AN: :)

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead.

Chapter 4

"She's gonna make it, And he never will." Garth Brooks.

Xxxxxxx

He was sinking in a sea of pain. Daryl was barely holding on. He would never make it. What had he done?

He sunk to the floor of the shower, as it seemed to sink in. He'd made a mistake and it was too late now.

It had all come crashing down on him in a moment, in a heartbeat. Getting into the shower, he spotted a glint on the floor sinking down, to his knees he found it. A small diamond earring that Carol always wore. It had meant the world to her. He never saw her take it off. There it was sitting down on the floor of his shower. He pressed it deep into his palm the prong pressing cutting into his skin as he took deep shuddering breathes. It was at the moment, he felt his heart breaking.

He was an idiot, Merle was right. He'd taken the one thing in his life that meant out anything to him and thrown it away.

There was no excuse, fucked up childhood, the abuse he suffered, his momma's death. He hurt the woman he loved.

He loved her.

He was sitting naked on the shower floor long after the water had turned cold. Too tired to move, to sunk in his despair, the phone had been ringing none stop in the background but he couldn't find the strength to care. What did it matter anymore? None of it did.

Suddenly the door to the shower flew open.

"Fuck sakes! You drunk again Darylina?" Merle growled as his arms came down pulling him up. Daryl stumbled to a stand.

"Leave me be Merle!" He growled as Merle threw his robe around his shoulders. Merle grabbed him by the hair and shook him to get his attention. "Snap out of it boy... Carol needs ya!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Daryl's head was between his knees as they sped towards the hospital. "She doesn't rehearse on mondays." He whispered trying to make this go away, this had to be a dream.

"She was auditioning for the tour Michonne said." Merle Said as he pulled the truck out to pass again

"She said she weren't auditioning." He whispered.

"Well you ain't talked to her in over a month, she musta changed her mind." Merle growled

Xxxxxxxxx

Michonne met them in the er her hands clasped in worry.

"What happened?" He growled.

Michonne sat down with a huff. "It was a stage hand from the theatre. Ed. Ed Pelletier. He'd heard the two of you broke up...asked her out. Guess he didn't appreciate the rejection. Followed her, dragged her into an alley. He..."

Michonne rubbed her head. "He beat her, then was going to...he was going to rape her..." Michonne looked up at Daryl at the inhuman noise he made. He sounded wounded, like a wild animal ready to attack "but the police drove by...stopped him, she wasn't...Ed didn't... but her leg. He broke her leg. She's in surgery now."

He slumped to the chair. Her leg, she once told him a broken leg was a career death sentence to a ballerina. Her dream, it was gone.