𝑵𝑬𝑼𝑹𝑶𝑻𝑰𝑪
𝘊𝘏𝘈𝘗𝘛𝘌𝘙 𝘛𝘌𝘕
☼
The following day brought about the most unlikely of scenarios. There had been a hustle and bustle in the corridor, as someone wheeled a gurney down the stretch, Dr. Edwards was there and two police officers that Delaney didn't recognize. At first, Delaney had been somewhat curious as to what was going on, but then she remembered she didn't care.
Her priority was Beth. Her priority was keeping Beth safe and alive whilst they waited for someone to come and save them - and well, if no one saved them, then she'd have to do it herself. Meaning, she had to heal. She had to bide her time and not get side tracked with getting involved with new patients being wheeled inside of Grady. So, rather than peering at the body on the gurney, Delaney returned to her task.
Bring coffee to Gorman.
The coffee was strong, and she was half certain it was burnt, but Gorman had asked for it strong, and so, she'd made it as disgusting as possible. He had burnt her fucking arm after all, and had acted on as if he hadn't done a thing wrong. She had met only a few people in her life that had really, well and truly made her blood boil. Even Gareth didn't instill this much hatred in her and he'd locked her up in the darkness for days to weeks, starving her. At least he hadn't touched her, or tried to.
Gorman posed an entirely different threat - one that unnerved her, in her weak, trembling state.
She had spent the majority of that morning looking at herself in the mirror, horrified by the state of her black eye and her bruised right temple. She had scratches marring the side of her jaw, and the right side of her body was bruised to hell, as it had been the side she'd fallen down on apparently. She looked like she'd been through it, and it was frustrating to see. Her body that was so desperate for a break, getting beaten that little bit more instead.
"Hi!" Beth jovially greeted her in the hall, joining her side, "You're lookin' better." The blonde was so sweet, always trying to lift Delaney's spirits. With a side glance, Beth seemed to laugh softly, "Well, I mean, you've probably looked better." A snort escaped the older woman, her hand hovering over the mug as not to spill the coffee onto the floor as she jerked. She winced softly at the following pain in her ribs.
There was a nervous shuffle and Beth's big blue eyes darted up to her, "You gonna be okay with him?" She asked, more hushed than the last time. Delaney recalled how she had reacted upon seeing the fresh burn mark on Delaney's arm the night before. How absolutely horrified the little blonde had been, and figured she was still worried.
"With Gorman?" Delaney whispered back, brows knitting together, "Ya, I think I can handle 'im." She reached out her right hand, softly brushing her fingers down the back of Beth's head, trying to sooth the worry. The action earnt her a gentle smile. "I'm gonna be fine, Beth. Don't ya worry." But Beth did worry, clearly so, and it never failed to make Delaney think of Maggie - how the older sister had always kept an eye on her in those woods. They were both so similar in that aspect.
Beth offered her a hesitant smile as Delaney slowed to a stop in front of Gorman' office. She held his coffee in her hand and jerked her head to Beth, telling her silently to get going. Reluctantly Beth did so, walking down the hall with her head occasionally twisting back to look at Del. She knocked loudly onto the wooden door, before entering with the mug in her hand. He was sitting at his desk, reclined, with his arms folded behind his head.
As he unfolded those arms, she half expected to see a grease mark from where his shirt had been touching his hair, "Got ya coffee." She grunted, setting it down onto the desk in front of him, ignoring his blatant smirk.
He scooped it up, "Thanks Princess."
She grit her teeth, standing off to the side of his desk, arms folding as best as they could over her raging ribs. She watched him take a sip of the drink, before it came spraying out of his mouth, disgust twisting his features. The way that she smiled made Gorman snarl up at her. He slammed his coffee onto the desk, "You think that's funny?" He barked, dangerously as he shoved his way out of his chair. "You think it's funny, you little bitch."
Delaney should have heeded that warning alone, but she scoffed. She scoffed at him, and his already short temper that day rose higher, until he was lunging for her. She failed to move out of the way and suddenly, Gorman was pinning her to the wall, her chest screaming in agony as he leant his weight into her. "Listen here." He huffed against her ear, his coffee breath ruffling her dark hair into her eyes. "You're mine, Delaney. I can do with you what I fucking like, understand."
