Status: Unpaused!
The "Z" Word
Losing It
Slater groaned into her pillows. It was late in the afternoon, and her headache wasn't quite gone yet. Her gums no longer bothered her though. That, or the pain in her head was too intense for her to notice the other ache. There was a pounding on the door, which made Slater groan again, and she heard Andrea's voice, "Slater? Are you okay? You've been in there all day."
Slater sat up and dragged herself out of the bed and over to the door. She opened it to see Andrea, "I'm fine. Just a headache."
"We were all starting to worry about you. I just wanted to make sure."
Slater smiled, "Like I said, I'm fine." Andrea returned the smile and Slater forced herself out of the room and down the stairs to the living room with Andrea. It was well past noon, and Paulo was getting ready to start cooking dinner. "I can't believe I slept all day," she said as she sat down on the couch next to Lori and Carol. She looked around the room, everyone was there except for Daryl. Slater assumed he was outside, not wanting to bother with the subject. She vaguely remembered kissing him that morning before going to sleep.
She was right. He walked in right before Paulo said dinner was ready. They didn't speak to each other throughout the meal, but there were plenty of stolen glances. After dinner, Slater and Paulo were cleaning up. Slater was putting away dishes Paulo had washed earlier that day while Paulo got the other dishes ready to be washed. Slater picked up a bowl that wasn't completely clean and sat it in the sink to rewash, as well as numerous forks and knives. "Paizinho, all of these still have food on them. Maybe you should just let me wash everything."
"I didn't realize...." he started to trail off. He was losing it. The loss of his wife had been more unbearable than anyone could have realized. Paulo reached up and scratched his forehead at his hair line. "I guess I'll....I guess I'll leave you to it then."
Slater smiled at her father as he left the room. She had noticed the change in her father. He was losing his mind. He was becoming delirious with grief. She had hoped her presence would keep him sane, but it wasn't. He had his moments were everything seemed fine, but Slater knew things weren't fine. She sighed and turned the water in the sink on to start washing everything.
She was almost finished when Daryl walked in, "How's your toothache?" he asked.
"What?"
"Your toothache. The one that kept you up all night."
"Oh. Forgotten....well, until now."
Daryl walked over to her and leaned up against the counter. "Are you okay?" he asked.
She nodded, "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"
"You just seem....sad."
She shook her head, "No. I'm not sad." She was lying. Maybe she was a compulsive liar afterwards. She glanced at Daryl. He was staring up at the ceiling. Minutes passed and they stood there, the only sound coming from the running water. Finally, she said, "I don't like you."
"What?"
"I don't like you. Not like...not like you like me." She paused while she tried to gather her thoughts. "I...I find...I find comfort with you though. I...I feel like I don't have to hide anything. Feelings, thoughts, all that stuff. I can just.....I can just let go of my worries." She took a moment to glance at Daryl again. He was looking at her, an expression of curiosity and wonder on his face. "I really need that right now. My mom....my mom is gone, and my dad....well, he's losing it. He thinks I haven't noticed, but he's not....he...." Slater started to choke on her words as tears began to spill from her eyes.
Daryl pulled her into his arms, and she rested her hands on his shoulders, getting soapy water on his shirt. She laid her head against his chest and sobbed while he rubbed her back. "It's okay," he whispered. "I'll help you."
Slater sat up and dragged herself out of the bed and over to the door. She opened it to see Andrea, "I'm fine. Just a headache."
"We were all starting to worry about you. I just wanted to make sure."
Slater smiled, "Like I said, I'm fine." Andrea returned the smile and Slater forced herself out of the room and down the stairs to the living room with Andrea. It was well past noon, and Paulo was getting ready to start cooking dinner. "I can't believe I slept all day," she said as she sat down on the couch next to Lori and Carol. She looked around the room, everyone was there except for Daryl. Slater assumed he was outside, not wanting to bother with the subject. She vaguely remembered kissing him that morning before going to sleep.
She was right. He walked in right before Paulo said dinner was ready. They didn't speak to each other throughout the meal, but there were plenty of stolen glances. After dinner, Slater and Paulo were cleaning up. Slater was putting away dishes Paulo had washed earlier that day while Paulo got the other dishes ready to be washed. Slater picked up a bowl that wasn't completely clean and sat it in the sink to rewash, as well as numerous forks and knives. "Paizinho, all of these still have food on them. Maybe you should just let me wash everything."
"I didn't realize...." he started to trail off. He was losing it. The loss of his wife had been more unbearable than anyone could have realized. Paulo reached up and scratched his forehead at his hair line. "I guess I'll....I guess I'll leave you to it then."
Slater smiled at her father as he left the room. She had noticed the change in her father. He was losing his mind. He was becoming delirious with grief. She had hoped her presence would keep him sane, but it wasn't. He had his moments were everything seemed fine, but Slater knew things weren't fine. She sighed and turned the water in the sink on to start washing everything.
She was almost finished when Daryl walked in, "How's your toothache?" he asked.
"What?"
"Your toothache. The one that kept you up all night."
"Oh. Forgotten....well, until now."
Daryl walked over to her and leaned up against the counter. "Are you okay?" he asked.
She nodded, "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"
"You just seem....sad."
She shook her head, "No. I'm not sad." She was lying. Maybe she was a compulsive liar afterwards. She glanced at Daryl. He was staring up at the ceiling. Minutes passed and they stood there, the only sound coming from the running water. Finally, she said, "I don't like you."
"What?"
"I don't like you. Not like...not like you like me." She paused while she tried to gather her thoughts. "I...I find...I find comfort with you though. I...I feel like I don't have to hide anything. Feelings, thoughts, all that stuff. I can just.....I can just let go of my worries." She took a moment to glance at Daryl again. He was looking at her, an expression of curiosity and wonder on his face. "I really need that right now. My mom....my mom is gone, and my dad....well, he's losing it. He thinks I haven't noticed, but he's not....he...." Slater started to choke on her words as tears began to spill from her eyes.
Daryl pulled her into his arms, and she rested her hands on his shoulders, getting soapy water on his shirt. She laid her head against his chest and sobbed while he rubbed her back. "It's okay," he whispered. "I'll help you."