August 7, 2010
~*~ CP ~*~
"You look exhausted, Hershel. Need some coffee?" Carol asks as she enters the kitchen to start breakfast. She's ahead of her helpers, but that's to be expected since she's about fifteen minutes ahead of schedule this morning.
The veterinarian is sitting at the kitchen table in a bit of a doze, but he straightens and yawns. "No, just enjoying a cup of tea before getting some sleep. I took the night shift and Cricket will cover the day shift in the infirmary with Lilly to help."
"How's our patient?"
"Sedated but stable. He's tolerating the tracheotomy and ventilator and we were able to debride the infected tissue, so we just have to hope he responds to the antibiotics and the immune globulin before he develops pneumonia or nutrition issues. I don't want to attempt a gastric feeding tube, and it's still nothing short of a miracle that Rick survived without one for so long. He's lucky to be treated by a veterinarian."
"Why's that?" Carol is rolling out biscuit dough with practiced ease. She likes the easy rhythm of working with dough.
"It's virtually eradicated for humans, a few handful of cases a year usually in adults who didn't get a tetanus booster. Horses are as susceptible to tetanus as humans, so I've treated a few cases in my career."
"How did those turn out?"
He sighs, emptying his cup. "It's considered a 50-75% fatality rate in equines, which is why horses are supposed to be vaccinated."
"I remember Cricket gave T-Dog a booster shot at the quarry. Maybe we need a vaccine clinic just in case for everyone?"
"That would be a really good idea. Probably a general health review. Dale needs to be monitored for his cholesterol, and no telling how many of the ladies need birth control assessed since the stock for that may last longer than the condom supply. I'm not feeling up to becoming a midwife at my age."
Carol pauses with her biscuits, turning to look at him. "Would that be really complicated to train for? Because I'm guessing it's a matter of time before we either rescue a pregnant woman or end up with one."
He studies her thoughtfully. "That something that interests you?"
"I did a year in an LPN program before I had to drop out to take care of my mother. I don't know that I want to be a full-time nurse like Lilly or Felipe, but it couldn't hurt to learn, right?"
"I would encourage you to do so, especially since you aren't starting from scratch. And there are enough animals here that I could get you some veterinary birth experience, although those are usually nothing but observation. Lilly and Felipe would have both had maternity rotations, and I'll just about bet all of our law enforcement types went through an emergency course. So, you have a lot of sources to learn from."
Carol smiles, imagining asking Daryl to walk her through what he learned. "I'll put it on my to-do list."
"Something tells me your to-do list is longer than my own, most days." He brings the mug to the sink and washes it before sitting it in the drain rack. "I'm going to get some sleep. If I'm not up by lunch, make sure someone wakes me. Sooner if our patient takes a turn for the worse."
She nods, sliding the first trays of biscuits in the oven as he heads for the stairs.
"Knock, knock," Jacqui calls out as she closes the front door behind her. "We doing hash browns this morning?"
"Yeah. Lenore and Arthur say it was a spectacular yield this year and they'll only store about six, maybe eight, months. If you want to start chopping peppers, I'll put the boys on shredding the potatoes." Since today's breakfast crew is the trio of boys housed downstairs, Carol goes over and buzzes the intercom just as a reminder. At least one of them isn't down there, though, because she can see Jazz down by the chicken pen with a basket, Abby at his heels. She wonders if the little girl woke him to go feed the chickens and gather eggs, which is technically not his chore today, but she doesn't see Beth objecting. She makes the change on the chore roster so that Jazz gets the work credit in Patricia's system. It would be too easy for him to be taken advantage of, since he likes to keep busy.
"We getting some of your sausage gravy with those biscuits?"
"Of course. I'm not yet brave enough to try the canned sausage all on its own, are you?"
"Nope." Jacqui grins. "But it smells better than squirrel, so maybe we should."
Jimmy and Carl appear, both looking half asleep, but they know the procedure well enough by now to take a seat and start shredding the potatoes, which gives Carol time to check the supply of milk in the fridge and relax with a cup of coffee since Jacqui will handle the hash browns. She's glad the Dixon kitchen is so spacious, because she can't imagine cooking for more than fifty people in her cramped kitchen back home. At least the nursing home has its own kitchen, since they'd deemed it smarter to leave the old daycare's kitchen in place to handle the special menus of the residents rather than transport from the main house.
