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 33

It was a different hotel room from the previous night. A single room this time, with two beds.

Daryl had already disappeared into the bathroom without a word. Carol walked up to the phone, weary from the day's events. Glancing at the clock, she realized that her family would be just sitting down to dinner. She hated to interrupt, but her father had made her promise to call.

"I should make a call to your mother," George said, getting to his feet.

"Ya oughta head home," Daryl said softly, looking up at the man. Carol looked over at him.

"Daryl-"

"Ain't no use in ya'll sittin' round here all day. Doc said it could take hours."

"We're here to support you, Son," George told him.

"Ya got a family to support," Daryl reminded him, "Mrs. Taylor and Catherine are gonna be wonderin' where ya are."

"I can call them-"

"It's alright. Merle and I…we got this."

"I'm staying," Carol announced. When Daryl opened his mouth to protest, she cut him off, "You shouldn't be alone."

"If your dad goes, we ain't got a ride," Daryl reminded her.

"If we both go, you and Merle won't have a ride," Carol countered, "and you'll need help with him."

There was a jingle of car keys and then George placed them in Carol's hands. She gaped at him in surprise.

"I'll catch a ride home with Dave Jones," George said reasonably, "You can take my car. At least this way, you'll have a ride back to Cranwall."

"Daddy, are you sure?" Carol asked.

"Positive. Just give me a call at home when you hear something," George said, "No matter what the time."

"Okay," Carol nodded. She glanced over at Daryl and saw confusion on his face. He wasn't used to having people support him. Carol still remembered Merle's story about their upbringing and knew that it was new for him to have someone other than his brother in his corner.

"I hope everything turns out fine, Daryl. If you need anything, call," George told him firmly before giving Carol a kiss goodbye. Then he left.

Daryl still looked horribly confused. He turned to her and wondered, "What…why…you…you don't gotta stay…"

"I want to," Carol replied, "He's your brother, Daryl, and my friend."

Carol dialed the house number and prayed that her mother didn't answer the phone. She didn't know what her father would have told her at this point.

To her relief, she heard her father's voice on the other end of the line.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Dad."

"Carol? How'd it go, Honey?" George asked. Carol grimaced.

"Not good," she replied, glancing at the bathroom door, "Not good at all."

It had been a couple of hours since Merle had gone in.

Daryl had been a wreck, bouncing his knees when he was sitting and pacing when he was standing. He reminded Carol of a caged animal with the way he anxiously moved about. He was worried for his brother.

"Daryl," Carol managed to catch his attention. He stopped pacing and walked back to his chair beside hers. She reached for his hand and said, "No matter what happens, everything is going to be okay. Even if they have to take his arm, he'll adjust. He's a survivor. Strong. He-"

"You don't know him," Daryl whispered, shaking his head.

"I know that," Carol said, "but he is strong, Daryl."

"Sometimes," Daryl allowed, agonized, "but Merle…Merle don't handle hard times proper. Shit goes bad and…he goes bad. Been waitin' for it since the accident, for him to slip."

"Slip?" Carol asked, confused, "What do you mean by 'slip'?"

"When he can't take somethin'…when he can't handle it…he calls up one of his drug dealer buddies and…well…he gets high out of his mind so he don't gotta deal with shit," Daryl confessed anxiously, "If the surgery goes to shit, he won't be able to handle it. If it goes right, then he'll have a long ass recovery that he might or might not be able to handle."

Daryl was shaking at this point. Carol could feel his hand shake in hers. He was really worked up about this and Carol couldn't help but wonder how many times Daryl had seen his brother, his one support in his hard life, succumb to drugs. How many times had drugs taken Merle away from him? After their mother died? After Merle left home? In the last few years that the brothers had been together?

"That doesn't have to happen, Daryl," Carol reassured him softly.

"It's what always happens," Daryl whispered.

"But it doesn't this time. Whatever happens, we can get him through it," Carol tried, "Whatever-"

The words died in her mouth when the door to the operating room opened. Dr. Gould stepped out, a grim expression on his face. Daryl squeezed her hand harder as the man approached. Daryl was pale and sweaty, like he knew that nothing good could come out of the upcoming conversation.

He was right.

"The infection is too great. There's no saving the arm."

Daryl's eyes closed as the bad news hit him.

"There's nothing you can do?" Carol asked pleadingly.

"We've done all we can," Gould said, "The infection is too advanced and the bone is too deteriorated. At this point, amputation is the only option."

