Chapter 7

On the Mend

Oh God, I'm an ass! How could I cum in my pants rubbing against Beth's pelvis and then fall asleep?

I hate myself! That is the most embarrassing sexual experience a man can have. She must think I'm a total loser.

Shut the hell up Merle! Daryl pre-empted Merle's voice before Merle could even get a word out!

If I were her I would be running for the door. I'm sure she's so turned off right now. She will never be sexually attracted to me. I just blew it, literally blew it. I never want to face her again.

Eventually, Daryl went inside the farmhouse and avoided eye contact with Beth.

"Hi Daryl."

He looked away and stood across the room.

"Daryl?"

"I'm goin' huntin," he grabbed his crossbow.

"Wait, let's talk," she placed her hand on his forearm.

"Leave it alone," he barked, pulling his arm away, and walked out the door.

When Daryl returned from his hunt, Beth was in bed. She heard him enter and go to bed without a word.

Early the next day Daryl worked outside getting water, checking the plantings in the garden, chopping wood, strolling the grounds to check for signs of intruders, checking under the car's hood, keeping busy and avoiding Beth.

Daryl sat against a tree making a supply of bolts in a discourse with himself. It wasn't meant to be. She's 18, I'm 39. There's too big of an age difference. It ain't natural. She's a kid. I'm supposed ta be protectin' 'er. Just as well it didn't go any further.

No one would accept it anyway. Her dad wouldn't approve. The prison folks would a raised their eyebrows. She's too innocent, too good. She shouldn't get mixed up with a screwed up guy like me.

I'm a fool ta think this could'a worked out. Why in the world would she wanna be with me? I'm the only guy here, that's why. Daryl retreated deeply into his shell, forlorn, distant and quiet.

After eating breakfast alone, Beth checked on the vegetables in their new garden in the backyard. There he is dark and brooding, she thought. It was painful when he shunned her especially since it was just the two of them.

She walked up to him. "Listen moody blues," she said, referring to his mood and his eye color, I guess you think we're gonna live forever, because you're sure wastin' a lotta time, not talkin' to me."

"We gotta take the car out an' gas it up. Get yer shit. We leave in fifteen minutes," Daryl got up and tromped away.

He drove, but spoke little. He was in no mood to have a relationship talk. The sooner he could forget what happened between them, the happier he would be.

They went directly back to the intersection where the five roads met. They brought the gas can, backpacks, tote bags, weapons, crossbow, and Beth's new spear.

They knew the drill from last time, pull up to the office building, lay low, and look for signs of activity. Once confident there was no danger, Beth acted as lookout, while Daryl siphoned gas from vehicles until he filled both the car's tank, and the reserve gas can.

"AHHHH! AHHH! Help!" They heard a scream coming from the grocery store. It sounded like a young girl's voice.

"Get down!" Daryl told Beth.

They ducked behind a car. Daryl had his crossbow ready. Beth stayed low, gripping her spear. They saw a young girl running in their direction.

"She's gonna bring the walkers down on herself. C'mon," Daryl said to Beth, "stay close."

Daryl ran toward the young girl. He swooped her up, and ran for cover behind a vehicle.

"Beth, here" Daryl said, indicating she should take over from here.

"Hello, what's your name?" Beth asked the girl.

"Sheila," she responded.

"I'm Beth, and this is Daryl. How old are you?"

"Nine," she replied.

Sheila had light brown hair to her shoulders, and brown eyes. She stood about 4 feet tall and weighed around 60 lbs. She wore a cute ensemble of lilac pants and a matching lilac t-shirt with tulips on it, and pastel striped sneakers with Velcro fasteners.

"Are you by yourself?" Beth asked.

"No, I'm with my Mom and my brother, Curtis. They're still in the store with the monsters."

"Y'all stay here," Daryl ran toward the store.

Inside he found the Mom surrounded, and a young man about Beth's age outnumbered fighting off walkers.

