The Spare Room
Summary: The bills keep piling up and if Daryl Dixon has any hope of improving his life, he and his brother are going to have to find someone to fill their spare room. The problem is that while he can't stand his new roommate, he finds himself falling for his roommate's girlfriend. Caryl. AU.
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that you recognize from the Walking Dead.
Chapter 31
Merle felt out of place at the hospital. He slouched in a chair in the waiting area, wondering if they would even tell him anything about Kevin once they sorted him out. Merle wasn't Kevin's kin, after all. Still, Merle couldn't just send the kid in the ambulance with nobody. If it was Daryl, Merle would've wanted someone to ride with him. The ride into the hospital had been quick with the sirens on, though Merle couldn't really hear them on the inside. Kevin had been starting to moan and groan in pain when they arrived, but he was whisked away before he could say anything significant.
Merle had been left in the waiting room, alone with his thoughts for a time.
He wondered what the hell Kevin was doing coming over in the first place. There had to be a reason. Kevin never came over unless he came with Daryl. On that note, where the hell was Daryl anyways? He should have been home before Kevin's accident. Something just wasn't adding up.
Suddenly, the door burst opened and a man and a woman rushed up to the front desk.
"Our son was hit by a car," the woman said frantically, her curly brown hair bouncing as she talked.
"Kevin Jones," the man clarified. He looked a lot like his son, with the same build, short hair, and glasses.
Merle watched as the receptionist disappeared to try to find them some information. The man pulled his wife to him. They both looked distraught and worried for their son. Merle tried to make himself look invisible. He had no desire to intrude on the family's grief. As far as he was concerned, his part in Kevin's well-being was over. He watched as the family was informed of Kevin's current condition and then as they sat a few seats down.
Merle just sat in silence, puzzling over the whole thing. There was definitely more to this than met the eye. He just hoped that he'd find out what exactly when Daryl got there.
If Daryl got there.
Merle scowled at the thought. Of course Daryl would be there. Just because some shit happened to Kevin didn't mean that some shit had happened to Daryl.
But then, why wasn't Daryl home when he was supposed to be?
Now Merle looked almost as worried as Kevin's folks.
0-TSR-0
It was true, what Jones had said. The cops were onto Ed.
That's why, when Ed drove home and saw the squad car parked outside of his dad's place, he just kept driving. He drove out of town in his father's car and didn't stop until he was almost out of gas. He had to keep his distance. The fuzz…well, they were just as simple as the damn Dixons. They wouldn't understand or care about how the world was supposed to work.
Ed had learned from an early age that the Peletiers were a respectable family, the kind that deserved only the best. The problem, his father had told him, was that people were assholes and tried to take what was theirs. That was why they had to fight so hard for what they wanted and why they had to crush anyone who got in their way. The world bowed to Peletiers. Peletiers did not bow to the world.
That was why Ed had had to teach that bitch Veronica a lesson. That was why he had had to show her who was superior. He had to crush her and break her down. No one defied a Peletier.
But the cops wouldn't see it that way. Cops were another obstacle for the Peletiers to overcome.
Ed stopped at a gas station and as the car was filling, he made a call.
"Hello?" his father's gruff voice sounded in his ear.
"Dad," Ed said flatly, "The cops there?"
"Where the hell is my car?" Patrick growled.
"The car is fine," Ed dismissed, "The cops there?"
"They were," Patrick snapped, "Tried to do a search, but I refused to let them in without a warrant. They left a patrol car outside while the detective goes snivelling to a judge. What the fuck did you do?"
"Just taught a bitch a lesson," Ed answered.
"The Creedy girl?"
"'Bout time that slut got some payback."
"Jesus Fucking Christ," his father swore on the other end.
"I only did what you always said to do. Never let a bitch get away with it," Ed reminded the man.
Patrick exhaled loudly on the other end of the line and said, "And what about when I told you to keep shit private? You fucked up, Boy."
"So fix it-"
"If they find you guilty of this, there's not going to be a damn thing I can do to fix it," Patrick hissed.
"So they can't find me guilty," Ed said slowly. There was a pause on the other end.
"What will the police find if they come into my house?" Patrick asked dangerously.
"Whatever Dixon planted in my boxes."
"Is that really what you want to go with?" Patrick scoffed.
"Pair of underwear," Ed muttered.
"Idiot," Patrick hissed.
Ed contemplated hanging up. He didn't need this. Not now, but he had to know, "What made them come after me?"
"An anonymous tip," Patrick said with distaste, "Though, I think it's obvious where that came from."
"Dixon," Ed grumbled, "Asshole."
"Now where's my car?" Patrick demanded. Ed looked over at the high-end vehicle. If he gave it up, he'd be stuck at some dive gas station. Besides, it gave his father incentive to keep helping him.
"Keep me out of jail and you'll get your car back safe and sound," Ed bargained.
He hung up before he could hear his father's reply.
