As a nurse I can speak about this next chapter and the coming ones, it would never happen. As a nurse,I would never become involved with a patient in this way, even if it was Daryl Dixon. Well, I don't know haha. But it's fiction,so it's cool. Next chapter I'm pulling the trigger on everything, so stay tuned.XxxKrissy
Tara busted into Allie's apartment early on a Sunday morning just before Christmas with coffee and cookies compliments of Eugene. Allie had been asleep in bed, but they had the kind of friendship where Tara was totally ok with barging into her room and getting in bed with her.
They had exchanged keys long ago and came and went at each other's places as they pleased. Allie had never had a friend like Tara before, and she was grateful to know her and her merry disposition. Not too many people could be sad for long if Tara was around.
She made sure to bounce a lot as she invaded her friend's space and then dissolved into a fit of giggles as Allie woke up with a start.
"Holy shit you scared the crap out of me," Allie said clutching her chest as she sat up in bed with the covers on her lap.
"I was hoping to catch you with a man up in here," Tara said sitting up and passing her coffee, "But I guess that's not gonna happen."
"Better luck next time, now give me that black and white cookie," She said taking it out of the bag between them, "Where's Alisha today?"
"She's working so I'm all yours, I thought we could go to a movie," Tara said popping a cookie in her mouth. "Or shop, or eat, whatever you want."
"Let me shower, and I'll be ready to go, what do ya wanna see?" Allie said as she got up and walked towards the bathroom.
"Suicide Squad," Tara hollered as Allie turned on the water, "As if you didn't know."
"I figured," Allie said, "I'll be out in five."
Luna sidled up to Tara as she sat on the bed drinking coffee and Tara petted her as she waited on Allie to get out of the shower.
"What do ya think Luna, looney?" Tara said, "I think it's time your Mama stopped hiding, don't you, yeah you think so too I know it."
From out of the bathroom, Allie called to her friend, "Luna thinks Aunt Tara is off her rocker ya know?"
"Aunt Tara thinks you need to get laid." Tara called towards the bathroom, "Luna agrees," She said picking up the cat and petting her some more.
They spent another day shopping, this time at the mall and went out to lunch, Tara picked up take out, and they took it over to Alisha who was working the dispatch desk at the police station where Tara worked. That was how they met four years ago, and now they lived together.
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Merle wrapped his arms around Andrea and pulled her close to him on the front porch that same morning and turned to Daryl who was sitting in a chair drinking his coffee. They had all sat there having coffee and enjoying the warm morning sunshine.
"We were thinking of going to the movies this afternoon, wanna come with?" Merle asked him.
"Nah, I told Rick I'd help them today and besides, you two need some time to yourselves," Daryl answered, "Go on and have fun, I'll be fine."
"What if you get tired, or sick?" Andrea asked.
"It's day three. Usually, I start to feel better, and I do, go have some fun together," He said, "You've been busy worrying about me all these months, go on a date."
"I will if you will brother," Merle said, and Daryl just rolled his eyes at him, he was never going to let up, that was plain to see.
"You'll call if you need us right?" Andrea said and persisted until she extracted a promise from him to not overdo things and to keep his cell phone in his pocket at all times.
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Allie and Tara stood at the counter ordering popcorn at the movie theater as Andrea and Merle walked through the door. Andrea noticed her first, even though today she wasn't wearing a uniform, she had on jeans and a tank top that said 311 on it and a hoodie unzipped. Her hair was down too, it flowed in ringlets down her back, she was striking really, and even Andrea noticed.
Andrea reached over and tapped Merle on the shoulder and pointed discretely towards Allie.
"That's Daryl's nurse, Allison isn't it?" Andrea said, but before she could get the words out, Merle was reaching into his pocket and pulling out his credit card.
As the cashier rang up their items, a large popcorn, soda to share and two boxes of gummy bears, Merle put his card down on the counter.
"I got this," He said, and Allie turned around because she recognized his voice.
"Oh, Merle, no," She said, but he wasn't listening, he just picked the card up and handed it to the cashier.
"Nonsense, it's my pleasure, Andrea and me," He said as Andrea joined him at his side, "Least we can do."
"You don't need to do anything for me; it's my pleasure to do my job," Allie said, but he wasn't having it.
Merle just shook his head letting her know there was no argument to be had and that he would have his way.
"Thank you Merle, Andrea," Allie said.
"You are so welcome," Andrea said.
