A Modern Love

A New Me

A New Me

Waking up in his bed, Daryl feels like shit the next day. His head is pounding and he feels like he was hit by a truck. Walking out into his living room he sees Merle sitting petting Dasty while he watches Cops. The place is clean and smells of Fresh Laundry. Merle pays him no mind until Daryl stumbles into the table in the kitchen and breaks a glass on the floor.

"Still drunk baby brudder?"

"Still ugly?" Daryl retorts. He grabs a cup of coffee an two Advil and sulks upstairs to his game room. "What are you doin' here anyway?"

"Came to bring ya a gift for the.... you need to stop bein this Dural."

"This is the only me there is." Now Merle is walking up the stairs and sees Daryl with a pool stick trying to line up the que. He's still too drunk to function.

"No. This is the old you. Where's the Dural who was in love and friendly and caring."

"Jus' stop."

"No. You need to hear this. You changed for the better and now yer bak where you were. If you really love that woman, you need to stand the fuck up, be the man you were with her and tell her!"

"And you need a fuckin life! Who says I was happy with her!" Daryl points the pool stick at him and Merle takes it and throws it to the couch.

"Tha's a lie and you know it! This man you are right now, this man'll kill ya. Tha's what happened the night you got in the hospital! Where you met her! Remember! Half drunk on yer cycle. Pulled out in front of that truck! You nearly died!" Merle is in his face and Daryl is cover his ears. He knows he was the problem.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

"No! You need ta hear this! Cause maybe you'll get it in yer head tha' you don't wanna give up tryin' for her!"

"You don't understand! I don't want her! I don't want the baby! I don't want you! I don't want anyone!" He chucks a pool ball at the wall and it sticks. "So get the FUCK out!"

"One of these days yer gonna kill yerself and tha poor girl will never know the truth." Merle leaves knowing he could get hurt. Daryl's hurt him before when he was really drunk. Broke his collar bone. Merle deserved it, but he doesn't want Daryl to hurt anyone. He's jus gonna have to take care of this by himself.

Daryl eventually passes out on the floor and the dogs watch over him. He looks terrible. Merle sneaks in while he's passed out and takes all his alcohol and doesn't intend on giving it back. He checks on Daryl, who's been passed out for four days now. Merle doesn't move him. If he wants to drink himself into a coma then he's gonna let him do it himself.

............4 Days Being Home: Beth..........

She's up and about, but not herself. Maggie's been staying with her and on occasion in the mornings Michone, but it's like they're jot even there. She's been off work for those four days, but goin back doesn't seem too keen an option. She's just been breaking down over everything. The couch, tv, food, showers, pretty much anything her and Daryl were ever involved in.

Hershel stopped by two days after it all happened. Tried to preach about The Lord, never brought up Daryl or anything. Eventually, he too just blended with the carpet. Beth is an emotional girl usually, but this is ridiculous. Crying literally over spilled milk and don't even show her red hellos or whip cream.

Neither Maggie nor Hershel believe Daryl's a bad guy. Both actually very much agree they need to get together to work stuff out. How do you get an over emotional woman and a drunk guy together to talk calmly and rationally about feelings? Sounds like an opening to a bad joke, if ya ask me.