Preacher's Daughter

Chapter 53: Merle in the Middle

I hear Merle screaming with pain around 2 a.m.; it was more than obvious his high had worn off. Daryl drags himself out of the bed, taking the bottles of medication Ally had left for him.

Merle lies cursing at the top of his lungs as we enter the spare bedroom, his right arm holding his ribs. "Give me a fuckin pain pill already!"

Daryl opens the bottle; he takes one out and shoves it at his brother. "You know yer damn lucky to be alive ... again. These damn things are gonna get you killed one day Merle. Good thang Sam was with ya or you'd been road kill."

The elder Dixon takes the pill, giving his brother a nasty, bitter look. "I just need the pills, not yer fuckin two cents baby brother."

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I check his bandages. "Hold still, I need to rewrap your ribs."

Taking out the roll of bandages, I reach around him, Merle gritting his teeth. "Easy there Red."

"Do you need anything else?" I tie off the end of the bandage as I grab the tube of antibiotic ointment for his road burn.

With a mischievous smirk, Merle pats the bed next to him. "Yeah, but only if Darlene doesn't mind sharing."

I toss the tube at him, rolling my eyes. Daryl wraps an arm around my waist, stopping me from storming out. "I do mind and while yer here ... you don't talk to her like that."

Glaring back at him, I pick up the tube and hand it to Daryl. "You're right ... you better deal with him."

Before the sun is even up, I'm dressed and heading to the farmhouse. Diane is up making coffee, her hair still a mess. "Mornin girl ... what are you doin up so early?"

"I need you to cover for me. I'm goin to the doctor and I don't want Daryl to know until I get back. He has enough to deal with already. I left him a note saying I'm running errands for Ann." She adjusts her long blonde hair, tying back in a bun.

"Why?" I can see her curiosity had been peeked, her green eyes examining me.

"I think I'm pregnant." She drops the spoon in her hand, coffee grounds spilling everywhere.

"I knew it ... you two where goin at it like rabbits and with everythang that happen with Beryl this summer, you've been stress out. You've been irregular for a few months, I knew it." I can feel a heat in my cheeks as I think back to every touch, every kiss and every moment between me and my husband since my birthday.

Taking her hand, I look her in the eyes with the most sincere look I can muster. "Please do this for me and I'll tell you everything when I get back."

"Here, pick this up for me in town so your story won't be a total lie." Diane shoves a parcel slip in my hand for the post office, giving me a coy smile.

The doctor's office is so still and silent, I wonder if anyone is here at all. The nurse pokes her head out of the door, looking too perky for early in the morning. "Mrs. Dixon, the doctor will see now."

I go over everything with Dr. Stone, trying not to leave any details out. After my exam, I wait very impatiently for the results of the test. She comes back in, sitting on the stool beside the exam table. "Baby number two is on the way. I'll have Jeannette set up an appointment in a few weeks. You know the routine Bobbi Jo and congratulation."

Climbing back in the truck, I'm determined to make this pregnancy better than the last. I wasn't going to go months without telling Daryl or do this alone again.

As I walk into the post office, Melinda is walking out. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, why?" I had the parcel slip to the clerk, Melinda standing there staring at me.

"You're just a little pale is all. Oh ... I found a box of your things at the lake cabin, do you want me to bring them to you?" I reach out rubbing her baby bump, making her smile.

"Daryl's brother Merle is staying with us, he got hurt in a motorcycle accident. I haven't had much sleep. Yeah ... thanks. Bring it up whenever." I can't help but stare at her bump, thinking of the growing child inside me.

Melinda gives me a hug before leaving, the clerk handing me a box addressed to Ann Thomas Roberts.

I barely pull the truck up in the drive when Diane runs out to me. "So?"

"I'm not tellin until Daryl knows for sure." I laugh as she pouts, dropping her head.

Reaching to the passenger seat, I hand her the parcel. "Oh yeah, I'd forgot about that. Oh ... Daryl came up lookin for you and he's pissed."

"With me?" My eyes go wide, my breathing become rapid.

"Not sure, he was just mad and cussing a lot." With a heart full of dread, I pull the truck out of the driveway and towards the meadow.

True enough, Daryl is on the porch with Beryl with a very cross look on his face. "I'm gonna kill him. You best get in there and help Sam with him ... I'm done."

Running in the house, I see Sam trying to get Merle out of the living room floor. "What the hell happened?"

"I ain't stayin cooped up in there ... I need my space and my damn bag!" Merle screams at me as Sam lets him fall into the recliner by the window.

Walking into the spare bedroom, I take the pain pills from the nightstand and march up to Merle. "Go ahead, O.D. for all I care, but you best not do it here. Daryl has been through enough with you already, so you can either stay and get better or leave and die ... you redneck asshole."