"Hi," Tara piped up, "I'm Tara."
"Hey there Tara, I'm Merle, this is my girl Andrea, your friend here takes care of my brother." He said as they all greeted each other, "And right now, as we speak he's laying under a car in my neighbor's driveway working on the guy's kid's car. Which I haven't seen him do in months. So you see popcorn and soda, ain't nothing compared to what you've done."
"He's doing good this week?" Allie asked.
"Really good and you're part of that, you girls enjoy the movie, we got to go get our tickets, see ya, Friday Allie." He said, and then they walked back towards the ticket booth. Tara was hitting her on the arm before they were halfway across the lobby.
"Is that the Friday guy you told me about?"
"Will you shush," Allie said bringing her finger to her mouth, "Yes, that's the brother, I told you they were nice."
Tara stood in place and watched Merle fawning over Andrea and putting his arm around her shoulder as they waited to buy tickets.
"Is the brother as good looking, as charming, cause damn it's not even my thing, and I wanna swoon," Tara said.
"Oh for god's sake," Allie took her by the arm and led her down the hall towards the theater, "And better looking." She said with a laugh as they went into the movie.
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"Saw Allie at the movies today, damn that girl cleans up nice," Merle said with a whistle as he watched Daryl walk across the yard from Rick's house to theirs.
"What are you going on with?" Daryl said, putting his hand to shield his eyes from the sun.
"Allie, at the movies today, don't worry she wasn't with a guy."
"None of my business if she was, tell me you didn't do anything to embarrass her?" Daryl said, making his way up the stairs of their front porch.
"Just bought her and her friend, a girl, some popcorn," Merle said, "Did you know her hair goes almost down to her ass and it's all curly and pretty."
"Alright," Daryl turned to him, "I can't take it anymore, I like her ok? Happy now, I don't care what her hair looks like, I'd like her anyway, and you already made sure I'll see her after now, so I don't know why you won't just stop already."
"How many weeks you got left?" Merle asked.
"Five," Daryl answered.
"You wanna wait that long?" Merle said, "I'm just sayin if you feel good now."
Daryl could only shake his head, he had wanted to crawl under a rock when Merle asked her to go out with them after his treatment was over, but she had said yes. He made no attempt to hide his smile that day, but he wondered if she was just being nice.
Merle teased them both relentlessly during his treatments, and although he meant well sometimes, he took it too far. She never batted an eye sideways about it, though; she was a good sport, a lot like Andrea.
Allie was a sweet girl, and maybe she just didn't want to make things weird, so she had agreed. He figured that had to be it. Deep down inside, cancer or no cancer Daryl was still that kid from the wrong side of town in love with the unreachable prom queen again.
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Allie laid in her bed late that night with Luna next to her, she couldn't sleep and that happened quite a lot since Zack was gone. She'd already had a touch of insomnia before he died and after it just got worse, she rarely got to sleep before 1 am most nights and got up at 4:30 am for work Monday through Friday.
She reached into her bedside table and took out a picture of herself and Zack; it was their wedding picture. She had worn a cream colored sheath form fitting wedding dress and veil, and he had worn a black tux, they made a beautiful couple.
They had been so happy and so in love with each other, for so long.
From the first meeting on the first day of Sophomore year in high school, they were together and never left each other's side from that day forward. They had gone to nursing school together and married when they were 21.
She felt the ache of the loss of him daily and missed him, probably always would somehow. But she knew he was never coming back; she knew that she had to open herself up to new people and new experiences.
It was the guilt over Zack and the professional boundary that kept her from trying for what she wanted. Merle was not wrong about her. She would love to know Daryl outside of work.
"I love you, I miss you so much," She said to the picture as she rolled over to her stomach, "But I know you don't want me to be this way, because if it was reversed, I would feel the same."
No one answered her of course, and after a while, she got up and put the picture back in the album on the shelf in her hall closet. Luna was at her feet as she walked into the kitchen to make a cup of herbal tea, the same one she had recommended to Daryl for sleep all those weeks ago.
Allie stood at the kitchen window looking out at the moon and thinking about new possibilities, it would be Christmas soon and as she sipped her tea she realized she didn't dread it so much this year.
In the little house on the other side of town Daryl sat reading the book she gave him propped up on pillows in bed. He stopped for a second and looked over at clock on the night stand, it was 12:45 am, as he looked out the window at the moon in the sky, he wondered what she was doing.
He hoped she was sleeping peacefully that night.