0-TSR-0
Daryl almost didn't want to enter the hospital. He had been the one who had asked Kevin to go check on Carol. That meant that he was responsible for whatever had happened to him. He had put him in harm's way.
On the other hand, Daryl needed to know if Kevin was okay. Kevin was the closest thing that Daryl had ever had to a friend. He didn't know what would happen if Kevin didn't make it. He couldn't imagine not seeing Kevin all the time or hearing Kevin try to sing random songs. He had grown accustomed to being around his quirky co-worker and Daryl knew that he would never, ever forget the advice that Kevin had given him in regards to Carol.
He looked over at Carol, whose hand was still clasped in his as they sat in the backseat of her father's car. She was staring at the back of her father's headrest. She had been pretty shaken up by the turn of events. She did know Kevin better than Daryl did and it had to be jarring to see someone you cared about lying unconscious on the pavement. Still, Daryl couldn't help but to admire how strong she seemed at that moment. She wasn't falling apart, even though she had experienced more in the last two days than anyone.
Carol's father pulled into the hospital parking lot and then the three of them made their way to emergency where they found Merle and the Joneses. Daryl went right to his brother, surprised, but not protesting when he was pulled into a one-armed hug. Carol's dad walked up to Kevin's parents.
"Dave. Bev. How's he doing?" George asked.
"The doctors have him in surgery," Dave Jones replied grimly, "His spleen was crushed when he fell, so they have to take it out. Both of his legs were broken and he has a concussion."
"But he'll be okay?" Daryl questioned. He received a tearful nod from Kevin's mother.
"He'll live," she said, "By the grace of God, he'll live."
Daryl mustered a weak smile. As relieved as he was that Kevin was okay, it sounded like he was in for a hell of a recovery and he would be in a lot of pain. Daryl had never broken his legs or anything before, but he had broken an arm and three ribs and it had hurt a lot.
"We'll wait here with you," George said, gesturing to Carol, Daryl, and Merle, "I'll just make a call."
"Thank you, George," Dave said, reaching over to shake his hand, "We appreciate it."
With that, Daryl, Carol, and Merle settled down a couple of chairs away while Mr. Taylor went to call and let his wife know what was happening. Daryl couldn't help but notice as Carol threaded her fingers into his own.
"Wanna tell me what was goin' on this afternoon?" Merle asked in a low voice, "Where the hell were ya and what the hell was Elton doin' at our house?"
Daryl glanced at Carol and then over at the Joneses. Then he looked back at his brother and said, "Don't know if now's the right time."
"We ain't got nothin' but time here, Boy," Merle reminded him, "Gonna take a while for him to get outta surgery."
"Merle, it ain't good conversation-"
"Boy, ya best start talkin'-"
"Merle, if he doesn't want to talk, then don't force him," Carol piped up from in between the brothers, "Daryl will tell us when the time is right."
Daryl's eyebrows hit his hairline. No one told Merle what to do and as far as he knew, Merle and Carol weren't on the best of terms. He anxiously watched his brother, waiting for a reaction. He was surprised as hell when Merle huffed and pushed himself to his feet.
"Fine. Fine," he grumbled, wandering over towards an instant coffee dispenser. Daryl looked sideways at Carol.
"The hell'd ya do to him today?" he wondered. Carol smiled a little, and despite her blackened eyes and split lip, Daryl still thought she looked wonderful.
"Merle and I…well…I think we've learned to see eye-to-eye," she explained.
"Never thought I'd see the day," Daryl said, shaking his head, "Once Merle makes up his mind 'bout somethin', it's awful hard to change it."
"We have something in common," Carol told him, and at his quizzical look, she responded, "You."
Daryl looked down to hide the small smile on his face. It wasn't really appropriate, given the circumstances.
"He'll be okay," Carol said softly, her eyes focused on the hospital door across the room, "Kevin…he bounces back. He loves life. Something like this won't bring him down."
"Hope so," Daryl said, "Sounds like he's got a hell of a time ahead of him."
"But it could have been much worse," Carol reminded him, "He's alive and he's going to recover. When it happened, Merle wouldn't let me touch him because he might've had a neck injury. To know that he doesn't is a blessing."
"Supposin' so," Daryl reluctantly agreed.
"This won't slow him down," Carol assured him, leaning over to rest her head on his shoulder. Daryl felt his breath catch a little, but then he relaxed too, allowing his head to rest against hers.
0-TSR-0
Merle stood against the wall, sipping his coffee and watching Carol and Daryl talk to each other across the room, their heads close together. He wasn't really surprised that his brother was keeping the events of the day close to his chest. The boy always worried about when it was the right time to say something. Merle also wasn't surprised that Mouse was taking up Daryl's side. It was really what he'd expect.
Unexpected, however, was George Taylor. Merle watched as the man re-entered the room. He watched Taylor pause to survey Carol and Daryl, and then as he approached the coffee dispenser. As the man waited for his coffee, he looked over at Merle.