Daryl shot his crossbow at a walker near the mother, killing it immediately. Charging forward he smacked his crossbow against the skull of another, killing it. He took down a third walker using his knife.

Daryl could see the son holding his own against two walkers leading them away from his Mom. The Mom was fending off two walkers herself. As Daryl tried to reach her, one of the walkers bit her on the upper left arm. Daryl stabbed it in the head with a bolt, knocking it down dead. The last walker bit the Mother on her right arm, knocked her down, and mauled her. Daryl whacked it in the head with his crossbow killing it.

Now free from walkers, the son approached Daryl. Seeing his mother on the floor dead, he fell to his knees by her side and wept.

Daryl stood silently behind the kneeling young man. After some time, the son took his knife, and stabbed his mother in the brain through her temple.

"Sorry man," Daryl spoke in a soft tone. "Yer sister's safe. She's outside with Beth. We can take yer Mom back with us, bury her proper if ya want. We got a farmhouse 'bout an hour's ride from here. S'just the two of us for a few weeks now."

"Thanks man. I don't know how I'm gonna tell Sheila 'bout Mom," Curtis worried.

"Yeah, it sucks. Beth's real good with kids. Are ya on foot?"

"Nah, we got a car. We can follow ya. I'm Curtis," he extended a hand.

"Daryl" he replied shaking Curtis' hand. You drive Beth and Sheila. I'll follow behind with your Mom in my car."

"Thanks man." Curtis replied.

Curtis was 6 feet tall and about 180 pounds. He was strong and muscular with brown hair and brown eyes. He wore khakis and a polo shirt that was once light blue, but was now filthy with blood and dirt.

They walked outside. Sheila ran to her brother's arms. He picked her up and carried her as if she were as light as a feather. When Curtis told Sheila the news, she wailed with grief and sadness.

"Curtis, this is Beth, Daryl introduced them.

Daryl took Beth aside, "will ya ride back with Curtis and Sheila? Thought it'd be good for Sheila ta have ya in the car with 'er. I'm gonna follow with the Mom's body in the trunk. Gonna bury her at the farmhouse. Will ya take the kid, sit in the car with 'er while we get the body? She don't gotta see it."

"Of course," Beth agreed.

Beth and Sheila sat in Curtis' car while the men retrieved the Mom's body. Exhausted from crying, Sheila rested limply against Beth.

"What's her name?" Daryl asked.

"Melanie," he replied.

Using a blanket from Daryl's trunk, they covered Melanie's face and body the best they could. Then they carried Melanie out to Daryl's car placing her in the trunk.

"Gaw 'head. I'll take care a the rest." Daryl said, waiting to close the trunk until after Curtis walked away.

Daryl pulled out first, while Curtis followed with Beth and Sheila both sitting in the backseat.

"Do you like to sing?" Beth asked Sheila.

"Yes," she replied.

"Do you have any favorite songs?"

"I like Justin Bieber," she said.

I like him too. Beth said.

"I like as long as you love me" Sheila added.

"How does it go?" Beth asked.

Sheila began in a soft voice,

As long as you love me
We could be starving, we could be homeless, we could be broke

Then Curtis joined in singing.

As long as you love me
I'll be your platinum, I'll be your silver, I'll be your gold
As long as you lo-lo-lo-love me
As long as you lo-lo-lo-love me

I'll be your soldier,
Fighting every second of the day for your dreams, girl
I'll be your Hova
You could be my Destiny's Child on the scene girl
So don't stress, don't cry, we don't need no wings to fly
Just take my hand

As long as you love me
We could be starving, we could be homeless, we could be broke
As long as you love me
I'll be your platinum, I'll be your silver, I'll be your gold
As long as you lo-lo-lo-love me
As long as you lo-lo-lo-love me

"Me, my mom and Curtis always sing it together." Sheila added when finished.

"Well thank you Sheila" Beth told her. "Maybe you can teach me the words and I can sing it with you also."

