A Desperately Needed Ending (to "Depth Takes a Holiday")

Kara Wild wrote this ficlet in April 1999, right after completing her first Driven Wild Universe installment, Rose-Colored Lenses. It was an attempt to soothe the frayed nerves of Daria fans after the airing of "Depth Takes a Holiday," a third-season episode that departed dramatically from the show's realistic tone. In "A Desperately Needed Ending," Daria wakes up in the hospital and learns that "Depth Takes a Holiday" was, mercifully, a dream. Unfortunately, the reality that led to the dream was far worse.