He's Just a Baby

Suppressing the Feelings

(It's my b-day, so I decided to upload one more chapter here as a present 🤭. Enjoy!)

"Thank you for helpin' us, Daryl."

"...We all do what we can."

It had been a good three or four days since Maggie had had the baby, Daryl had lost count. It seemed like everything had blurred together since that moment with Aaron and Eric all those days ago, and life was on pause. Daryl hadn't spoken with the caregivers since that day, and he also hadn't spoken to Rick about the men who had harmed him. He'd had no time to think, no time to breathe. The earth was just spinning, and Daryl was being pulled along with it.

Since Maggie and Glenn had been distracted with their newborn son-they named him Hershel-all the work that would have normally been done by them, was piling up on the others. And of course, since Daryl was second-in-command and Rick was busy being a leader, a heck ton of the work fell on his shoulders. Daryl never complained though, he was second-in-command for a reason. Besides, a family should never miss out on the important bits of time when having a new born.

Although, the fact that the fuzzy feeling from all those days ago hadn't gone away yet, was a bit distracting to him. And waking up with a soaked bed every morning wasn't helping him stay strong either. The morning after he had spoken with Aaron and Eric, Daryl had woken up to, not a wet bed, but a wet pullup and pants instead. And as grossed out as it had made him feel...he liked having to deal with a wet pullup and clothing a lot more than wet sheets.

Overall though, besides his own troubles, Alexandria had reached a moment of deserved sweet peace. Everyone was happy with the news of the new baby, and it seemed like Hershel's birth had sparked a new era of life in the small city. Also, due to knew barriers having been put into place about 70-something miles from the town, walkers were now at an all time low.

That didn't mean it was completely safe outside of the walls though. The dead were still the dead, and the world was still flipped over and destroyed.

Which is why when Rick and Carl walked up to him this morning while he was scaling fish with Carol and Henry-the teenager was not exactly happy about having to do such an annoying chore- he knew why. They had made plans last night. to go on a supply run.

"Ya ready Daryl?"

Rick's voice made him jump slightly, as he had been so engrossed in his internal monologue that he hadn't heard the sheriff walk up.

He set down his knife, turning his body slightly to face the man, also noting Carl who stood a bit behind. "Whenever you are."

"Well, hello to you too," Carol spoke, butting into the small conversation with a sly smile. Rick returned one just like it. "Hey. That fish looks real good. Save some for us, will ya?"

Carol shrugged, turning back to said fish. "Depends, when are yall planning on getting back?"

"Hopin' by tonight, but maybe by morning. We're just scoutin' out this supply area some of the scouts discovered. Looks pretty intact, so maybe we'll find some good stuff."

"Supply hunting sounds a lot more fun than picking at fish all day," Henry murmured, making a big slice into his own. Smiling, Daryl patted his back and stood up with a poorly concealed groan. His back still hurt like shit.

"Next time," he muttered in response. "We've already got one teenager comin'." Rick and Carl snorted, generating the desired response from Daryl. Calling Carl and Henry teenagers wasn't an insult, heck they were both stronger than most 30 year-olds. Plus, Carl was technically an adult himself now. But it was always a fun jab, and at the very least it satisfied Henry, who turned back to his fish with a groan.