This chapter was hard to write but necessary for the story, I promise from now on it's going to be much happier, thank you to everyone who fav and followed and best of all reviewed. I took a few fictional liberties with this story because I don't want it to be all about him being sick and getting treatment. So after this chapter,it's going to get much lighter on the medical stuff,and he will tolerate treatment a lot better than some people do. But I will tell you that the aspects of treatment that I do talk about actually do happen, I have seen it with two very good friends who went through it and also in my work as a nurse. So enough of my blithering blather, I hope you enjoy this story.
Let me know what you think xo xoxoxo xxxKrissy
"Sorry Allison, Stephen King is way better that Dean Koontz," Daryl said as she hooked up his third IV of chemo the following Friday. It seemed that chemo day was on a Friday, and usually, he spent the weekend dealing with side effects, severe exhaustion, and a little nausea, so far, and that was enough for him. But he knew from Allison's talks with him that every person was different, and every dose was different as it worked its way through the body and did its work.
That work included killing everything in its path, and Daryl had noticed his hair was getting thin just that morning. Still, he wasn't as troubled by it as he thought he would be and he was glad Allie had the time to talk today.
By now they spoke freely about a lot of subjects thanks to Merle's icebreaker the week before. In some ways, Merle was very clever, and Daryl had forgotten that.
"But Odd Thomas, come on…" She said as she flushed the lumens on the pic line and spiked the IV bag. Then she connected the tubing with care, wiping each port with an alcohol pad before screwing the line into it, and waited for his answer.
These talks with him made her happy, even though she didn't like seeing someone her age here, but he would recover, and that was what she loved to see. It was the best part of her job.
"Ok, that was a good book, but the others in the series, he kinda jumped the shark don't ya think," Daryl said as he watched her work. "It was just too much."
"Yeah, he did, didn't he," Allie nodded. "I love his other books, though, Watchers, did you read that?"
Daryl shook his head, "Let me guess, there's a dog in it?"
Her laughter filled the room while she titrated the IV bag and counted the drops in the chamber. He was as funny as his brother, and she enjoyed seeing him, although she wished he didn't have to be there at all.
"You're a funny guy." She said still laughing. "You try to hide it, but it's there. I have a book for you, I'll bring it when I come back from lunch, it's his best, and you need to read it."
"Alright, I will," Daryl replied, "I bet there's a dog in it."
"And you are funny," She said with a smile.
"Yeah, he's a riot," Merle piped up looking up over his reading glasses from somewhere on the other side of the recliner.
"Thanks, Allie, that would be great," Daryl said staring down at the medication going into his arm, "I'm not liking having to wear sleeves."
"You don't usually," Allie asked.
He shook his head. "Never, I cut them off most shirts."
Allie breathed in a startled gasp, she had seen his arms, and it was indeed a sin to cover them up. She prided herself on always being the consummate professional, but she did have eyes, and they sought things out sometimes without her consent.
She would never cross the line, even if what was on the other side was so desirable.
"Well, this is temporary, remember that, ok?" She said with a smile, getting herself back in check. "You're three weeks out already, and it's going to go by like that," She said with a snap of her fingers.
"I'm trying."
"I know you are and you just keep doing what you all are doing," She replied with a nod to Merle who was reading Time magazine in the chair next to Daryl's recliner, "And soon this will all be just a memory."
He wanted it to be just a memory so badly, for himself, for Merle and for Andrea who was a great help to him when Merle was at work, but Allie, well he didn't want her to be a memory. He looked forward to seeing her now, as fucked up as that might be.
"Are you sleeping better?" She asked.
"Sometimes, sometimes not, it's weird," Daryl said, and he didn't mention that sometimes he dreamed about her. In his dreams, he saw what she looked like under those scrubs and tasted her lips.
"Ok, if it becomes a problem don't forget we can help with that."
"I'm ok for now." He answered looking up at her, today she had on regular scrubs in Burgundy and her hair up in two knots on the top of her head. She looked adorable to him.
"Ok, sick at all?"
Daryl shook his head, "But I know it might happen, probably will right?"
"Yeah, unfortunately," Allie nodded trying to hide the grim thoughts that were flooding her brain now. "One day at a time right?" She said forcing herself to smile.
"Yup," Daryl answered, "Today is a good day."
"Yes, it is, isn't it," She smiled, and they just looked at each other for a few seconds.
"You look like Sailor Moon today Allie," Merle said breaking the silence between them, and she laughed.
"Just so happens Merle, I happen to be a fan of that show."
"Clearly," He deadpanned, and she laughed even harder. "I was more for Dragonball Z but to each his own, right?"
"That's what makes the world go around, right; I'll be back in a few ok?" She said and then she was off to check on her other patient that morning.
Merle leaned over to Daryl with a gleam in his eye, "She's got a pierced tongue, saw it when she laughed just now, there's a disk there now, probably for work."
"So?" Daryl said dryly.
"Ain't you ever kissed a girl who's pierced there before?" Merle asked incredulously.
