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Chapter Forty

A month after visiting Daryl in his cell Carol woke up in her cramped bedroom, on her lumpy twin bed with the squeaky springs and she smiled. She had slept all night. This was the first time she had slept all night in seven weeks. And this was the first time she had woken up without that horrible sickness causing her to bolt from the bed and heave over the toilet for ten or fifteen minutes before starting her day.

She stood up slowly, waiting for that heavy sick feeling to engulf her. When it didn't her smile grew wide. She walked out of her room and padded to the kitchen, still not completely trusting her body. The only thing she had been able to keep down over the past month was the soup that June kept bringing her. She ate it because she had to eat something but she didn't much care for it. It made her nauseous just like everything else did but it didn't make her actually throw up. That meant that she was able to keep the prenatal vitamins down. She tentatively opened the fridge and scanned the items.

"Thank God," she whispered, grabbing the bottle of orange juice and pouring a large glass. Just a few days ago looking at the juice had made her sick and now she felt like if she didn't drink it she would die. She had to have it. As much as she wanted to be a glutton with the juice she forced herself to take just a sip at a time. She waited between sips, wondering when the urge to throw up was going to hit her. It never did.

She took a quick shower and then dressed in jeans and a tank top. She didn't want to battle her hair so she pulled it back into a ponytail and then grabbed her phone. A worried voice answered on the second ring.

"You okay?"

She smiled fondly. "Why wouldn't I be okay?" She asked brightly.

Merle didn't answer for a few long seconds. "Because you ain't been okay and it's seven in the damn mornin'. I thought maybe-"

"I'm hungry, would you come pick me up?"

"Give me ten," he said quickly and then he hung up the phone.

She raised an eyebrow at his abrupt departure but shrugged and slipped her phone into her pocket. She went to the bathroom and hurriedly applied a little makeup. Her face was pale and almost gaunt. She concealed the dark circles under her eyes and added a little blush. She almost looked human again by the time she hurried down the stairs after hearing the rumbling of Merle's bike outside by the sidewalk.

He looked over as she bound out the door, ripping his sunglasses off his face and taking her in with a slow sweep of his eyes. "Holy shit, woman, you look almost human." He grinned and she saw that heavy cloud that had hung over him for these long weeks lift.

"Thanks a lot, Merle," she said, rolling her eyes and climbing on behind him. "Where are we going?"

"To get food, dummy," he called over his shoulder and gunned the engine.

Merle was a lot less careful with her than Buck. He liked to go fast. It wouldn't have bothered her if it wasn't for the fact that she was worried about more than herself but Merle handled the bike masterfully. Despite the speed, he was never careless and after the first few times she had ridden with him, she wasn't as afraid. He took her to a Denny's not far from the highway.

"Ain't been here in years," he muttered as he opened the door and ushered her in with is hand on her back.

"I've never been. What's good?" She asked, the smell of breakfast foods thick in the air. Once again she was afraid that she'd end up feeling sick but as they were seated her stomach rumbled loudly, even drawing Merle's attention in the crowded room.

"Everything's good," he said as he opened a menu.

She didn't even open hers. She already knew what she wanted. The waiter offered Merle a nervous smile, which Merle ignored because he didn't believe in basic manners.

"What can I get you folks to drink this morning?" He asked, smiling at Carol and receiving one in return.

"Orange juice. Two glasses of orange juice actually. And I'm ready to order already," she added, handing back the menu. "Two eggs, scrambled with a side of bacon. A half order of biscuits and gravy, hash browns and... a short stack, just in case."

Merle was staring at her with wide eyes. "Are we sharin' a plate?" He asked, completely serious.

"Hell no. Get your own. I told you I was hungry."

Merle looked up at the waiter. "Coffee, black and a couple of sausage, egg and cheese biscuits. Make that three in case she tries to steal one."

Carol rolled her eyes at him as the waiter hurried away. "What?" She asked when he didn't look away.

"You really are better, huh?" He asked.

She nodded. "I woke up this morning feeling perfectly fine. I slept all night. I was able to keep down some juice and then I realized I was starving."

"No more of that miracle soup, huh?" He smiled, relief still clear on his face.

She grimaced. "I swear if I never eat another bowl of soup for as long as I live I can die a happy woman."

"You gotta hand it to her though, it kept you alive all this time."

She nodded and instantly started in on her first glass of juice once it was set in front of her. She moaned around her straw. "This is way better than mine."

