A/N: This chapter is shorter than the last few have been but it serves a purpose.

WARNING: Some triggers may apply so consider yourself warned.

Wife Swap
Chapter 10

It was hours before Shawn's doctor came back to the waiting room and both girls stood.

He looked to Beth and Maggie and shook his head. "I'm sorry but neither of you are a match."

"What about Glenn and Daryl?" Maggie asked.

He hesitated for a moment before answering. "Glenn's not a match. I've gone ahead and sent a request in to Atlanta for them to transport some down here but it may be a day or two before it arrives. If either of you know someone who would be willing to come in and see if they're a match, send them in."

"He didn't say if Daryl was a match or not," Beth whispered to her sister when the doctor walked away.

Maggie put her arms around Beth's shoulders. "He must not have been a match, Bethie. If he was, I'm sure he would have said."

Beth nodded and hoped her sister was right.

Glenn and Daryl stepped off of the elevator to see Maggie was crying and Beth wasn't anywhere around.

"Maggie, did somethin' happen to Shawn?" Glenn asked as they approached her.

She looked up and shook her head. "No. He's still the same but the doctor said Beth and I weren't a match and neither were you."

"Where'd Beth go?" Daryl asked.

"She went down to call Rick. The doctor said he sent a request for Shawn's blood type to Atlanta but it could take a few days so in the meantime we can try to get people we know to come in and see if they're a match. I know Beth is hopin' Rick will come in and be a match but I'm not gettin' my hopes up."

He looked down and nodded. "I'll see if I can get Carol or someone ta come in fer y'all."

"Thank you, Daryl," Maggie said as she leaned against Glenn.

He shrugged and turned around towards the elevator.

"Should we be worried?" Glenn asked once the elevator doors had closed.

"Shawn will be fine."

"That's not what I meant. Should we be worried about them?" He said and motioned towards the elevator.

Maggie sighed. "I don't know yet. I'm always worried about them but I'm beginning to think that whatever happens now would be good for them. Maybe they'll open their eyes and see they're not just hurtin' themselves anymore, they're hurtin' everyone and each other."

Beth leaned back on the bench and closed her eyes. She was holding her phone but she hadn't found the strength to call anyone.

Daryl stepped out of the hospital and immediately spotted Beth. He knew she didn't want to talk to him or see him and the only reason she had called was because of Shawn. If Shawn hadn't have needed someone right then, she never would have called him.

But that didn't stop him from going over and sitting down next to her.

After a minute of sitting there, he pulled out his cigarettes and lit one.

Beth scoffed. "Seriously, Daryl?! We're at a hospital. Put that out."

He leaned forward, stubbed the cigarette out on the sidewalk and looked back at her.

"I'm sorry wasn't none of us a match fer Shawn," he said, trying to make things easier for them both.

"No you're not. You've never been sorry about anythin' so don't try to act like you're sorry now."

"Beth," he reached out for her but she jerked her arm away and stared at him with tears in her eyes.

"I haven't told Maggie yet but I talked to the doctor who took our samples. He said you were a match but it was too risky to use your blood for a transfusion and he told me why but I want to hear you say it, Daryl. I need to hear you say it."

"What do ya want me ta say?"

"It's not what I want you to say. I just want the truth, Daryl. The doctor has already told me, so why won't you?"

He shrugged.

"No. See. You always do that," she said as she stood up. "If you're not runnin' from me, then you try to make it out like you have no idea what I'm talkin' about or like it's somehow my fault. I know what you did, Daryl. I know how you hurt your arm. I just don't know why you did it or why you would lie to me about it."

He laughed and rubbed his hands over his face. "Maybe I don't think it's any a yer business what I do. Jus' like ya didn't think it was any a mine ta tell me ya went ta….ta," he jerked his hand towards her stomach. "Ya didn't give me a choice in that. Ya jus' went an' let some doctor kill our kid an' I had ta find out from yer sister."

"I gave you a choice!" She shouted. "You're the one who didn't want me or a kid! You didn't want us! Don't act like it hurt you that I didn't include you! The moment you said you didn't want us is the moment you no longer had a say in what I did."

He glanced around to see that several people had stopped and were now staring at them.