She shuffles for another cup of coffee when she sees Daryl coming down the stairs, dressed in what she recognizes as his hunting gear for the first time since they left the quarry. "Getting restless working the building crew, Pookie?"
He drinks half the cup of coffee before replying. "Nah. But the farm crew is having a rabbit problem, so I'm going to take some of the kids down there. You good with Sophia going? Gonna take Abby and Ryan's girls since their chores can be rotated to later. Jimmy and Jazz too, since they'll be free."
Carol knows that means that Sophia will be outside the extremely secure part of the Homestead onto the Eldridge property, but there's game cams at all the weak points that would have alerted the watch detail here if anything crossed over, so she nods. Sophia specifically asked to be able to learn skills like this. She sees Carl looking disappointed to not be included - again - and nudges Daryl toward the boy.
He studies him for a minute. "When your mama comes for breakfast, you ask her if you can go. She might be waiting to talk to your dad about you learning to shoot, but doesn't mean you can pick up a few skills before that."
The boy's grin could light up the room.
Daryl finishes his coffee, and like Hershel, washes his mug. "Gonna go make sure we got day packs ready."
He's standoffish this morning, Carol notes as he leaves. Normally, he doesn't take such care to stay out of her personal space. Part of her wonders if she's done something wrong, but he was flustered last night about something. It's easier to wait and let him percolate through whatever's concerning him, so she files it away for later.
Jacqui spreads peppers into the five waiting cast iron pans. "Every time I come in here to cook, I'm glad of whoever convinced that man to splurge on this induction cooktop." Carol laughs, because the five burners really do make work go faster. Even so, Jacqui will end up doing at least three more pans of hash browns while Carol does the gravy. The other woman pitches her voice lower than the boys' conversation at the table. "Something up with you and 'Pookie'? He wasn't near as chatty with you as he normally is."
"I'm not sure. Something's bothering him, but I'm not going to pry. He was fine yesterday morning, but not after the hospital run, so maybe he's just worried about the folks in Atlanta."
"Possible." Jacqui quiets for long enough to take the two bowls of shredded potatoes from Carl and return them empty so the boys can continue. "Ignoring all the gossip going on, I do want to ask, as your friend and not just to be nosy... you interested in him? He's a decent man, after Ed. Wouldn't blame you if you snatched him right up, especially the way he looks after Sophia and that precious girl of his."
It's only the boys in the room that keeps Carol's voice low like Jacqui's. "Daryl? No." She hesitates, because it's gossip at its purest, but she trusts Jacqui. "I'm not entirely sure he even likes women."
That gets her a startled look from Jacqui. "Man was married for a number of years, but wouldn't be the first time, especially in Georgia. You sure about that?"
Carol feels like squirming as she shares her observation. "Well, I can't say he likes men either, but you know how even happily married men's eyes will track a pretty woman? It's not that they're gonna stray, but they still look."
Jacqui nods, flipping the potatoes and waiting for Carol to continue.
"I've never seen him even glance toward a woman. Like when we were down at the pond and most everyone was swimming the other evening, he never even took so much as a peek."
"Huh." Before Carol can hope the subject's dropped, the other woman continues. "But if you knew he'd return the interest? You've said a lot about him, but nothing about you."
"No, not Daryl."
Jacqui nearly drops the spatula when she laughs. She waits until the boys dismiss it as something silly the women are up to. "So, Merle's your cup of tea, then?"
Carol wonders what possessed her to answer in a way that triggered Jacqui's guess. But in the interest of keeping her vow to be less mousy, she nods, busying herself with opening the cans of sausage so Jacqui can't see the flush heating up her fair skin.
"Oh, honey, don't be embarrassed. Ain't nothing wrong with taking interest in the man. I guess the big question is, are you going to do something about it?" But when Carol can't manage an answer, she doesn't press further.
That is the question, isn't it?
~*~ SW ~*~
Shane's thinking if he keeps driving Greyhounds across parts of Georgia, he's going to think he missed out on his true career. He's still only half onboard with taking on the Grady residents, but he understands why in the end everyone voted to allow it when Merle summoned a radio meeting to include Hershel, Tyreese, Patricia, and Glynnis in the preliminary idea he discussed with Scout and Shane. Merle even put the Grady civilians to an anonymous paper vote on the inclusion of the semi-disgraced officers. Taking the civilians along when they petitioned was a foregone conclusion. Surprisingly, there were no dissenting votes on allowing the officers to join from their former wards.