He sipped his coffee in silence and started watching the people coming and going.

She joined him and was surprised to realize that the people who happened to glance at him looked away quickly. Other customers avoided sitting near them even though there were empty tables there on either side of theirs. She started feeling a little offended but when she looked up he was grinning, shaking his head and looking down at his coffee. "Have you noticed that no one will sit near us?"

He chuckled. "You're with a Dixon, darlin'. Get used to that shit."

"Well I think it's ridiculous," she grumbled, narrowing her eyes at a table of women that were staring at them.

"It's just how it is. Be glad you called me and not Buck. The whole damn place would be deserted. He can clear a room. Hell, we'd probably have to cook our own damn breakfast. The cooks would probably leave."

"Buck is one of the kindest men I've ever met," she muttered, making an obnoxious slurping noise with her straw as she sucked up the last of the orange juice.

"That's cause Buck loves you. You don't wanna see that mother fucker pissed off."

Her eyes went back to the group of women and she felt her teeth clench together. Merle was like a brother to her, not some zoo exhibit. "Why in the hell do those women keep staring?"

Merle followed her gaze and then cursed, turning his head. "No idea."

"You do to have an idea or you wouldn't have just turned your head like you didn't want them to recognize you." A couple of them put their heads together to talk and then they stood up. Carol watched as they approached them. One looked like she was in her early forties, bottle blonde and blue eyed. The other one was probably Carol's age, that same bleached hair but green eyes several shades darker than Piper's.

"Merle? Merle Dixon? How are you?" The older one said once they stopped next to his chair. Neither one of them looked at Carol.

"I was fine till now," Merle grumbled.

They both smiled as though they were too dense to take a hint. "We heard about Daryl," the younger one said. "It's such a shame too. We had just been thinking about going to the garage to see him. How's he doing?"

Carol watched Merle's face carefully but he kept his eyes on his cup. "How the hell do you think he's doin'? He's spent the last two months in jail."

The older one smiled. "Well, tell him to let us know whenever he gets to come back home. We know exactly what he'll be needing after spending so much time around all those men."

"And what exactly is that?" Carol snapped, sitting her glass down so hard that juice sloshed over the side and spilled on the tablecloth. Merle's eyes widened and his lips twitched but he didn't even look up at the women.

The younger one giggled. "Trust us, you dont' even wanna know."

Merle glanced up. "Actually, I think she knows way better than you two would. He had a fling with you, what, three years ago? He's staked a claim ladies. He won't be callin'. Trust me. He compared that night with the two of you to throwin' a hot dog down a hallway. Now how bout you walk your loose asses back to your own table so I can have breakfast in peace with my sister-in-law here."

Carol glared at them as they took her in and then they both turned on their heel and walked away. "You shouldn't have said that. I'm not Daryl's. He could have actually wanted to have himself a little get out of jail threesome with thing one and thing two," she grumbled.

Merle opened his mouth to say something but the food arrived just then. Carol was upset but not so much that her appetite had suffered. She was still famished. Once the waiter left them to their meal Merle looked at her. "You know that's some bullshit. He's goddamn out of his mind over you and has been since day one. Stop trying to make yourself pissed off at him. It ain't gonna make him being gone any easier on you."

She snorted but she knew that he was telling her the truth. Somehow, Daryl only wanted her. That still didn't mean she couldn't get mad when his past reared it's ugly bleached head. She was hesitant with her first bite but once she chewed and swallowed she dug in with gusto. Everything tasted like it was cooked in some kitchen reserved for God himself. It took everything she had not to stuff her face. Merle finished his own breakfast much faster. He spent the rest of the time watching her.

"You didn't even eat a third of what you ordered but I'll be damned if it ain't the most I've seen you eat in forever."

She looked at all her wasted food but there was no way she was going to be able to eat anything else. She wasn't completely full but she was too afraid to push it. Merle slid her plate of pancakes over and finished them off himself so she didn't feel as guilty about the waste.

"Where to now?" He asked, once he was finished.

She sighed contentedly and glanced up at the clock. "You wanna drop me off at work?"

He nodded and waited for her to get up. When she did a wave of vertigo hit her and Merle had to steady her. "You feelin' sick again?"

She shook her head and smiled once it passed. "No. I think it's just where I'm just now recuperating. That and I think I've overdosed myself on food."

He nodded but kept his hand at the small of her back as they made their way out to the bike.