Living Like You're Dead

The look of despair washed over Daryl's face as he held the dead hand in his. This girl had foolishly risked her life to save him, he wasn't grateful - it should've been him. The sorrow he felt couldn't compare to anything that he had experienced in his life, he had found a companion that loved him for everything he was. And boy that girl was a catch, a slender fit figure that fit within his arms perfectly. Her listless eyes would light up at the sound of his voice, even the arguments they had made him smile.

It had taken them a while to make it back and it seemed everyone had retired for the evening. He doubted Rick or Glenn were sleeping – they’d probably wait up for him. Unless they looked out the window and saw the bike he’d brought back – then everyone would assume they were both safe. Daryl didn’t want his or her help anyway; no one really would know what to do.

Merle returned only minutes later, to Daryl it felt like hours. He threw tons of towels into his lap. He tugged at the shirt around her neck and let the soaked cloth fall away from her skin. The cut was deep, you could see the bone from her jaw, and then as it lead down her neck you could find mussel and vessels, and even more blood.

“We gotta stitch her.”

“I don’t fucking know how to do that!!”

“Well does anyone here?”

“Maybe Rick… “

“More than you? How many times did you get stitches growing up?”

“Hundreds.”

“So fuckin man up and save her life, you know how to do this Daryl.”

“Right. Right I do.”

First he dumped alcohol everywhere. There was dirt covering her body and it was definitely in the wound, leaving that in there was not going to do her any good. He had to take cotton swabs and dig out bits of rock and earth. He was actually a little glad that she was out – he didn’t want her feeling this. There were already pre-threaded needles kept in a sterile bag, the cellar contained all sorts of medical supplies. And while Daryl thread the first loop Merle got started.

Merle placed a small medical bag at his feet while he sat next to the bleeding girl. He wrapped his belt around his arm and waited till a crisp blue vein appeared. He wasted no time and stuck it with a hypodermic needle. The blood rushed from his veins and slowly filled the sack at his feet. He moved his what he could in his arm without a hand it made things difficult. After blood was finally flowing freely into the bag he stationed his right arm and began to reach for Daryl's belt.

"What the hell you doin'?"

"Saving her life, and it ain't goin' too fast with you not doin' shit."

"You can't give her blood, you don't know what type she is!"

"Don't matter dip shit - I'm O negative. Universal Donor." Merle said with ease, he even sounded smart spouting off his blood type.
"How do you know that?"

"I'm older, I had more time with ma n' dad."

"So ma told you that?"

"Quit asking so many god damn questions and help get this needle in her arm!" Daryl only took a second to undo his belt and follow what Merle had done.

"I don't know how.."

"just stick it in the vein, before she dies would be nice." Daryl slowly pushed the needle into her arm, and finally it looked liked Merle blood was making it into her system. No seeping, no problems, nothing. Merle looked closely at the needle in her arm and at the tube.

"It's working." he said.

"How do you know?"

"You know how many ambulances I sat in the back of with a needle in my arm?"

"I didn't know this was similar..."

"Veins a vein brother." Merle tilted his head back and let the blood flow from his veins to Addie’s. Daryl was almost finished with threading black thread through Adeline’s lovely face. In his head he prayed to a god, that he didn’t really think existed, that she would stay alive, that she would come back to him. After securing the thread he covered it with gauze and used surgical tape to keep it in place. The blood seemed to be minimal, and now it could start to heal being properly taken care of.

The bag filled with Merle's blood would fluctuate from being full to being slightly empty to being full again. He had to be giving her a lot of blood. But Merle was determined to give her all he could. He would even want to try and give her every drop if his body would let him. He’d start to fall asleep and the blood flow would lessen.

Daryl was watching her chest rise, and fall, rise, and fall. He spent a little time washing the dirt from her face, and smoothing her hair from her eyes. All he could do was watch, and wait.

He glanced at his brother for the first time and registered that it was his brother, the very same man who had welcomed himself into his home without asking, the man who had raped Addie... and cost him their baby's life. He felt rage stir inside him once more - but held it back. Merle was breathing life back into Addie, and the thought of that made Daryl's rage lessen.

"She lost it you know."

"I know." Merle said back, his eye still shut - but Daryl could tell that a pained look had washed over his face.