"In the Other Room"

Author: carmen_085

Disclaimer: I do not own any Walking Dead characters. All original characters are mine.

Summary: It started with a cough and then a terrible pain. Sometime was terribly wrong and Daryl didn't know what to do; Merle had always been the toughest son of a bitch he knew. His last hope was the only hospice nurse brave enough to set foot in their trailer. Eyes never wavering from his, she extended her hand "Hi, I'm Beth". AU- NON-ZA to eventual ZA. Part of the "Never Give up on Each Other" Universe.

Chapter One

It was an overcast day, still hot and incredibly humid but dark and dull giving the illusion it was much later than it actually was. Still, as Daryl glanced at the clock in the mechanic bay he knew he had to hurry. The lady at the hospice agency said that another nurse would be by today around five. The first bitch they sent over didn't even get out of her car, glaring at him with her lip curled in disgust. He knew it had been a mistake and as she reversed back down the path he flicked her off making sure she knew he didn't want her here anymore than she wanted to be here. He picked up the phone and called the hospice and told them to fuck off. Merle was his blood and he'd take care of him the best that he could.

The woman on the other end of the phone, Carol or something like that, told him that she had another nurse in mind and to give it one more chance. He was silent thinking that over. Merle needed the help; he needed pain medication, something for his cough, and he needed cleaned up. This wasn't about him or the scraps of his pride, it was about his brother and making this God forsaken situation a little better if that was even possible.

When Merle came home sick he told Dale he'd stay at the garage. Merle was now getting Social Security Disability but that wasn't enough and for the first time in his life Daryl committed himself to making an honest living with his brother around. It felt good to work and earn his money but it also cut into the time he had to take care of his brother. The work was never ending and although Daryl would never profess himself to be a smart man he knew there had to be a better way of doing things. Merle was impossible and Daryl knew he shouldn't be surprised by that. His brother had always been stubborn, refusing to take anyone's advice aside from his own. But he was dirty and the stench coming from the back room was awful, even by Daryl's standards and they were fairly low.

Daryl cleaned up his work station stowing the meager amount of tools he'd been able to accumulate in the simple black tool box that he'd gotten at Harbor Freight. It wasn't the fanciest thing but it got the job done. Everyone thought mechanics made so much money, and the money was better than he'd ever had before, but there was also so much overhead no one knew about. Each mechanic needed to provide his own set of tools and tools were very expensive. Another guy at the garage, Oscar, let him borrow what he didn't have and Daryl was more than grateful grunting the appreciation he couldn't verbalize. But it wasn't right and even though he was further down on his luck than he'd ever been before he refused to take hand outs. Dixons had always been dirt poor but that didn't mean they took charity.

Carol told him the new nurse, he couldn't remember her name, would see them last since he had to work until five. Daryl wasn't sure if that would be a good thing or a bad thing after what happened with the first nurse. And honestly he didn't care; if it didn't work out with this one he was going to say fuck it. Whatever was going to happen with Merle would just happen.

Beth glanced at the clock as she drove to her last client of the day. Well, patient that is, but in the outpatient setting they preferred to call them clients. Less affronting but more impersonal, she didn't care for it at all. Shaking her head she brought herself back to what actually mattered. Beth was about to see Merle Dixon- probably the most challenging situation on her list. She would have rather seen him earlier in the day when she wasn't so tired, but Carol said his brother wouldn't be home until after five. Beth understood that and she knew read that the brother would get Merle ready for the day in the morning, come back to check on him at lunch, and then work until five and spend the entire evening doing what he could. It sounded exhausting and Beth could only imagine that these men had to be nearly at the end of their respective ropes.

Taking a deep breath she turned off the highway and onto a back road as she bit her lower lip. The good thing about this was that she wasn't far from the farm and when she finished up she would be at the daycare and home in no time. Just thinking of her little boy's smiling face made her heart squeeze in her chest. There was absolutely nothing she wouldn't do for him. From the moment Teddy was born he had become her entire world and even though things were complicated in so many ways she wouldn't change a thing.

Carol told her the turn off to Merle Dixon's house was marked with an orange cone. Seeing it she slowed down and carefully guided her Toyota onto the dirt path. Getting a better car was definitely on her list as she now needed it to do her job. Money was tight though, as it always was, with the toll of keeping the farm afloat and raising her son alone. She'd not seen Teddy's father since the day she told him she was pregnant and even though it was a small town she hoped to never see him again. She could never regret her sweet boy but she did regret that she'd not chosen a better man for his father. Teddy deserved a father and because of her stupidity he would probably never have that.

