The New World | The Walking Dead x Male Reader, OC

18 Miles Out

Hershel gave Beth a sedative after I checked in on her and she was awake the next day.

"Hey, Mom. What're you up to?" I said as I walked into the house and saw Mom about to head upstairs with a tray of food.
"I'm gonna give this food to Beth." Mom said with a soft smile.
"I'll go with you!" I said in a maybe too eager tone. I visited her when she woke up but she was a bit out of it still. Maybe this time'll be better.
"Sound a little excited there, Mason." Mom said, clearly picking up on how I felt.
"Just happy to help someone in need." I said.
"Just someone, hm? Come on." Mom said and I followed her up the stairs, feeling kind of embarrassed.

"Knock, knock." Mom said as we walked into Beth's room. She sat the tray of food right beside her. Beth sat up, looking tired and sad.
"How about this -- you, uh -- you eat up all your food, Mason here'll get you up and out of here and go take a walk. What do you say?" Mom said. I nodded with a reassuring smile but Beth's face didn't change.
"You're pregnant. How could you do that?" Beth said, not making eye contact with either of us.
"Uh, I don't really have a choice." Mom said with a soft laugh.
"You think it'll make a difference?" Beth said.
"Of course it will. You eat something." Mom said as she left the room.

"Here. I'll help you." I said as I pulled over a chair and grabbed the tray.
"Thanks." Beth said with barely any emotion. I grabbed a slice of cucumber and fed it to her.
"Of course." I said with a soft smile as I helped her eat.
"You feeling any better?" I asked, hoping the answer's yes. Beth turned her face away from me and I didn't get an answer.
"Hey, you okay?" I said as I put the tray back onto the bedside table.
"I'm sorry." Beth whispered as she sniffled.
"Sorry? For what?" I said.
"I'm sorry for getting upset after the barn. You didn't deserve that." Beth said as she turned to me with tears in her eyes.
"You don't have to apologize. I'm sorry, too." I said with a soft, reassuring smile.
"It's just.. It's all so pointless." Beth said and my heart sank.
"You have Maggie, Patricia, Hershel. You've gotta stay strong for them. Trust me, I know how it feels to think that none of it matters anymore. When I almost lost Carl... But you were there for me. I can't promise that it'll all end up okay, I wish I could, but I can't. But for now, everything can be okay. We have to. That's the only way to make it through this, yeah?" I said, tearing up at the memories and seeing Beth so upset. I reached over and wiped the few tears that slid down her cheek.
"Thank you." She said as she rested her head on my hand for a second.
"Always. I'm gonna go talk to my mom and then I'll be right back for that walk. Don't go anywhere." I said with a soft smile as I stood up and kissed her on the forehead before leaving the room, grabbing the tray on my way out.

I walked downstairs and placed it on the table. Mom walked up to me.

"How's she doing?" Mom said as she started clearing the tray.
"Struggling. I don't blame her, though." I said with a sigh as I held my forehead for a second.
"Where's the knife? I gave her a knife." Mom said as she was clearing the tray. My eyes darted to her.
"Go get Maggie or Hershel." Mom said as she quickly made her way back upstairs. I ran out of the house and towards our tents.

"Andrea?! Have you seen Hershel or Maggie?" I asked since she was the first person I saw.
"I haven't seen Hershel, but I saw Maggie and Glenn walk by maybe twenty minutes ago?" Andrea said as she was posted guard on top of the R.V.
"Which way were they headed?" I asked and she pointed me in the direction they went.

I ran as fast as I could.

----------

Maggie was in Beth's room talking to her. I was pacing back and forth in the kitchen while Mom and Andrea were staring at nothing. Eventually, Beth and Maggie started arguing so loud we could hear them.

"Where's Hershel?" Andrea asked.
"He doesn't wanna find out yet. It's a family affair. Let them work it out." Mom said.
"That's working it out?" Andrea said.
"When Beth stops fighting that's when it's time to worry." Mom said as she started cleaning plates.

"YOU ARE BEING SO SELFISH!" We heard Maggie yell during our brief silence.

