UNITED IN BLOOD
CHAPTER TWO !

𝐅𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘, 𝟐𝟎𝟑𝟖

   THE UNMISTAKABLE THUDS OF the golf club colliding with the man's head rung through her ears. Danielle was trying desperately to block it out, using her medical knowledge to treat the incredibly concussed Tommy, who lay practically face down on the freezing cold linoleum floor.

   Bruising from when Nora slammed the butt of her gun upon Tommy's head had already begun to form, his eye socket becoming swollen within such a short time span. That was how hard Nora had hit him. Danielle was still none the wiser as to why Abby was currently pulverising the man behind her.

   "H-Help." Tommy pleaded of the dark haired girl knelt down in front of him. Perhaps in his hazed state, he believed she could actually do anything. "Help us."

    Danielle wasn't strong enough nor brave enough to help. The guilt was immediately there. It didn't creep its way into her system, instead it bulldozed past every single line of defence her mind had put up, tearing away at her as she stayed in that room, the blood splattering across the floor just behind her as a man, innocent or not, was beaten within an inch of his life, tortured by someone she once considered a friend.

   "I'm so sorry. I can't." The girl whispered to him, her voice cracking with emotion. She couldn't even look the man in the eyes as she denied his plea for help. Never before had she ever felt so much like a coward.

   A series of groans and grunts of pain were pulled from the blond male as he shifted on the ground, attempting to sit up. He couldn't just sit by and watch as his brother was beaten to death. His sight was blurry, the man not even able to see five feet in front of himself, yet he still struggled to push his aching body up. Danielle stared at the man, hoping, praying that he would just lay back down. "Please, please try to be quiet. They can't know you're awake."

   "My gun?" The blond man weakly attempted to feel around the surrounding floor for his pistol though it was al for nought. During the initial confrontation, Danielle had watched as Leah and Jordan had pilfered through the two mens belongings, stockpiling every weapon they came across. They were all now thrown at the further corner of the room, far away from both Tommy and Joel.

   Danielle shook her head at him. Her hazel eyes glistened with fear as she stared back at the man. "There are too many of them. They'll kill you before you could fire one round."

   Before the battered and bruised Tommy could say anything in return, a commotion rung out just behind her. Her body swung round in response to the noise, her eyes falling upon her 'friends' engaged in combat with some unknown girl. Voices were raised, fists colliding with faces could be heard and within seconds, Danielle watched as the WLF easily subdued the girl, throwing and pinning her to the ground.

   "No, Ellie." Tommy obviously recognised her. His hoarse voice called out to the girl, though it was too weak, too frail to reach the ears of the now screaming girl. Obscenity after obscenity fell past her lips, her eyes filled with fury.

   Danielle felt frozen. She didn't know this girl, didn't know who or what Joel was to her, but no one deserved to watch a loved one suffer. Guilt racked throughout her body, her nervous system faltering as though it was shutting down. A pricking sting attacked her body as the sweat began to accumulate at the back of her neck. Danielle had only seconds to make a decision. Live the rest of her life as a coward or intervene and potentially shield this girl from seeing something she would never come back from.

   "Danielle, what the fuck are you doing?" The girl heard Owen call out to her while her legs carried her across the room as she left Tommy's side. She was sure Tommy was capable of keeping himself safe.

   "You're gonna fucking die!" The girl forced upon the ground spat out at everyone, each syllable screamed with venom.

   She was mere steps away from the girl when a body suddenly blocked her eye-line, the girl disappearing from view. Danielle's eyes trailed up to see Jordan, blood trailing from a deep gash across his face. "Get the fuck out of my way Jordan."

   Pushing her way past the pissed off Jordan, Danielle fell to the ground, knees colliding with the linoleum, right in front of Ellie. There was nothing she could do other than this. Shielding this girl, blocking her view from seeing Joel take his final breath.

   "Don't look." Danielle pleaded with her. She desperately wanted to reach out and caress the girls face, wanting to provide some sense of comfort in such a devastating time. "Please, I'm so sorry but please don't look."

   Another metallic thud filled the air, more tears filling the girls eyes. Ellie didn't appear to truly be there in that moment, heat radiating off her body as the rage continued to bubble to the surface.