The car came to an abrupt stop with a jerk and loud scraping sound that made Beth gasp. She'd been so lost in thought that she drove right into a rut getting the car hung up on a rock. Her hands clenched around the wheel, she forced herself to take a deep breath before putting the car in park and climbing out. Under the front axel she saw a rock and a branch tangled together as she bit back the curse on her lips. Just what she got for not paying enough attention.

Through the trees she saw the rusted white metal of a trailer. Well at least she'd found her patient. Grabbing her bag and laptop from the backseat she slammed the door reasoning that she would figure this out once she was done. Beth still had two hours before the daycare closed and she would make it there even if she had to walk. Now that her daddy was the way that he was, taking care of Teddy fell squarely on her. Maggie and Shawn were both around but neither were all too dependable, more preoccupied with their own lives than anything else. Maggie had Glenn and Glenn was her life, more important to her than Beth ever was. And Shawn tried, he really did, but he was still so immature chasing any woman who so much as smiled in his direction. And then there was Beth, right in the middle of it all. She turned thirty last fall and was still the baby of the family but in so many ways the only adult.

The trees parted and the trailer came into view. It was older for sure and white with rusted edges and a roof that sank slightly in the middle. Junk was strewn about on the front lawn and the porch was nothing more than a walkway which led to a dinged metal door. Beth took a deep breath, she could do this; just because someone was poor didn't mean no one should help them. About to take step forward she jumped when she heard the motorcycle rumbling up the path. A blur of leather and worn blue jeans came past her as she subconsciously gripped the bag on her shoulder just a little tighter. The man astride the motorcycle was an intimidating fellow with a cut off flannel and leather vest over top. His hair was longish and looked like it hadn't been washed in a few days and his eyes were light blue and sharp cutting her right in half the second he saw her.

In that moment Beth was glad that she hadn't ventured into the porch as this man definitely didn't seem happy that she'd gotten the jump on him today. Seeing this place and already forming a judgement before he'd had a chance to do the same with her had already set them off on the wrong foot. Biting her lip she realized she need to do something quick before everything went to shit. Taking a step toward him she stuck her hand out looking nowhere but his face.

"Hi I'm Beth." He stared back frozen in place looking down at her hand but making absolutely no move to take it. She could have cowered in that moment, shrunk back and hauled her hand away from the space between them. But she didn't, knowing if she wavered so soon this man would never take her seriously. So she stood there with the honest smile on her face hoping he wouldn't leave her there forever.

Daryl looked the girl up and down. Hard for her to know he was doing it, his eyes barely more than slits. She wasn't very big but the way she stood there looking at him and nothing else made a chill run down his spine. Her skin was pale and her hair the color of straw, big blue eyes and an easy smile; and yet…yet something was hard about her. Her life hadn't been his- very few people could lay claim to that mess- but it also hadn't been easy. Still….he wasn't that guy- the guy who looked people in the eye and shook their hand. He didn't know how to be like that.

So he did what was easy and he grunted nodding his head. Beth seemed to understand that was as much of a greeting as she was going to get right now. Pulling her hand back she smiled and nodded in return. "Alright then. I'd like to your see brother."

Daryl paused for just a moment, turning and eyeing the trailer he called home. It wasn't nothing to be proud of and now a complete stranger was going to go traipsing through it. Forming judgements and suppressing looks of disgust, if he was lucky; if not she'd tell him straight out that he was a dirty piece of shit.

"Right." It was the first word he spoke aloud and Beth couldn't stop the tremor that ran through her. His voice was like gravel, she wasn't sure what she was expecting but that was not it. Suddenly she found herself wishing he would say something else. Wordlessly, however, he turned on his heel and led her toward the trailer. Beth was careful not to gawk while he was looking at her but now, with his back turned, she took a moment to look at it all. The junk, the weeds and overgrown grass, the trailer itself rusted and nearly falling apart. Beth swallowed hard; a reasonable person might be afraid right now. Worrying what this man and his brother would do to her once she set foot inside. Strangely she wasn't afraid but nervous that winning the trust of these two men would be much harder than she thought. Clearly, they lived in their own secluded world caring about no one but each other.

The door to the trailer opened and she was surprised to find the living area just inside the door spotless. A couch and chair, a small tv, and bookcase were all the furniture there was and someone- most likely Merle's brother- was keeping things in order. Her eyes landed on the crossbow hanging on the wall as she froze for just a second. She swallowed back the gasp on her lips and averted her eyes just as the brother turned around. He'd not offered his name and although she had it in Merle's file she would much rather he told her himself.

"He's in the bedroom." Beth gave him a nod before she cautiously began to move in that direction. She realized instantly that he wasn't following her and as she edged toward the back of the trailer she gave him plenty chance to spring forward and change his mind. While she might not even know his name, she knew this man was private and very guarded. Now she, a total stranger, was in his home and she had to expect that it took all the restraint he had to allow for any of this to happen.

