Whatever Happened To Normal?

Chapter 23:

It took her fifteen minutes to get there and in fifteen minutes of waiting, Carl was still out of sight. When she showed up, she saw the panic in his eyes, the paleness of his skin, and the angst in his jittery stance. Running over to her, he readjusts Judith in and checks on Andre, who is still sound asleep in the double stroller.

"Thank God yer here, I can't find him anywhere. I messed up Beth."

"Daryl, calm down. Carl is old enough to come back to This spot. Did you check the port-a-potties?" She looks at him, exhausted her from walking so far, waddling that is.

"Yeah. He's not there." His voice is raised out of fright and Beth shoots him a look.

"Don't yell at me. I'm just trying to help."

"I know!"

"Just stop!"

"I'm just scared! Okay!" He flips out and Beth furrows her eyebrows and grits her teeth.

"You go check by the pond, and I'll check the other playground."

"Other playground?"

"Yeah...it's the better of the two playgrounds. It's down the hill. I used to always take them there because it was bigger." Now he feels dumb, but how could he have known that there were two play grounds. "Let's go check."

As they walk down the hill, Daryl can tell Beth is overly tired and in pain. She keeps grunting and groaning every few minutes, but that's probably because she had to come all the way out to the park to find a kid she isn't in charge of any more. Reaching the other play ground, they quickly spot Carl playing with two girls and Daryl is fuming mad.

"Carl!" The boy cringes as he hears the yell of the gruff man's voice. Coming over quickly, he stoops in his position and Beth just watches from the stroller a few feet away. "Where have you been! I've been calling you and calling you and you're down here playing! You shouldn't run off like that!"

Carl tries to apologize, but Daryl is mad for so many reasons.

"Sorry isn't good enough! You could have been kidnapped or gotten really hurt! You don't leave without telling me! Especially in the sitting of Atlanta! Do you ever think..."

"Enough!" Beth bellows in a deep husky voice and Daryl feels a cold chill run up his back. But at the same time he is already too pissed to back down. "Yer being an asshole!"

"He ran away Beth! That's not okay!"

"You should have had a better eye on him Daryl!" She groans again and grabs her side. "You never take responsibility for your own actions! How can you yell at him when you run away just the same!"

"This isn't about me leaving Beth! This is about a child putting himself in danger!"

"This is about you running away Daryl! Ghhh, you push the blame and the problems on everyone else and expect them to be able to handle it! Ughhhh, and yer so fucking wrong!" Looking at her, she is more hunched over and now it seems she has wet herself.

"Beth..."

"Fuck! You don't understand that children learn from us! Owe! And yer making it worse by being hurtful!" The sound of water hitting the pavement fills their ears and now it is clear that Beth is going into labor.

"We gotta get you to the hospital." Daryl tries to touch her and she shoves him off.

"We? There is no we any more Daryl! You left! You left me when I needed you! You abandoned me and...ghhhhaaaa....and you will never know that kind of pain. I will never love you ever again! Fffffffhhhhhh....... I never want to see you ever again!" Bending forward and then jerking back, she holds her stomach and wails as she starts contracting. He steps closer to her and though she tries to shove him off, he fights her on letting him help her to the Mini van. Strapping the kids in, Beth yells and fidgets in the first seat as Daryl drives to the hospital.  The only problem is, is the hospital is across town and construction is happening on the freeway. He has no choice but to drive.

"I should call Paul and let him know." Daryl says as he picks up her phone but she screams again and tries to hit him. "Stop! He needs to know!"

"Fuck...let go....owe!" She goes back to her hunker position in the seat, her yoga pants cling to her thighs and her loose top looks overly stuffed from her pregnant belly.

"Paul needs to meet you there Beth!"

"Fuck...there is no...PAUL!!!! Owwwweeee!" She leans forward again and now Judith and Andre are crying from the screaming as Daryl tries to merge on the freeway and take in this information at the same time.

"What!?"

"Fucking go faster!!!" Her voice is high and pitchy as she grips the hoody shit handle as another contraction sweeps over her.

"What do you mean there is no Paul?"

"Exactly how it sounds......fucking move!!!" Her voice deepens as she feels another contraction start. Daryl glances between her and the road, which seems to be moving at a turtle speed.

"You lied to me?"

"Yes! I FUCKING LIED TO YOU! GET THE FUCK OVER IT AND MOVE YER ASS! OR I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL FUCKING MURDER YOU IN THIS VAN!" Satan seems to have taken over her and though Daryl should shut his mouth...he doesn't.

"Are you serious? You fucking lied to me! Who's babies are you even carrying then?" Her anger turns to pain and crying. She grips the arm rest and the handle and feels herself about explode as she starts to shake.

"Ahhh! Agh! I can feel the head! It's coming Daryl! It's COMING OUT!!!" She screams in pain and Daryl can only feel the pressure getting to him. "What do I DO????  Ahhhhhhhh!!!!"

"Pull yer pants down." He keeps driving and luckily traffic is picking up. The screaming in the back seat continues as Beth continues to yell and cry out in pain.

"It's COMING! DARYL IT'S COMING OUT!!!!!" Her painful cries make him feel terrible, but then again- it's what she wanted after all. "Grrrrrrhhhhhhhaaaaa!!!!! Hrrrrhhhhhaaa!!!!!!"

She pushes some more and Daryl reaches over and starts tugging her pants down towards her thighs. Now Beth really panics because now, she can actually see what's going on down there. Reaching over, Daryl unbuckles her seat belt and Beth jolts up out of her seat as she feels the urge to push again. Daryl finally makes it off the ramp and heads towards the hospital, speeding and catching the attention of a cop- who turns in his red and blues, but Daryl has no choice but to keep going.

"It's out!!!!" Beth screams and holds the baby in her arms, but soon feels the twin descending. "Ooooowwwwwww!!!!"

"PULL THE CAR OVER!" The police say, but Daryl can see the hospital from where he is at. He picks up the speed.

"Fuck!! It's coming!" Beth screams in pain. This baby however makes a quick arrival through the cervix and is halfway to crowning as Daryl whips into the hospital lot and pulls up to the doors. Nurses race out  and notice the commotion of Beth trying to deliver the second baby, who is slightly larger than the first. She feels like she is being split in half. As she pull Beth from the vehicle, Daryl gets out to help and the two cops from the police car rush him and slam him flat against the ground and start brutally kicking and hit him with billy clubs. The kids in the car cry and scream, Beth is yelling as the rush her and the baby into the hospital.

Daryl- well- he was just trying to do the right thing- for once.