The Baby Arrangement

Chapter 113: Butterfly Effect

Sitting in the waiting room, Daryl sits patiently as Beth cuddles Isaac in her lap. She hasn't seen him in a few days and he knows it's killing her. He's killing her. It seems they've been waiting hours and all Daryl can do is sit and play with his hands. He and Beth haven't said a word to each other- not even hello.

"Isaac Dixon?" A nurse comes from behind a door and calls them. Standing up, they go with the nurse to a small room where a man in a lab coat is sitting at a computer, logging in some things.

"Ahh, You must be Isaac. I'm Dr. Bill Davis, if you'll place the boy on the exam table- we can begin." Doing as he says, Beth sits Isaac on the table and Dr. Bill starts to look him over. "Has he always had this aggression?"

"Um, not really. Recently he has become more violent- especially towards his twin brother." Beth informs the doctor and Daryl nods his head in aggreance.

"Well, I would like to run some cognitive tests on him, see what provokes the anger tantrums, and go from there. You two need to scurry off because performance may be different if you are around. So go for a walk across the street or down to the coffee shop. My nurse has your number and will call you when we are done here." Gesturing for Beth and Daryl to leave, they finally do after they notice Dr. Bill sigh.

Walking out, Daryl steps onto the side walk and looks at the traffic. It's like a river- rushing passed them without a second thought. Beth watches him from the waiting room window- almost scoffing at how irritating he has been.

When he sees no cars coming, Daryl starts crossing the street. A loud horn blows and he turns in the general direction and there in his face is a Ram F-150- and then it's black.

**Beeep....Beeep**

"Daryl? Daryl? Wake up."

"Mhmm?? What happened?" He asks as he slowly opens his eyes and notices the familar blond in his face. "Beth?"

"Hey asshole, you can't walk when the sign is flashing the hand." Beth says half cheerful and half worried. Reeaching forward, Daryl touches Beth's cheek and she looks at him, confused.

"Hands off MeatHead."

Gareth?

"What the hell are you doing here Barista Joe? Haven't seen you in a long time." Daryl says as he sits up.

"Haha very funny." Gareth smirks and hands Beth a coffee. "Did you call?"

"Oh, yeah, she's gonna be a few minutes. She told us thank you."

"Who? Who are you talking about?" Daryl asks as he sits up and notices Gareth puts his arm around Beth. "Hands off my wife, Coffee Boy! I'll teach you a lesson."

Daryl stands up weakly and pushes Gareth off of Beth. Beth screams for him to stop and frabs his arm gently.

"Daryl stop...Calm down you big Jerk! You shouldn't be up and moving around!"

"Mommy, Daddy?" A little boy with dark brown hair comes into the room and Daryl freezes at the sight.

"Beth...who....who is that?" Daryl shakily asks as the child grabs onto her leg. "Beth?"

"Go with Daddy Eli."

Eli? Whi the hell is Eli? What's going on here?

The little boy goes over to Gareth, who picks him up amd takes him out of the room after giving Beth a kiss on the lips. His head is spinning and he feels nausous watching the exchange. Going to sit down, Daryl misses the bed amd falls on his ass, Beth pulls away from Gareth, who leaves with the child, and notices Daryl becoming increasingly upset.

"Daryl! Are you okay? What's wrong? Don't worry, Julie will be here soon. She just needed to get more gas." Looking up at Beth, eyes frantic, scared, and confused, he starts shuffling on his ass and hands- away from her- ripping his IV out of his arm and causing buzzers to go off from pulling his heart monitors off too. "Daryl! Daryl stop!"

Getting, up, Daryl is in so much pain, he starts out hobbling, but the closer Beth gets to him, the faster he picks up the pace and gets farther away from her. Getting to an elevator, he doesn't know what button he should push- she he pushes the button for the roof. Standing in the elevator, body slumped against the railing in pain, he cries amd cries and cries heavy tears. This world is messed up to him. It's wrong!

After a long ride, he makes it to the roof and staggers out. Trembling, he does circles around himself, to try and understand whay is happening. His heart aches so badly, his heart jerks hard in his chest. He can feel it about to burst through the bone and skin. His body feels electrified and his heart is now racing in his chest. Wobbling over to the edge of the building, Daryl looks to the pacement below, about ten floors up. Shaking his head, he feels his body electrify again and his chest races evem faster. Getting up on the edge of the wall that is a fortress around the roof, Daryl holds onto the railing and looks at the movimg traffic below. Chest still thumping hard, body still feeling a pull of electricity.

"Daryl! Stop!!! Wait!!! Wait wait!!!" Beth pleads as she reach the roof after running up four flights of stairs. Her face is ashen and she has tears sprinkling down her face, but they soon pour. "Daryl please! Don't do this! Don't jump. You have a family!"

"I do! And yer in it."

"I know. You'll always be my best friend. Gareth and I don't want to lose you! No one does!"

"You don't understand Beth! I married you! We have three beautiful children, a dog, and a nice house!!"

"Daryl, you need to come down. Yer talking crazy and Julie is here! Please!!!"

"Tell me you love me! Tell me you love me and that we'll be okay!" Daryl yells as he looks over the road below. Beth fights more tears, but loses the battle.

"Daryl...I...I can't do that! I'm married tO Gareth, we have Eli! Yer my best friend! Please come down." He feels his body elite again and Daryl's heart finally breaks.

"I love you, Beth... To the moon and back, I love you. I always have- and I always will."

"Daryl, stop! Daryl!!!!" He releases his grip from the railing and tears fly back towards to sky. His eyes meet hers as he falls, his body breaks apart on himself and his chest pounds harder than ever before in his body. And just when the pain seems too much, and her eyes are out of sight---

The world is black and the pain is gone.