"What?" She asked when she noticed he was looking around. "Afraid I'm goin' to embarrass you?"

"Naw. Jus' don't think we should be doin' this shit while yer brother is layin' in a room up there."

"Don't act like you care about him!"

"We should go check on them," Glenn suggested while Maggie paced.

"They're fine."

"I don't think they are," Glenn said as he stood and looked towards the elevator.

Beth and Daryl both stepped out of it followed by a security guard.

Maggie stopped pacing and stared at them with her hands on her hips.

"What did y'all do this time?" She asked.

"These two were outside yellin' at each other and this one here," the guard pointed to Beth, "took a swing. Usually I would have to call the cops and they would both be arrested but I know your family and I know what y'all are goin' through with Shawn. Just keep an eye on them because if it happens again, I won't have a choice. The cops will be called."

When the security guard walked away, Maggie grabbed Beth's arm and pulled her down the hall to the restroom and locked the door once they were inside.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Beth? You're actin' like a child, both of you are."

"Daryl's a match."

"What?"

"Daryl's a match," Beth repeated. "I talked to the doctor and he said that none of us matched except for Daryl but he couldn't use Daryl."

"Well why not?"

"Because he's on antibiotics for his arm and because there's still traces of drugs in his system."

"Daryl? On drugs? Beth, have you lost your mind?"

"No, Maggie, I haven't."

Maggie shook her head and stared at her sister. "Have you seen Daryl usin' any kind of drugs since he's been around? Since Shawn got hurt?"

"I don't have to see him doin' it to know the doctor told me there were traces in his system."

"That's just it, Bethie. There were traces. It doesn't mean he's been usin', it just means he had."

"Wow. You're makin' excuses for him now?"

"No. He shouldn't have done it and I'm sure he knows that but that doesn't mean he has continued to do it," Maggie sighed. "All of this has to stop one way or another, Beth. All of the lies y'all have told each other need to be let go. There needs to be some sort of relief in this mess and it looks like you'll have to be the one to make the first move. Since y'all are so miserable together, you need to be the one to file for a divorce."

"Maggie…."

"No, Beth. It's time you step up and do what needs to be done. I know you wish there was a way y'all could work everythin' out and be together again but he'll never forgive you and you'll never forgive. That won't work. You understand that, right?"

"Yeah," Beth nodded. "I do."

"Good. Now let's get back out there and try to act like an adult. Daryl's done nothin' but help us with Shawn and we may need his help when he's release so the least we could do right now is act civil and not let anythin' get in the way of that. Can you do that?"

"Yeah," Beth nodded and wiped her eyes. "I hate to do it and I really hate to do it here but maybe it's time I try to talk to him about everythin', about what I did."

"Are you ready for that? I mean, it's a lot, Beth. It's goin' to be a lot for you to say and a lot for him to take in. Are you sure you want to do that now?"

"No, of course I'm not sure and I'm not ready, but when will I be?"

"You could wait a little while and talk to him away from the hospital."

"If I wait, I'll lose my nerve and maybe doin' it here will keep us from killin' each other."

"Can ya let Beth an' Maggie know I'm goin' home but if y'all need anythin', need me ta help with Shawn, y'all jus' give me a call?" Daryl asked Glenn.

Glenn shook his head. "I would but if you leave now, they'll kill me if they don't drive me crazy first. You can stick around for a little while or at least until we know if Shawn's doin' any better or if he's worse."

Daryl gave him a slight nod and looked down the hall in the direction Maggie and Beth had gone.

"I don't think she wants me ta be 'ere."

"I'm not so sure Beth knows what she wants anymore."

"She used ta know," Daryl mumbled to himself as Maggie and Beth came into sight.

Maggie motioned for Glenn and when he got up, Beth took his place next to Daryl.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I just….I just haven't been myself lately. I guess I haven't been myself for a long time really."

He stared up at her and started tapping his foot on the floor.

"What're ya gettin' at?"

"I….I think it's time we talk. We need to decide what we're goin' to do and if our marriage is worth savin' or not."

"An' ya want ta do that shit 'ere?"

She shrugged. "We can go somewhere else if you want but, one way or another, we're doin' this today."

