I do not own any of the TWD characters.
All Hands on Deck
"I don't know Maggie" Beth sighed and plopped down into Daryl's recliner. "I'm just exhausted and I can't keep up. The house is a wreck, we've been livin off fast food"
Beth looked around the family room at the abandoned and half full glasses strewn around. There was so much dirty laundry still to be done that it was pouring out of the laundry room and into the pantry and kitchen floors. Beth didn't remember when she'd made anyone change their bed last. Fast food packaging littered the counter tops and the kitchen even smelled a bit funky.
"Are ya still havin trouble with your back Beth?" Maggie asked, worry evident in her voice.
"No, not really" Beth answered her older sibling. "I just can't get my shit together. I cry all the damn time or else I'm rantin and ravin at people. I'm so fuckin tired that if I sit for more than 5 minutes I go to sleep only to wake up four or five hours later when a kid calls wanting to know where I am."
"I thought Daryl had Josepha comin to the house every day to help out" Maggie questioned.
"Oh God Maggie" tears were welling up in Beth's eyes, "That's the worst part of it."
"What?" Maggie asked. "You love Josepha - ya'll have a fallin out or something?"
"No" Beth was obviously blowing her nose. "I just. I threw such a damn fit the week after I got back on my feet that I accused Daryl of thinkin Josepha was a better housekeeper than me - which obviously, she is. I said some really ugly stuff - he countered with even uglier stuff and it just turned into world war three. It all ended with me screamin at the top of my lungs that "she goes or I go"."
"Oh my God Beth - what the hell were ya thinkin?" Maggie was clearly as exasperated with her sister as Daryl had been.
"I clearly wasn't thinkin at all" Beth admitted. "So, just to prove a point I suppose, Daryl told Josepha that we didn't need her anymore. It's been downhill ever since" Maggie didn't respond to that statement because she knew her baby sister wasn't finished with her confession quite yet - more cryin and snottin, "We've barely spoken since."
"Who? You and Josepha?" Maggie asked.
A deep breath. "No Maggie" Beth whispered. "Daryl and I haven't spoken for nearly two weeks. He's been sleepin in the guest room. The kids are walkin on eggshells 'round us. Merle came over a couple nights ago and tore into both of us - said for us to figure our shit out cause the whole damn farm was fallin into disarray. Said the farm hands are even mopin 'round - doesn't take but one or two ass chewins from Daryl Dixon to do a number on ya for sure and I guess he's really been a bear to work with."
"Oh Beth" Maggie sighed. "Let me clear some things on my calendar. I'll be there first thing in the mornin."
"No Maggie" Beth whined. "You don't have to do that. This is my mess - if I weren't so damn stubborn none of this would have ever happened. I just need a few more days to get myself together. I'm gonna apologize and try to talk Daryl into gettin Josepha back - I can't do this by myself anymore Maggie. I guess it's my age or somethin - I don't know."
"Beth" Maggie continued, "have you been for a check up lately? I mean, ya think ya could be menopausal or something? I mean, ya know, ya hear that sometimes women just go a little nuts - not that I'm sayin your nuts or anything - oh shit, Beth. I mean, are your cycles still regular? You havin hot flashes or anything? Hell, I don't even know what I'm talkin 'bout."
Beth sat silent while Maggie rambled. And that's when it occurred to Beth -
Oh, dear God. Beth had not had a period in eight weeks. No, no, no, no, no. She and Daryl had not been exactly careful for a very long time. A year or so after Katie Raye had been born, Beth had a miscarriage. Wanting one more baby before they called it quits, they'd tried again soon after that with the same result. Eventually, when a successful pregnancy never occurred, the idea of one last baby just kind of went on the back burner. Oh God - please, not now. I'm too old for this - Daryl will shit. Oh, no, no, no.
"Beth, ya still there?" Maggie questioned.
Beth wiped at her eyes and concentrated on breathing through her nose. "Yeh, Maggie, I'm here. You're right - I need to get a real good check up. Maybe it's my iron or something - ya know I always had trouble with that" Beth reasoned and hoped she sounded convincing enough to fool her sister.
"Sure" Maggie jumped right on that bandwagon. "It's probably something real simple - an easy fix. Promise me you'll call the doctor today and get an appointment" her sister begged. "And, Beth, you and Daryl need to get things settled - two weeks in this state isn't good for anyone."
"Okay, I will" Beth told her sister. "I gotta go pick up Katie Raye and I'll make that phone call."
