"Dad," Carl started, nervously. "I need you to do something for me."
Rick looked up at his oldest son with concern. It wasn't his normal tone. Carl always sounded self-assured when he spoke, but he sounded anything but, now.
"What is it, buddy? What's going on?" Carl had his undivided attention.
"I want you to take me to the gun range. I need to be able to be here to protect Aunt Nikki and Uncle Daryl."
"Carl..." Rick started with that head tilt that just screamed that he was going to say something infuriating.
"I've already talked to Michonne and she agreed to it. I'm eighteen, dad. I know you want to keep me safe, but you have to let me grow up. I'm young and I'm healthy. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't do something to help protect them."
Rick looked at his son and saw nothing of the mischievous little boy he'd once been. He saw a man. A man with strongly held convictions and maturity that he himself didn't possess until he was in his twenties.
"You know I'm gonna check with Michonne, right?"
Carl smiled and acknowledge the fact.
"You're interior protection only, got it? Anything happens outside, your job is to get them to the storage closet in the hall and stay with them."
"Got it."
Rick didn't like it, but he knew his son well enough to know that he'd find some other way in if he didn't consent. That didn't mean he wasn't damn proud, though.
"Good morning, my love," Nikki smiled. Her cheek lay on Daryl's chest and his arm was around her. "How did you sleep?"
"So good I'm still basically doin' it," Daryl breathed out a little laugh. "What about you?"
"I don't remember the last time I slept so well. Are you hungry?"
"Starving. Why don't you grab the menu and order us some room service? I gotta call the doctor's office and cancel my appointment."
Nikki could tell by Daryl's tone that cancelling the appointment wasn't going the way he wanted. He tried different angles to get around it, but Dr. Jones, it seemed, was onto him.
"Well, fuck," Daryl huffed, tossing his phone on the bed.
"What did they say, baby?"
"That I have to come in. They said that they have to do X-rays to make sure the hardware is in place."
"Alright," Nikki smiled. "It's not a big deal. We'll go and get it done."
"Little Man was supposed to come along so he could hear from the doc that I'm ok. I don't want him having anymore nightmares. And, you're s'possed to have your tater card reading. Fuck!"
"I cancelled Carol. I hated to do it, but I felt it was necessary. I have an idea about your appointment. We'll go. It shouldn't take long since it's just a follow up. I'm sure if we explain about RJ we could get a copy of your X-ray film to bring to him. That way he can see your robot parts."
Daryl gazed at Nikki , fuck she was so beautiful.
"Don't want us going alone ya know just in case" Daryl sighed
Nikki headed over to him
"Magna is free today I'm sure if I call her she will take us , it's gonna be ok dare I promise"
Daryl reached over and gently kissed her on the head , "gonna have to check in with ya brother as well kinda under orders"
"Now why doesn't that surprise me" Nikki grinned back
