His Girls
Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Reader
Summary: Your daughter's birth, which was meant to be a beautiful moment, almost takes you from Daryl.
Warnings/Tags: childbirth, near-death during childbirth, trauma, HEAVY angst, blood loss, angst with a happy ending, husband!daryl, sunshine!reader, established relationship, female reader (she/her), season nine, no use of y/n
Word count: 3.5k words (longest fic on my account omg)
A/N: This is the alternate version of my fic, “What Remains”, you don't have to read both of them. Even though the reader survives in this version, this fic is still really heavy and potentially triggering. As always, please prioritize your own well-being. I chose not to include the details of medical procedures, simply because I am not smart enough to understand those things. Anyway, I hope you guys like this and that it makes up for the previous heartbreak.
This is for Bee's Winter Wonderland - day 13: Happy Ending.
Masterlist | D.D. angst masterlist
Daryl's light sleep was interrupted when he heard you sharply inhale. He reached over and gently rubbed your shoulder. Lately, you'd been experiencing what everyone believed to be Braxton Hicks. That proved to be untrue. Hearing a small whimper, your husband realized that something more was happening, and he quickly turned on the bedside lamp.
“Hey, sweetheart, what's goin' on?”
“It feels different. Like somethin' is wrong.”
A cold wave of fear washed over Daryl, and he pulled you into a sitting position. Your body was trembling in his grip, and your breathing was becoming ragged. It made his chest ache to see his wife in this much pain. He spoke softly and moved a piece of sweaty hair from your face.
“I've got you. It's gonna be okay.”
“What if somethin' is wrong with the baby?”
“We'll figure it out. Just breathe with me, darlin'.”
Keeping your gaze trained on your husband, you mirrored his own rhythm and took deep breaths. The pain was sharp, and you couldn't stop shaking. Daryl's large hand was stroking your hair, and he was doing everything he could to soothe you. He was hoping this would pass, even though he knew it was unlikely.
Your right hand was clasped in his, and you squeezed it as your uterus contracted again. The pain spiked again and you could feel the shift. You'd already realized these were contractions, but it was becoming glaringly obvious that there was a complication. There was a mild pop, that was immediately followed by a gushing sensation. You thought it was just your water breaking before you looked down at the sheets. Daryl had already seen what happened, and his voice broke as he spoke frantically.
“Oh, baby. You're bleedin'. Fuck, you're bleedin'.”
To protect you, your brain went into denial and you quickly shook your head. There was no way this could be happening.Everything had been fine. You were doing your best to not hyperventilate, but both you and Daryl were terrified.
“Maybe- maybe it's normal?”
“No way in hell. That ain't normal.”
All of the worst case scenarios flowed through his mind, and you could feel Daryl's hand quivering in yours. He had always been your rock, but his own face was pale with fear. The bleeding was getting worse and your husband shot up and out of the bed. Without hesitation, he flung the bedroom door open and called out.
“Rick! Carol! I need someone's help in here!”
Not waiting for a response, Daryl ran back to your side and his hand returned to yours. He could see the way your skin was draining of color, and tears were already pricking his eyes. Attempting to steady his breathing, he ran an unsteady hand through your hair again.
“You're okay, baby. Just stay with me, alright? Stay here.”
Blood was blooming across the sheets and the metallic tang filled the air. Daryl's hand was still wrapped around yours, like he was trying to anchor you to him. With two fingers, Carol was checking how dilated you were. Rick was also scrambling around the home to gather supplies. This was moving much faster than anyone had ever expected. Carol's soft voice was quaking with anxiety as she broke the silence.
“She's almost entirely dilated, Daryl. Her body's going to push, whether she's ready or not.”
“You can't stop it?”
“No, that would require medication that we don't have. It's not a guarantee, anyway.”
Daryl opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a choked scream coming from you. His stomach dropped and his eyes widened. Your body was bearing down before either of you realized what was happing. There was no stopping this.
Carol's brain fully kicked into gear, and she helped you re-adjust into the correct position. You were panting slightly, and your grip on Daryl's hand became bruising. Doing his best to not outwardly breakdown, he tried to reassure you.
“You're doin' so good, angel. Just push when your body tells you to.”
“I'm- I'm scared.”
Your strained admission shattered something in Daryl, and a singular tear rolled down his face. He rapidly blinked and pulled it together. His baby was scared enough without him adding to it.
“I know, baby. I know. You can do it, though. Trust your body.”
“Yeah, okay. I'm gonna push now.”