Even if he hadn't told her where his brother was, she would have been able to guess from the stench. Urine, sweat, and rot; it had been a very long time since she'd seen or smelt anything like it. Most of her patients in the ICU being cleaned up by the ER nurses before they got to her unit and everyone so far on her hospice roster very stable and still very much alive. Beth swallowed, the smell so strong it settled in the back of her throat. The brother had made no move to stop her and she took that as permission to proceed in doing what she was here to do.

Daryl watched her carefully as she pushed the door to Merle's room open not once blanching or recoiling at the stench. It was dark in there and he heard his brother cough and moan as Beth slipped inside setting her bag down on the floor she quietly took stock of the situation. Daryl inhaled holding his breath, hoping Merle wouldn't be a total dick.

Beth didn't turn around but she could feel the brother's eyes burning a hole in her back. She knew right then she had to get this right. If she was really in this line of work to make a difference for these people, these broke down dying people in need of help, she needed to absolutely get this right. Beth set her eyes forward, the room was dim and the shades were drawn. In the bed a lump under the covers coughed and moaned rolling away from her toward the wall.

"Mr. Dixon…" Her voice was sweet and melodic a damn apparition in a place like this. She took a step closer making sure that he heard her repeating his name a bit louder. "Mr. Dixon." This time she was sure he heard her but nonetheless he refused to turn over. Beth bit down on her lip and before she could second guess herself she pulled one of the blinds open. Green leaves with slats of lights shone into the dark space.

"What the hell…" A man looking far older than his stated age pushed himself up in bed dissolving into a coughing fit that doubled him over. Instantly Beth flew to her bag getting her med pack and producing two syringes full of liquid. When Merle felt the steadying cool hand on his forehead he forced his eyes open. A blonde woman stood over him, her straw colored hair pulled back into a braid and her big blue eyes shining with concern.

He had to be dead. Because there was no way in hell a woman like this would ever be standing in this trailer looking at his sorry ass and smelling his pissy sheets with a smile on her face.

"I'm going to give you some medications, Mr. Dixon, one for pain and another for the cough." He stared at her absolutely dumbfounded. Within seconds, however, she was pressing a syringe to his cheek and squirting a bitter liquid down his throat. A cool sip of water came next followed by another syringe against the other cheek. He swallowed automatically as Beth offered him a reassuring smile. "My name's Beth, and I'll be your nurse."

Daryl had no idea what was happening but he knew she'd been in there a while. He didn't know what he should do but he knew he should give her space so he sat down at the table, poured himself a glass of iced tea, and he waited. When she finally did emerge from Merle's room she had that same bright smile and as she approached him he didn't know what else to do but stand.

"Do you have any extra linens…for the bed?" Daryl paused thanking God he did have one more set in the hallway closet. Moving past her he produced a dark green set that was freshly laundered. Behind the trailer, under a clapboard roof that he'd built himself, were an old washer and dryer that got the job done. Now, more than ever, he was grateful for that. She smiled again and nodded, "And a sink where I could fill a basin of water ?" Daryl paused frankly wondering what the hell she was going to do with that. Still, if that's what she needed he wasn't going to question it. Merle needed help and if this woman was somehow doing that, who was he to stop her.

"Give it to me, I'll fill it up." She handed the pan she brought over to him watching as he filled it carefully with warm water testing it twice before handing it back to her. Beth nodded her thanks and disappeared back inside. Daryl stood there staring at the closed door for a moment before sitting back down at the table his mind partially blown.

While the medications did their job, Beth pulled a trash bag from her backpack and began to clean up the room. Obviously this wasn't quite in her job description but once she cleaned Merle himself she couldn't quite imagine leaving him in room that looked like this. So she gathered the trash, the wrappers, the empty throw away cups, and the used tissues. She placed the urine soaked linens and towels in a laundry basket near the corner. She dumped the ash tray full of cigarettes and the empty cough syrup bottles on the night stand. And then once Merle was comfortable and breathing easier she stripped the bed around him and washed him with the warm cloths. His eyes flicked open a few times but mostly he laid there silently letting her tend to him and give him the care he so desperately needed.

As she so often did when she was tending to one of her patients, Beth began to hum softly. The clean sheets went on easily as she rolled him onto this side pausing only a second when she laid eyes on the scars crisscrossing his back. Merle knew she saw them too mumbling something before giving into the comfort of the Morphine once again. He slipped away tumbling into a dream as she eased him onto his back slipping his arms through the holes of a clean hospital gown. Spreading a clean blanket over the bed she smoothed it down running her hands over his chest and down his arms.

