Full Time Job

I was quickly lightly tapping the back of her small back, waiting for her to burp after she had quickly slurped up a couple of ounces from her bottle. She still didn’t have a name yet, and I refused to call her ‘Little Ass Kicker,’ as our group had begun affectionately calling her. Vinny and I were left in the cell block with Beth and Hershel. Rick had not yet returned to camp, and Daryl had taken Carl out to search for him. Glenn and Maggie had gone on a supply run for the baby. Carol had not yet returned to our cell block either and it was growing harder for me to explain to Vinny where she was. I was trying to remain positive, but her absence loomed tensely over us.

The baby let out a soft belch and I smiled and kissed the top of her head, and took a seat next to Hershel at the table as I tried to rock her to sleep. Hershel was looking at her little face that was resting on my shoulder and smiled.

“I haven’t taken care of a newborn in seventeen years. We’re lucky you have fresh experience,” he mused and I chuckled lightly.

“I only have auntie experience,” I said as I cradled the baby on my shoulder. I looked over at Vinny who was coloring on the cell block wall with Beth. A colorful mural was beginning to emerge and Hershel and I watched them work.

“Do you want to hold her?” I asked and he smiled after a few seconds of contemplation.

“Sure,” he obliged, and I gingerly set her into his waiting arms and he began to rock her slowly. I pulled a small green crayon from the box that was resting on the table and knelt down next to Vinny and drew a toddler-sized Kermit the frog, and Vinny giggled next to me.

“I know who that is, Zia!” he chuckled and pulled a red crayon from the pile that scattered the floor around us and started scribbling a large oval on the wall. As I began to draw my next masterpiece, the security door to our cell block clanged open and we all turned to see who it was. My eyes widened when I saw Daryl step through the door, carrying Carol, who was unconscious in his arms. Carl quickly followed him and opened the barred iron door that led to the large day room we were in.

“Stay back, Vinny,” I called out as I hopped up and ran towards Daryl, who had gently set Carol down on one of the lower bunks of the beds in an empty cell, under Hershel’s instruction. He lightly handed the baby to Beth, who hovered nearby, rocking the baby against her shoulder as she watched Hershel who was examining Carol intently. I listened as Daryl explained that he had found her in a utility closet, sleeping. She hadn’t eaten or drank any water in nearly three days, and Daryl held onto me as we watched Hershel gently trying to wake Carol.

Relief washed over me as she slowly opened her eyes, and weakly asked for some water. Hershel quickly handed her the bottle he had already been holding, waiting for her when she had woken up. She sat in a daze for a few minutes, and Hershel was patient when speaking with her.

“Carol, what happened?” he asked again, as Carol didn’t appear to hear him the first time, although her eyes were open, staring blankly ahead of her.

“T-Dogg’s dead… he saved my life,” she said, and the group stood quietly around her. I sniffled back a few tears, as we quietly lamented another loss in our group. Daryl’s grip tightened around me. Vinny had crept into the room and lightly placed his tiny hand on Carol’s white, sallow cheek.

“I missed you so much!” he cooed and Carol smiled sweetly at him.

“I missed you too, sweetheart!” she said and kissed his forehead. The baby began to cry and Carol’s eyes widened as she stared towards Beth who was patting the baby’s back gently.

“The baby is here?! Where is Lori?” she asked frantically and my eyes immediately fell to the floor. The room was silent for a few moments before Carl spoke up.

“My mom’s dead.” He said simply, and Carol began to cry, and I knelt down next to her and pulled Vinny up, slinging him on my hip as I wrapped Carol into a hug. She held tightly on to me when I tried to release her.

“Please don’t leave,” she said, her voice muffled into my shoulder.

“I’m staying right here,” I assured her, and I looked over my shoulder up at Daryl, who was lifting Vinny from my arm. He had a concerned tone in his eyes as he looked from me to Carol, and he took a few steps back as Vinny laid his head on Daryl’s shoulder. Now that my other arm was free, I wrapped it around Carol and sat with her quietly. Hershel, Beth and the baby exited the room to tend to the baby and a few minutes later, I heard Daryl step out with Vinny. I sat in Carol in silence for a while, kneeling in front of her on the floor, hugging her as she gently cried into my shoulder. She slowly began to calm down, and I didn’t look up until I heard Daryl’s voice behind us.