Continuing to hold Daryl's hand, you exhaled deeply and pushed. The pain was coming and going in waves. There'd be a few seconds of relief before it became debilitating again. Tears were streaming down your face quicker than your husband could wipe them. His hands were already stained with blood, but he was too worried about you to notice. The moment you struggled to keep yourself upright, Daryl looked toward Carol again.
“Can I hold her? Please, I need to hold her.”
“Go for it.”
As Carol leaned you forward, Daryl slipped behind you on the bed and pulled you to his chest. Your knees were still bent and angled to ease the strain of the birth. His hands returned to your hair and a quick kiss was pressed to your temple.
“I'm right here, baby. I've got you.”
“Thank you.”
You pushed one more time before there was another sudden rush of blood. Dizziness flooded your senses and your breathing hitched. Daryl saw the moment your eyes began to lose focus, and he shook you gently.
“Hey, hey, look at me. Sweetheart, you need to look at me.”
“I can't-”
“Shhh, you can. Just look at me.”
Daryl's fingers rested on your chin and tilted your face to look at him. God, you looked beyond fragile like this. His usually fiery girl was fading away by the second. Every gasp and strained groan made him nauseous. He was murmuring more reassurances when Rick burst back into the room with Denise.
Denise took one look at you and realized the severity of the situation. Your husband was supporting you from behind, and he was covered in your blood. Everything was. It didn't take a medical professional to know what direction this was going in. That doesn't mean that she was going to give up, though.
Breathing deeply, Denise created the game plan in her mind and rushed over to the bed. Carol was working with her every step of the way. You were fully aware of how dire the situation was. The panicked voices of your family just confirmed your fears. Up by your head, Daryl was still holding you and doing everything that he could to keep you conscious.
“I'm right here, sunshine. You're so strong.”
“Daryl, you have to take care of her.”
“Don't- don't talk like that. You're stayin' here with us. With me.”
The urge to push came again, and there was no stopping it. Denise had taken Carol's spot and was monitoring your dilation. The baby was crowning. You clutched Daryl's hand again and a low groan tore from your throat as nature continued running its course. He pressed his face against the side of your head and kept whispering praise.
“So good. You're doin' so good. Stay with me.”
Another cry filled the air, but it was different, now. It came from the tiny lungs of your newborn daughter. The infant finally slipped free and Denise started cleaning her up. Daryl's entire focus was on his wife. Your eyes fluttered shut and he shouted.
“No! Stay awake. Stay here, please. Please, baby.”
Denise passed the baby off to Rick and focused all of her attention on you. She needed to get this bleeding stopped and fast. The medic's hands were moving in tandem with Carol's as they pressed fabric and kept working. You were barely conscious and Daryl couldn't get you to respond, but something changed. Your breathing had evened out. Without getting anyone's hopes up, Denise whispered as she exhaled.
“It's working. Just hold on.”
Daryl didn't dare to let himself believe that they'd fixed it. Instead, he screwed his eyes shut and started praying beneath his breath. Your husband wasn't a religious man, not even close, but he was willing to beg for your life. He kept his fingers pressed to the pulse point on your neck long after it had strengthened.
Opening his eyes again, Daryl stared at your chest and tried to process the fact that it was still moving. His wife wasn't dead, and his baby was safely cradled in the arms of his best friend. Even though he'd been reassuring you that you'd be fine, he'd truly thought that he was losing you. For a moment, he really was.
Carol placed a few blood soaked towels to the side, before turning to Daryl. The relief on her face was tangible, but he couldn't allow himself to trust it. Your life was still fragile. She reached over to gently touch his arm and saw the way he flinched.
“Daryl, she's still here. Both your baby and your girl are okay.”
“For now. You don’t know what might happen. Neither of 'em could make it through the night.”
“Daryl, brother, look at your baby.”
The deeper voice had come from Rick, and Daryl turned to look at him. The small infant was wrapped in a blanket, and she was being supported by Rick's arms. God, she was tiny. He reached out and ran his calloused palm over the baby's head. His voice was tinged with awe.
“She's so small.”
“Yeah, your girl is little. Denise said she's healthy, though. Just came a little early.”
“Can I hold her?”
“Of course. Do you want to stand up?”
Your husband's chest felt tight at the idea of moving away from you, but he wanted to hold his daughter. He checked your breathing before shifting your head to lie on the pillow. Daryl had to ignore the way your skin still felt a little too cold.
Once Daryl had settled into a nearby chair, Rick handed him the baby, and he held his daughter close to his chest. The contrast of his blood stained hands and her perfect skin was startling. His eyes widened in panic, and he glanced toward his best friend, who instantly knew what was wrong.
