The Baby Arrangement

Chapter 89: A Broken Agreement

He laid in the field for almost the whole day. But much as he predicted- no one came calling for him. Staring at the shifting clouds against the blue sky, Daryl wonders why God has decided to punish Beth? God brought Daryl into her life- which was a blessing, but mainly a curse. He allowed Teddy to be killed, Kensi almost to be raped, and Sophia to die in that car accident-if God truly cared, wouldn't he have stopped the pain? He has no answer- he doesn't believe there is a God.

From somewhere, he hears rustling in the bushes, but doesn't move. When the sun dissipates and he no longer has to squint, he finds Ainsley standing over him and Aidan by her side.

"Uncle Daryl...why are you laying in Papa's cornfield?" She sweetly asks.

"Taking a nap in nature. Why are you two in Papa's cornfield?"

"Looking for you." Raising an eyebrow, Daryl looks at them curiously- of course the only people who would care he's missing are the two people that rarely see him as it is.

"Why ya looking for me? Should ya'll be playing somewhere?"

"No ones at the house, but we heard this strange ghosty sound coming from the barn...we got scared." Sitting up, Daryl looks at them, Aidan, who's two, looks slightly frightened by the whole thing.

"Well, let's go check it out." Getting up, Daryl picks up Aidan and holds Ainsley's hand as they walk out of the corn field and back to the house- or so they thought. Hours they've been in here, walking in circles amongst the corn that's taller that Daryl and Ainsley put together.

"Are we out yet?" Ainsley tiredly asks as her feet drag.

"I don't know, kiddo. I can't tell. I hope so."

"I'm hungry and I miss mommy." She cries and Daryl scoops her up onto his shoulder and starts walking again. He doesn't know how he got so mixed up in this corner hell, but he did and he'll be damned if he doesn't find his way out soon. "Can we call Papa?"

Dropping both kids to their feet, Daryl checks himself for his cell phone, but only finds the pack of cigarettes.

"You smoke!"

"Ainsley, it was one cigarette. Please, let's just keep this our little secret."

"But Mommy and Daddy don't like smokers! Smokers cause cancer." She starts pulling Aidan away from Daryl and they turn and run.

"Wait! Don't run in here! You'll get lost!" Racing after them, he can't maneuver as fast as they can as they Bob and weave in and out of the corn. Trying to keep up, he only makes his situation worse. Now he and the kids are lost in the cornfield- separated and lost- an night time is already upon them.

Continuing on, Daryl can't figure if he's even in the right field again or if he's wondered past the limits. The kids have him so worried right now, that he's hyperventilating. When he gets to an opening, he's saddened that it's just an island of grass and a telephone pole. Then it hits him. Getting a good jump up the base of the pole, Daryl starts to climb up a bit until he's over the stocks. Clasping the bars- that are rusted- he turns his body slightly around so he can look to see where he is. In the dark, everything is pitch black, but soon a glimmer of Hershel's barn light comes to him and then disappears with the snapping of two metal bars and Daryl sinks into blackness, knocking the wind out I him completely as he rests on the ground. He gasps for air, but none replenish his need. His whole body is paralyzed for the time being and soon immense pain takes over him and he just cries out.

"Beth....." It hurts to talk, but he yells it over and over again, in hopes someone will at least hear him.

After passing out, Daryl awakes this morning still in pain and still in the corn field. Shaking it off the best he can, he sits up and stares at the pole and where the two bars broke-25 feet off the ground - he should probably be paralyzed, but by feeling himself gently, maybe a few ribs have just cracked- he's not sure. Getting up he true to remember in which direction he saw the glimmer last night. But it's hard to tell in the dark and in a moment before crashing to the ground. The tall stalks around him make him feel claustrophobic. Then it dawns on him- what if they kids haven't made it out I the corn themselves? They would've froze last night!

Running and sprinting in his best guess as to where the farm is, he runs and pushes himself- never stopping or changing direction.He's in pain, but he keeps on running in hopes of getting out, or at least to a place where he can track the kids.

Sitting at the dining room table, Beth eats breakfast with the rest of the family, but seems to be the only quiet on there, besides Kensi of course. Last night Daryl hadn't shown up for dinner- but she assumed he went to the bar to drink in his misery- their misery. But even then, he should've been back. Ainsley and Aidan sit at the table and eat their food quietly- while Maggie and Glenn scold them on being out late and in the corn field.

"Why would you even go in there?" Glenn says angrily.

"We were running away from the ghost in the barn and found Uncle Daryl laying in there." Silverware drops abruptly to everyone's plate- besides the kids of course.

"Why didn't you bring him out with you? Is he still in there?" Maggie stands up wiping her face on the napkin and Beth grabs Kensi.

"He had cigarettes Mommy. They cause cancer! You told us to stay away from smokers!" Kensi screams and Beth just sits down a bit in her chair.

"He's smoking again?" Beth sadly says to herself.

"We have to get him out of there. A corn filed is a dangerous place..." Hershel says but is interrupted by Beth.

"He's smoking again!" Dropping Kensi gently into the chair, Beth stands up and runs out the door. At the window, Hershel can see her racing down to the red four-wheeler, grabbing the tall cornfield flag and securing it into it's latch on the quad before zipping onto the path that leads into the corn field.

Her whole body is alight with anger an sadness. How could he do that? How could he smoke? Turning into the path in the corn field, Beth, slows down and searches for him.taking her Dad's cb radio, which comes in handy for these situations, she radios back to her dad.

"Red 4 to Base, if you see him before I do...you better tell him to be prepared for when I get back."

"Base to Red 4, go easy on the guy- yer not the only one hurting." Scoffing, Beth pulls the quad forward and soon stops. looking through the rows, she finds him, hunkered down and crying. Killing the engine, she stomps toward him, but soon cools her pace and let's her anger drain. Kneeling in front if him, she slowly puts her hand out for him to take.

"Come. We're going home." She sweetly but sternly says. Hoisting himself up, Daryl never looks at her but her eyes catch another burned circle in his flesh. "I should leave you here for being stupid and burning yourself..."

He never looks up at her or argues.

"But I know how terrible this all feels." He breaks. Crashing her body into his and being held closely by him, Beth just collapses in his arms and he scoops her up, kissing her face. Walking to the four-wheeler, he sets her on the back and holds her tightly.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry baby."

"Promise me...yer not gonna do that again. I can't take you hurting yourself." She cries and he just kisses her neck.

"I promise. No more smoking, no more burning." After a few minutes of catching their breaths and coming down from the adrenaline of finding each other, Beth radios into Hershel.

"Red 4 to Base, found him and coming home."

"Base to Red 4, thank God and come home safely." Putting the cb back on it's stand, Beth looks back at Daryl and shakes her head.

"You broke our agreement." Looking at his shoes, Daryl knows what's coming next is not good. "I told you that if you burned yourself again that I was leaving for good."

He stoops in his stature and keeps his head down. She can see tears hitting the ground and it breaks her heart.

"But I love you too much to do that. And I really hope that next time you can haut talk to me... it I don't want there to be a next time. You hear? Come here." Gently pulling him into her arms, his tears hit her tanned skin that's exposed from her pink tank top and she just kisses his neck. "No more broken agreements okay?"

"Okay."