A/N: This chapter is dedicated to my ff bff Magenta's Nightmare. Thank you for always double checking my stuff and helping me with plots and what not. You are the best ff bff and I couldn't do this without you ily Tabitha.

Merle pushed the call light and then ran to the door and out into the hall way. Carol walked over to the bed and leaned down over the side rails to touch him, hug him. The sight of his eyes open again almost made her weep with relief. She tentatively put her arms around him because she was sure he was still in pain.

He didn't wince at all and pulled her close to him letting out a sigh of relief.

"Welcome back." She said softly in his ear.

She could hear Merle out in the hallway calling out "Teagan, Teagan he's awake." Teagan was Daryl's day nurse and Carol was pretty sure Merle had his eye on her.

She was actually sure of it.

"I'm sorry Carol." Daryl whispered into her hair, taking a long deep breath of her. She felt so good in his arms and she smelled so good. He winced from the pain and Carol moved back from him.

"Shhhhh its ok, we're gonna be ok." She ran her hand through his hair. "We'll talk when you're better."

Merle busted through the door followed by a nurse in dark blue scrubs. She carried a penlight in her hand as she approached Daryl's bedside.

"Hello there Mr. Dixon, we've been waiting on you to start this party." She said smiling at Carol and positioning herself at the opposite side from Carol.

"Daryl, this is Teagan, she's been your nurse for the last three days, and I'll get out of your way." Carol said backing up and Daryl nodded at the light haired nurse before him now.

Carol walked over to Merle who was watching closely as the nurse checked Daryl's pupils and had him squeeze both her hands.

"She's cute aint she." He whispered to Carol.

Carol looked over at him and smiled. "You're incorrigible."

"Course, I am." He said watching Teagan now move to Daryl's feet where she took a pen out of the bun her hair was in and slid it along the sole of his foot assessing his neurological status.

"Looking good, Mr. Dixon, I need to call the house Doctor and tell him your back, I'll be right back." She made her exit giving Merle a slight smile as she walked by.

/

Merle gave Carol and Daryl a few minutes alone because they both looked like they were going to lose their shit any second. They both were on the verge of tears and he didn't want to witness that. They needed privacy for right now.

He looked up and she was coming down the hall way, her white shoes making a scuffing sound. He noted the stethoscope hanging out of her pocket and the clamps hanging off the bottom of her jacket.

She made a clanking sound as she came towards him and to Merle, that was the sound of paradise. They were on a first name basis since Merle started to charm her two days ago. She was cute, he made no excuses for it.

"He gonna be ok?"

He said as she approached and leaned against the wall next to him. She blew a stray hair out of her face and Merle had to put his hands behind his back because he wanted to push that hair behind her ear for her. He was pretty sure that wasn't appropriate.

Her voice brought him back from the thoughts he was having.

"There's no reason to think he wouldn't be, all the tests came back good. He'll have to stay a few more days but, there's no reason he wouldn't make a full recovery." She said.

Merle was relieved, he didn't ever say it, especially to Carol but he was worried he wouldn't wake up and now that he had Merle sincerely hoped those two got their shit together.

"Great, thanks sugar."

"The doctor is on his way up, I have to give him some meds…." She said pushing herself off the wall.

"Ok, I won't keep you."

She started to open the door to Daryl's room, knocking softly to let them know she was coming in.

"Hey, Teagan?"

"Yes, Merle." She turned back towards him, with her hand still on the doorknob of Daryl's door.

"You like motorcycles?" He asked.

She nodded and gave him her quirky smile that he had come to love. "I get done at three." She said and then she was inside the room, leaving him in the hallway with a big grin on his face.

/

Daryl was in the hospital for five more days total. Carol went home and took a shower finally the day he woke up and Maggie was home when she got there. She had called her and told them Daryl was awake and not to come until later after the doctors were done with him.

There were more tests ordered and things they needed to do for him.

She noticed right away as she came out of the bathroom showered and dressed that Maggie was wearing a wedding ring.

"Oh my god you eloped?" She cried as she hugged Maggie. "That's where you went this weekend, how did I not figure that out."

"We decided on Saturday, we tried to call, but…." She said leading her over to the couch. "I need to tell you something, let's sit."

They both sat down on the couch together.

"We don't want you to leave or anything, we have plenty of room." Maggie said taking her hands.

"Mags don't worry I'm going to Daryl's when he gets discharged, we're going to try and work it out, and he's going to need my help at the very least."

"That's wonderful, listen I want you to know, you are welcome here if you need. Glenn is moving in but this is your home too."

"I think my home is with him Maggie." And Maggie nodded to her.

"There's more" Maggie said. "I'm pregnant."

Carol jumped off the couch an expression of pure joy on her face. "Oh my god, oh my god, Maggie."

She hugged her again and then sat down again.

"Oh my god we're having a baby! I'm going to be an aunt." She hugged her again. "I'm so happy for you."

/

Teagan came into Daryl's room later that day after they got done with all the tests. He was in pain from moving around and he noticed she had a syringe in her hand.

"This is for pain, Tramadol, last one, doc says you're going home in a few days."

She saw his eyes rolling before she even got to the side of his bed.

"Don't worry, it goes in the IV." She smiled at him and proceeded to start the IV push. He relaxed back into his pillows with relief that he wasn't getting a shot, he was afraid of needles. He was curious about what Merle had told him about her earlier.

