A Modern Love

The Thing That Hurts The Most

The Thing That Hurts The Most

Merle hasn't left the hospital room for a whole week now. Beth still hasn't woken up. Daryl still hasn't showed up either. Merle has lost hope on him. He probably drank himself to death. He wouldn't be surprised.

The same nurse who's been taking care of Beth comes in. Her name is Tara and Merle finds solace in her at times when he feels he's going crazy.

"Still nothing?" She asks as she replaces Beth's IV bag. Merle sits up and wipes his mouth with his hand.

"Yeah, still out. Anyone able to guess when she migh' wake up?"Tara looks at him and then shakes her head.

"It's not predictable like that. We can jus' be blessed that she's able to breath on her own and her heartbeat is steady." Tara does Beth's vitals and then slings her stethoscope around her neck and goes to leave. "If it's any consolation, yer a great boyfriend."

"I ain't er boyfriend. I'm her ex finances brother. Though thy shouldn't be broken up."

"Why are they?"

"Got into an emotional disagreement. She lost the baby and nixed him after they exchanged some words."

"I'm so sorry. Yer a nice guy either way." She smiles and Merle smiles back and Tara leaves.

"Hear tha' I'm a nice guy." He gestures to Beth and chuckles. Then it hits him. He could've been happy. He calls up the woman he lost to an asshole, cause he refused to act on it.

"Hello...."

"Carol! It's Merle."

"Merle! O how's it going. haven't heard from ya since the funeral for Ed." He feels guilty. Ed was the asshole she met after he denied her happiness. They ended up having a lil girl, Sophia, who Merle met once. She was the cutest thing, he'd ever admit too.

"Oh ya know, taking care of Dural's stuff. How's Sophia?"

"She wonderful. She's 12 now. Growin' fast."

"She still look like you?"

"Yep... so why you callin' Merle?"

"Jus' wanted to ask ya to dinner. I know I haven't been the best guy ever, but ya know, I'm tryin' to change."

"I'd love too. Why the sudden want to change?"

"My brother. He has this girl who he really loved. She changed him. Now they over but she's in coma and I'm just here, he's off drunk and I jus' realized I don't wanna waste time bein' an ass when I can be with people I care bout...." He pauses and takes his leap of faith. "And tha'd be you and yer lil girl."

It's silent for a little bit and then finally Carol breaks the silence.

"I'm glad you finally woke up. Been waiting twelve years fer that." Merle smiles. He was gonna have his Beth finally. "Well I gotta go, Sophia needs to be picked up from ballet in a bit so I need to go, but call me when you want that dinner." They say their goodbyes and hang up. He sits back in relief that she agreed. He gets up and decides to get something to eat, so he heads out for the cafeteria.

Daryl finally fully sober, beats himself up. He needs to stop this. He needs to decide what he wants. He really wants to take everything back, but he also really wants to just move on and forget her.

But how do you forget something like that? Someone so life changing and beautiful. Something so tragic and terrible. Heart crushing and mind blowingly outrageous.

Going to the computer he searches Interfetal Parasitism Disease (IPD). Scrolling through the main MD site he finds an answer he regrets.

"Mother and Child survival rate: 95% chance.

Reasons to Abort: 5% chance fetus won't survive. Mother will be fine, may have severe bleeding or problems conceiving after giving birth.

•Mother's who have experienced IPD say it's more satisfying to have the child. Most of them have babies who survive after being in the NICU for a certain length of time.

•It is discouraged among most if not all doctors to abort the child for any reason.

•There are meds for IPD mothers to take to cut down on pain an provide the baby with the nutrients it takes. Working as a recycling method."

Daryl pounds his fist into the table and then throws his glass of water across the room and it smashes against the far wall. He loses it. He trusted that asshole and he fucked them both over. Getting up he gets dressed and then gets on his motorcycle. He doesn't both with his helmet, he just flies off down the road.

He could've been a father! He could've been a husband! He didn't have to lose Beth or his baby girl! She was suppose to be his princess, his world, and she was murdered by that sick fuck! They never should've listened to Matthews. How many others has he screwed over? How many babies lost their lives cause he's a dick? Now Beth's in the hospital hurt cause of him? This man is not gonna take something else from him! If he can't have Beth, this guy is at least gonna find the boundaries quicker than a dog and an electric fence.

Reaching the hospital he asks if Dr. Matthews is in.

"He should be, came in looking for a coma patient few minutes ago."

"Thank you!" Daryl rushes off and remembers Merle's message about her being on floor two and room 290.

When he gets closer he sees Matthews sitting by her bedside. He looks like shit. Where is Merle? He was supposed to never leave her side. He steps in the room.

"You Fuck!"

"Nice to see language runs in the redneck gene-pool." Matthews looks at Daryl. He stands up.

"Yer a God damn liar! She would've been fine you asshole! She would've made it! And you took that from us! You took our child!"

"You already lost Beth before my diagnosis, I was just making the detachment easier for her." He walks closer to Daryl. "An if yer brother wouldn't have showed up, she would've been my girlfriend in no time."

"Yer a liar and a coward! You don't deserve to be a doctor! You murderer!" Daryl steps closer to him and try meet at their chests.

"No one will believe you. And Beth knows nothing. She'll wake up eventually and come running back to me."

"Wouldn't be so sure bout her not knowin'." Daryl says as Mark's back is too Beth.

"And why not dumb ass?"

"Because I heard every word you dick!" Mark turns around and finds big blue eyes on his brown ones. His mouth drops and he looks as he turns around to look back at Daryl, gets his lights knocked out.

"Prick!" Daryl steps over him and rushes over to Beth, who is rubbing her head trying to remember all that happened a week ago. It doesn't take long before her eyes find his. Tears welling up in them. She's missed his face and all his features. She sticks her hands out in front of her and make grabbing motions with her hands. He quickly grabs her and embraces her in a everlasting hug.

They cry and rock from side to side for a while. Soon Merle comes back an sees Matthews on the floor unconscious and Daryl and Beth holding each other crying. He smiles and kicks at Matthews foot.

"He dead?"

"No. Unfortunately." Daryl says as he lets go of only Beth's back and still has ahold of her at her elbows. "Better get a nurse though."

"Nah, that fuck can wait till he wakes up." Merle steps over him and goes to Daryl. "Bout time you sobered up."

"I've been sober for a few days actually. I was just beating myself up over things to notice I needed to be here." He looks at Beth, who lays back against the bed, slightly dizzy. "Thanks fer bein' here Merle."

"Jus wanted to help."

"Thank you... for everythin'." Beth says through closed eyes.

"Jus hope I didn't break anythin' too important." They all laugh and them Merle leaves cause he's sick of this hospital.

Daryl just sits on the bed staring at the delicate hand cupped in between his. They don't speak for a long time. They don't have too. They both know they've made mistakes and said things they wish they could take back. The thin that hurts the most is, letting go over each other.