The Dixon's Best Friend. [Daryl Dixon Fanfiction.]

Their Final Decision.

I stood leaning against the frame of the hospital door. Athena's mom, Michonne's mom, Athena's social worker and her aunt were on their way up from Georgia. Michonne was asleep in the navy plastic chair next to Athena's hospital bed. 

There was a cast on her right leg, and her left arm, there was a bandage around her hand and one around her left knee. There was a drip leadinging into the vein on her right arm. 

We'd rushed her to the hospital in the back of the truck, they told us that could have made it worse. They asked for insurance and Michonne managed to find some in Athena's bag. They rushed her to an emergency room, and operated. 

We were told it was close, that she could have died, but the surgeon had worked fast and well and he had saved her.

It took us hours to get in contact with her people in Georgia, it would be atleast another day before they got here. Maybe she'd be awake by then. The doctors weren't sure when she'd wake, I just wanted it to be soon.

"Daryl." I looked over my shoulder as my tired older brother walked towards me. 

"We need to go." He says softly. "I'm not leaving." I shake my head and turn back to watch her.

Merle grabs my arm and spins me around to face him.

"You, her, this thing. Whatever you think is going on between you two I'm pretty sure she doesn't think it's going on. Maybe you like her more than a friend, maybe a lot more, but I'm pretty sure after what I half remember from what happened, she won't even want to talk to you Daryl." 

But I shake my head, I need to be here when she wakes up.

"I need to stay, I need to explain to her, I need to talk to her." Merle growls frustrated with me.

"No Daryl." He runs his hand through his hair. "No you don't. You don't need to talk to her." He makes vivid hand gestures trying to make his point clearer. "You want to, but you can't. You can't talk to her."

"Why the hell not?" Merle punches the side of my head lightly.

"Can you hear yourself? We left to protect her Daryl! We did it for her saftey and she came searching and she got hurt. She was nearly raped by our father, she left. She came back, and got hit by a truck." Merle exclaims, suddenly we're shushed by a nurse and Merle grabs the front of my shirt and drags me outside.

"Merle, if you didn't notice she got hit by a truck because of me! It's my fault she's in the hospital! I need to apologise!" I say angrily.

"No Daryl, no you don't. If you get closer to her, she'll want to stay, you know that. But yanno what, you also know she can't stay! It's too dangerous!" Merle takes and step towards me and lowers my voice so I listen.

"She's my best friend! I'll protect her if I have to." But Merle shakes his head, he sighs and turns from me he lowers himself into a crouch and runs his hands through his hair frustrated with me.

"DAYL I AM YOUR BESTFRIEND! She's a girl you think you're in love with!"

"WELL MAYBE I AM IN LOVE WITH HER!" I suddenly yell back. 

Merle takes a step back, his eyebrows shooting upwards. The world around me slowly comes to a halt as I realize what I had just said. I drop my eyes quickly, afraid of those words.

But it's too dangerous and I shake my head. "No, no I don't. I don't love her." Merle tilts his head slightly and folds his arms over his chest. 

"Daryl." He starts, but I cut him off. "I DON'T LOVE HER!"

I turn then, facing away from Merle. I run my hands through my hair and then cover my mouth as I whisper the word "No." to myself. I can't be in love with her. I can't love Athena. I can't. I just can't.