Daryl placed the can of paint on the stairs and took a seat beside it, taking his third break of the day. Mrs. Lovell was working him like a dog lately, but he didn't mind - he enjoyed having something to wake up in the morning for.

He'd written Merle earlier in the week to tell him about his job, and to forward any of his mail to Clinch, a small town in Georgia. He was hoping Merle did as he asked. Since he was changing so much, Daryl didn't think it would be a problem.

"Daryl, are you taking a break?"

"Yes Ma'am." He smiled."Is there anything you need?"

"Oh no, I was just checking in on you."

Mrs. Lovell did that quite often. She said it was a habit that was hard to break, and it was a habit he'd definitely have to get used to. He stood up, taking a deep breath of the fresh air before walking into the house. His stomach reacted to the smell of food cooking, as he walked towards the kitchen.

Mrs. Lovell turned around with a smile."How's stew sound?"

Daryl placed his hand on his stomach."Too good for words, Ma'am."

"It'll be ready in a little while, why don't you go wash up for supper."

He nodded and started back, despite him wanting to continue, he knew not to disobey orders. Plus, his stomach wasn't having any of it. He quickly cleaned up his work area, then walked over to the well around back.

The cool water felt wonderful on his hands, as he dunked them in the bucket. He splashed the water on his face and stood up, stretching his aching back.

He felt hands on his back, gently rubbing up and down. His skin tingling in delight.

Daryl turned around half expecting to see her there, only he was alone, as he always was. He heaved a sigh and dried his hands off on his pants. He thought about her so much sometimes, that it actually begun to feel real. On the up side, his dreams stopped. He guessed with his mind preoccupied as of the late, he didn't have time to dream - let alone about her.

It wasn't that he didn't want to dream about her, it was he dreamt too much about her. He'd wake up alone and would have a hard time falling asleep, and if he did sleep he'd toss and turn all night. As he walked up the stairs, he stopped and turned around; looking out over the property, admiring the beauty and the over all tranquility. It was definitely a place he'd like for himself one day.

"Supper's ready."

He opened the door and walked through, his stomach growling to the different smells. When he entered the kitchen, Mrs. Lovell was placing a bowl of stew down on the table complete with freshly baked bread. Daryl took a seat and immediately reached for the bread.

"It looks like it's going to storm." Mary commented.

He nodded."Mhm. Have to shut up the barn after I eat."

"Just in time for the apple pie to cool." She smiled."You like apple pie, right?"

"Yes Ma'am."

She laughed."You remind me a lot of my son."

"Really, how so?"

"He has blue eyes and dark hair." She dabbed the corner of her mouth."Very tall."

Daryl looked down.

"Haven't seen him in, oh, I'd say five years."

"That the one that went to New York?"

She nodded."Yes, that's him."

He nodded and continued listening, as he ate his stew.

"He got married to a beautiful actress; Cecilia Adams." Mary frowned."She had to leave and made him leave as well. She gave him an ultimatum, leave with her or she will without him. Well, my son is very loyal, he'd never let his wife leave without him. So, he packed up his things and left."

"I'm sorry."

She waved her hand."I'm blessed that I at least receive letters from him."

Daryl looked down at the steaming hot stew, when it suddenly dawned on him - Mary was lonely and unfortunately that's probably why he got the job. He didn't mind it was still work, but, it made him feel like shit. He'd have to leave when the work was complete, leaving her to be alone again.

"Do you have a wife back home?" She questioned, clearly unaware she'd already asked when they first met.

He shook his head."No ma'am, haven't found the right one."

"You will." She smiled."We always find our soulmates, we just have to go through a series of tests first."

"Tests?"

She set her cup down."Yes. To make us better people. Everything we go through it s a test, it helps us become stronger and it builds character."

He wasn't much for religion or faith, he just went with what ever was easiest. After his mother died when he was a kid, after his father beat him senseless - he didn't believe in anything, especially good people. It wasn't until he was laid up in the hospital that he'd hit his lowest point, feeling nothing and wanting nothing more than to die. And then Beth showed up and took care of him, despite his lack of morals. He started seeing his situation differently, and started thinking differently as well.

Beth stood in the operating room, watching as the Doctors extracted a bullet from a leg. Blood. It's all she saw everyday, all day. She'd scrub her hands nightly, but the blood was caked into her skin - every crease and every pore.

