AN: So here's another chapter for you as we go along. I've edited it a couple of times, but there's a lot going on here. I tried, but I'm sure there are a ton of errors.
I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!
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"So listen to this," Melodye said, unwrapping the sandwich that she'd brought for lunch, "the meds that Carol takes?"
"The stuff to make her sleep?" Daryl asked.
He hadn't given it to her the night before because she hadn't seemed to have any problem going to sleep at all, though they'd warned him that she may very well need it because she didn't sleep well. The other medicine she wasn't supposed to be without, but she got that in the morning, and he'd made sure that she'd taken it before he left for work, after he'd accepted the lunch that she'd made for him and shared with him some story about her mother…that may or may not be true, because at this moment Daryl wasn't sure what to believe or not.
Melodye shook her head at him.
"No…those are tranquilizers," she said. "You don't have to give those to her…right? They didn't say to give them to her?"
"They said if she needs them," Daryl said. "But she seemed ta sleep just fine on her own…where's Alice?"
"Working," Melodye responded.
They were holding down one of the outdoor picnic tables and sharing lunch together. Mostly it was convenient because it was the only time they had free reign to talk without having to worry about anyone overhearing them since they had a clear view of everyone around them.
"So are you listening?" Melodye asked, tapping her knuckles on the table.
"Yeah…I'm listenin', what is it?" Daryl asked.
He was trying to listen. He was distracted and he couldn't help that. There was so much that he needed to do and he felt like he was constantly forgetting everything that he needed to do simply to replace it with a whole new list of things.
"The medicine she takes," Melodye said, "I talked to Randy…and he said that the stuff that she takes…it makes people like…like zombies…"
Daryl raised his eyebrows at the woman and then didn't even try to stop the face that he naturally made in response to such a ridiculous statement.
"You got too hot or somethin'?" Daryl asked.
Melodye looked around and then shook her head.
"No…listen," she insisted again.
"I ain't stopped yet," Daryl said.
"The medicine…it's supposed to 'stabilize' them…but Randy said it can strip them of their personalities. It stabilizes them because their feelings...get taken away or really lessened. They become numb…going through the motions and such but…not really living," Melodye said.
"Randy who? Randy that nurse guy with the glasses?" Daryl asked.
Melodye nodded her head.
"He knows a lot about the meds, Daryl," Melodye insisted. "He's the one that hands them out and he…I don't know how but he's studied pharmaceuticals or something and he can even prescribe medication. He said that what she's taking is 'typical' for patients who are really depressed…manic…have personality disorders. It makes them even keeled and pleasant."
Daryl leaned on his elbows.
"Well…she's pleasant and she's pretty even…" Daryl responded. He chuckled lightly and shook his head. "Damn near…straight lining most the time."
"Zombies," Melodye said, flicking her wrist at him. "The living dead…strip her of everything and she can't be overemotional or a burden to anyone here…or to you."
Daryl chewed at his thumb and turned over the information.
"Mel…you sayin' that if she don't take this medicine…she'll be her again? She'll get all them emotions and feelings an' things back?" Daryl asked.
Melodye shrugged.
"Either that or she goes entirely mad," Melodye said, curling her lip a little. "It's a big chance to take. I just thought you might want to know that your…human doll…could very well be a doll because she's too drugged up to have a…mind of her own."
Daryl nodded his head.
"Thanks, Mel," Daryl said, getting to his feet. "I…uh…got a couple things ta do 'fore lunch is over…but…soon as I get her settled an'…soon as I feel like I got some control or somethin' over things…you an' Alice gonna come eat supper one night."
"Good," Melodye responded. "I want to see first hand what she's like outside Sunny Meadows. I want to see what she's really like…"
"You an' me both," Daryl commented. "See ya," he said as he got up and stuffed the last of his food in his mouth as he walked back toward the building so that he could take care of a few things before his break was over and he'd be expected to get back to working with the other patients.
The other walking dead.
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Daryl followed Judge Greene out into the yard where they wandered around.
At the moment he was close to being overwhelmed because his house was currently busier than it ever had been before within his memory. The doctor had come and he'd already been examined, but now he was keeping the company of the judge while the doctor saw Carol, the judge's wife, Josephine, having agreed to remain in the house if there were anything that the doctor needed and she could assist him with.
The judge was an older man, quite distinguished, but Daryl found him a fairly easy man to speak with…or not to speak with if that was what the man preferred.
"How are things working out for you and Miss McAlister?" Hershel Greene asked, making his way toward the car parked on the curb that he'd come in. He leaned against the vehicle and Daryl rocked on his feet on the curb a few feet away.
"Tell you the truth? They going alright…but I ain't had her here but one night," Daryl said.
Hershel Greene nodded his head at Daryl and then he narrowed his eyes.
"I was surprised when I received your paperwork about the young lady," Hershel said.
Daryl nodded then and chewed on his lip, trying to decide if he had the gall to bring up the questions that he had for the man.
"What…uh…what do you know about Carol Ann?" Daryl asked.
The old man chuckled.
"Perhaps the real question here is what do you know about her?" Hershel asked.
Daryl didn't respond directly to the statement, and Hershel Greene seemed undeterred by his silence.
"There was quite the scandal surrounding Miss McAlister," Hershel said. "I knew of it…but of course I wasn't directly involved."