“Hey, it's okay. We'll clean your hands.”
“Take her back. I ain't want to taint her.”
Rick knew better than to argue, and he took the little girl back into his arms. Carol had walked back over to Daryl and used the last clean piece of cloth to wipe his skin. Her touch was gentle, and it was enough to bring your husband to tears. His shoulders shook with sobs as he let himself fully acknowledge how close he'd come to losing you. Daryl Dixon was almost a widower.
Carol pulled him closer, and he rested his head on her shoulder as he cried. Daryl wasn't one to show emotion like this, so it shocked everyone in the room. He'd seen so much death, but it was clear that yours would've broken him. Rick let the two of them have their moment while he rocked your daughter.
It took another minute before Daryl was able to gather himself. He pulled back and wiped his face. He was slightly embarrassed by his outburst, but exhaustion had settled deep in his bones. Taking a deep breath, he muttered a thanks to Carol and turned to Rick.
“Can I try holdin' her again?”
“Of course. You want to sit down again?”
“Sure.”
A little steadier on his feet this time, your husband sat back down in the chair and took another deep breath. The adrenaline from watching you give birth and nearly losing you was finally leaving Daryl's body. He held his arms out and admired your daughter's face as she was placed back in his hold. Adjusting his position to press the baby to his chest, everyone in the room could see the tension leaving his body.
Daryl lets his eyes trace over the little girl's tiny features, and he felt choked up again. It was nothing short of a miracle that both of his girls had survived the birth. You were still unconscious, but you were stable, and that was enough for him. It had to be. One of his calloused fingers stroked the baby's cheek, and he glanced over at where you were lying. Understandably, the fear was still heavy in his chest. Denise was examining your stitches to make sure they held, before Daryl's gruff voice broke the silence.
“When do you think she's gonna wake up?”
“I don't know for certain, but she'll likely need a blood transfusion.”
“I'll do it.”
It wasn't like he hadn't given blood before. Daryl was a universal donor, so Merle had taken advantage of that as a kid. It helped keep them fed, though. He was about to stand up when Rick held his shoulder down.
“Nah, brother, I'll do it. You're tired enough.”
“She's my wife. I can do it.”
“Daryl, you need to focus on your little girl. Let me do this. She's my family, too.”
Too exhausted to fight, Daryl huffed and looked back down at the sleeping baby. She did seem comfortable, and he hated to interrupt that. It fully sunk in how much Rick cared and the lengths he was willing to go for his family. The thought alone made your husband's throat constrict with emotion. God, he was a damn mess. He blinked hard and chewed on his lower lip, before nodding.
“Okay. Thank you.”
Hours had passed now and Daryl was in bed beside you. The group had rallied together to get you taken care of and comfortable on top of clean sheets. Your husband had also changed both of your guys' clothes. Rick, Michonne, and Carol were all taking shifts of caring for the baby. Since you were still unconscious and too weak to breastfeed, they'd settled for using Judith's left over formula.
As you slept, your husband rested fitfully and spent a lot of the night simply checking your breathing. His hand had settled on the side of your neck and measured your pulse. It wasn't even something that Daryl was conscious of. The fear was unrelenting, but the fact that your color had returned was reassuring.
Daryl felt himself drifting off again when you suddenly shifted beside him. He sat up and gently stroked the side of your face. While you weren't fully awake, you leaned into his touch and sighed softly. His eyes were wide and disbelieving. His voice cracked as he broke the silence.
“Sweetheart, you wakin' up?”
You hummed softly in response, but you still weren't opening your eyes. This wasn't unusual for you, though. Daryl was always having to drag your ass out of bed. He did his best to not get overly excited and kept lightly tracing your features.
“That's it. Just open your eyes whenever you're ready. Ain't no rush.”
That was bullshit. He was practically shaking with anticipation as he waited for you to wake up. Your husband just didn't want to risk moving too quickly. Daryl's eyes were fixed on your face, and his breath caught in his throat when you blearily blinked your eyes. He made sure not to overwhelm you and spoke softly.
“There's my girl. You did so good, sweetheart.”
“The baby?”
Of course, that was the first thing that you'd ask. You had nearly died, and your first concern was your daughter. Your voice was slightly slurred from the pain meds Denis had given you, but it was still music to Daryl's ears. He smiled and blinked back more tears.
“She's perfect, darlin'. You're both okay, now.”
“You were scared?”