Eventually, they arrived back at the farmhouse. Daryl and Curtis dug the grave for Melanie on a shaded corner in the back of the property. They completed the burial away from Sheila's eyes, and agreed on a ceremony for the following day. Daryl helped Curtis make a cross out of sticks to mark the grave.

Daryl and Curtis collected well water for baths and cooking. Beth set about boiling it. Dinner would be a tuna, rice and tomato casserole. Assisting with the cooking, kept Sheila distracted and occupied.

Daryl showed Curtis around the property, the barn, the house, the well, the garden. He showed him the escape plan, the rope ladder, and the yellow bedroom that he and Sheila could use.

"Unless ya think Sheila wants ta be in with Beth," Daryl asked?

"Yeah maybe. Let's see what she says when the time comes."

Before dinner Beth and Sheila washed up in the master bathroom with the first batch of clean water. The men used the second bathroom, now that there were two members of each gender in the house. Beth found some pajamas in the yellow room and cut the legs off to fit Sheila's smaller body.

"Tomorrow I'll take a needle and thread and we can sew these to fit ya real nice," Beth said as Sheila stood on the bed, Beth helping her into her pajamas.

"Thank you Beth," Sheila said. Beth and Sheila hugged.

"Let's brush your hair now," Beth told her, sitting beside her, stroking her hair with the brush to soothe her.

At dinner the four sat at the farmhouse table in the kitchen.

"When I was 18, I joined the Marine Corps and was stationed at the base in Albany, Georgia," Curtis explained. "I served one year when the fevers broke out. Right away I departed to Newnan where my Mom and Sheila were alone. My dad walked out when Sheila was a baby."

"We been survivin' as part of a group livin' on a college campus in Morrow, GA. It was pretty high ground and there was a fence, 'bout 6 feet tall. We cleared a dormitory where we all slept."

"We lost a lotta folks who went on runs, never made it back. Sometimes we found their vehicles later. Saw they ran into trouble they couldn't get outta. Eventually, the herds got too large, and the fencin' couldn't take the stress. The herds came in, we all had to run for our vehicles. Been on the road ever since, 'bout 2 weeks."

After dinner, Beth and Sheila sat on the sofa and the men sat on the wing chairs. Daryl lit some candles and Beth read aloud from a copy of Emma by Jane Austen.

When Sheila fell asleep on the couch, Curtis carried her up to the master bedroom putting her in Beth's bed. Beth and Daryl followed up the stairs.

"Thanks man, for everything," Curtis extended his hand to shake Daryl's.

"S'alright," Daryl nodded and shook hands.

"Goodnight," said Beth.

Curtis went to the yellow room for the night, leaving Daryl and Beth in the hallway.

"Guess I'll turn in" Daryl said to Beth.

"Daryl, wait a minute, please. I want to praise you for the way you handled everything today. You were brave at the store saving Sheila and Curtis. You were kind to take the body back here and bury it. You were generous inviting them to stay here. Daryl, you're a good man. The best man I've known, next to my Dad."

"It ain't nothin'," he replied.

"You know you're something Daryl. You're not nothing. We've been over this at the moonshine cabin. Ya have ta leave your old identity behind. We burned the old Daryl in the fire. You're a new man, a good man, a man I'm very proud to be with." She took Daryl's hand.

Beth moved in for a hug, placing her arms around Daryl's waist, and leaning her left cheek against his chest. He stood there allowing the hug. Then, he embraced Beth in return. They shared a long poignant moment.

"It's good to have ya back." She said.

The next morning Curtis, Sheila, Daryl and Beth placed flowers on Melanie's grave. Beth read psalm 23 from the Bible, then they sang Amazing Grace. Not one to sing, Daryl listened solemnly. Curtis picked up Sheila and held her while she cried on his shoulder.

In the scorching heat of summer, the four of them settled into a routine. Daryl & Curtis made bolts by the barn. The men planned a half day hunting trip to catch food for dinner. Beth believed it was also for male bonding.

Since Melanie died, Curtis formed an attachment to Daryl. This seemed to restore Daryl's self-esteem because Curtis looked up to Daryl the way others did at the prison.