"My brother said he's taking you out today?"

She nodded her hands still at the IV, pushing the med over two minutes.

"He's alright, saved me really, when Carol left."

"Yeah, he said you all are divorced." She quirked her eyebrows at him. "But I have to tell you, that woman that sat by your bed for three days? She's still your wife."

With that comment out Merle and Carol came in. Carol had a cup with a lid and straw sticking out of it. She looked like herself again and she looked happy. Really happy.

"They had malt powder Daryl, chocolate too." She beamed at him as she brought the cup to him and helped him sit up. 'Extra thick."

Teagan backed up and stood next to Merle a little way away from them and turned to Merle.

"They're really divorced." She said to him as she watched Carol fussing over him and the obvious happiness they both showed at being together.

"Yeah, they're divorced alright, but I don't think it took." He laughed.

She giggled into her hand. "Where are we going later Merle?"

"Anywhere you want to go sugar." He answered.

/

This is where we used to live.

The Old Apartment—by Bare Naked Ladies

Carol brought Daryl home four days after he woke up. All of the tests had come back normal and the only thing he had to do was avoid lifting because of his ribs. He was still in pain and he needed her help. They had talked a little bit in the hospital about what was next.

She was definitely staying until he was better.

She had been back to their old house with him a few times in the past few months, he and Merle hadn't changed much, mostly added some of Merle's things. The house was cozy and warm like it always had been.

Carol noticed some of her books that she forgot by the couch where Daryl sat. Her complete works of ee cummings, To Kill a Mockingbird and her second copy of The Stand. He had been reading her books and that made her smile.

She hadn't noticed that before the half dozen times she had been there. He was a reader as well, but his taste went to more biographies, not so much fiction. She was the fiction and poetry lover in the family.

They sat down on the couch after she had made them lunch with two cups of tea. He was tired and the doctor's said that was normal and he would need to rest frequently. He would need someone with him all the time and Carol was still on summer break from school.

Merle had to go back to work and run the garage in Daryl's absence and he had a new girlfriend to spend time with now too.

Daryl shook his head at that thought, he had been in the hospital for seven days and Merle had been macking on that girl the whole time.

Carol said she really thought he had met his match and maybe this one was going to be the girl to tame Merle Dixon.

She wished them well because her brother in law was one of her most favorite people on this earth and the nurse who took care of her husband was an angel as far as she was concerned.

They were a good pair and Merle was smitten and good for him, and her.

She noticed Daryl was getting tired and offered to get him a blanket so he could lay down. After he made the customary sexual remark he actually said he wanted to take a shower.

She had been in their old room before, twice when Merle hadn't been home over this summer, but it still made her nervous.

"Ok, let's go." She said holding her hand out to him.

"Can do it myself." He said.

"I want to help you." She said he voice soft to his ears, a beautiful sound that he never got tired of hearing.

She was right, he needed help and he nodded once.

They walked through their old room to the bathroom and she helped him unbutton his shirt and get his jeans down because he was still in pain from his ribs.

"I heard you, you know?"

"They said you might, I'm glad."

She said turning on the water for him, He stepped into the shower and was surprised when she took her clothes off and got in with him. She grabbed a wash cloth and soap and started to wash him gently.

"Don't act so shocked, we've showered together before you know?"

"Not lately." He said giving her a crooked grin.

"You need my help and I like you a lot." She smiled at him, bringing the wash cloth over his face and then rinsing the soap off. "Lemongrass? My favorite."

She smiled knowing he had kept it as a reminder of her and it warmed her heart so much. Her heart that she was sure was cold to him wanted only to be with his heart now.

"Did you mean all that stuff you said? I was in and out but I remember some things."

"I meant it all." She said running the wash cloth over his shoulders and chest, careful not to press hard because she didn't want to hurt him.

"I heard your voice and I wanted to get back to you so badly." He said and his voice was cracking as he spoke from the deep emotion he was feeling. "I was wrong, I heard you crying and praying and making your deals with God, asking forgiveness for being selfish."

She looked up at him and met his eyes and he continued.

"You weren't the selfish one, that was all me. I chickened out on you and I am so sorry I did that to you." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "You just don't know how sorry I am."

"Shhhhhh, if you heard me, then you already know, it doesn't matter, I just want to be with you working it out. Trying. God Daryl I thought you were going to die."

She moved her arms to hold him closer without touching his ribs but he pulled her closer anyway. He wanted her close after this ordeal they had been through.

"What if I changed my mind?" He said. "What if I wanted to, would you still want to?"

"Did you see a white light or something?" She joked but she quickly saw that he wasn't joking.

She put her forehead to his and smiled. They let the water cascade over their bodies and just took each other in, breathed each other in

"So what if I wanted to now? What would you say?"

"I'd say we can talk about it, is that good?"

He nodded. "More than good."

She nodded her head and continued washing him.

"I want to get married again Carol." He said and his voice wasn't cracking this time, she looked up at him through the water that was running over both of them. Her eyes and voice clear.

"Me too."

THE END

A/N: Thank you everyone who hung in with this story. I know it got bumpy and I appreciate people not giving up. Now, I might write a sequel, because don't we all want to know what happens to Carol and Daryl. I want to know about Teagan and Merle that's for sure. So let me know if you want more and I'll do it.