"Do it," Daryl said, defeat in his voice. He opened his eyes and looked the doctor in the eye, "It's what he told me he wanted."

The doctor nodded and went to retrieve the forms.

Daryl looked like the world had just ended.

He buried his face in his hands and all Carol could do was rub circles on his back.

"They had to take his arm," Carol told her father, "They didn't have a choice."

"I'm sorry to hear that," George said sadly, "How's Daryl?"

"He's really upset."

"And Merle? Is he awake?"

"He was," Carol admitted.

Carol stood just behind Daryl's chair and waited with him for Merle to wake up. They had amputated just below the elbow, giving Merle enough for a prosthetic, they had said. Right now, though, it was just wrapped in a lot of bandages and was sitting on a pillow and some ice. Carol could feel Daryl's shoulders shaking under her hands. Try as he might, he couldn't stop. Carol knew that he was holding a lot back, trying to be strong when all he wanted to do was cry and shout at the world.

Merle moaned and groaned before his eyes fluttered open. He looked over at Daryl and Carol. He frowned and then looked right. He saw nothing where his arm should have been. Then he looked up at the ceiling.

"They…they said it was too bad," Daryl choked out.

"Reckon it was," Merle agreed, not looking at his brother.

"I'm sorry," Daryl apologized, finally breaking down, "I'm sorry."

"Weren't your fault, Baby Brother. Weren't your fault."

The words didn't do much for Daryl, but he was trying to pull it together.

"Do you need anything, Merle?" Carol asked, "A doctor? Some water-"

"Doc'd be good," Merle replied, still focused on the roof, "Hurts like hell."

"How was he?" George asked through the phone.

"Quiet," Carol said. "He stared a lot at the ceiling and if he did speak, he didn't look at either of us."

"Merle Dixon strikes me as a proud man," George said wisely, "He's just suffered a major blow, yet he doesn't want to appear vulnerable, not even to Daryl. I'm sure that in time, he'll come around."

"I hope so," Carol replied, "It just…it feels so unfair."

"Life isn't fair, Sweetheart," George told her, "It's not fair at all. What are you doing tonight?"

"We're going to stay in Senoia," Carol said, "Daryl wants to be close."

"Of course," George said, "Have a good night and let Daryl know that we're thinking and praying for him and his brother."

"I will, Daddy. Bye."

"Bye, Sweetheart."

Carol hung up the phone and glanced back at the bathroom door. Still nothing. She looked around the room and her eyes found a take-out menu. It occurred to her that neither of them had ate anything since breakfast. She figured that she might as well order something.

With the order placed, she sat on the bed and waited for either the bathroom door to open or for the pizza to get there. The pizza came first. She was just opening up the box when the bathroom door opened. Daryl stepped out cautiously.

"I ordered food," Carol told him, "I thought you'd be hungry. It's pepperoni and mushroom."

"Thanks," Daryl said, slowly coming up and taking a piece. Carol waited for him to take his slice before she picked one as well. They ate in silence. Daryl reached for another piece just as Carol finished off the crust on her piece. She grabbed for a napkin and wiped her hands and face.

"So, I called my dad. He said to let you know that they're thinking of you and praying for you."

Daryl scoffed, "Waste of damn time, all this hopin' and prayin'. None of it done Merle no good."

Carol said nothing in response. She understood that he was feeling cheated on behalf of his brother. In addition, he was right. There had been no divine intervention to help Merle.

Daryl ate half of his piece and then decided that it wasn't worth his time anymore and threw it into the trash. He was reminding Carol of that animal again, the beast that felt trapped.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Carol suggested, knowing that when he was upset, he needed an outlet. She remembered all of those confrontations with Ed and how Daryl had taken off afterwards to clear his head.

"To where?" Daryl wondered sarcastically, "Maybe across the street to the hospital so I can cut my brother's other arm off?"

"You didn't cut his arm off, Daryl," Carol reminded him.

"I pretty much did," Daryl argued, pacing the floor.

"He told you to give them consent," Carol said, "It was his choice."

"It wasn't his damn choice!" Daryl exploded, "If he had a choice, he would've picked his damn arm!"

"Of course he would've," Carol agreed, putting on a strong face in the wake of Daryl's anger at the situation even though his tone made her jump, "but that wasn't an option. It was either the arm or his life and he chose the arm. The important thing is that he's alive, Daryl! He's still here!"

"With one damn arm," Daryl fixated.

