Not Desperate

Chapter 28 Affliction

Chapter 28

Affliction

            When Daryl returned ten minutes later, he was carrying a pair of grey sweatpants, a blue t-shirt and an unopened package of white, cotton panties. “The nurse gave me these. She said they keep some things for cases like this. She said they should fit.”

            “Thank you.” She took the clothes and went into the bathroom to change. While Daryl sat on the bed waiting for her, two nurses came in with discharge papers and two wheelchairs. When Yvonne came back into the room, they signed the papers and took a ride to the waiting room. Rick was waiting for them. He had sent Carol and Sophia home under guard of the deputy that brought them. The ride to Rick’s house was silent except for Rick filling them in on everything he knew. As soon as he pulled into the driveway, Michael came running out the door. He hovered as Daryl helped his mom get out of the car. As Daryl moved to one side, he wrapped his arms around her waist. “I love you momma.”

            She ran her fingers through his short, blonde hair. “I love you too baby doll. I’m so glad you’re okay. I was so worried about you. Let’s go inside so I can sit down.” He and Daryl flanked her and held her hands as they walked inside. Immediately, Lori embraced her with tears in her eyes. “Thank you for taking care of Michael and keeping him safe.”

            “You don’t need to thank me for that,” Lori told her. “I’m a mother too. It’s our job to keep the kids safe. It was my pleasure.” When Yvonne moved to sit on the couch with her son, Lori stood in front of Daryl and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m so sorry about Merle. Rick told me what he did, sacrificing himself. He loved you even though he never showed it. If you need anything from me, don’t hesitate to ask.”

            “Thanks Lori. If you could keep an eye on Yvonne, try to help her. I figure she’d appreciate it more coming from a woman than me.”

            “That’s not true Daryl. She’s gonna need you to make things normal again. She’s gonna need you to take all this away. You’re the only one who can bring her back from this.”

            “I don’t know about that. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I don’t want to make things worse for her.”

            “Just listen to her Daryl. She’ll let you know what she needs from you. She may not want to talk about it for a long time, but pay attention to her, what she does, how she acts. Don’t put any pressure on her. She has to reconcile this with herself first before she can hand it over to someone else. I’ll keep an eye on her. I’ll be here for her if she needs me, but she’s gonna need you more.”

            “Thanks Lori. Uh, you got anything she could eat? She may not want to, but she should. She needs to keep up her strength.”

            “Of course sweetie. I’ll get something for all of us. I’m sure you need to eat too.” When Lori left to go to the kitchen, Daryl went to the living room where Michael and Yvonne were sitting, cuddled together on the couch. He sat in the chair across from them and Rick went to the kitchen to help Lori. They just looked at each other and Daryl was trying to convey something in his eyes. A question, hope, regret, he wasn’t sure, but she seemed to understand anyway. “Come sit with us.” She patted the space next to her indicating where he needed to be. He got as close to her as he could and leaned in putting his arm around both of them and pulled them close.