Daryl nodded his head and kept his eyes on the old man in hope that he'd continue speaking.
Hershel pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped at his nose before tucking the handkerchief back where he'd found it and tucking his hands into his trouser pockets.
"What I heard was that she was betrothed to the son of Edward Peletier," Hershel said.
Daryl felt his stomach do an odd little turn at the mention of being betrothed to anyone. The imaginary boyfriend, if the story was true, now ceased to be quite so imaginary.
Daryl cleared his throat.
"Why weren't they married?" He asked.
Hershel chuckled again.
"Well now that's where the story tends to have several variations," Hershel said. "Some said that she went to visit family that she had…family who lived out West and that she never returned to marry Edward Junior."
"But that ain't the truth, 'cause she's in there right now," Daryl said.
Hershel nodded his head and shifted his weight before settling against the car once more.
"I knew Edward Peletier…Senior," Hershel said. "He was…well…the good Christian in me makes me…find it distasteful…to give my honest opinion of the man. I never knew him well, but we crossed paths more than once. His version of the story was that they took in Miss McAlister after her father's passing and she was betrothed to his son, his only son, and that they sent the girl away when she became…with child…by another man before their nuptials."
Daryl swallowed.
"She had a baby?" Daryl asked.
"I don't know the details, of course," Hershel said. "Of course…if I were to venture a guess, I'd say that if the child wasn't that of Edward Junior…it was likely to be the offspring of Edward Senior."
"You mean you think he mighta took advantage of her?" Daryl asked, furrowing his brows.
Hershel shook his head.
"I mean to say no such thing," Hershel said. "I've said too much as it is since I'm speaking purely on speculation and Josephine would feel driven to subject me to an extra hour of studying over the Word after dinner if she knew that I'd said as much as I have."
Daryl almost laughed, but he bit the inside of his cheek to hold it back.
"So they sent her ta get rid of the kid…" Daryl said, speaking to himself as much as he was to the judge. "An' then what? How'd she end up like she is? How'd she end up in Sunny Meadows?"
Hershel shook his head.
"That's where the information that I have is a little more specific and a little less specific all at the same time," Hershel said. "For whatever reason, the young woman's engagement was something that Edward Junior no longer felt the need to honor. I had never noticed, until I received your paperwork, that she was even in the institution…but since then I've done a little inspecting and it seems that she suffered a mental breakdown or something of the like. That's all I know."
Daryl nodded his head.
"But you accepted my petition…?" Daryl said, his voice low.
Hershel nodded.
"As I said," Hershel replied, "I wasn't even aware of her presence in the institution until I received your petition…and it wasn't until I read the name that it even renewed for me the curiosity of what had happened in the situation. The young lady had become a ward of the state…a person without, as was reported, any living relatives…and apparently without any acquaintances. I felt that I couldn't turn down a petition that was made with such concern as you expressed. I trust that you won't make me regret my decision?"
Daryl shook his head.
"I hope not," he said. He laughed ironically to himself. "I don't know what the hell I'm doin'…an' I'ma be real honest about that…but I'm doin' the best I can. I aim ta do everything right."
Hershel nodded.
"That's the first step to doing things correctly, in every avenue of life," Hershel said. "Josephine will be good company for the young lady…and the young lady will be good company for Jo. Let me know if I can be of assistance…do you have family in the area?"
Daryl nodded.
"I got a brother…lives one town over. I ain't exactly told him what I'm doin' just yet…would rather keep it to myself," Daryl said.
Hershel nodded his head again and stood up straight from where he was leaning, stretching his legs very obviously. Daryl stepped out of his way so that he could step back up the curb.
"Judge Greene," Daryl started.
"Hershel," the man said, cutting him off.
Daryl nodded his head.
"Hershel," Daryl said, feeling a surge of something like guilt over addressing the man by his first name. "If I were to want to marry Carol Ann…with the most…noble…intentions…would I be allowed to do that?"
Hershel looked at him, his brows furrowed.
"If I were to see that it would be in the best interest of the young lady…and if I were to see that she's obviously…well enough…to make such a decision? I could probably see clear to approving the marriage," Hershel said. "But I would have to spend a little time with you both…and I would have to consult with Josephine."
Hershel offered Daryl a wink as a gesture at the last few words and Daryl laughed.
"Of course you're welcome ta stay for dinner any time you want…when you come ta pick up Mrs. Greene," Daryl responded. "Except…tonight things are…"
Hershel nodded his head.
"You're both still learning things," Hershel said.
Both of them turned at the sound of the door opening and turned to see Josephine Greene coming down the steps, the heavy bag she'd brought with her hung on her arm.
Daryl turned quickly toward Hershel as he started to move to cover the ground toward the steps to take the bag from her.
"Whatever happened ta the men? What was his name? The old man?" Daryl asked.
"Edward Peletier Senior passed away about a year and half ago," Hershel said. "Heart complications…something of the like. I don't know about the son."
Daryl thanked him and followed him toward the house where Josephine Greene told him that Carol and the doctor were waiting inside and she would see him in the morning. Then he took his leave of both of them and stood on the porch watching as they got into the car and left for their own home, leaving him alone again with Carol, the doctor and whatever information that he might have, and the new information…true or not…that he'd acquired from Hershel Greene.