Whatever Happened To Normal?

Chapter 24:

It took fourteen minutes for the cops to stop beating the shit out of him. Police brutality, I guess, doesn't exist in Atlanta. Laying on the ground, Daryl stares up at the awning above his head and feels defeated. He was just trying to help Beth and her babies. Trying to make up for not being there before and for leaving her, and Karma comes and beats his ass. As the one office stands him up, Daryl becomes light headed and a security guard, who watched the whole thing, comes out with a wheel chair for him to sit in.

"You're under arrest for failure to cooperate and obey the laws." The first officer, Lambson says. "Get up."

"Excuse me, but you can't arrest him...not yet anyway. By the looks of it, you broke this poor fella's rib, maybe two- which I believe is police brutality. He complied with you and you two didn't seem to eager to serve him the justice required. Instead you played punching bag. Which could mean your asses in jail. On top of that neither of you read him his Miranda Rights which means your arrest is null and void. So I suggest you leave before I call my own set of cops." The security guard, who's flaming red hair shimmers in the sunlight as his handled bar mustache twitches above his lips.

The cops back off and look around to make sure that no civilians seen the matter and get back in their vehicle before racing out of the lot.

"Names Abraham, what's yours?"

"Daryl..."

"Good thing they left...I ain't a real security guard. Didn't need them finding that out. Costume parties sure have their perks. Anyway. What's say we park this beast, grab ya kids and go find yer wife?" Abraham says and Daryl slowly gets up.

"That's all good and dandy, but I can't accept that offer. I thank ya for what ya did for me, but I need to get these kids back to their parents and go find my ex in there."

"Ex? Damn. You kidnap them kids?"

"No. I'm their Nanny. Manny- whatever you wanna call it. Listen. Thanks, but I seriously need to go." Getting the kids from the car, he hands the keys to valet and walks into the hospital- his ribs killing him and his face cracked and bloody from the billy club. He hears Beth screaming and follows the sound of her voice. Heading down a hallway, he makes a left, then a right followed by another right and finds himself in the maternity ward, two babies on his hips and Carl in toe.

"Grrrrrahhhh!!!!"

"This way." Daryl says and goes down the hallway a bit more and finds Beth's room. He goes to open the door and a nurse slams it in his face. He didn't think he'd have this much trouble but then again, he doesn't really want to be in there anyway, not with an angry pregnant woman who hates him.

"I wanna go home." Carl whines and all three kids look miserable as ever.  Then it hits him. Why should he be here, waiting to see someone who will never care about him ever again? Why should he wait around to see her and ask how she's doing? She lied to his face. She said she was married to a man named Paul and well, now Paul apparently doesn't exist. Standing up, he makes his decision and leaves the hospital. He's not waiting for Beth to grow up. So he gets his car back from the valet and drives the kids home.

***

Guilt sets in after two hours and back in the chair outside her room, he waits. She was still screaming when he got there. Still in pain. He doesn't get it. The second baby should have been born by the time she got into the hospital.  Yeah, it was slightly bigger than the first one, but that hole had already been greased and stretched enough that that kid should have slid right through there. Right?

A nurse comes out and Daryl catches her arm.

"Excuse me...my...fiancé. How is she doing in there. When can I see her?"

"I'm afraid, she won't be able to see you for a few more hours."

"Can you please tell me what's going one with her?"

"Babies A and B are fine. It's Baby C that we are worried about." The nurse walks off and Daryl sits back down, shocked at the news. Three? She said she was having twins and now it's triplets? Daryl can't understand. How does a whole other baby show up randomly? Better yet the question he wants answered is, who got her pregnant? Who is the father of her triplets?

His mind is racing no he feels like he's going to be sick. Standing up, he goes for a walk, which turns into a mistake because he comes across a window full of babies. Curiosity grabs him and he goes to the window, looking over each boy and girl swaddled in there blankets and finally, he stops dead in his gaze and finds the two babies. Baby A is a boy, tiny and meek. Baby B is also a boy and is slightly larger than Baby A, only by two pounds. Both boys however, are beyond too adorable to bare. His heart aches as he sees the babies gently sucking on pacifiers as nurses come around to each baby to check on them. Suddenly, he finds a nurse rushing in with a small clear box and a tiny baby inside. The baby is no bigger than Daryl's two hands and seems almost lifeless. Machines and buzzers go off in the hallways and a crash cart speeds passed Daryl.

Please go passed her room. Please pass her.

As he opens his eyes, his worse nightmare happens- the crash cart goes into her room and panic once more sets in. Another alarm goes off and nurses flood into the windowed room. All paying every ounce of attention to baby C.

It's clear trashed will come in one form or another.