Daryl shook his head, "Nope and I'm not…"
"Listen up brother; you kiss that girl before this shit is over, ain't nothing like it, make sure she puts the stud in and if you can get her to blow you, even better."
"Ain't you ever gonna stop?" Daryl groaned.
"Not while you're still breathin," Merle cackled, and Daryl suppressed a grin at the effort Merle always made to make him laugh and others around them. To some he was crass and uncultured, hell they both were but underneath it all, well, there was more to both of them, for the right people to see.
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"He's so sick Allie, laying face down on the floor, he said just to leave him alone," Merle said into the phone later that day after he had brought Daryl home.
"It's ok Merle, the chemo kills the good cells, and the bad cells remember? It's causing this extreme fatigue, bring him in tomorrow for fluids, and we can start him on Neupogen, it will boost his white blood cells. Those are the one's that fight infection, for right now make sure he drinks and eats."
"That's just it Allie; he won't eat or drink."
"Go to the store and gets some Pedialyte; it's in with the baby stuff, it's what moms give the children when the vomit or are sick because they dehydrate so fast. Get a few bottles. It comes in flavors give him some a little bit at a time every hour, he'll be ok, I know this looks awful and scary, but I promise."
"Ok Allie, thanks."
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"Leave me the fuck alone Merle," Daryl said and tried to roll over in bed. He was sick and wanted to be left alone, he knew he was a dick to his only family, but he couldn't help it. This sickness was by far the worst thing Daryl had ever been through, there was a bucket by the side of his bed, and he could hardly roll over to get to it if he needed it.
Allie's book sat on the nightstand untouched, but he intended to read it as soon as he was well enough. He'd wanted to start it this weekend, but he was way too sick to concentrate.
"Drink it ya miserable fuck," Merle said in exasperation as Daryl laid on the bed, Merle had to pick him up off the floor finally and put him into bed that night.
"No, it tastes like shit," Daryl said pushing the cup away from his face.
"Allie told me you have to drink it." Merle said, "Now fucking drink it."
"Why the fuck did you call her? You tell her I was sick like I'm a fucking pussy or something?" Daryl grabbed the cup and took a sip. Merle understood, he was sicker than he had ever been before, and Daryl was allowed to be a shithead sometimes if he wanted to.
"You were face down, on the floor, you're damn right I called her, that's what she's there for." Merle answered, "It's heavy chemo brother, anyone would be on their face on the floor, that's what she told me."
"Whatever," Daryl replied.
"She said you got to drink and you're going to ya hear?" Merle said pushing the cup back at him, and this time he took it without a fight.
"Happy now," Daryl said after he drank a sip.
"Yup, you just keep going," Merle said and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Sorry brother, I know you're just trying to help." Daryl finally said, and Merle sat down on the bed next to him and helped him sit up.
"Don't you worry, I know what a stubborn bastard you can be, but I'm tenacious, and you know it," Merle said as he fussed with the blankets, covering his brother up because he was shivering.
Andrea had come to the door and stood there silently watching them.
"Gonna take you for and IV tomorrow, to replace the fluids you lost from all this puking and Allie said there's a shot you can get to boost something and make ya feel better, I can't remember what exactly she said."
"You can't take off work tomorrow; Axel said we're backed up again," Daryl said.
"I'll take you," Andrea said from the doorway, "I'm off tomorrow."
"You sure, baby," Merle said bringing his eyes to her, and she nodded.
Daryl raised his head to object because he didn't want to be a bother to Andrea any more than he already was but he couldn't. In reality, he knew he had to go, and he was aware that Merle couldn't keep taking off work.
He also couldn't drive himself either; it was a horrible catch 22.
There was no way in his mind that he could make it another eight weeks like this, he had never felt like this before, it was a nightmare, and he just wanted to wake up.
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Two days later after the IV fluids, Daryl was out of bed and sitting on the front steps. He looked at the cigarette in his hand and shook his head at the irony, he should quit and soon he would, and he'd make sure Merle did too. This was changing his life and everyone else around him, and maybe it was a good thing, underneath all the bad.
It was warm out, and he enjoyed the feel of the sun on his face, today was a good day.
After two and a half days of puking and feeling like banged up shit, it was good to be outside with a glass of iced herbal tea that Andrea had made. He watched the birds at the birdfeeders that Andrea had hung from the trees in the yard, listened to the wind chimes a bit and felt peace.
He could do this, day by day, hour by hour with a great reward at the end. He didn't know why this happened to him, but he was done with the anger now. He put the ear buds in his ears and turned on some "Incubus" and enjoyed the day before him.
He wouldn't squander any time, and a day of not feeling sick was cause for celebration, Daryl was grateful and ready for whatever came next. He had started reading the book Allie gave him, and she was right, he loved it. Sometimes it was the little things, a good book, music, and people that loved you that got you through the day.
He got up and threw the pack of cigarettes in the trash and waited for Merle to get home so he could tell him they weren't smoking anymore, Andrea was going to be thrilled.