"There's more there than meets the eye, isn't there?" he asked.
Merle hid his chuckle by taking a drink of his own coffee and then replied, "Oh yeah."
"How much more?" Taylor wondered.
"Don't know exactly," Merle admitted, "They sure like each other a lot, though."
Taylor took his cup from the coffee dispenser and took a sip. Then he said, "Your brother is a good man."
"Your girl's a pretty good woman too," Merle said back, "Tough girl."
"She is," Taylor agreed, an almost proud note in his voice, "and even though I can see that she can take care of herself, I still worry about her. She'll always be my little girl. I don't want to see her hurt again."
"My brother ain't the kind to hurt nobody," Merle assured him. Taylor turned then and stood beside Merle, watching the pair across the room. Taylor's eyes lingered on Daryl thoughtfully.
"I know," he said simply. With that, he walked over to Kevin's parents and struck up a conversation. Merle smirked to himself, pleased with George Taylor's assessment of Daryl. It was always good when a girl's father approved of her guy. It meant that there would be less of an obstacle for Daryl when he did go about courting Carol. The obstacle would still be there, of course, but it wouldn't be near as bad as it could be. Merle himself could remember being chased off his old girlfriend's porch by her gun-toting daddy. And by porch, he meant mattress.
0-TSR-0
It was several hours before they heard anything else about Kevin's condition. Apparently, the surgery had gone well and he was all bandaged up proper. Due to the late hour, though, only his parents had been allowed to see him. It was just as well, considering Daryl was about ready to collapse. It had been a very long day.
Mr. Taylor had decided to pay for two rooms at the hotel across from the hospital. He had said that there was no sense in driving in the dark and, when he had learnt about Merle's appointment the next day, he had also stated that there was no sense in the boys having to make the hour-long drive again in the morning. Daryl felt sort of bad that he wasn't paying for his and Merle's room, but Mr. Taylor had insisted.
"Your girl's daddy is a pretty solid guy," Merle said as he got into the bed.
"What was he doin' at the house anyways?" Daryl wondered as he stepped out of the bathroom, "Visitin' Carol?"
"Yeah. He was a bit worried after her," Merle explained, "Guess he knew Ed's mom back when. He helped her escape when her asshole husband was beatin' on her."
"You're kidding," Daryl said, his eyebrows raised.
"Nope," Merle replied, "Small towns and all."
"Small towns," Daryl agreed, flopping down onto the mattress and flicking off the lamp. There was silence for all of thirty seconds.
"So, what in the hell was he doin' at the house?" Merle asked. Daryl sighed. He really should've known that it was coming.
"'Cause I asked him to go there…keep an eye out for Ed."
"Ed?" Merle questioned, "He's in jail, ain't he?"
"His pa posted bail," Daryl informed him, "Pity. If he cops had had him in custody when we went in, things probably woulda been different."
"What were ya doin' at the cop shop?" Merle wondered. Daryl grimaced.
"On Saturday, the night Ed disappeared on ya, a girl was beaten and raped and then dumped down a back road half-alive. Girl was Ed's ex. Kev figured we ought to go down to the cop shop and tell 'em that Ed might be involved. When we got there, Ed had already been released. I couldn't leave 'cause they was searchin' my truck for evidence so Kev volunteered to go to the house to make sure Ed didn't come 'round," Daryl explained.
"And that was when Ol' Ed ran Elton down," Merle pieced together, "Fuck. Carol know?"
"Reckon I'm gonna have to tell her," Daryl said grimly. It was not a conversation he was looking forward to. How did you tell someone that the person that they had agreed to marry was a piece of scum?
"Ya oughta tell her," Merle advised.
Daryl snorted, "I know that, but it ain't gonna go well."
Merle chuckled in the dark, "Don't underestimate the Mouse, Brother. She'll give ya a damn run for your money."
Daryl frowned and glanced over at his brother's outline in the dark. Something had happened that day to get Merle and Carol on better terms and Daryl wanted to know what.
"You and her seem all buddy-buddy."
"Oh, don'tcha worry, Brother," Mere replied, a teasing tone in his voice, "I ain't after your girl. Ain't my type."
Daryl rolled his eyes, "Seriously. Somethin' happen?"
"We had a good chat is all," Merle said, "and the whole deal when Ed's pa came over was a good bondin' experience…and hell, now that she's a single woman, she's 'bout perfect for ya. No more baggage."
"She was perfect for me even with the baggage," Daryl said softly. He didn't know if Merle heard because he didn't hear a reply back. Maybe it was better that way. Less teasing. He shrugged and said, "G'night, Merle."
"Night, Boy."
TBC
AN: Alright, so Kevin's gonna be okay. I couldn't kill him off, though I did seriously consider paralysis. Let me know what you think!
Again, thanks to SophiaCharlotte for the medical advice that she gave me in regards to Kevin.