"Fuck you." Delaney grunted, trying to unpin her arm from the awkward angle against the plaster, "Jus' so ya know, I'm gonna kill ya when I get outta here..." She scoffed, grunting out a low noise when he shoved her harder into the wall. God, her ribs felt like they were breaking entirely beneath the pressure, not to mention this sick bastard was pressing his body into hers.
"Don't you threaten me with a good time, hunny." He chuckled against her ear, pressing his crotch into the curve of her ass as he held her in place. Delaney held her breath, desperate to get him to stop pinning her ribs to the wall, but he didn't budge. His mouth openly ghosted over her skin, his hand snaking round the side of her ribs to fondle at her breast.
"Get tha' fuck off 'a me." Delaney snapped, thrusting her head backwards. She managed to smack her skull into his face, sending him reeling backwards. Gorman gasped at the suddenness of the action and Delaney twisted round as if anticipating a fight. He, instead, surprised her with a rough laugh, his hand moving to his bloodied nose.
"You are quite something, Delaney." He reached into his pocket and retrieved himself a handkerchief, which he mopped at his nose with. " - We're definitely gonna have some fun."
"Like fuck we are." Delaney growled in response, her hand holding against her ribs, "I told ya, touch me again and I'll fuckin' hurt you." Gorman's eyes ghosted over the burnt blistered mark on her arm, a grin working it's way onto his bloodied mouth. His eyes looked her up and down, lingering on the way that her chest was rising and falling with her breath. He then looked down to his handkerchief, seeing the blood and sighed with a roll of his eyes.
"Gonna have to punish you for this, you understand."
"As if this isn't already punishment." Delaney fiercely responded. Gorman mopped at his nose some more, before he began to walk. Rather than approach her, he approached the door.
"Stay here, I'll think of a suitable punishment as I get us both dinner." He grinned, despite his bleeding nostril, and shot her a wink. The audacity of this man - the fucking audacity. She knew, she knew, he could easily overpower her if he so wanted to. He liked her fire, he liked her spitting her barbed words at him, she figured it probably turned him on and yet she couldn't help it. She was going to fall him a fucking prick and fight his clammy grasp every chance he decided to try his luck.
He scared her - that was the truth.
And her position, scared her too.
Gorman left and Delaney was stood in the midst of his office lost. She shuddered with an uncomfortable sweat breaking out at the memory of his hand groping her. She felt sick to her stomach, and mad. She was furious. She looked down to her trembling hand, clenching her hand into a firm fist to stop the shaking as she lent against his desk. She could easily have walked right out of his office, left, but she knew he'd seek her out and more often than not Beth was with her. If she could, she'd take his greasy attention on her if it meant he wasn't eyeing Beth also.
Eventually, he returned.
He returned with one tray of food, shooting her an amused look when he noticed her standing in the same spot she'd been in when he left her. "Well, look at you, following orders like a good girl." He praised, and a sick feeling bloomed in her chest, "here, I got this for you." He turned toward her, showing the lollipop that he had in his hand, the sweet treat was wrapped in clear plastic that he disposed off with a flick of his hand. He stepped closer to her, and she suddenly felt crowded. She took a pace back, hips bumping into his desk. He then stepped forward again, not quite touching her, but not quite giving her room to breathe either.
He held out the lollipop and she scowled at him. "No."
Gorman huffed a laugh, "oh, come on, it's sour apple." He pushed the thing forward, drawing it across her lip. Delaney stared at him hatefully, as his tongue popped out to lick at his lips. His body stepped closer and she was suddenly pinned in place, her heartbeat hammering in her chest. He insisted with the lollipop, pressing it harder and harder to her lips until she relented, hoping to get this shit over and done with so that she could leave. Gorman's lips neatly grinned as the sweet candy disappeared into her mouth, either not noticing her glaring eyes or not bothered by it. "Good girl, that's it."
