AN: Here we go. Another little chapter.
I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!
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"So you're saying that she's nuts? Shocker…" Alice commented from across the lunch table.
Daryl shook his head at her and silently thanked Melodye for elbowing her.
"She ain't nuts…that's the thing," Daryl said. "She shouldn't be livin' with me when we ain't married…hell…everyone knows that. She's just realizin' it. An'…I think she kinda understands why the hell she's there…I mean her parents are dead an' she knows that now…but I don't think she really understands about this place…about how the hell she got here an' why the hell I brought her home from here."
"But you think she's going to understand it?" Melodye asked.
"I think she can," Daryl said. "Lil' more damn time…she can…but here's the question….what the hell does she remember?"
"So just ask her these things that you've got figured out. The baby…this what was the jerk's name?" Alice chimed in again.
"No!" Melodye said quickly. "No…you probably don't want to do that…I mean bombard her with it all. If she's going to remember it, maybe it's better for her to remember it at her speed. I mean…you're serious about this woman, right? You're serious about marrying her?"
Daryl nodded.
"I am…" he said.
"So…you haven't changed your mind about this?" Melodye asked.
He shook his head and chuckled to himself.
"No…I ain't changed my mind at all," Daryl said. "Couple weeks…even with all this goin' on…an' I care more now than I did. I just don't know what the hell ta do."
"You're doing all you can," Alice said. "I mean…until the meds are out of her system? You're not going to get the big picture of what you're dealing with. You can't rush it out…right? I mean you've got to step her down like you're doing."
"If you're serious about her," Melodye said, "then you've got plenty of time. Handle it as it comes…but don't lie to her. If she doesn't remember it, maybe there's a reason that she doesn't remember it? You know? I mean here we have a lot of patients with repressed memories…and it's like it's just too much for them to remember, so they don't. So if she doesn't remember, just leave it be…but just be ready to…stick it out when she does remember. And don't lie to her."
Daryl nodded.
"So…supper?" He asked.
"Soon," Melodye said. "Give her…another week or so…reduce the meds…and we'll see if she's ready to meet people."
"Just remember…I'm your sweet cousin Alice, just like we told the nice old Judge," Alice said, pursing her lips at him before she got up from the table. "I'm back to work…"
"Me too," Melodye said, getting up from her spot. Daryl reached out quickly, though, and caught her by the wrist. She stopped and stared at him.
"Do I give her the ring?" Daryl asked.
Melodye stared at him and then nodded her head.
"If you don't intend to take it away? If it's not a lie? Then give her the ring," Melodye said. "Just make sure you mean it when you do it…or you could do more damage than good."
Daryl nodded and let go of her wrist.
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Daryl stepped out on the porch with Josephine when he heard Hershel's car pull up. The man stopped the engine and got out, throwing a hand up at Daryl before he made his way to the porch and reached, picking up the bag that Daryl had put on the porch for Josephine.
"Good day?" Hershel asked, leaning and kissing the cheek that Josephine turned to him.
"Very good," she said with a smile. "I finished the three dresses for Mrs. Mullins.
"And Carol Ann?" Hershel asked, first looking at his wife and then at Daryl.
"Overall? One of the best days in a while," Josephine said with a nod. "There was a little…episode…but that didn't last long."
"Episode over what?" Daryl asked.
This was the first he'd heard of it.
Josephine glanced at Hershel and he nodded slightly at her before she turned to Daryl.
"It was nothing…she realized she had a few stitches off in what she was working on…and she thought that," Josephine broke off and frowned. "She got upset and thought that you were going to…overreact…to it."
Daryl felt his breath catch slightly. He'd done everything in his power since he brought her home not to overreact to anything…and though he hadn't been perfect, he was sure that he'd done nothing that would lead her to think that he'd be upset even over something like her knitting projects.
"How did you fix it?" He asked, furrowing his brow.
Josephine smiled and shrugged her shoulders gently.
"I just took the stitches out," she said. "I told her that you didn't have to know…if it was going to be a big deal, you just didn't have to know that she'd ever made the mistake…but there was something else."
Daryl cleared his throat.
"What was it?" He asked.
"Well," the woman said, her face dropping the smile and taking on a look of confusion, "it was…that I didn't know why she was upset at first because she was hiding it from me. It was like she thought that you'd be upset…but she thought that I was going to…"
She stopped and shook her head.
"I really don't know, it was just a feeling that I had," Josephine finished.
Daryl nodded his head and shot a look toward Hershel for any help he might offer if Josephine didn't want to share the feeling with him.
"What'd you feel?" Daryl asked. "'Cause I'm workin' on feelin's an' hunches a lot here. I'd appreciate anything you think you could tell me."