So now he's driving another bus loaded with dependent folks toward a Homestead that hasn't caught up with the last influx yet. At least even with his misgivings about the situation, he likes the idea of more hands for the manual labor needed. Merle's plan of bringing in cargo containers to reinforce the fence line was backburnered in favor of housing, but with the addition of four more people capable of driving bigger vehicles from the Grady group, that's more viable earlier on now. Merle's been mingling among the passengers, taking down information in his notebook as he visits with each person.
The man comes up and props against the guard, swapping easily to Spanish when he speaks to Shane. He's guessing that means that none of the passengers are bilingual, or at least none close enough to overhear. "You still uneasy about the cops?"
"No one seems scared of them, but it's just the thought that they were too weak to get rid of the filth among them. I try to remind myself that I allowed Ed to stay, but he was smart enough not to cross any lines I could call him on before you put the fear of dying in him."
"If I didn't think they'd suffocate, I'd consider making them all sleep in the equipment barn where we could lock them in at night," Merle offers. "But honestly, I think we've probably got eight of the most strait-laced officers on the planet in those back seats now. You and Scout really put the fear of God into them with how you took out the bad apples." He scratches at his jawline, where he's getting scruffy around his goatee. "You doing okay about that? It was a lot to ask of you."
He takes his eyes off the truck ahead of him long enough to look at Merle. All he sees is genuine concern. "Can't say I'm gonna stand beside her if she's the only one with blood on her hands when it's necessary. Or let you do it to spare me."
Merle shifts and Shane realizes the man's smiling at him. Less than a month ago, that smile would worry him about just what the man was about to do, but now he just enjoys realizing Scout's father approves of him. It's a bit of a weird feeling for someone who never met a woman's parents once he graduated high school. There's not enough of an age difference between them to have a fatherly vibe off the man, but to know he fits into the Dixons still feels good.
They can figure out how they're going to house nearly forty more people when they get there. He can handle going from sole leader of a scrabble camp of less than twenty to a co-leader among a community of 150 as long as he's not alone in it.
~*~ MD ~*~
"Since when did we put a bus stop out here?" Shane says with a laugh.
Merle stands from his seat in the front row and laughs himself. Four little girls are standing at the end of one of the Eldridge access roads, looking expectantly at the approaching bus. They aren't alone, but Daryl and the boys are further back and only glance at the bus as it comes to a halt.
He steps to the door and eyes the girls. "You kids got bus fare?"
They all present a string of rabbits with big grins, and that's when he realizes the boys and Daryl were inattentive because they're behind the joke. All four are laughing like loons.
"Alright, you little imps, find a seat." He turns sideways to let them all tramp by. Abby sits carefully at the window in the empty first row, but the other three are bolder. Mika and Lizzie sit in the empty row behind Abby that puts them in front of a pair of women who can't seem to decide how to react to girls carrying air rifles and dead bunnies. Sophia leans against the back edge of Shane's seat and studies the passengers in open curiosity.
"You keeping the boys?" he calls out to Daryl.
His brother salutes him and heads deeper into the fields with his trio of followers.
Shane closes the doors and gets back underway, still chuckling about the girls' bus fare offer.
"Looks like you kids rained terror on the rabbit population," he says to Sophia.
"Yep. We defended the veggies. Uncle Daryl and the boys are going to join the farm crew in putting out netting."
Merle studies their audience for a minute. "As you can see, everyone contributes, and anyone can learn to shoot. Mika, how old are you?"
"I turned ten in June."
"How many of the rabbits are yours?"
"Two. Sophia got the most, four. We got nine total."
Merle uses it to further his example. "Now hunting is never a guarantee and they took advantage of the lure of bean seedlings as bunny catnip, but nine rabbits are the equivalent of nine whole chickens. They'd feed almost thirty of you roasted and all of you as a stew."
"How big is this farm?" one of the older ones, Percy, asks.
"Forty acres. It was already running as a produce provider for restaurants serving locally grown, so they just kept on going. What you're seeing now is what's been planted for fall harvest. Spring crops are already harvested and put away."
"We haven't had fresh fruit or vegetables in months," the doctor says.
"We didn't either," Mika says, turning around in her seat. Either by instinct or natural gregariousness, she's helping him make his case. "My family lived in Jacksonville before. We came all the way up from Florida with Scout. So, we were real happy to get here."
He doesn't have to consult his notes to remember which of the Grady folk were safe in the hospital the longest. They're the ones that look the most shocked that a ten-year-old is this far from Florida and still alive. Then again, maybe the officers look the most impressed. He's not entirely sure they believed him and Scout about surviving on the road.
