I'll be with you from dusk till dawn

Difficulties switching headspace

Ricks POV
After the accident last night I had managed to get a good sleep. I woke up later than I usually do and Daryl was still asleep so I decided to go check where everyone else was. They were outside talking amongst each other waiting to breakfast. I quickly headed back to my cell and got dressed, deciding to let Daryl sleep in even though it wasn't much more sleep but every bit counts. Once I was dressed and ready I decided to wake Daryl up. I shook him lightly while saying his name. He rolled over to face me, I told him it's time to get up breakfast is almost ready and replied with ' no wanna' before hiding under the blanket and going back to sleep. I pull the blanket off him, which earned a whine and him rubbing his eyes. I told him that we need to get ready for breakfast but he still didn't want to go. I bend to reach his eye level and asked him if he could come out of his headspace he nodded. I waited patiently a few minutes but nothing seemed to happen. He began crying when I asked him if he was ok. I picked him up and swayed him on my hip for a couple of minutes until he had calmed down and that's when he just said the word 'cant' while his eyes were beginning to water. I was a bit confused when he said it but I realised he meant he can't switch his headspace so I ask him 'you can't switch your headspace?' And he nodded looking away from me with sad eyes. He then slurred the word 'sowwy'. I told him it's ok there's nothing to be sorry for and asked him 'how old are you, buddy?'. He held up 2 fingers. I asked him if he was ready to get dressed and he nodded. I began undressing him and took his diaper off, which he had used. I then put him in a pull just in case and got him dressed in one of his usual outfits. Once I was done he made grabby hands towards me so I picked him up and put our shoes on. I asked him if he was ready for food he didn't say anything but shook his head and tucked his head into my neck. I asked him why and he just shrugged, I knew he wasn't a big eater so I told him he only has to have a bit of the food.

I carried him on my hip until we got to the doors to go outside, he whined at the sudden loss of contact and I told him that I can't carry him in front of the others. I told him that if he stays close to me he will be okay and he just nodded and stood as close he could to me. We went outside said hi to everyone, well when I say we I mean me while Daryl just stood next to me playing with his fingers. We went and sat down on an empty table and he sat next to me. I asked him if he wanted to help me with gardening, knowing that he likes nature, and he replied with a quiet 'yes p'ease' while laying his head on the table. I told him he's got to wake up and he could have a nap in a little bit. He whined quietly before lifting his head up and started biting his nails. I told to stop biting his nails as it is 'icky' and he removed his hand from his mouth. He started fidgeting a bit, guessing he was bored I decided to play a game with him while waiting for our food to be served. We began playing i spy for a bit until food arrived. We had been served scrambled eggs and sausages for breakfast and I began eating it. After a couple of minutes I had ate half of my food when I noticed that Daryl was just playing with his food and not eating it. I told him that he needs to eat some of his food but he shook his head and said 'icky' i knew he was lying because he ate the same food the other day but I decided not to have a go at him. I said to him that 'if I cut up your sausage and some of your eggs will you eat it he just nodded so that's what I did. After another couple of minutes I had finished my breakfast and noticed that he had ate the cut up eggs I had gave him but not the sausages. I had an idea that could help him eat them and I looked around to see if anyone was watching but everyone seemed interested in there conversations or food. So I picked up a bit of the sausage with a fork and started to hand feed him saying 'here comes the airplane', hoping it would help because it did when Carl was a child. Thankfully it was working so i kept on doing it until he had finished the sausage. I praised him for eating the food saying 'well done baby' which got a smile and a small giggle out of him.

Once everyone had finished eating their breakfast, I announced that there is no plans for anyone to leave the camp so it's just usually duty's and jobs today and that they could choose their own groups and where they wanted to go. This caused Daryl to flinch and his eyes began to water up. Everyone went their separate ways and I headed to my cell as quickly as I could with Daryl who was on the verge of crying. Once we went into my cell, I picked Daryl up who had buried his head into my chest and began crying. Cradled him in my arms until he calmed down. I asked him what was wrong he didn't say anything but pointed at his ears. I realised that when I had made my announcement I had done it next to his ear. I didn't do it loudly but to him it was like I shouted down his ears. I've noticed that he has been getting more sensitive than before. I ask him if he was ready to go outside now, he nodded. I put him on the ground, grab his pacifier from the bed and put it in my pocket, and we headed outside to garden.