Once Beth and Maggie had finished their phone call, Beth went upstairs to change out of the leggings she'd had on for the past three days. While she was in the bathroom, Beth thought it might even be a good idea to brush her teeth and put her dirty, greasy hair in a messy bun. Looking at her reflection, Beth stuck out her tongue at herself. "You stupid bitch" she told herself. "What the hell have you done?"
Just as she opened the back door, Carol had arrived - looking all matter of serious. "Beth" her sister inlaw greeted her.
"Carol" Beth returned the greeting.
"Where ya headed?" Carol asked Beth.
"Well, it's nearly three" Beth looked at a non-existent watch, "so, I'm headed to pick Katie Raye up from school. Did you need something?"
"Yes, I'm here to jumpstart the clean up" Carol answered. "Josepha is on her way as well" Carol looked around the house. "This is ridiculous."
Beth was really startin to get pissed off - if Merle went and blabbed to his wife about how bad the house looked she was going to slit his throat next time he passed out in the hammock.
"I'm not the only person that lives here Carol" Beth tried to defend herself. "I can't do this all myself anymore, keeping house, cookin, runnin that damn football parent support group. I just can't ..." The tears were burning in Beth's eyes and she was fighting hard to not let them fall.
"And no one says you have to" Carole replied. "Not me, not Merle, and especially not Daryl" Carol pulled Beth into a hug and that's when Beth just started bawling. " Shhhhh" Carol tried to calm Beth down. "Daryl knows how much you do - he wants you to have help. I don't know the particulars of why you flipped your shit, but I'm just here to try and get the shit back on track, so to speak."
And that's when the real blubbering began. Beth was babbling in between sobs and hiccups, and then would occasionally wipe her nose on her hands, then onto her shorts. Carol couldn't take much more of that so she ran into the nearest bathroom to fetch a roll of toilet paper at least.
"You're gonna have to slow down Beth. I can't understand a word you're sayin" Carol patted Beth on the hand.
"I think I'm pregnant Carol" Beth shouted. "Oh God, Carol, what are we gonna do? We don't need a baby - our kids are practically grown, I'm in my 40s, Daryl's 52. Oh my God! Daryl's gonna shit!"
Momentarily stunned, Carol pulled out her phone and pressed a button. "Yeh, Josepha, first thing I need ya to do is pick up Katie Raye from school." Carol listened for a few moments. "Mmmmhmmmm, then ya'll get right back here and get started. By the time ya get back, Maggie will be here and she and Katie Raye can tackle the upstairs."
Maggie thought Beth. She called Carol. Beth was going to kill her sister when she was feeling better.
Carol looked around the house - it truly was in shambles. If the downstairs looked like this, one could only imagine what the upstairs looked like. "Any hand you see along the way scratchin their ass with nothin to do - get them up here on the outdoor kitchen area, yard, trash detail - there's plenty to be done. Beth and I have to run a few errands - we'll be back when we get back."
Carol looked at Beth. "You have anything planned or out for supper?" Beth looked at Carol blankly. "Nevermind."
"Josepha" Carol spoke back into the phone at this point, "home cooked meal is your first priority tonight, and then laundry. Yes, okay. Thanks."
Carol looked at Beth. "Let's go Sunshine."
"Where we goin?" Beth hiccuped.
"To town" Carol answered as she ushered Beth out the back door. "We're goin by the Frosty Freeze for hamburgers and shakes, then we're goin to Walgreens for a test. After that, we're going to my house so you can take a piss on a stick. Any questions?"
"No" Beth answered quickly.
"Good. Load up" Carol ushered Beth to her truck quickly and they were on their way.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Out in the middle of a field somewhere, Daryl Dixon was busy cussing out the third person he'd talked to on the phone that day. Apparently, he had a piece of broken down equipment and the guy the farm implement business was sending out to repair it wasn't getting there quick enough. Daryl was so red in the face and he could feel his own heart beating - it felt as if it were going to bounce right out of his chest.
Fuck Daryl thought to himself. I've got to calm the fuck down or I'm gonna stoke out. Course who the fuck would care if I dropped dead right here in this field? Fuckin nobody.
Oh yeh, Daryl was so miserable right now that he was playing the poor pitiful me game - he had been for the past couple weeks. Hell, he hadn't had a decent meal since he didn't know when, he'd been banished to the downstairs guest room, Beth wouldn't talk to him, and he hadn't had any loving. Hell yeh he was butt sore for sure. Everyone that came within six feet of him were instantly sorry they did. About that time Daryl heard a truck pulling up behind him.