"Damn, you are a fire ball. Okay, you win for now Red." He mimics zipping his lips as Sam helps him back to his bedroom.

Going out to the porch, I sit beside my husband. "Daryl … we need to talk."

He stares back at me, his blue eyes rolling like a storm over the ocean. "I know you want Merle gone. I can't just kick him out B.J. I know he's a pain in the ass, he always has been like that, but he's family."

I press my index finger to his lips, beaming a happy smile back at him. "That's not it. The reason I got sick wasn't because of some bug or me being queasy over blood. I'm … pregnant."

Daryl looks at me like a deer catch in headlights, his mouth gaping open slightly. "Yer not joking … we're gonna have another baby?"

Nodding my head, I being to giggle. "You're gonna be a daddy again."

The news slowly sinks in as he rises to his feet. Wrapping an arm around me, he hugs me to him. Beryl twists from his arms until she's in mine.

I close my eyes as he kisses me, his lips soft against mine. "Are you okay with all of this?"

"I am. You said if it happens it happens, you wanted a big family." His hand cups my cheek, his thumb rubbing my jaw.

With one more sweet kiss, he smiles back at me. "If you're okay, I'm okay."

"Hey guys, I need some help." Sam walks out, his gray eyes showing his frustration.

We go into the spare bedroom, Merle buzzed out of his mind. I look over to see the bottle of painkillers spilled out on the nightstand, most of them gone.

Daryl grabs the bottle up, his anger boiling over. "Get me some rope."

"Daryl, you can't tie him up. There has to be a better way to keep him sober." With my hand on his chest, I try to calm him.

I tell Daryl and Sam to go let off some steam, telling them to grab Jack and have a few at the bar. I was going to have a little heart to heart with my husband's brother and dry his junkie ass out.

When Merle wakes up, he beings yelling for more pain medication. I close Beryl's bedroom door, hoping he doesn't wake her.

With a devious smirk, I walk into his room. "Here ya go Merle, hope this helps."

He stares at the two aspirins I place in his hands. Tossing them across the room, he tries to rise from the bed. "Fuck this shit, where's the good stuff?"

"You're cut off." I place my hands on my hips, smirking back at him.

"What the fuck? Listen sister, give me my pills or else." He raises his hand as if he's gonna hit me when I punch him in his broken ribs.

Merle crumbles back to the bed, tears in his eyes. "You bitch!"

"I might be a bitch Merle, but I'm the bitch with your pain meds. You'll get one when I say. Get in bed, behave or else." Giving him a stern stare, I pull a pain pill from my jean pocket.

He takes the pill, leaning back into the pillows. "Where's Daryl?"

"What do you need?" I refuse to let him know I'm alone in the house with him.

"How long do I have to be a prisoner here?" He grips the sheet as he tries to push up in the bed.

I let out a chuckle as I get him an extra pillow. "Till you can walk and you don't look like you've been flailed alive."

Merle reaches out to me, brushing my arms with his hand. "I get why yer with my baby bro, but why are ya helping me."

"Because you're a Dixon Merle, you're family. We Dixon's stick together." I look back at him, his smirk matching mine.

"I see what ya did there Red." I fluff up his pillow, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Please try to be good while you're healing. Once you're back out on the road, you can do whatever you want." I turn to leave when he takes my hand.

"I ain't Daryl, I ain't the type to play house and act like everythang is okay. Unlike my brother, I still have my sack. I'll have to give it to you, you really are a Dixon." I wasn't sure if it was the drugs or his usual surly personality, but I was glad he was staying put and behaving.

When Daryl finally comes back home, he's in better spirits. Sam and he stumble to the couch, flopping down laughing. "Merle still kicking?"

"Yes, I didn't kill him … yet." Daryl pulls me into his lap, his blue eyes drinking me in.

"Sam, did I tell ya how much I love this woman and how happy she makes me. Did I tell ya she gave me a beautiful little gurl and she's gonna make me a daddy again." I lean my head down to his shoulder, his hand stroking my hair.

"You're one lucky bastard Dixon. You got any sisters?" I shake my head, wrapping my arms around my husband.

Later that night, we go into Beryl's room and watch her sleep. Daryl pulls her blanket up over her, kissing her little head. "I'm sorry about Merle."

"You don't have to be. I've got him on a schedule, he'll be fine. We'll get him healed up and back on the road. Until then, it's me, you, baby and Merle." Goosebumps break out of my skin as he slides his hand over my belly and he slowly lifts his cool blue eyes to my face.

"Bobbi Jo Dixon … you are somethang else." Leaning down, he kisses my belly.

I run my fingers through his hair, thinking I must be the luckiest woman alive.