"This could've been handled better." Andrea said and I stopped pacing.
"Yeah? And how's that?" I said.
"Shouldn't have taken the knife away." Andrea said.
"What?" I said, feeling my blood begin to boil.
"You two were wrong. Like Dale taking my gun. That wasn't your decision. She has to choose to live on her own. She has to find her own reasons." Andrea said.
"Should've just tied the noose for her, hm? Or maybe I should've given her my gun to make the job easier?" I said, visible angry.
"If she's serious, she'll figure out a way." Andrea said.
"Doesn't mean we can't stop her or let her know that we care." Mom said.
"That has nothing to do with it, Lori. She only has so many choices in front of her, and she believes the best one is suicide." Andrea said.
"That's not a fucking option." I said.
"Of course it is. She doesn't need to be yelled at or treated like a child." Andrea said.
"So, my gun? Right? You'll get it if I don't want you in there, right?" I said.
"I came through it." Andrea said.
"And became such a productive member of the group. Let Maggie handle this her way." Mom said.
"I contribute. I help keep this place safe." Andrea said.
"Yeah, like shooting Mason, right? The men can handle this on their own. They don't need your help." Mom said.
"I'm sorry, what would you have me do?" Andrea said, annoyed.
"Oh, there's plenty of work to go around." Mom said.
"Are you serious? Everything falls apart, you're in my face over skipping laundry?" Andrea said.

"Probably makes it worse for them. You're always posted up on the R.V. like a horde of walkers is about to walk to us from the forest. The one time you shot a bullet from that R.V., you hit me in the shoulder. While we're out there trying to keep the bad shit from coming in, everyone else is trying to make this place feel like it's worth staying alive for. So yeah, we're serious. Instead of trying to get a nice tan you should help around here." I said, feeling really angry as I walked off.

----------

After that whole argument, I was sitting on the front steps. Maggie walked outside and noticed me.

"Hey, Maggie. She feeling any better?" I asked, feeling hopeful.
"I just came outside to get some air. Thank you for caring, Mason. You're a good friend to us. And to Glenn." She said with a sigh and a smile.
"Yeah, of course. And Glenn can be an idiot. Someone's gotta keep him in check. Guess that's you and me now." I said with a soft chuckle, Maggie doing the same.
"Who's with Beth while you're out here?" I asked.
"Andrea." Maggie said and my eyes widened.
"Andrea? Oh, shit." I said as I ran inside. Maggie followed behind me.

We ran into Beth's room and she wasn't in her bed. We heard sobbing and glass shattering from the room's bathroom.

"Beth? Beth?!" Maggie shouted as she tried to wiggle the door open.
"BETH!" I raised my voice as I pounded my fist on the door. Mom walked into the room.
"Mason? Maggie?" Mom said.
"She's in there. I heard glass." Maggie said.
"Maggie. Step aside." I said as I took a few steps back. Maggie did as I asked. 

I took a few quick steps forward as I kicked the door right next to the handle and it swung open.

Beth turned around with her left hand on her upturned right wrist as it was bleeding a lot.

"I'm sorry." Beth said with a pained sob. Maggie walked over to her and held her close.
"Okay. It's okay." Maggie said as we all walked out of the room.

----------

We found Hershel and he was inside tending to Beth. Mom, Maggie, and I were walking out of the house while Andrea ran up.

"Where were you?" Maggie said with a cold tone. 
"I heard. Is she alright?" Andrea said.
"She would be if you had stayed with her. Where were you?" Maggie's tone changed to angry.
"How bad is she?" Andrea asked.
"It wasn't deep." Mom said.
"She wants to live. She made her decision." Andrea said with a smug smile.
"Made her decision? She tried to fucking kill herself." I said as I stood beside Maggie.
"No, she didn't." Andrea said.
"My father is stitching her wrist right now." Maggie raised her voice in anger.
"She'll live." Andrea said as she tried to walk around me but I moved and stood in her way.
"You're gonna stay away from Beth and Maggie. The whole family." I said and Maggie moved next to me, shoulder to shoulder.
"Don't you dare step foot in this house again." Maggie said.

Andrea walked off and Mom whispered something to Maggie right before she walked inside but I was too focused on making sure Andrea was out of sight.