69AN: I couldn't help it. I had to write this. I know there's at least one more chapter coming, but I truly can't make any promises that's it. I felt compelled to write it and I simply had to give into it.
This can be read as a continuation of sorts to "Love Child," or honestly it could probably simply be read on its own.
It's a time piece and set roughly in the sixties (though I never nailed down an exact year).
It's just for entertainment purposes.
I own nothing from the Walking Dead.
I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!
1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
"Daryl?" Carol called out, putting the final touches on the packed lunches she'd offer to Daryl and to June while she waited for everyone to take their places for breakfast. "Daryl?"
"Comin'," Daryl called back.
Carol heard him coming. She heard, close behind him, the almost thunderous sound of June who had moved about almost in a full out sprint since the day that they'd first met her.
"What'cha need?" Daryl asked.
"Jack," Carol said. "He needs breakfast and I would really appreciate a little help while I get breakfast on the table."
Carol swallowed and closed her eyes, holding onto the counter a moment for support. She jumped when she felt Daryl's hand on her neck. He was a good bit stealthier than their daughter and she hadn't expected him to be that close to her that quickly.
"You soakin' wet," Daryl said.
Carol sucked in a breath and turned around to try to protest to Daryl that she was fine, but she wasn't able to follow through with her intention. The motion of turning her body was the last bit of help that she needed crossing over the line that she'd been focusing on not crossing all morning. Carol covered her mouth and Daryl's hands immediately went to her shoulders as he guided her quickly out of the kitchen and toward the bathroom.
"Move, June! Move! Get out the way a minute! Ya Mama's gonna be sick!" Daryl barked at their daughter.
Carol didn't know if she was going to make it to the bathroom or if she'd embarrass herself by being sick on the floor. With Daryl's help steering her, though, and clearing the path for her as she went, Carol was able to hold back the contents of her stomach until she hit her knees in the bathroom.
"Je-sus!" Daryl drawled out. Carol tried to respond to him, but she couldn't. Instead she just remained focused on her task at hand. "Let it out," Daryl urged. "Ain't no sense in tryin' to hold somethin' like that in."
Carol couldn't hold it in if she liked. She didn't try. Now that she was in front of the toilet, she was making good use of her time there.
She heard Daryl fumbling around, getting a cloth from the linen closet and she heard the tap water running.
"What's wrong with Mama?" June asked.
"Get outta here," Daryl said. "She's sick. That's all. She's just sick. Go check on Jack Jack. Can ya do that? Go check on Jack."
Carol felt the coolness of the damp rag on the back of her neck when Daryl placed it there and she reached a hand up and touched Daryl's hand.
"It's alright," Daryl said. "It's all good."
"Jack hasn't had breakfast," Carol said. "You know how he is about breakfast."
"He'll live another couple minutes," Daryl said with a laugh.
"You're going to be late," Carol said.
"Reckon I'll live through that, too," Daryl said. "And so will June before you start getting any ideas about worrying about her."
Carol heard the bathroom door creak as Daryl closed it. He took the rag back and soaked it again in the tap water. Carol sighed when she felt it touch the back of her neck again. She wasn't ready, yet, to give up her spot. She needed a little more time on the floor in front of the toilet to feel confident enough to get up and get on with the ten million tasks awaiting her.
"You eat somethin' bad or what?" Daryl asked.
"No," Carol said. "I haven't eaten anything."
"Could be the problem," Daryl said.
It wasn't the problem and Carol was sure of that.
"Got too hot," Carol said. "I was cooking and I was wearing that heavy housecoat and it just got too hot. As soon as I got warm I started to feel sick and I took it off, but it was too late."
"You'll go to see Doctor James today," Daryl said.
Carol laughed to herself.
"With what time, Daryl?" Carol asked. She reached around and pulled the rag from her neck. She used it to wipe her face and she flushed the toilet before she sat back on the floor and looked at the worried face of her husband.
He worried about her constantly. He genuinely worried about her because he cared for in a way that she wasn't sure most men cared for their wives. But that was only one of the reasons that she loved him the way that she did.
She offered him a soft smile to soothe over a little of the concern.
"I just got too hot, Daryl," Carol said. "I haven't eaten and I got overheated. I'm practically dizzy with everything that's going on right now. In fact, I am dizzy with it. I've got eight dresses to finish this week and..."
Remembering that her day wasn't long and leisurely enough to simply sit on the floor, Carol started up from her position. Daryl moved and pushed her back down though.
"Just stay down a minute," Daryl said. "You been dizzy an' it ain't had a thing to do with work."
"It's had everything to do with work," Carol said. "And I can't spend the whole day on the floor, Daryl. Jack hasn't had breakfast and June hasn't either and she's got to get to school."
"And I gotta get to work an' you gotta mend dresses and the Pope's gotta be Catholic," Daryl said. "But ain't none a' that gonna come to an end if you just sit down a minute and get your head about you."
Carol swallowed.
"I'm fine," she said. "I feel perfectly fine now."
It wasn't true, but it was true enough. She had things to do. She couldn't lounge around in the bathroom too much longer. She had to convince Daryl that she was fine or none of them would ever get on with their day.