Whilst it was certainly humiliating, Delaney was letting him do this. Thoughts of biting his fingers were entering her mind but he pulled the sweet back, drawing it out of her mouth leaving the sour, tart taste of apple on her tongue. He then stuck it right into his mouth, and she stared at the disgusting action. He sucked it, his eyes drawing down to her chest, and her hips that were angled against the desk, and she thought for a moment he was going to touch her. Instead, he did something much worse.
As she was looking down at herself, at the short distance between her hips and his, he caught her off guard by grabbing her face in his hand. The pressure applied made her cheeks ache, but that was lost on her as soon as he slipped the lollipop right back into her mouth, his warm saliva coating her tongue with the sour taste of coffee and apple. It made her gag, her hand reaching up to grab at his wrist as he pushed the sweet further into her mouth, dangerously close to having his fingers pass her lips too.
He let her struggle for a moment before huffing out a laugh and drawing back. He left it in her mouth but retracted his hands from her face, leaving her to reach up and snatch the sweet out. She coughed a few times, her eyes watering involuntarily, which only seemed to make him smirk down at her, "I'll let your earlier words slide." He announced as he walked round his desk to get himself a seat. He dropped into the chair and drew his plate closer, "I told the canteen not to serve you dinner today, take that as an easy punishment."
Delaney clutched onto the sweet in her hand and stared at him with her nostrils flaring.
Oh, if only this prick knew the kind of shit she was capable of. Trembling in her pure anger, Delaney could barely withhold herself from reaching across his desk and ramming his head right into the tray he had in front of him.
Instead, she took her dismissal and left his office.
She returned to her room, throwing the sweet across the room with a snarl. She broke into a wince and groaned at the pain sparking in her ribs, fingers delicately moving to hold them. A sigh, a defeated thing came from her nose, and she took a seat on the edge of her bed. Closing her eyes, Delaney rose her hand to pinch at the bridge of her nose, praying for Daryl to hurry the fuck up.
She sat there for a while, pondering, wondering how long she'd have to endure Gorman before she actually snapped. Before she took one of those scalpel blades and shoved it right into his throat. Dawn would most definitely kill her if she did, but then again, perhaps she'd be grateful someone had done something about him. Either way, she didn't move much since sitting down, aching and mad.
"Carol's here!" Beth burst into the room, hurriedly closing the door behind her before whirling around to face where Delaney was looking at her with fluttering lashes, confused, "Carol she's here, they brought her in this mornin'." Beth dropped onto the end of the bed, eyes big, mouth downturned into a worried frown.
"She hurt?"
Beth nodded her head slightly, "What are we gonna do, Del?" The girl stressed her hands over her head, nervous, but determined, "We gotta do something."
"Daryl wasn't with 'er?" Delaney pressed, and when Beth shook her head in response Delaney exhaled in relief, "Well if he aint with her, he certainly saw where she got taken..." She reassured the girl, "Meanin' he's gonna go back to -
" - the others." Beth finished, her eyes darting back and forth over Delaney's features, a little less grim. "And they'll come get us..." She managed a small hopeful smile and Delaney bobbed her head. She shifted closer to the teenager and wrapped her arm around her shoulders, bringing her in closer.
"If there's one thing I've realized about your people - they're family." She told Beth as the girl lent into her comfort, " - they find out you're here, that Carol's here, they'll be comin' ta get ya." She squeezed Beth's arm softly and ran her hand up and down it a few times, "Okay? You're gonna get outta here Beth." Shifting, Beth lifted her head to look up at her with a small crease to her brow,
"We're gonna get outta here." She rephrased, "You're comin' too."
Del huffed a laugh, a small humored thing. She squeezed Beth a second time, "You've proven ta be a pretty good companion, I aint gonna leave ya now." That was the honest truth. Delaney had somewhat formed a silly little attachment to the girl over the days she'd known her. After all, it had only been Beth and her, no one else. It was the two of them against the world. That kind of thing, it formed bonds. Delaney genuinely adored this kid - not only because she was kind and gentle, but because there was a fire in her. Beth Greene had a spark, and Delaney was glad to see it.
"I wouldn't want you to." Beth squeezed into her embrace a little more, "We're stickin' together."