They pass through the gates onto his part of the property and Shane slows to a stop.
"Sophia, go close the gate," he instructs.
"Sure, Dad. Y'all gonna wait or should I jog up?"
"We'll wait." While she's out at the gate, he continues. "It might not be a big hospital, but the property is secure. Y'all bear with us for a week and pretend it's a camping trip and we'll get better caught up with living quarters."
Sophia hops back onto the steps so Shane can deliver their passengers a little closer to the RV park they're developing. She loops an arm around his waist, careful to keep her string of rabbits away from being squished. He returns the impromptu hug with a smile.
"Oh, looks like they're gearing up to go right back out," Sophia says.
Merle twists to look as Shane nears the RVs to see she's right. They've got Merle's work truck, both of the modified pickups, and Merle's SUV all lined up and doing a gear check.
"Guess we'll find out when we get stopped."
Shane maneuvers the bus so he's not blocking the driveway. The deputy's not even to his feet when Honey trots up and yells, "shake the lead out, che'lu, we got RVs to fetch."
The summoned man just laughs. "Guess I'll be leaving you to be tour guide," he says, flashing a grin as he thumps down the steps in pursuit of Merle's youngest.
"Think she'll bring back another semi instead?" Sophia asks.
"Knowing your sister, she'll manage to find and capture an escaped zoo animal."
"Oooh. I vote for a lion. C'mon, girls, we got rabbits to prep and we can go spoil Livia with all the hearts and livers."
Merle lets the girls exit before turning back to his passengers, seeing Cricket crossing to the bus. "Looks like they're gonna see about keeping y'all out of tents tonight, so we'll sort out who goes where when we have a better bed count. Dr. Edwards, you feeling up to a consultation on our fellow with tetanus?"
"I've never treated a case, but I'm happy to assist."
"Looks like your escort just arrived."
Cricket comes up the steps and gives folks a cheery smile. "Hey, Daddy, I see we have a few extras for supper. Gonna end up an outdoor picnic with this many. I'm Cricket, med student at Emory before. I know you've got a doctor with you, but if anyone feels more comfortable with a woman for medical, you can come to me or our nurse, Lilly."
Merle is rather proud of her polite hedging of an offer to abused women that might not want to rely on a male for their medical needs. He introduces Dr. Edwards and the man follows her with only one or two uncertain glances back.
"Percy, you and Natha have a choice staying with your compatriots or taking a bed in our little retirement community. You both said you didn't have any major health needs, but we've got a nurse living in house there."
"How many medical people do you have?". Shepherd speaks for the first time outside of answering his basic questions about background and skills. He thinks she still hasn't completely come to terms with what she set in motion. It's gotta be hard to see your fellow officers go down even if they're corrupt.
"Five right now, six in a pinch. Two RNs, the med student you just met, a paramedic, and a veterinarian who's a pretty good people doctor when he puts his mind to it. Sixth is one of the Marines got three years finished on a kinesiology degree. Anyone who wants to put in for some training, from basic CPR to actual nursing is welcome to sign up with Patricia for it."
"Patricia is one of the leaders?"
He nods. "Otherwise known as Drill Sergeant Patricia. She's quartermaster and keeps us organized so our ducks stay in a row instead of all over Georgia. She's the blonde lady with the notebook headed this way, probably with at least four plans to keep things interesting."
"I see you're telling tales about me, Mister Dixon," the blonde says as she joins him.
"Only good ones, I promise. I'll leave these newest recruits in your capable hands."
"Shoo, shoo. Go see Carol and let her see you're in one piece. I swear that woman spent most of the night fretting over you and Honey being gone overnight."
Merle's boots have hit the ground before he really registers what she said, and he frowns up at her. Surely, level headed Patricia isn't joining the matchmaking hints Sophia started. When the damn woman just smirks at him, he sighs and continues on his way.
~*~ CP ~*~
Daryl rubs at his full belly before taking a seat beside Carol in the swing of the back deck. "I know you don't want to end up a full time cook, but I kinda hope you keep a supper shift once a week when you move on to greater things."
She laughs and pats his arm, glad to see he seems more settled around her now. Whatever was bothering him must have worked out over the day spent on the farm side of things.
They sway on the swing in comfortable quiet for a while before he shifts his weight, picking at the seam of his cargo pants.
"What's on your mind, Pookie?"