"You might be fine," Daryl said. "But you been havin' spells an' you gonna go and see Doctor James today. I'll make you the appointment myself."
"I don't have time," Carol insisted.
"You don't got time not to," Daryl said. "You have some kinda dizzy spell when I'm not here—say you do. You fall an' hit'cha head. Jack's here and there ain't no tellin' how long he's wanderin' around the house alone until somebody figures out there's something wrong. Maybe I even make it home 'fore anybody knows." He shook his head at her. "You've been feeling poor and I want you to go and see the doctor. I won't take no for an answer on this."
Carol groaned at him.
"I know what it is, Daryl," Carol said. "I know what's wrong with me. I've known for at least two weeks. Maybe three. I don't need to go to a doctor to have him—just to have him tell me what I already know."
Daryl crossed his arms. The way he was looking at her told her everything she needed to know. He would wait. He would stay in the bathroom with her all day if he had to. But he wasn't going to be satisfied until he had some kind of answer about what was wrong with her.
"It's the change, Daryl," Carol said.
"You're not old enough," Daryl said.
Carol laughed to herself.
"I'm plenty old enough," Carol said. "I overheard Mary Jane talking about it at church with Susan Applegate and she said her mother went through the change before she was forty."
Daryl shook his head. That was the only response he gave. He simply stood there, arms crossed across his chest, and shook his head.
"I haven't—been regular," Carol said. "I'm hot all the time. I'm—tired and dizzy. I'm—I'm gaining weight. I'm just shaky, Daryl. Everything she was saying. It's all there. I know what it is. It's just—my body is finally giving up. It's the end of my youth. The end of my...womanhood."
Daryl stared at her, brow furrowed, and chewed at his lip.
"I'd expect that kind of nonsense from Mary Jane," Daryl said. "Hell—even from Andrea or Merle. But you know better'n that, Carol. Whether or not you have your monthlies don't make you a woman any more than not birthing June or Jack makes you less their mother."
"It makes me old," Carol said.
"You're thirty six," Daryl said matter-of-factly. "And a whole year and three months younger than me."
"It's not the same for you," Carol said. "You can go on forever—fathering children and doing everything else that you want to do. You're a man. You don't change the way that women change."
Daryl laughed to himself.
"I guess I know enough about how men change," Daryl said. "Being that I am one and a nurse besides. It's not like you're going to turn into somethin' entirely different, Carol. You're not gonna just—up and become a unicorn or something like that."
Carol laughed to herself.
"That might be a preferable change," Carol said. "At least June would like the change."
"Besides, what's it really change?" Daryl asked.
"I'll start gaining weight," Carol said. "I'll start—looking like the little old ladies at church."
"You gonna start rinsin' your hair blue?" Daryl asked.
"It's already almost gray," Carol said, covering her face with her hand. Her hair had started to change early on and she'd wanted to correct it and maybe dye it to the bold auburn color that it once had been, but Daryl had insisted that he wanted her to let it be what it was—he liked it that way.
"Beautiful," Daryl said. "Suits you good."
"Everything about me is going to change," Carol said.
Daryl laughed to himself.
"I think you're being a touch dramatic about this, Carol," Daryl said. "If you wanna talk about this calmly—then we can sit down and we can talk about it calmly after dinner tonight, but—I just don't have time this mornin' to deal with you bein' dramatic and I hear Jack threatenin' to get dramatic himself if somebody don't free him from his chair or get him his breakfast."
"I'm not being dramatic," Carol said. "I don't think you realize how much is going to change. I mean—that's why it's called the change, Daryl. Things change."
Daryl sighed.
"Things change," Daryl said. "But that's true, Carol. It's just true. I change and you change and it don't mean a thing. You and me? That don't change. OK? I've loved you through—everything you've been before and everything you are now. And you been lovin' me the same way. That don't change. And if you change?" He shrugged his shoulders. "I'll love you through that too." He laughed to himself. "Even if you were to become a unicorn? I'd figure out how to handle that too."
He offered his hand out to Carol.
"You through there?" He asked when she hesitated to take it.
Carol thought about it. Her stomach wasn't entirely settled, but it was better than it had been and outside chaos was beginning to erupt. Jack was starting to lose his temper and June was calling out to both of them that her brother was hungry, just in case they couldn't tell that for themselves.
Daryl helped Carol to her feet.
"I'm just going to—freshen up? Brush my teeth?" Carol said.
Daryl nodded.
"And I'm just gonna get the kids settled at the table with some food. I'll call Doctor James. I know him well enough to know he'll get you in today at my request."
"Daryl," Carol started to protest.
Daryl turned around and shook his head at her. Carol knew that look well enough. Daryl was, by far, the most reasonable of all the men that she knew. He was the most open-minded man she'd ever met. He was kind and spoiled her more than he really should. He tried to never even speak harsh words to her, even when he was angry.
But he was still the king of his castle and there were some things he simply wasn't going to argue about.
This was one of those things.
Carol nodded her head.
"Just—something this morning," Carol said. "I've really got to get those dresses ready. I've got ladies coming this afternoon to pick them up."
"This morning it is," Daryl said. "Brush your teeth. Freshen up. I'll take the breakfast to the table."