"Damn straight." Delaney agreed, leaning her head on top of Beth's. "We'll get Carol outta here, okay, so don't ya worry."
After a few minutes, Beth asked, "How was Gorman?" That same lingering worry as before was back and Delaney struggled not to sigh. She instead focused on holding Beth and breathing evenly as not to worry the girl, "He wasn't too much of a asshole was he?" Delaney snorted at the curse word coming from a small thing like her, wincing seconds later.
"Language." Delaney joked, prompting Beth to sit upright and grin at her, "He was his usual nasty self. Aint nothing I aint used to, Darlin'. I can handle him - I will handle him." Oh, that was the truth too, she was gonna handle Gorman one way or another. Beth didn't argue with that, and after a small lull in the conversation, she shifted onto the bed disappearing behind Delaney, who followed with a raise of her brow.
Beth smiled, "Can I braid your hair?" The teen questioned, as her fingers experimentally touched Delaney's long dark hair. Delaney scoffed, moving to sit better on the bed, almost grinning when she heard Beth's small laugh. The girls fingers softly began to detangle the knots and the curls, gentle and soothing. Delaney closed her eyes, finding it incredibly therapeutic. "Maggie used to have long hair once...she cut it all off." There was an audible pout in the girls tone and it made Del break into a smile, "I used to braid her hair all the time...not so much any more."
Delaney tilted her head a little when Beth finally detangled all of the knots, her fingers filtering through with ease. "It used to calm me down - " Delaney admitted, " - when I was a kid. My ma used to braid ma hair all tha' time."
No one had braided her hair for such a long time, and it felt, nice.
"Your mama, was she Daryl's too?" Beth questioned calmly, twisting the dark hair around itself, focused, "You're quite a bit younger than he is..."
"Yeah." Delaney chuckled, "We had the same Da, his mama died when he was little - and our Da, knocked up my ma later on..." She sighed through her nose, and added, "No idea how, my ma was a fuckin' saint and he was an asshole." Beth hummed softly, remembering Daryl's words all those days ago, how he'd shouted about never having done all of these things she had found so normal. No holiday's, no nothing. His childhood had been painfully bad.
Beth's heart ached to think Delaney's had been just as bad.
Taking one of her hairbands off of her wrist, Beth tied off the little braid she'd done after pulling out the first, tossing it over Delaney's shoulder, "You have lovely hair," the blonde admitted with a tender smile as she slid beside Delaney once more. Delaney offered her a fond smile in response, nudging into her arm with hers lightly in thanks, as her eyes darted down to the single braid that Beth had made into the side of her hair. It was simple, nothing too special but sweet nonetheless.
The two shared a smile once more, "Hey, you think Daryl would let me braid his hair?" Delaney's head shot up at the question and a bark of pure, genuine laughter escaped her. It came out so suddenly that she clutched at her ribs and whined as Beth giggled, "What! His hair is almost as long as yours now..." She continued to giggle as Delaney clutched onto her side, wheezing in her amusement.
A snort escaped her and she shoved Beth playfully to the side, "Stop makin' me laugh, ya gremlin."
Beth's smile was affectionate, her blue eyes admiring and Delaney sobered up at the sight of it. She smiled though, glad to have been brought here. Glad, because she had needed this. Glad, because she had needed someone like Beth. She'd healed the parts of her that no one else could - like spending that time in the Church with all the others, eating, laughing, and chatting. It was a sense of family, the kind of belonging Delaney hadn't felt since Eleanor and her family had accepted her.
The door to her room was opened and in came the scowling features of Dawn, "Beth, I need you." She gestured for the blonde to get up and go, eyes darting to Delaney, "Dixon, you're wanted with Gorman. Go."
Sighing through her nose, Delaney rose to her feet and began to go. She passed Dawn who scrutinized her closely, and headed down the hall with her bubble burst. Her mood soured the further she got closer to Gorman' office, wondering what kind of hell he had in store for her this time.
