Daryl knew for a fact he wasn't about to win any father of the year award by not being around the first 4 years, but he didn't realize looking after a sick 4 year old would be so tough. Especially when the 4 year old kept asking for his Mama and Uncle Rick or Uncle Merle. He had moved onto a next phase of being sick which included explosive poop, and a sore tummy. Daryl had already rung Merle more times than he would like to admit.

He kept looking at the list and kept checking his temp which seemed to be going up instead of going down. He was crying and Daryl felt like crying because he felt terrible because he didn't really have a relationship with Joey and he was like a stranger looking after him. Not his Ma or Merle or Rick.

Joey was screaming because Daryl had put his favorite toy in the washing machine because it got caught in the cross fire of Daryl's wiping and Joey's bottom. The bathroom floor had been caught up in the cross fire and so had the carpet in the hall. He had cleaned it up as best he could. In the end he put the little boy in the shower realizing to give up and clean him right down and start again. It was the 2nd time in a few short hours he had had to do it. He was tired, Joey was crying for his Doggie and Daryl was pacing the hall with the 4 year old in his arms hanging over his shoulder, waiting for the washing machine to finish. He thought he might need to put it through twice and had snuck in to turn the machine on again without Joey noticing.

He couldn't believe how bad he was at this. He thought it would be easy. Shit Merle could do it why couldn't he do it. He thought back this morning when he got up there was a list on the kitchen table for him with ideas and foods to try Joey with. Merle had given him his own type of pep talk on parenting to help him out.

'You know when we were kids Dad used to beat us and shit?' Merle told him.

'I think I remember that Merle, I got fucken scars on my back from it,' Daryl told him looking around Joey was still asleep he knew he had to get his swearing under control not just blurting out what was in his head with a swear word attached to it wasn't a great idea.

'Don't do that shit with Joey!' Merle stated.

'What the fuck! Merle you think I'm going to hit him,' Daryl growled at him.

'No, but you aint been round kids, I never knew much Carol had to teach me. Just give him what he wants, till you get a bit more, ummmm you know ya know what your doing,' Merle told him.

'I aint gona hit him! I aint hit now women or am I gona hit no kid!' Daryl growled. 'I would never touch him like that.'

'I aint never said you would, but we didn't have much love growing up. We have to learn it, Carol and Rick they had good childhood, we didn't. If you get pissed at him or anything just walk out of the room out to the yard or something.' Merle told him. Daryl got what he was saying, they had the crap beaten out of them for basically anything, he and Merle both knew it was wrong back then but sometimes history repeated itself. Merle was giving him a out to say its ok to get mad but deal with it this way.

'I been doing parenting classes down at the Y if you wana come, Wednesday nights,' Merle told him. Daryl nodded he would come.

'Ok, just take it easy, its going to get messy in here with him inside all day, don't stress I will come home and help ya clean it up before the tidy Police arrives home ok,' Merle smirked, they both knew Rick was anal about keeping things clean and cleaned up constantly except the toys, the toys went everywhere and he just stepped over them.

'Thanks, ok I can do this, I think!' Daryl told Merle, and Merle left and Daryl was left with 'Joey the terrible' who wanted everyone and hated Daryl with a passion for being mean. In the end with Daryl's pacing and Joey being hot and tired he fell asleep over his shoulder. One armed he managed to get the doggie into the dryer per Merle's instructions and picked up dirty clothes off the bathroom floor putting them in the wash and turning it on.

He moved Joey slightly and his head moved slightly so he rested better, Daryl was sweating with Joey attached. He lay him on the couch and took his temp again and decided to ring Merle. He had put a pull up on him in the hopes of not having more accidents on the floor with misses and he was only wearing a singlet because he told him that it hurt when he tired to put a tee shirt on him.

'How hot is too hot? I think he might need to go to the hospital or something!' Daryl almost yelled into the phone. He was pale and Daryl was worried about what was normal and not normal, he didn't know a lot about kids but he didn't look good. He actually hadn't see him well yet.

'How hot is he?' Merle asked, Daryl told him and Merle said he would be right there and to strip his pants off him. Daryl didn't tell him he was only wearing a singlet and a pull up anyway. He got a cool cloth and moved it over his head and neck like Carol's note said waiting for Merle to arrive.

'I'll get some shit, we taking him to the hospital,' Merle said the moment he saw Joey, 'How long he been like that?'

'Prob about 20mins before I rang you, he was talking and stuff, then he just fell asleep,' Daryl didn't know what you packed and put in come tee shirts and jockeys and pants, socks and shoes into a bag and a sweatshirt they threw it into a bag. It was easy because Carol had Drawers full of clothes waiting. He went and got Doggie out of the dryer to take with them. Merle took him to the truck checking through his wallet for the insurance card then they went on their way.

'He's be fine, they will prob just check him and give him something,' Merle told Daryl who looked panic'd stricken in the back seat beside Joey.

'Carol?' Daryl asked. 'You going to call her?'

'Someone will get her, don't panic, it will be fine! Its not our first trip to the ER Daryl, he's 4 there been cuts and bumps and high temps before.' Merle drove into the hospital car park, parking. Daryl got out and lifted Joey out putting him over his shoulder.

'You want to carry him?' Daryl asked Merle ready to offer him over to his brother, he wasn't sure if he should be here or Carol might get mad with them both being here. Merle looked at Daryl who was starring at him, they were both standing in the car park.