"Bout fuckin time" he yelled and turned around. It wasn't, however, the farm implement guy. It was Merle. "Fuckin Merle" Daryl mouthed under his breath.
Merle climbed down out of his truck. "What the hell ya goin on 'bout today?" Merle hollered back.
"Fuck you Merle" Daryl was seething. "I been waiting all got damn day on somebody to come fix this piece of shit and I ain't got nothin else done."
"Why don't you just take your crusty ass on to the house?" Merle asked his brother. "I'll stay here and take care of this - you are an absolute mess. I don't know what the fuck your problem is - yeh, I do know what you're problem is. Ya need a good fuck - that's what you're problem is. But you're too much of an asshole to apologize to your wife - I don't blame her for givin ya the cold shoulder."
"I ain't apologizin - she's lost her damn mind" Daryl was spitting mad now. "Who the hell refuses to have housekeeping help? I'm tellin ya - she done gone crazy. She's either cryin, or raisin hell at me, or fussin at the kids. I ain't sure I can take much more of it."
Merle could feel the waves of sadness and frustration rolling off of his baby brother. He did something that they rarely did - Merle Dixon pulled his brother in for a hug out there in the middle of that bean field and just held him. He held him long enough that he could feel the sobs racking throughout Daryl's body.
"Let it out Baby Brother, let it out" Merle told Daryl as he pulled him in even tighter.
"I don't know what to do Merle" Daryl sobbed. "I just. Is this it? Do I leave? Does she leave? Is it over? We've been through a lot of shit, but I don't know if we're gonna make it man."
"Ain't nobody goin nowhere ya dumb fuck" Merle said gruffly. "Take ya ass home - get cleaned up, take a nap, watch one of them dumbass old black and white movies ya like so much. But now, listen, you two have got to sit down and talk this out. I don't know what brought all this on, but them youngins of yours are watchin. They're watchin to see how ya handle this - don't let em down. Don't be Will Dixon."
Daryl nodded, turned, and climbed into Merle's truck. He then pulled away slowly and drove towards the house. Merle watched him until he couldn't see the truck anymore - Merle then slunk down to his bottom, leaned up against the tractor tire and began to pray for his brother and sister. They had to get beyond whatever bump they had hit.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Mmmmmm, this is so good" Beth spoke with a mouthful of her second hamburger. "I haven't had a Frostee Freeze burger in forever." She closed her eyes as she chewed the greasy goodness and then swallowed it down.
Carol agreed as she sipped her peach pie milkshake. Beth slurped from her hot fudge shake before attempting to wipe her mouth with a crumpled napkin.
"So, are ya feelin just a little better? I know a burger and tots always makes me feel good" Carol asked Beth.
"Well, my headache is better" Beth admitted. "I don't remember the last meal I've had. And the hot fudge, oh my, that's better than just about anything. Gosh, I think I could just eat hot fudge everyday." Both ladies giggled before getting serious again.
"Beth, you and Daryl have got to fix whatever it is that's got ya both so damn out of sorts" Carol began. Beth turned to look out the window.
"I don't know if we can" Beth said quietly. "He made it pretty clear that he'd had enough of my shit. I don't think he loves me any more."
"Beth, don't be ridiculous - of course Daryl still loves you. If Daryl didn't love you anymore, he wouldn't be in such a state. Beth, he's a wreck. You're a wreck. The kids are a wreck - and that, young lady, is NOT okay."
Beth began to speak but Carol cut her off.
"It's not okay Beth" Carol was starting to lose what bit of control she'd been maintaining. "It's not okay to put your children in the middle of this dysfunction. They are scared to death their parents are gonna get divorced. And now, there might be another child entering the picture. Ya'll have got to fix this - tonight."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Beth was in the bed, propped up with pillows doing some research on her tablet. How on earth was she going to handle having a baby at 42 years of age? The wrinkles in her forehead were really scrunched up as she searched articles about her current predicament. Hearing a light knock on the door, she quickly exited out of the article she was previewing.
"Come in" Beth said softly.
Daryl stuck his head in the door. "Hey" he greeted. "Uhm, Maggie and Glenn took the guest room and told me to go back where I belonged." Daryl had a somewhat sheepish look on his face.
Beth smiled. "Daryl, ya don't have to knock on your own bedroom door - get over here." She patted the spot next to her on the bed. "We need to talk."