Punishment she guessed, as she entered his office. He was standing by his desk, looking down at something in his hand, though his eyes darted up to her when she entered. "No knock?" Delaney rose her brow, backed up and sarcastically knocked on the door much to his humor. He chuffed a laugh and rolled his eyes, "Don't get smart with me, baby." Delaney bit her tongue, walking into the room,
"Ya asked for me?"
"I did." Gorman gestured her over, "Close the door." She did so with a click, before walking over, wanting to get this shit over and done with already. Her stomach was grumbling in hunger, and she was simply tired from the already long ass day. She wanted to finish her and go and check in on Carol, see the damage for herself, gauge the general outcome. She wondered what had happened to her - had she been hit by a car too, taken off of the street. Where was Daryl?
Her thoughts were knocked out of her when suddenly Gorman grabbed hold of her. His hands were clammy, like always and he pulled her toward him despite her sudden fight. She grunted as he slammed her hips back into his desk, the harshness making her wince. "Get tha' fuck off 'a me," She hissed, trying to wrench her arms out of his hold. Despite the fire burning in her eyes, she was panicked. He was much stronger than she was capable of fighting now, and as he pressed himself closer, she felt the urgency of the situation. "Gorman." She breathed nervously leaning away from him, "Gorman!"
God, his hands were suddenly everywhere. They were groping and grabbing, slithering their way beneath her shirt, touching her bare skin, squeezing. Her hands were being pinned, and her hips were wedged against his, from where she could feel the obvious tent in his pants. Everything in her was fighting him, but he expertly crowded her in, and she couldn't wriggle free.
"Just let it happen." He breathed into her skin, "I know you keep looking at me, Princess...I see it."
So, delusional then. Delaney grit her teeth and tried to free her hand once more as his fingers explored her breast. She tried to zone that out, even as he rutted into her like a dog in heat. She could feel her ribs burning from her constant twisting. His mouth was on her too, sucking and kissing, slavering his saliva all over the place and it made her skin crawl. "Gorman!" She yelled again, when she was quickly turned. She cried out in pain this time as her chest was slammed into the surface of his desk, his crotch pressing into the curve of her ass.
She was gasping for breath, her vision hazy.
The zipper of his pants was being lowered and Delaney's hand was reaching for the scissors that he had laying beside his pencils and pens, open for the taking. She fumbled for it, as she felt the hem of her pants being tugged at, her fingers barely touching the handle, before she surged forward to them in her haste.
With little thought of consequence, Delaney grabbed hold of the scissors and thrust them backwards, the pointed end slamming right into his collarbone. He screamed out at the sudden agony and she whirled around when he gave her space, throwing herself forward to jam the pointed blades right into the center of his throat.
Blood spurted out, dirtying his uniform and colouring her hand. Luckily it did not spray her in the face, because she had no idea what she'd say when she left that room. She saw his eyes widen, his hands fumbling up to grasp at the scissors that she left embedded, "I fuckin' told you." Delaney dropped into a crouch beside him as he hit the floor, "I was gonna kill ya." She stared at him as he gasped and gargled, the blood forming a pool around his throat and onto the carpet.
She straightened up then, and quickly darted over to the sink in the corner of the room. His office, was nothing more than a clinical room turned into his own space. Thankfully she had the chance to wash up before she left the room, hastily washing away the blood before she darted to the door, leaving Gorman dead on the floor. She closed the door with a click, straightening her spine as she glanced down the hall to see no one around.
She walked down the hall, boots squeaking against the linoleum flooring. Her hand trembled, obviously, but there was no guilt.
None at all.
She adjusted the hem of her pants, pulling them higher, adjusting the toggles. She was fussing over her shirt, when she spotted a familiar figure laying prone on a bed. She backtracked and entered the room carefully, brows furrowing sharply at the sight of Carol all bruised and injured. "The fuck happened to you..." She whispered, walking toward the unconscious woman. "Jeez..."
She was in a bad way, wheezing softly in her unconscious state. It made Delaney pity her, a soft sigh passing her lips. Thoughts of Gorman crossed her mind, and she was grateful that he hadn't seen Carol, grateful he wasn't there to take advantage of any other woman. Careful, Delaney began to dab at the sweat gleaning Carol's forehead, wiping it away with unconscious thought.