That question caught him slightly off guard, and Daryl's entire body tensed. Even though he'd been expecting you to worry about him, he didn't realize your concern would come so quickly. He should've known better. Not wanting to cry, he nodded and pressed a kiss to your forehead.
“Yeah, sweet girl. I was really scared. We're okay, though.”
“All of us are okay.”
“That's right. You wanna rest some more?”
“Have to feed the baby.”
Instinctively, you glanced around the room and looked for the infant. You were about to sit up when Daryl's hand gently held your shoulder down. He cut you off before you could begin to protest.
“Not yet, honey. You can't sit up that quickly. Baby girl is already fed and sleepin' in Rick's room.”
“Rick's got her?”
“Yeah. He's been a big help.”
Daryl paused and contemplated telling you just how much the group had stepped up. You were exhausted, though. That would be a conversation for another time. For now, he knew what you'd ask next, and he sat up.
“Why don't I help you sit up and then have Rick bring our baby in here?”
“Sounds good. I can go slow.”
“Damn straight. I need you to be careful, okay?”
“Always.”
After getting you situated, Daryl fought the urge to re-check your pulse and walked over to the bedroom door. He called out for Rick to bring the baby and rejoined you in the bed. The exhaustion was radiating off both of you in waves, but it was clear how excited you were to meet your baby. A thought suddenly came to your mind and you spoke up.
“What if she's already bonded to someone else? Like, not me?”
“Oh, baby. You were only asleep for a few hours. She'll know who her momma is. I promise.”
“Okay.”
Your husband's soothing words had done their intended job and instantly soothed you. The bedroom door slowly swung open, and your face lit up when you saw the tiny baby cradled in Rick's arm. Your baby was perfect. Seeing the love flood your features made Daryl's eyes well up with tears, and it was a Herculean effort to not break down crying again. You looked alive, polar opposite to the slackened features he'd seen earlier.
“You ready to meet your girl?”
Rick's voice was hushed and approached the bed. You were completely unaware of the lengths your husband's best friend had gone for your family today, but you were grateful, nonetheless. Your smile widened and you nodded eagerly.
“So ready. Thank you for helpin' with her.”
“Always gonna help you, sweetheart. You're my family. All three of you are.”
Getting even closer to crying again, Daryl took a deep breath and cleared his throat. He nodded to Rick and gently rubbed your lower back. Rick got the hint and pass you the baby. Before fully pulling away, he double-checked that you were strong enough to support the baby's head.
“Just like that. You got her.”
“Thank you.”
Unsurprisingly, seeing you hold your baby girl was the thing that broke Daryl's resolve, and tears started running down his cheeks. You were alarmed and you quickly looked him over. Your voice was soft and concerned.
“Daryl, honey, are okay?”
“Yeah. Just real happy seein' you holdin' our girl. I was so scared, darlin'.”
You were stable enough that your husband felt comfortable allowing himself to seek that emotional release. Rick placed a firm hand on Daryl's shoulder in a supportive gesture, and he leaned into the comfort his best friend was offering. He wiped his face and tried to calm down. You would've consoled him, but you weren't strong enough to support the baby with only one arm, yet.
Instead, you leaned into his touch and kept glancing at his face. You hoped that Rick was able to offer him enough reassurance. Daryl's face was pressed against your hair as he continued weeping softly. These weren't the same desperate tears as earlier, though. He was just overcome with relief. His wife was alive and able to hold their beautiful little girl.
It took a few minutes, but Daryl was finally able to gather himself. He wiped his face and gave both you and Rick a small smile. Your husband huffed a slightly bitter laugh, and broke the silence.
“Sorry for breakin' down like that. Ain’t tryna be a little bitch.”
“Don't apologize, brother. You've both had a rough couple of hours.”
You hummed in agreement and pressed a kiss to the side of Daryl's mouth. The affectionate gesture was met with a genuine smile from your man. Obviously, you weren't at your usual level of functioning, but you had the energy to try to be affectionate with him. He pressed a kiss to your temple and spoke in an almost reverent tone.
“You did so good, sunshine. Like a fuckin' warrior.”
“A warrior? I think that's a little dramatic.”
“He's right. You were a damn trooper.”
Your cheeks flushed at the praise, and it made Daryl laugh. All things considered, you were still bashful when receiving compliments. He could actually let himself believe that you were okay. Pressing another kiss to your face, he reveled in the way that your skin had warmed back up.
Thankfully, the rest of the night went without incident. The group was still taking care of your daughter in shifts, but you were able to participate. Daryl refused to watch you exhaust yourself, though. You were still recovering. Things had been off to a rocky start, but it was clear that your family was surrounded by love.
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