Every time she laid down at night all she saw was blood, all her dreams consisted of someone dying. That's if she got any sleep at night. Her stomach was constantly in knots, and she was lucky to keep any food down at all.

The nightmare seemed to get deeper and deeper, longer and longer, bloodier and bloodier. The fighting never stopped - day and night. And, when it did stop, that's when they were most afraid.

It was becoming too much to handle. These last few months seemed to take forever to come to an end, but they were ending, just not as quickly as Beth had thought. Two more weeks and she'd be home, just two more weeks. However, the wait felt like a lifetime.

"Nurse."

Beth moved forward with the tray. She swallowed hard as she looked down at the bloodied mess. Her eyes left the man laying on the table, and slowly drifted up until they landed on Carol. The older woman gave her a nod of approval and a very small smile. Beth inhaled sharply and moved back to her designated spot.

After the storm, Daryl took a stroll into town to see if any mail came in, but he left completely empty handed. He felt a little embarrassed, as he expected a letter from her. However, he did get one from Merle. As he opened the letter, nothing seemed to register. His mind was preoccupied with other things; like Beth and if she was okay. He folded up the letter and shoved it in his shirt pocket, not wanting to read anymore.

He didn't really care much anymore, his mind was on other obvious things. Maybe it was selfish of him to think he deserved those letters, or to think that he ever had a chance with someone like her. She was too good for him and he was well aware of it.

When he made it back to the two story colonial, he saw Mary sitting out on the porch with another woman. He walked up and Mary eagerly waved him over. Meeting new people and being social wasn't something he wanted as of right now, he just wanted to dive into his work and try to keep his mind occupied.

"Daryl, this is my good friend Annette Greene." Mary introduced.

He nodded."Ma'am."

"Mary has told me so much about you." She smiled.

His lips tugged into a faint smile."All good I hope?"

She chuckled."Of course."

The woman, now known as Annette Greene, seemed an awful lot younger than Mary. Maybe thirty years, give or take. He assumed she was a neighbor that was visiting.

"She stopped on her way back home to Dublin." Mary continued."I've been showing her the work you've been doing."

"Yes, I'm very impressed. This house needs so much care, it's good to see someone took an interest in doing so." Annette spoke up."I also want to thank you, Mary here, she's like my mother." She gave Mary's hand a squeeze.

Daryl nodded again."My pleasure, Ma'am."

He walked back into the house, immediately feeling the cool breeze that floated through the house. Mary had hung up wet sheets in the doorway's and opened up the windows. Daryl guessed the family secret worked because it actually felt good to be inside.

Annette turned to Mary, as the older woman took a seat."He seems awfully shy."

She chuckled."Oh he is, but, he's an excellent worker."

"Hard to believe he was in the war, he doesn't look battered at all."

"I haven't asked him much about the war, I'm not sure I want too. I don't want to upset him." Mary sipped her lemonade."If he's willing to talk, though, I'll listen."

Annette nodded in agreement.

Daryl walked out to the barn to check on the horses one last time, when his head felt as if it weighed a hundred pounds. He took a seat on a bucket up against the barn. He placed his head in his hands and took a few deep breaths, hoping to relieve the feeling.

Gunfire ceased just for a moment, presumably to reload their guns. Daryl sprinted across the small field toward a broken down wagon. He ducked behind the largest part, hoping that it'd give him some cover. He didn't know where they were going to come out next. He couldn't hear anything else except his heart in his ears, it pounded so hard he was sure it'd leap out of his chest.

Suddenly, without warning, the gunfire started up again. A bullet tore through the wagon off to his left, sending Daryl forward - falling flat on his face. He wasn't hit, just startled. He scrambled to his feet and rushed into the woods in front of him.

"Daryl?"

His head shot up and he saw Mary walking over, she looked concerned. He stood to his feet, feeling embarrassed, as he wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting there.

"Sorry, I needed to take a break." He looked around.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded."Yeah, I just get these headaches sometimes. I'unno, it's nothing."

She nodded."Why don't you come inside and lay down, maybe it's the heat."

"Maybe." He agreed breathlessly, his head still fuzzy.

He started walking towards Mary, when everything suddenly went black.

Beth should be coming home soon!

Also, I'm not sure if nurses were allowed in the operating room, I searched and searched but I didn't really find anything. I assume they were. So we'll pretend they were.

And Daryl met Beth's mom, but he has no clue that it's her lol

Hope you liked the chapter!

Xoxo