She returned to her own room shortly after making sure Carol was safe and alive, methodically scrubbing at the blood that she'd gotten on her cast that hadn't come off the first time. She was waiting for someone to storm into her room, to point a gun and accuse her of murder - and yes, it had most certainly been murder, it was also self defense to begin with.
Her eyes cast to the bruising marks on her arms and she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, fingers digging into her stinging eyes.
Slowly, Delaney sat herself on the polished floor of her room, back to the cabinets by the sink, staring across the room to the window. The sunlight was burning through the blinds, casting shadows around the room that danced slightly because of the open window and the breeze. She stared at it, transfixed, barely moving when Beth joined her hours later.
The blonde slid to the ground beside her, the two of them quiet.
"I killed Gorman."
Beth's eyes snapped to Delaney, wide, but not horrified - not really. She looked at how Delaney was sitting, half curled into herself, and figured, she didn't need to feel horrified. There was blood staining the cast on her wrist, but the look on Delaney's face was something desperately lost. "I shouldn't have. I should 'a left it - " She continued, voice small, " - they're gonna know it was me. Dawn is gonna know it was me."
"...why..." Beth whispered, brows knitted together, "Did he - Did he hurt you?"
Delaney turned her head, her pale gaze searching Beth's sweet features. The two cuts on her face, the doing of Dawn's short temper. Perhaps there had been something telling in her look, but Beth's shoulders slumped and she whispered, "I'm sorry," beneath her breath, gaze dropping to the floor. Delaney didn't answer, dropping her hands down between her knees as they fell into silence once more.
"Ya gonna have ta help Carol."
Beth turned to her again, "Tell them it was self defense - "
Delaney huffed, "Dawn doesn't give a shit, kid. She lets it happen. To me, to you, to Joan." With a shake of her head, Delaney lent it back against the cupboard behind her, feeling like she'd royally fucked up the situation. But what choice had she had - none, as far as she was concerned. She wasn't about to let Gorman touch her any more than he already had. Even now, hours later, she could still feel his groping touch everywhere. She winced, fingers massaging her sore ribs.
"I won't let her hurt you." Lolling her head to the side, Delaney met Beth's eyes with a fond, half smile. "I won't." Beth insisted, reaching out to grasp Delaney's hand to offer her comfort.
"We're gettin' out of here together, Delaney." She paused, "You're gonna see Daryl again and he'll apologize. And I'm gonna see Maggie again. And we'll all be together. It'll be right." Beth squeezed Delaney's hand in her own and shifted closer. She lent into the older woman's arm, and Delaney lifted her arm to wrap it around the teenager, squeezing her closer. "We're all going to be fine."
Delaney closed her eyes, wanting to tell Beth that it might not be true. Reality was, that she was going to be punished for murdering Gorman, self-defense or not. Instead of telling Beth what was likely to happen, she instead lent her head down on top of hers. She pressed a soft kiss there seconds later, muttering, "I know, Darlin'."
Dr. Edwards asked for Beth's help shortly after that, and she left with a nervous look in Delaney's direction. Delaney smiled, gesturing for her go, whilst she stood at the door of her room. She returned to the solitude of her bed, waiting for Dawn or one of the other officers to find Gorman's corpse, and draw the connection. It was like waiting for death.
However, no one came to question her. No one did a thing, instead, when Dawn came to her, the woman stopped in her door and looked at where she was sitting on the bed, trying to look at the burn mark on her arm. The blister had burst and there was gauze and bandage wrapped around it now to keep infection clear. "You, Dixon." Her eyes darted to Dawn, brows raising, "You're with me. I have a job for you." The taut, firmness of Dawn's voice made Delaney scowl a little.
"No please?"
Dawn shot her a foul look and Delaney sighed, getting to her feet. She followed the officer out of the room and into the hall, boots squeaking against the floor, "What do ya need me ta do?" With her arms folding over her chest, loosely, she looked to Dawn. The older woman was squinting at her, assessing, before she pointed down the hall.
"You need to assist Beth and Carol in getting ready to leave."