"He'll learn to adjust!" Carol maintained, "Nothing stops your brother once he sets his mind to it! He will be fine! He just needs you to believe it!"

That got Daryl to pause his pacing. He stared at her for a long moment. He opened his mouth once, closed it, and then opened it again, "I…I…"

Carol approached him slowly and took his hands in hers, "Daryl, I know this is hard and that it's…it's a shitty thing to have happen, but if you doubt Merle, if you expect him to struggle and go back on drugs, then he will. If you want him to succeed and overcome this, then you have to believe he can do it. You don't know how much he loves you or how hard he tries to do right by you or how much your opinion matters to him."

"And you do?" Daryl asked after a moment, his eyes guarded.

"He told me about how you two grew up," Carol admitted and she saw his face drain of colour. She forged ahead, "He told me about what your father did to you and how he wasn't there and how he tries to make it up to you. Did you know that he's been saving money for you to go to college? That was why he wanted Ed to move in, so that Merle could keep saving for you. You…you're his life, Daryl. He'd never do anything to hurt you again and he swore that he'd be there for you."

Daryl closed his eyes and asked, "He told ya that?"

"He did," Carol confirmed, "I think he wanted me to see how important you are to him. He's going to try to overcome this…for you."

After a moment, Daryl opened his eyes and nodded, "Alright. Gotta believe he can do it, then."

"He will," Carol said, reaching over to brush his bangs from his forehead. He let her do it and then he stood still as she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed his forehead. She moved to step away from him, but he caught her by the wrist, keeping her there against him, their faces inches apart. Carol's mind flashed back to that night in the living room where his lips had first met hers. She wanted that again. She wanted to feel that again, especially now that she was a free woman. It was that feeling alone that had got her through her final week with Ed.

Her eyes darted down to his lips and then back up.

He closed the distance, his mouth meeting hers in a quick kiss. It was almost like he was stealing it.

That was something he didn't have to do anymore.

Carol pulled his face to hers again. This time the kiss was longer. Hungrier, as his tongue demanded entrance to her mouth. Carol granted the request, moving her mouth with his as her hands tangled in his hair. He pulled her flush against his body and she could feel every hard muscle against her. Carol lost all sense and she wasn't even aware that they had been moving until the backs of her legs hit the mattress. She fell backwards with Daryl on top of her, kissing her senseless as his hands roamed over her body.

She felt his hand on her breast, kneading it in his palm before it moved over her stomach and down over her hip. She felt him squeeze her butt before he did the process again in reverse. Every touch ignited a fire in her that she had never felt before. She felt want so acute deep in her stomach that it almost physically hurt.

His lips left her mouth and started a trail down her chin to her jaw and then to her neck. Carol let out a shaky breath as she felt Daryl's mouth on her chest, his tongue dipping down below the neckline of her t-shirt. The hand that was now moving up her waist slipped underneath the shirt and Carol couldn't bite back the moan at the feel of his coarse, calloused fingers on the smooth flesh of her stomach.

Her moan brought Daryl back to reality.

He froze and lifted his head from her chest, his lust-filled eyes meeting hers.

"Shit," he breathed, "This ain't…I shouldn't've…"

"It's okay," Carol whispered, keeping her hands on his shoulders so that he wouldn't move. He was tense under her touch.

"You deserve better," Daryl rasped.

"You're the best," Carol told him. It was true. He was an amazing man, through and through. Smart, kind, funny, and compassionate. He had a beautiful soul, one that was already so tangled with Carol's own. He made Carol feel like the only woman in the world and she had never felt so trusting or passionate about another man before.

Daryl shook his head, "Ya wanted to take it slow and I'm here pawin' at ya like-"

Carol cut him off by placing her lips on his.

"It's okay," she said, releasing him so that they both could sit up, "Really."

"I was just actin' like a horny jerk," Daryl reminded her, almost as if he was confused about why he wasn't getting yelled at or slapped at the moment.

"So was I," Carol admitted, "I wasn't stopping it. I mean, really, I guess it's inevitable."

"Inevitable?" Daryl questioned.

"I'm not going anywhere," Carol assured him, "I don't know much right now, but I know that."

"I don't wanna just grope ya in a hotel room first chance we get," Daryl said firmly, "I wanna do it right and proper."

"And how's that?" Carol wondered.

"Well, maybe I'll take ya on a date or two first," he suggested.

Carol smiled, "I think I would really like that."

She leaned in towards him and was pleased when he didn't pull back. She kissed him again, this time soft and chastely, a huge contrast to the way that they had just been going at it.