   "Don't let this be your last memory of him." Danielle whispered to the girl. Ellie gasped for breath more and more.

   "We gotta get out of here. Before the whole town's on top of us." Owen announced to the room, a sound of fear running through his voice. The man stepped towards Abby while she stood over Joel, the golf club still firmly gripped in her hands. "You're done."

   The blonde glared over at her ex boyfriend. "You want what I want, right?"

   The two stared each other down briefly before Owen took hold of the situation, putting his foot down. "End it. Now."

   "Joel, fucking get up!" Ellie snapped at the man, though she could no longer see him. Deep down, Ellie knew. Joel wasn't getting up. Even if they did let him live, his body was simply far too injured, too damaged for the man to pull himself up. That didn't stop Ellie from begging, "Please, please don't do this."

   "No!" Ellie cried out while the final powerful blow was delivered onto Joel. The clang of the golf club colliding with the man's skull echoed throughout the room.

   "Danielle, get up. Let's go!" Nora had let go of Ellie, reaching towards Danielle to yank the girl to her feet. "Get up."

   "Don't you fucking touch me!" The hazel eyed girl stood up, slapping away at the hands that had aggressively dug into her arms. "You're all a bunch of fucking animals."

   Leah was quick to call back at her, seemingly taking joy in taunting her. "Well, you're one of us. Guess that makes you an animal too."

   "I'm nothing like you." Danielle's head shook. She wasn't. She couldn't be. She would never senselessly torture and murder someone.

   "Just leave her. She's useless anyway."

   "We need her. She's a fucking medic, dickhead."

   "I'll fucking kill you." Ellie cried out, her body shaking from the overwhelming fury that enveloped her.

   Danielle's eyes followed along as Jordan made his way towards the auburn haired girl, his foot striking the side of her face forcing the girl into a state of unconsciousness.

   "Christ!" Danielle cried out just as Jordan turned to face her, his gun now pointed at her.

   "Get your shit and get moving or I'll shoot you where you stand. Jordan glared down the barrel of his gun, aimed directly at Danielle, who stood defiantly in front of him. God, she had always hated him and now she knew why. He was a fucking asshole. "Don't test me, Danielle."

   "Go to hell." Those were her final words before she fell face first into the floor. The back of her skull felt as though it had been beaten in with a hammer. Her body lay upon the ground as she feebly groaned in pain.

   "Fuck, is that a horse I can hear?" As Danielle faded in and out of consciousness, she could briefly hear a flustered Mel questioned the room. She sounded really freaked out.

   "Get movin'." Owen demanded of everyone. They all began grabbing for their gear, their boots skidding across the floor as they raced around. They were desperate to escape before the Calvary appeared, seeking out the people of Jackson. 

   "Just leave her." Owen called out to Mel who made a dash towards the now injured Danielle. They wouldn't be able to carry Danielle and escape at the same time. Leaving her behind was their only option. "Go."

   The sound of their footsteps trailed off until the slight wheezing from Tommy was all that filled the room. Her head was pounding, her sight foggy as she miserably grasped at the fraying rope of consciousness.

   A faint female voice could be heard, though how long after the WLF had taken off, Danielle couldn't be sure. Not that it would matter, they were long gone. "Ellie?"

   "Oh god!" The girl had stepped into the room, taking in the carnage that was scattered across the room. A gasp escaped past her lips as she saw the bloodied figure of Joel. "Jesse, they're down here."

   Danielle's eyes had finally shut, the young girl simply unable of keep them pried open any longer. She was simply far too tired to fight to stay awake. Allowing herself to slip into her subconscious was much too tempting for the injured Danielle.

   Don't!" The faint voice of Tommy could be heard by the young girl, just as Danielle's hold on her awakened state slipped from her clutches. "She ain't one of them."

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jamielee's thoughts.
so this chapter was brutal to write. Every time I pictured Joel's death, I nearly broke down into tears. I love Abby but seriously fuck her in this moment. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the direction I'm going with this fic. also Danielle will continue to be racked with guilt throughout this fic and Ellie isn't exactly going to be all buddy-buddy with her. It will be a long haul getting to a moment of peace between these two. :)