Josephine glanced back at Hershel.
"She didn't recognize me for a moment," Josephine said. "She thought that I was going to react to her as negatively as she thought that you were going to react. It wasn't until I started pulling the stitches and telling her that it wasn't anything…and it wasn't. It was a mistake that anyone could have made. It was only then that she seemed to even realize who I was."
Daryl sighed and nodded his head.
"Jo," Hershel said. "Do you think I could have a moment with Daryl?"
Josephine smiled again and nodded. She took her leave of Daryl and Daryl stepped down on the porch to wait while Hershel walked over to the car and opened the door for Josephine to get in and wait for him. Once she was settled and the door closed, Hershel walked back toward Daryl, his hands tucked in his pockets.
Daryl lit a cigarette and offered one to Hershel who accepted it and produced a match from his shirt pocket.
"You wanted a word with me?" Daryl asked.
Hershel nodded.
"The Peletiers," Hershel said. "There were…rumors that…Edward Sr. was fond of raising his hand to his wife."
Daryl felt the turn in his stomach that came with the words and his brain already anticipating what else he was likely to hear.
"There's a good chance, then, that Edward Jr. might have operated under the belief system that the best way to keep his wife in line would be with the back of his hand," Hershel said.
"A lot's startin' ta come back to her," Daryl said, swallowing and keeping his voice low. He'd brought food for Carol to prepare, but he was certain that one of these days she was going to gather up the courage to step outside, and he didn't want her to hear him revealing her secrets to people…secrets she didn't even know…when she finally did step outside the door. "Problem is that she's…well…I think she's mixin' things up…like she don't know what was then an' what's now…at least not all the way."
Hershel nodded his head.
"That's why I'm telling you this," Hershel said.
"But why would she be scared a' Miss Josephine?" Daryl asked. "I know she hasn't raised a hand to her…"
Hershel shook his head.
"No," Hershel said. "Josephine wouldn't dare to raise her hand to anyone…and my household isn't one where I believe in ruling with an iron fist. We've had our disagreements, but never anything that I needed to handle with my fists."
Daryl nodded his head.
"You think…she thought she was someone else?" Daryl asked. He thought that's what it was…but he wanted Hershel to share with him everything he might think. He wanted someone else to back up his opinion.
"If Mrs. Peletier lived in that kind of household? There's a good possibility that she would have raised her hand to the girl as well," Hershel said.
Daryl nodded again.
"Teach her how ta be a good wife," Daryl said.
"Something like that," Hershel said.
"Fine," Daryl said. "At least…I know, right? Least I know…I just gotta make sure she knows…knows that I don't aim ta…lay my hands on her…an' neither am I gonna let anybody else."
Daryl sighed.
"Son," Hershel said. "Are you still dedicated to this?"
Daryl nodded his head and chewed at the inside of his lip.
"More every day," he said. "What I've been able ta see…what she…what she's like in those times in between? The minutes where she talks to me an' I know…she's talkin' ta me? I really think I love her…an' I wanna see more of it."
"I have a feeling that it's going to get harder before it gets easier," Hershel said. "You could back out. You could take her back to Sunny Meadows."
Daryl shook his head.
"Harder or easier," he said. "I'm gonna stick it out."
Hershel sucked in a breath and glanced back toward the car where Josephine waited patiently.
"That's what I wanted to hear," Hershel said, chewing at the inside of his lip. "You've got the right attitude…and really? That's all that I think you're going to need to get you through whatever's coming…and to get you through married life."
Hershel chuckled and clapped Daryl on the shoulder.
"If we can help, though, don't hesitate to ask," Hershel said. "I know that Jo's quite fond of Carol Ann…and she admires what you're doing greatly."
Daryl nodded his head.
"To be honest? I'm just thankful for everythin' she's doin'," Daryl said. "Just…sittin' with her…it's helpin' me out more'n I can say," Daryl said.
"Very well," Hershel said. "Then we'll continue on as we are until you tell me that there needs to be a change of any kind."
Daryl thanked him and then gestured toward to the car.
"You best get her home," Daryl said. "I'm gonna check on Carol Ann…she likes our evenings together…don't wanna make her worry."
"Tomorrow I won't be working," Hershel said. "Do you still need Jo?"
Daryl shook his head.
"I'm off tomorrow too," he said. "We're spendin' the whole day together…thought we might go for a picnic if Carol's feeling up to it."
"That sounds nice," Hershel said. "Have a good evening."
Daryl said his goodbyes and watched as the old man headed for his car. Daryl threw his hand up at the woman waiting in the car and then slipped inside the house to make sure that all was well with Carol and that their quiet evening might have a chance of going off without a hitch.