"I'm going to go get ready for bed," Carol told him when she pulled back. He nodded, mustered a small smile, and retreated to his own side of the room.

Carol disappeared into the bathroom. Shutting the door, she leaned back against it and willed her heartbeat to return to normal. She didn't know what had come over her, but there was no way that she would regret it. After all of the stress of the last few days, it had felt good to have a moment to just let it all go and chase a good feeling for a change.

It had been a long time since Carol had felt that good, especially while being in a man's embrace. With Ed, she had just been going through the motions. It was her duty to please him. There was nothing mutual about it. There was no respect for her needs and wants.

It was different with Daryl. Even though he put on the brakes, he had done it out of respect for her, because deep down, he had known that tonight was not the night. Deep down, Carol knew that too. He was hurting from the situation with his brother and Carol was hurting from the situation with Ed.

Carol glanced at the mirror.

The bruises she had received from Ed's fists were receding now, but they were still there, ugly and sore. They cemented the fact that tonight was not the night for Carol and Daryl to take their relationship forward. When it happened, Carol wanted the harms from her past with Ed to be gone, from both her body and heart. She wanted it to be just them and not their demons.

And she knew that Daryl wanted that too.

The thought made her smile and made her adore and respect that man even more than she already did. He truly was a man of honor.

Carol finished getting ready for bed and slipped out into the darkened hotel room. Daryl was already in bed, laying on his back and looking up at the ceiling. Before she went to her own bed, she approached his and kissed him on the lips.

"What was that for?" he asked, turning his head to look at her as she crawled under the covers.

"For being you," Carol said simply, "Try to get some sleep okay?"

"I'll try," Daryl said, "Ain't no guarantees. 'Tween you and Merle, I doubt I'll be gettin' any sleep tonight."

0-TSR-0

Merle spend most of the night staring up at the ceiling.

He spent most of the morning putting up with people coming in to poke at him and change his meds.

He refused to look to his right. He refused to look at the remnants of his arm.

Because, in a word, Merle Dixon was fucked.

Everything required the use of two hands. Every job that Merle was qualified for required two fucking hands. Then there was the other stuff. If he wanted to hunt, he'd have to learn to shoot with his left hand. He'd have to learn how to write with his left hand. He'd need to buy new clothes…clothes that he could actually put on with only one hand. He didn't know how difficult it would be to fuck one-armed, but he imagined that the stump would only repel women. He had yet to see what was under the bandages, but he figured that it must look pretty damn gnarly.

Merle's life had changed and he didn't like it at all.

Still, out of all the people that he could've blamed, he focused all of it on one person.

Ed Peletier.

Ed was the asshole that drove home drunk and high. He was the asshole that crashed the car. He was the one that just sat there, yammering stupidly while Merle's arm was trapped. The son-of-a-bitch didn't even try to help him.

And because of him, Merle had lost his arm.

Oh, Merle could've blamed the hospital staff for fudging up his x-rays, but really, even he looked at the x-rays and he had only seen one break. Even on the CAT scan, the other two breaks had been tiny fuckers.

Amazing how much damage something so small could do.

Then at around nine, the door to Merle's room opened and Carol stepped inside.

"Hey," she greeted, "How are you doing?"

"Been better," Merle admitted, watching as she sat down on one of the chairs in the room, "Where's Daryl?"

"He's talking with your doctor…filling out some forms, I guess," Carol told him with a backwards glance at the door.

Merle grunted in acknowledgement and then asked, "How's the kid doin'?"

Carol hesitated. Then, she admitted, "He's upset. He…well…he thinks you might blame him for-"

"He's the last one I blame for this shit," Merle cut across her, "Weren't his fault I got pinned by the fucking car."

"He's just worried," Carol said, "You're his big brother. He hates to see you like this."

"I hate to see me like this," Merle grumbled, turning his attention back to the roof.

"Merle," Carol said his name and waited. Merle figured he'd better look at her because it sounded like she really wanted his attention. He looked back over at her and she said, "I know this is hard for you. I can't even begin to imagine how hard, but you need to try, Merle. I know it won't be easy, but you have to know that Daryl and I are both here for you and we'll do whatever we can to help you. You're not alone."

Merle stared at her for a long moment. He could tell that she was being genuine. He could also hear the words that she wasn't saying.

The drugs.

Daryl had told her. The little fucker had been so worked up that he had actually told Carol about the drugs.