Sheila stuck to Beth like adhesive. Seemingly, she experienced separation anxiety after her mother died. She preferred sharing a bedroom with Beth, and wouldn't go to bed without her.

Today, Beth set up Sheila in the garden planting rows of carrot seeds. One of the advantages of planting carrots was that bunnies visited and sometimes became dinner. Beth washed all of Sheila's clothes from her backpack that Curtis carried in his car. One big barrel of water contained soap for washing clothes. The second barrel was for rinsing.

As the men carved their bolts, Curtis posed the question to Daryl, "You and Beth?"

"Nah," Daryl answered.

"I dunno," Curtis said. "I sense somethin' goin' on there. I think she likes ya" He grinned.

Daryl blushed and looked down. "She's too young, and besides she's too good ta be wastin' her time on me."

"You ain't so bad," Curtis answered playfully tapping Daryl's bicep with his fist. "Ya got some arms man."

Daryl fake punched back at Curtis who ducked to miss it. They both laughed.

"C'mon, let's go hunt." Daryl said.

Afternoon arrived with the men's return. They caught three rabbits, enough to feed the four of them. Curtis was a big guy and had an appetite to match.

Beth and Sheila met them with a glass of water flavored with berries and a pinch of sugar.

"Thanks Beth, that's real sweet," Curtis said as he took his glass.

"I helped pick the berries," Sheila added proudly.

"Well I'm gonna have one then!" Daryl smiled at Sheila, taking his glass from her.

The men sat down near the wood pile takin' a break before splittin' firewood. Now that there were 4 of them, they needed more wood to heat more water for bathing and cooking.

Within view, the girls were hanging laundry out to dry. Sheila handed Beth one item at a time from the washed clothes barrel, and Beth hung it on the clothes line strung between the barn and the house. Sheila laughed as she chased a butterfly, but it flew off.

Beth had small breasts so most of the time she didn't bother to wear a bra, and it rarely made a difference. The women that once lived in the house were chestier than she, so their bras didn't fit her. She wore out the one she left the prison wearing.

Today was hot and Beth wore a sleeveless blouse that was too big around the armholes. Every time she lifted her arm to hang a piece of clothing on the line, Daryl clearly saw her milky white saucer shaped breasts and her erect brown nipples. He attempted not to look, but at the same time, he couldn't look away.

Out of nowhere, Daryl said, "Beth ya better cover yerself up girl. Your whole chest is showin' through the side a yer blouse!" He walked toward her blocking Curtis' view with his body.

Curtis chuckled. He really admired Daryl, and knew Daryl liked Beth, despite his denial of it. This cat and mouse game they played amused him. Poor guy seemed unskilled in the women and relationships department. Curtis decided he would help them along a bit.

"Sheila, come 'ere, help me get some water from the well." She ran to Curtis leaving Beth & Daryl alone.

"What difference does it make Daryl? You made it clear you're not interested in a physical relationship with me."

"Have some modesty. The world don't need ta see ya displayin' yerself givin' everyone a show! Daryl said waving his arms. "S'not right Beth, there's a little girl here an' you're settin' a bad example."

"Oh so you're concerned about the example I'm setting for Sheila?" Beth's eyes bulged in disbelief. "I'm pretty sure that she's not tall enough to see that high Daryl. So what's really bothering you? You like what you see and can't handle it?"

Beth sauntered over to Daryl and pressed her whole front against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her torso against him. Daryl didn't know whether to snarl or stand still. Testing his resolve to stay away from her, he liked the feel of Beth's chest against his. She pressed her hips against his hips.

Oh God, he felt himself getting an erection. Beth applied gentle pressure with her body against Daryl's groin. His self-control gone, Daryl wrapped his arms around Beth, pulled her into him, and kissed her violently.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Again, this is my first fan fiction story, so I value your feedback both positive and constructive. Please review telling me what you liked and disliked.

Thanks!

Janessa.