A Soldier's Girl

Chapter 31:

Chapter 31:

Daryl's View

Because of once again being in a traumatic place, Beth makes me go to therapy at least once a week to deal with any issues I don't wanna tell her. Not that I'm hiding anything from her, it's just I don't like her knowing the terrible shit I've seen and done. It's also nice to have someone who isn't bias listening to my issues. So much stuff just piles up in me sometimes that I feel I'll just explode. Most of it is cause of Beth. Not in a bad way, but as in her possibly getting hurt by HPSP's possible new gang, or other people...men in particular.

I know Beth would never think about cheating on me, unless I did something so horrible that she really had no choice. As I walk out of my therapist's office, I have two options since Joe said I have some time off to get my bearings. I can either go home and surprise Beth with something nice, or surprise her on her first week in the new school.

I drive to Ford's Restaurant and park the cycle. Walking in, I find my Army guy, Sargent Abraham Ford standing behind the bar smoking a cigar and talking to another patron of the services. He bought this bar just after he left the Army. Opened it up for service members and gives them really reasonable discounts.

"Why I'll be damned if it isn't Capt. Daryl Fucking Dixon in the flesh. How's it going brother?" Stepping from behind the bar, he pulls me into a bro-hug and then rests his hand on my shoulder. His handle bar mustache and flaming red hair are always combed and revered.

"Nice ta see ya again Abe. How's the place holding up?"

"Great. Oh come look at this." Taking me to his honor wall-as he calls it- he shows me a big section just for me. From when I was held captive to just when I got back, my formal Naval picture is up their along with a placard.

"Wow...Abe, you really shouldn't have..."

"Nonsense! Yer a hero. We honor our heroes, both the fallen and the ones still with us. Be proud soldier. Now, what can I do for ya?"

"I was wonderin' if the kitchen was open to place an order to go. My wife gets off for lunch in almost an hour and I'd like to surprise her with great food." Abe nods his head in respect and then hollers back to the kitchen something in Army lingo and they holler back in the same manor.

"Yer in luck, we're all set up. Nice thing ya doing too. Lotta women don't get treated well by their men."

"Well when you've been best friends as long as we have, you kinda always have something special up yer sleeve for them." We sit at the bar and I look over the menu. Finding the vegetarian part, I order a ceased salad with smoked shrimp on top (Beth's favorite) and for me I order a BBQ bacon burger an fries that I know I'll end up seeing stolen from my plate by Beth, so I order extra. Then I place an order for two mini molten lava cakes and lastly a bag of their biscotti Beth loves so much.

"How long have you two been together anyway?" Abe asks as he hands the order off to his chef and then sits on a stool beside me as we drink a beer.

"I've known her since she was born. Born on August 15, 1990...shit."

"What man?"

"I was away for her birthday. I missed it and totally forgot! Fuck, I'm a terrible person." I run my hands through my hair and hate myself. "Shit, I didn't get her anything, it's already been four weeks...I'm a terrible husband. Fuck."

"Man, you were getting yer ass fired at and almost died. And them when ya come back you got not only the press, but Naval people bothering ya, family bogging you with questions. I'm sure she understands, hell she might have forgot her own birthday also." Clapping me on the shoulder as he takes a swig of his beer, he has a point, but it sucks.