Sure, Merle drank and smoked a little weed regularly, but at multiple points in his life, Merle had turned to harder shit to help him cope with his shitty reality. Those years were a blur, even still, but Merle knew how hurt Daryl had been over the drugs. The drugs had been the thing that kept Merle away from him after their mother died. It had been hell getting clean and it was hell staying clean. Merle indulged every now and then at a wild party and he dealt to earn money, but he never allowed himself depend on them again. The drugs wouldn't own him.

Daryl came into the room then and Merle couldn't help but notice that the boy looked worse for wear. He couldn't have slept well. There were dark circles under his eyes and as he entered, he let out a large yawn.

"What'd the doc say?" Merle asked him.

"They want to keep ya here for at least a week," Daryl said, sitting down in the chair beside Carol, "Could be longer."

"Great," Merle sighed, "Another long-ass stay. Hell of a bill comin' for this one."

"Don't worry 'bout the money," Daryl said firmly, "It ain't important."

Merle scowled. The boy was being naïve. The fact was that the hospital bills would need to be paid for sooner or later and they needed money for that.

"The hell it ain't," Merle growled, "This right here is gonna be a big ass setback."

"We'll get by," Daryl maintained, "Important thing is that you're gonna be okay-"

"I'll be fine," Merle told him dismissively, "This shit'll heal up. The important thing is that we're gonna be able to eat once I'm outta here."

"Merle," Carol said warningly. Merle let out a huff.

"Give us a minute, Mouse?" he requested. It was easier for Merle to focus on the money. It kept him from thinking about his arm and he wasn't about to be deterred.

"I'll go visit with Kevin," Carol told Daryl, pecking him on the cheek before she left. Daryl turned about fifty shades of red.

Merle raised an eyebrow and teased, "You get lucky in that hotel room, Boy?"

Daryl flushed even worse and spluttered, "No! She…I…we…"

"Simmer down, Baby Brother," Merle said, chuckling a little, "Simmer down."

Daryl quieted down, but still looked all flustered. Merle rolled his eyes, but took advantage of the quiet.

"Listen," Merle said firmly, "Shit happens. We deal with it and move on. Suppose I ain't been too good 'bout the dealin' with it bit, but I can tell ya now that I ain't gonna slip. Gonna figure shit out."

"I know that," Daryl said, "Ain't nothin' stops ya once ya get your mind set."

"Damn straight," Merle said approvingly, "but if I'm gonna figure this shit out," and here, he cast a distasteful look to his right, "I'm gonna need to know that you got all the other shit covered. Bills and all."

Daryl looked hesitant, but then he nodded his head. Merle was pleased that the boy saw sense. Money was now Daryl's responsibility.

"Good," Merle said, "Now, here's what you're gonna do. You're gonna take Mouse on back to Cranwall and you're gonna drag your ass into work, explain the situation, and then you're gonna be workin' just as hard as ya always do."

Daryl's brow knit in concern and he said, "I don't wanna leave ya alone."

"Ya ain't leavin' me alone," Merle told him, "I'm sure your ass'll be up here every damn day to visit after work. I'll keep an eye on Elton and there's been a few decent lookin' nurses floatin' in and out of here. I'll be fine."

"Guess that's true," Daryl admitted grudgingly.

"Damn straight," Merle replied, "We gonna get through this shit-show, Lil' Brother. You do your end and I got some ideas on mine-"

"What kind of ideas?" Daryl demanded, looking wary.

"Ideas," Merle said cryptically, "Don't you worry 'bout me, Little Brother. Give ya my word that I ain't slippin' and my word is law, Boy."

"Alright," Daryl said. Though he looked wary, Merle knew that the kid trusted his word. That was enough.

"Mmhmm," Merle nodded, ready to change the subject, "Now, 'bout you and Mouse…she's a good girl. Don't blow it without me there to keep an eye on ya'll."

"We'll be fine, Merle," Daryl groaned.

"She better be more'n fine if you're wantin' to keep her around," Merle chided him, "Any asshole out there can blow Ed Peletier out of the water, so you best make sure she's screamin' your name in a voice that only dogs and bats can hear. Best way is the foreplay-"

"MERLE!" Daryl protested. Merle just chuckled, pleased that for the moment, he could get both of their minds off of everything that had happened.

TBC

AN: Alright, so...uh...does the Caryl progress make up for the fact that I dismembered Merle? Maybe a little? I just find that there's so few AU's that actually include Merle's amputation. Let me know what you think!