'Nah your good, prob better you got him when they call Carol anyway!" Merle told him. 'Insurance card, your his Dad you look too alike to say your not his dad, makes no sense for me to carry him in and do all the stuff! If you were not here I would but you got this. When Carol comes down, you got the led right I can't go near her in her work place and she's going to be upset, they won't notice you comforting her or anything, cos your Joey's Dad, right. Rick's going to come and be dynamite cos he don't like Carol or Joey to get hurt none ok! '

Merle and Daryl took the little boy into the emergency room, Merle started talking to the women behind the desk who knew who he was straight away. Merle nearly died when he saw it was an old ex girlfriend who he used to date for a while about 3 years before he hooked up with Carol. She knew Daryl as well, they all used to party hard together before Daryl started dating Carol. 'Merle? Oh is that Carol's little Joey, here fill this in, follow me through we will get him seen straight away!' The nurse with the name tag Andrea told them. Daryl followed him. They lay him on the bed checking him taking his temp.

'Your his?' Andrea asked looking at him. Daryl starred at her knowing that she knew who he was and knew he was the dad because of the rumors around town. She had heard Daryl had done a runner was the rumor and Merle had let them live with him and his flatmate and help out. She didn't know Daryl well was back though, interesting she thought.

'Dad,' Daryl said glancing at Merle who nodded in agreement.

'And Uncle Merle, haven't seen you around for ages, I remember partying hard with you in the good old days!' Andrea said looking at Merle who was looking every where else in the room but at her. The doctor come and Daryl actually managed to answer any of the questions asked and Merle filled in the blanks. Andrea went off to page Carol who should be finishing off her shift. It was also after 5pm so Merle text Rick to tell him what was happening.

Carol come running down from where ever she was in her nurses uniform and burst into tears when she saw him and declared herself the worst mother in the world for going to work. Merle and Daryl looked at each other and Merle glared at Daryl until he moved to comfort her in a hug. He was holding the over sized dog in his other hand. Merle had refused to hold it since they put Joey in the bed. Daryl shoved it into Carol's hand to hold.

Daryl cuddled Carol while the doctor checked him out declaring him dehydrated and it was probably a really bad case of gastro. Carol nodded still had tears in her eyes about it. Merle offered his support from the other side of the bed stating that Joey had seemed better yesterday. The doctor agreed that they had had a few kids show up with a second bout on top of the first and no one was to blame for anything. They transferred him to a ward where he had to stay the night.

The nurse put a drip into his arm, Daryl watched almost in a panic that they were hurting him, he was so sick he didn't notice, Carol had changed him twice putting another pull up on him, telling Daryl it was a good idea, he just stood there nodding. He didn't really want to tell her about the floor and stuff, they probably going to have to get the carpet cleaners in.

Carol was all over Joey and Daryl and Merle felt like spare parts standing around, they had put him on a ward with 3 other kids with similar problems. Merle wandered off in search of coffee. Carol reached out and snagged Daryl's hand.

'Thankyou, for not waiting till I got home and going with your gut! I shouldn't have left him,' Carol said, he just shook his head.

'I was crap at it, Joey hates me, he cried the whole time, I got shit everywhere and had to wash the doggie,' Daryl admitted.

'Not Doggie? In the washing machine?' Carol looked at him.

'He had shit on him... sorry poo on him, it was everywhere, I think we are going to have get the carpets cleaned,' Daryl sat down on the chair beside the bed leaning forward putting his hands over his face. 'I don't think I'm good at this, I must have rung Merle 20 times today! Then I should have just brought him here and I rung Merle to check I was doing the right thing! I'm pretty bad at this Carol I don't think I should be left alone with him at all, ever!'

'Daryl, I wouldn't have made any difference who was looking after him. If he's sick, he's sick,' Carol told him quietly noticing nurses checking other kids in the room. Merle come back with coffee for everyone.

'Just talked to Officer Friendly and he's not that Friendly and he's bringing in subway for everyone to eat!' Merle told them.

'Officer Friendly?' Daryl smirked at Merle, he was still holding Carol's hand. Merle was staring at him holding it. Joey's nurse come into check on him. The nurse from the ER, Andrea come up with Merle's jacket that he had left. She had gone off shift, bringing it up before she left.

'How is he?' She asked Carol, she nodded that he was going to be OK, waiting to see how he would be tomorrow. Andrea nodded, she looked at Merle and smiled saying they should catch up sometime, it had been too long, Carol glanced away looking at Joey, Merle just nodded saying sure sometime give him a call. Andrea left and Carol gave him a dirty look and said nothing. Merle shrugged.

Rick come in the door still dressed in uniform holding plastic bags of subway for all four of them he moved quickly looking at Joey in the bed, and at Carol. 'He going to be ok?' Carol nodded.

'What did you do?' Rick growled at Daryl.

'Nothing! He just got sick!' Daryl said softly trying to keep the piece. Rick also took in the scene with Daryl and Carol were sitting close, he walked around the other side and touched Joey's head feeling it. He past out the food. Joey was still sleeping. The nurse come to check him again, looking at the men around the bed all starring at the little boy. She knew Carol.

'Gosh who do we have here?'

'Ummm Dad, Uncle Rick, and Uncle Merle!' Carol mumbled.

'He's a lucky boy.'

'Yeah he is,' Carol said