys baby. You're okay."
She bursts into tears. I lean over again, hugging her tightly with my face hidden against her neck, pressing kisses all along her skin as we both cry. I feel her head lean against mine as she cries softly in relief.
She's okay.
******
Hours later, it's nearly the middle of the night. Everyone is still here but they have gone to separate room to get some sleep before we leave in the morning.
Somehow, Negan is here. Carol found him scouting the hospital and told him about Dani for some reason and he hasn't left since. No one has payed him attention and Rick and Maggie is not happy he is here so they have kept out of his way.
Dani's arm has been cleaned again, then restitched and bandaged. Tomi had inspected the wound, thankfully finding no signs of any infections or any more bleeding.
I have barely moved in these hours, staying next to her as she lay asleep. I hold her left hand in both of mine, holding her palm against my cheek, just to feel her warmth against me. I can feel her pulse in wrist and I close my eyes just focusing on the feeling.
I bring her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss on her palm, then her wrist before squeezing her hand again, leaning forward with my elbows on the edge of the table she sleeps on. We put more covers underneath to make her more comfortable and a couple of pillows under head.
A tear falls from the corner of my eye as I just stare at her, listening to the small, even breathes that are escaping her nose. Her skin is still pale, faint dark circles around her eyes yet she is still the most beautiful woman I have ever known. Her eyelashes are flickering a little and I wonder what she's dreaming about.
From the corner of my eye, I see someone walking over to the table and they settle down on other side of the table.
Negan slumps back in the chair as he looks at Dani, bouncing his right leg whilst he clasps his hands together in his lap. His body language suggests his nervous.
"You know....." He begins slowly, taking a deep breath. "All those years in that cell gave me time to think things over. The stuff I did back then, all the bullshit. All the pain I caused your people...."
I listen to him as I keep my eyes on my girl, reaching out with a cool, damp cloth to wipe where the corner of her eyes have some dried tears and on her cheeks.
"Over the years, I saw Danielle change. She helped me out a lot though. With that council, letting my out of my cell, giving me work duties. Gave me a chance to be better, you know? All that she did for me helped me get to where I am now.....and I am more than grateful for her."
A tear escapes his eye, and he sniffles a little, wiping the his nose with the back of his gloved hand. I glance over to him for a split second before looking back at my girl.
"I know you hate me and I know you hated me more when you found out about us." I clench my jaw as he continues. "But it wasn't to get back at any of you, I wasn't using her. I genuinely did fall in love with her and I still am."
I lift my eyes to his and glare at him as he raises his hands in defence. "I know she'll never be mine and that's okay. She loves you more than anything. And when I took you away from her, that was wrong of me. I saw how much you two loved each other and how protective you were and I was jealous."
He shakes his head like his disappointed with himself. "That was a grade A dick move on my part." I scoff. "Ya think?"
"I'm sorry." He apologises and I blink at him in shock. "I am. I saw what it did to you both and that was all me. I don't blame you for hating me. But I am sorry for what I tried to take from you. For the time you lost with her because of me."
I'm shocked.
Those are words I have never expected to hear from his mouth of all people. But Negan has done a lot for the people of Alexandria. Killing Alpha, saving Dani from the Whisperers in the horde, helping kill Beta, helping with the horde that turned up at home. He's trying to atone for his past. Nothing can change what he had done but I can see he had changed and tried to get better.
I feel something squeeze my hand and I quickly sit up. Dani's eyes squint a few times and her body shivers as she wakes up. When her eyelids barely flicker open, I immediately stand up from my chair and sit down on the side of the table next to her, reaching down to cup her cheek.
"Hey you." I whisper with a small smile. She can hardly keep her eyes open as she tries to look at me. "Hi." She mumbles. "Can I...can I get some water please?"
"Course." I say softly as I look for a bottle when Negan holds one out to me. I hesitate for a second before taking the bottle. He gives me a faint apologetic smile as he looks at Dani with a sad expression before walking away leaving just us two.
I take of the plastic cap and hold the bottle in my left hand, putting my right hand under her head helping her tilt it up, so she can take a drink.
I can see she's in pain, mostly from her arm. Her body is definitely weak from the blood loss. Her eyes keep trying to force themselves open as I move the bottle away and sit down in the chair, holding her hand in mine and bringing it to my lips to kiss her knuckles.
"How you feelin'?" I ask lowly. "Really tired, but okay. Hurts a lot." She breathes out slowly. "I'm sorry." I say quietly and she frowns at me. "Wasn't your fault."
"I know, I just...." I sigh, shaking my head. "Today was horrible." She presses her lips together as she nods slowly. "I know."
"I lost you." I whisper, tears brimming my eyes again. "For a real minute, your heart had stopped, and I-"
"Hey." She calls gently, a small break in her own voice. She tugs on my hand as she tries to sit up on the table. I quickly plump up the pillows under her head, and grab the one I had been sitting on, so she can lift her herself up a little bit without getting up.
Shakily, she reaches out to cup my cheek in her left hand, her thumb brushes over my cheekbone, wiping away a few tears. I lean into her touch, my eyes locking with hers. "I'm still here." She whispers.
I lean closer, resting my forehead against hers. "I am not going anywhere, you hear me? I got hurt, it was bad, but I'm okay. I'm here." She takes my hand and brings it to her chest so I can feel her heartbeat. Our foreheads are still pressed together as I look down at where she holds her hand over mine.
"Feel that?" She asks as I nod when I feel the rhythm and thumping of her heart. "That's yours, Dare. And it's not going away. I'm not going away. I promise you. I just got you back and I'm not losing you again."
I cry silently, smiling softly through my tears as I look into my girls eyes. Keeping my hand on her chest, my other hand reaches out and tucks her hair behind her ear. "I love you." I whimper. "So, so much. More than you'll ever know." She smiles, sniffling with a tearful giggle. "I love you, more than anything."
I close the gap between us, pressing my lips to hers in a loving kiss. I'm gentle with her, but it's such a relief to kiss her. After thinking I was never gonna get the chance again. To kiss her, to hold her, to feel her close to me....my heart had broke.
But she is right here, her warm hand in mine, and I can feel her heartbeat. She's alive, so I'm okay now.
Tears escape the corner of my eyes as I feel Dani smile into the kiss before pulling away and pecking the tip of my nose, then my cheek. We share a soft smile as I bring my hand to her cheek and rub my thumb back and forth across her cheek.
She's okay.