He pursed his lips and nodded. "Aight, let's get out a 'ere. I'll take ya out ta tha farm an' we can talk there while ya get some stuff together fer Shawn."

Maggie watched nervously as Beth and Daryl talked and when they both stood up to leave, she felt the panic begin to rise.

"What's goin' on?" She asked when Beth approached her.

"We're goin' out to the farm. We'll talk there while I get Shawn a few things."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Bethie."

"Wait," Glenn interrupted. "I thought you brought a bag of stuff for him."

"I did," Beth said. "But it was clothes and necessities. I didn't grab his wallet, I didn't get his insurance card or anythin'. I told Daryl on the way here that I forgot all of that."

When they arrived at the farm, Daryl followed Beth into the house and straight to the kitchen.

"You want anythin' to drink? There's tea, lemonade, water, grape juice, and I think there might be a few cokes," Beth rambled.

"Tea will be fine," he said as he took a seat.

She poured him a glass of tea and poured herself a glass of grape juice and sat down at the table.

He stared at her for a moment and then stared at her glass. "When did ya start drinkin' grape juice?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I….that's….I don't even know where to begin but…."

"Why?"

She furrowed her brow. "What?"

"Why'd ya lie ta me? Why'd ya let me believe ya had done that?"

She tilted her head to the side.

"I told ya 'fore that I ain't stupid. I know ya, Beth. Did ya forget that? Ya drank that shit when ya was pregnant with Jamie."

"Daryl, that's not….that's…."

"What? Cain't say it, can ya? Why'd ya lie an' let me think ya had an abortion?"

"I never told you I did, you just assumed that."

He scoffed and his grip on his glass tightened. "Maggie said…."

"I know what Maggie said and she wasn't lyin'. I've taken care of everythin'. You didn't want a kid, and as much as I wanted one, I wanted you more."

"What'd ya do?"

"I'm goin' to give the baby up. I told the lawyer I didn't know who the father was so you won't have to sign any papers, you won't ever have to know anythin'."

"That was all your choice? Ya did this without me."

He shoved his chair away from the table, stood up and then threw his glass across the kitchen. Beth didn't even flinch as the glass shattered against the wall.

"I'm not the only one keepin' secrets, Daryl. I told you earlier, I know about your arm and the drugs," she stood and got as close as she dared. "That night you were in the hospital, Rick got a call about a house fire. He said they figured it was a meth lab explosion but it wasn't, was it? You started that fire."

They stood there staring at each other until finally Beth reached out and took his hand in hers.

She turned his arm over and looked over the bandage then back up.

"I get why you did it. I really do. You were lettin' go of that, weren't you? Do you know how many times I laid in our bed and thought about burnin' the house down with us inside?"

He jerked his hand away and took a step back. "Why are ya tellin' me this?"

"I wanted to do that, Daryl. I wanted to do that so we could stay who we were and not become who we are now. You let go of somethin' but I never could. I couldn't do what I wanted and when I went to the doctor, I knew that if I went through with that, I was lettin' go of everythin'. I know I was bein' selfish by not tellin' you but I couldn't do it. I had to do somethin' for myself for a change."

"Do you think she's goin' to tell him?" Glenn asked.

"Yeah, I do. I think now is the right time for her to do it. If she waits any longer she won't be able to hide it and it'll cause more trouble."

"He already knows."

"What?"

Glenn smiled and took Maggie's hand. "He was watchin' her and he's worried about her. He knows. And I am beginnin' to think you and Shawn are evil."

"Why on earth would you say somethin' like that?" Maggie asked, pretending to be shocked.

"The two of you had this whole thing planned out. Well, maybe not everything. I don't think y'all planned him gettin' sick and I really hope y'all didn't but y'all were workin' on them. Havin' Daryl go out to the farm to build ramps."

Maggie leaned over and kissed Glenn's cheek. "You better keep your mouth shut."

A/N: *sighs* I know y'all hate me so go ahead and let me have it. BUT, before y'all get too mad, please note that I do have this story mapped out! I know where it's going and how we're going to get there, it just takes time and a lot of patience and as I'm sure most of you know, it also takes life cooperating with your need/want to write.

As always, please leave a review.

-A