Looking around the room she sighed. She'd done everything she could for today and would come back tomorrow and check on Merle Dixon again. It was getting late anyway and she needed to get to the daycare and pick up Teddy before they closed. Gathering her belongings she counted out enough syringes of medication until tomorrow. She would leave them with his brother along with instructions on how and when to administer. Once she got Merle more established and could trust his brother she would leave a lock box with more medications so that she wouldn't need to come and check on him each day. Although looking at him laying there now and reviewing the vitals she'd taken along with his most recent lab work she knew it wouldn't be very long. Merle Dixon was by far her sickest patient and while he wouldn't be dying today or even tomorrow, she knew it wouldn't be all that much longer.

Closing the door quietly behind her she was met with his brother standing on the other side, his arms crossed over his chest. She smiled as she had before, that soft caring smile and placed the medication in his hand telling him to administer them every six hours whether it seemed like Merle needed them or not. "Can't let the pain get ahead of him again…" She stepped around him bags in tow and satisfied that she'd done all she could although the brother hadn't said so much as a handful of words to her. "I'll be back tomorrow to check on him, same time."

Daryl stood there silent like the asshole that he was not even civilized enough to conjure so much as a thank you. He waited until he heard her leave shutting the door behind her before he took a tentative step toward Merle's room. The stench of death was still there, emanating from every pore on his brother's body, but the rest of it- the urine, the sweat, the general smell of filth- that was gone. Pushing the door open he froze. The room was clean with all the trash littered about the room picked up and packed away into a bag near the door. The dirty linens were neatly in a basket and the blinds were open letting in the natural light, a soft green canvas of leaves flapping back and forth outside the windows. His brother was clean, smelling of soap and laundry detergent, and he was comfortable; sleeping peacefully for the first time in weeks.

Daryl gasped not able to help himself as his chin wobbled ever so slightly with emotion he didn't know he'd been holding inside. He expected her to come and slap a diaper on his brother, give him some drugs, and get the hell out of there as fast as she could. That's what any sane person would have done. She took care of Merle, that was for sure, even when he could wash himself Daryl wasn't sure Merle had ever looked so clean or peaceful. But she also restored some dignity to the situation, treated his brother like a person worthy of such a thing. It made his breath catch in his throat as he swiftly turned on his heel and hurried toward the front door.

Beth had nearly forgotten that her car was wedged onto a rock. Now, almost dark and in the middle of the woods, she began to panic. The daycare would be calling her any second now asking where she was as Teddy was the last child needing picked up. She certainly couldn't send her daddy and God knows Maggie couldn't be bothered. Exhaling out a shaky breath she was just about to start freaking out when she suddenly heard a voice behind her.

"You get it stuck or somethin ?" Beth jumped back utterly surprised that he was right next to her and she hadn't heard a thing.

"I….ah….yeah…seems to be stuck on a rock." Daryl studied her face for a moment before dropping to his knees and peering under the car. Without a word he went back toward the trailer reappearing only a few moments later with a jack in one hand and a shovel in the other. Beth stood back as he silently worked to jack the car up watching with a certain level of amazement at how confidently he moved about. Once in the air he used a shovel to push the rock away and then lowered the car down back on its own four tires.

Turning toward her he nodded. "Think you might have damaged the exhaust a bit…." His eyes quickly went toward the ground. "I can fix it for you if you want…." Beth inhaled sharply feeling her heart suddenly flutter in her chest. The last part he mumbled and she had to wonder for a moment if she'd heard him at all. "Least I can do." She didn't immediately reply but instead gave him a soft smile.

"I would like that. Thank you…." She extended her hand for him to shake and realized just then that she still didn't know his name.

Normally Daryl would shrink away from such a thing; grunting, mumbling, and taking off in the opposite direction. But in his mind he saw his brother laying there so comfortable and well taken care of it nearly brought him to his knees. He could have never done such a thing on his own, that was more than apparent. So the least he could do for this woman was fix her car and shake her hand like a normal human being. Forcing himself to meet her eyes he took her hand in his own. Small and delicate but warm and strong all the same he felt a current of electricity move up his arm and down his spine.

"Daryl." It came out strained and like a whisper, clear that to everyone including himself that he felt something right now- something he didn't even know he could feel. Beth shivered at the sound of his name squeezing his hand harder than she meant to but relishing the feeling of it in hers all the same. She didn't believe in love at first sight and this man was far from anything she might have ever imagined for such a situation. But still he couldn't deny that as she stood there holding onto his hand that the entire world fell away.

TBC….

Alright so I don't plan these stories out before I write them. I get an idea and I get way too excited and I start writing making things up as I go. After some thought- and feedback- I think I'm going to take this to the beginnings of the ZA. Let me know what you think !