He glances at her through bangs that are starting to get in his eyes. "One of the marshals thought we were a couple."
"Oh. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" It's not that she wants him interested in her, but she's hoping it isn't a horrifying thought at least.
"Only a bad thing because it would feel like dating my sister." It's accompanied by a shy smile.
She smiles, relieved it's something innocent disturbing him about the couple assumption. "You like me that much?"
"Just about."
"The feeling's mutual. I always wanted a baby brother growing up, but got stuck as an only child. Guess it's better this way. No diapers to change."
Daryl half-chokes at the teasing. "Jesus, woman."
She shrugs, leaning back in the swing, and bumping shoulders with him.
"Could be officially my sister." There's a quality to his voice that alerts her he's up to something.
"Bit late for adoption."
"Not that way."
She sighs. "Daryl, your brother has a lot of choices if he decides he doesn't want to be single. I don't think he'll settle for me."
"Dammit, Carol, it wouldn't be settling. He'd be damned lucky if you even looked his way. But he's not going to make the first move."
"Then how are you sure he's even considering me at all then?" She wants it to be true, but can't set hope for it.
"I can't explain it. Just a feeling. Do me a favor?"
She nods.
"Go talk to him tonight. You'll see what I mean. If he's got your permission, you'll find out."
"Alright." She supposes the worst thing that can happen is that she can settle the issue. "But Daryl, as a matchmaker, you suck."
He laughs, looking relieved.
~*~ MD ~*~
Merle comes to a halt when he sees Carol perched in his office chair, but shuts the door behind him when she motions for it.
"Everything okay?"
"Yes. Just needed to clear something up."
He takes a seat on the futon so he can see her face. "That doesn't sound like everything is okay."
She sighs. "Daryl thinks you're interested in me."
Ah, hell. Even staying out of it, he's managed to muck things up. "Carol, if you and Daryl want to be together, I'm all for it."
"Daryl thinks of me as his sister, and honestly, it was a relief to hear because I feel the same way."
"And that led to him trying to fix you up with me?" He feels a little thrill that he's misjudged his brother's interest.
"I told him you had too many choices to settle for me."
He reaches out to take both her hands. She gazes at him with that uncertainty he hates seeing in her, so he takes the plunge. "Carol, I wouldn't be settling if you wanted me. But I don't want you to be rushed into anything."
She smiles, squeezing his hands before releasing them. "Maybe I want to rush and take a risk for once."
Before he formulates a reply, she's out of the chair and into his lap. He isn't expecting the bold move, so she's cupping his face and kissing him hesitantly before he can react.
But his shock throws a wrench in the works because she pulls away. "I'm sorry."
He manages to catch her before she's out of his lap. "Stay."
She nods, blinking away the start of tears, and he kisses her, leading her past her initial hesitance until the kiss feels like they've been doing it for years.
But they need to breathe eventually.
"This goes at your pace," he says softly.
"And if I wanted it all tonight?"
He groans at the temptation. He's years past the urgency of youth, but he's also two years celibate. It's an offer he really wants to accept, and not just for tonight, but he'll never pressure her into that commitment.
Rather than let any hesitation make her believe his interest isn't genuine, he smiles and strokes his hands down her arms. "Then you lead where you want me to follow."
She leads them both to almost full nudity over the next half hour and he's happy to follow except for one little detail. "Carol, darlin', hold up a minute."
Carol makes a sound of protest where he's caught her wrist before she can rid him of his last bit of clothing.
"Don't have any condoms around."
Once she realizes he's not stopping her progress permanently, she smiles. "We're good." She extends her arm to show the small bump of a birth control implant.
So, he releases her wrist and enjoys where she leads.
Much later, he's half asleep when he feels her sitting up. "Where ya goin'?"
"I wasn't sure..."
"Lay back down." He realizes it sounds a little rough and smooths a hand down her bare back. "If you don't want to stay, you don't have to. But I prefer to wake up beside you."
She settles back beside him, but seems uncertain about how to do it. He tugs her over to use him as a pillow, kissing her on the top of her head.
"Fit just like we were made for it." He settles a hand at her hip.
She surprises him with a gentle kiss along the thick scar on his collarbone before settling to sleep. His scars aren't pretty, and they're one of the reasons he's fallen more and more into celibacy as he grows older. Explaining them for a momentary partner just isn't worth it.
But she's already aware that Will Dixon was a monster, and he's hoping that this path they're taking means never explaining them again.