“Are ya hungry, Carol?” he asked and I started to release my arms that were hugging Carol.

“Yeah,” she answered, and accepted the plate of food that Daryl was extending towards her. I slowly made my way to my feet and sat down next to her on the bed as she quickly began eating. He looked down at me, still radiating concern, before he quickly walked out of the cell.

“Is Rick dead too? Glenn? Maggie?” she asked in between chews. I smiled at her and chuckled.

“No, Rick’s been gone since Lori passed…We’ve been giving him space…” I said, and Carol nodded as she was looking down at her plate.

“Glenn and Maggie are on a run to get some things for the baby…” I finished and she nodded again. She idly stared through the iron bars of the cell wall towards Beth, who was cradling the baby in the large room outside of the cells.

“Is it a boy or a girl?” she asked absently. I smiled and answered, “it’s a girl…” I picked a hint of a smile forming on her lips.

“What’s her name?” She asked after that and I immediately rolled my eyes sarcastically and laughed.

“She doesn’t have a name yet. They’ve been calling her Little Ass Kicker… Daryl’s contribution,” I said, laughing again. Carol started laughing hysterically.

“You’re calling that baby Little Ass Kicker?” she asked again, laughter still in her voice as she emphasized every word.

“I am not calling her Lil’ Ass Kicker…” I said defensively, and smiled at her as she laughed again. She finished her plate quickly and declined when I offered to get her some more. I held the empty plate in my hands and looked over to her. She looked directly in my eyes, and they sparkled the familiar blue that I had remembered and loved about her.

“Are you going to be alright?” I asked seriously as I studied her face and expression. She shrugged and contemplated for a few seconds.

“I guess so,” she huffed, and smiled at me. I patted the back of her hand and stood up, carrying her empty plate with me. I peered down at her as she yawned.

“If you need anything, just yell for me… Someone is always awake usually because the baby starts crying every few hours during the night…” I said and she smiled.

“I definitely do not miss those days,” she said, chuckled, and pulled the blanket around herself. I quietly left her to rest and rinsed her plate with a water bottle in the small metal sink in one of the cells that housed our dishes and food. I quickly dried the plate with a towel made from shredded sheets and set it back on the pile of clean plates. We had efficiently set up a home in this cell block. I walked out of the cell and sat around the table with Vinny, Beth and Daryl. Beth was cradling the baby and Vinny was standing next to her, looking down at the baby, still unsure of how he felt about her.
We all heard the outer security door to our cell block swing open and everyone nervously turned their heads at the same time to see who it was this time. Rick walked quickly through the door, lugging a woman with dark skin and dread locks into the room. He held a white sheathed long sword in one hand and hovered over the woman who looked at Rick in a dead stare, remaining silent. I picked Vinny up and wrapped his arms around him tightly as Daryl took a step in between Rick and the woman, and me, Vinny, and Beth, who was cradling the baby in her arms. After a few minutes of tough interrogation, the woman slowly began talking.

“I’m Michonne,” she began. Her voice was poised and I began to sense that she could be truly dangerous if she wanted to be. She explained that she came from a group of survivors in a settlement nearby called Woodbury. We looked at each other incredulously when she said that she had learned about the prison from Glenn and Maggie, who she described as an Asian man with a pretty brunette woman, who were now being held captive by the leader of Woodbury. I held Vinny a little tighter when she began to describe the leader of this new settlement, The Governor. She described him as a danger man with evil intentions. Everyone could sense the fear and tension that was steadily growing in the room.

Rick looked around at all of us, and his eyes rested on Beth and I who were cradling the smallest members of our group in our arms. He sighed deeply and approached the group.

“I’m sorry I was gone. I had to sort a few things out… I’m sorry. We’re going to bring back Maggie and Glenn. We’re going to bring our family back together. We have a future, together, and I promise you I will get everyone back together again. Safely.” His words rang around us and he then asked for Daryl to come talk with him with Michonne privately. I fidgeted with Vinny in my arms nervously as Daryl quickly exited the cell block. Vinny yawned sleepily and laid his head on my shoulder. I glanced towards the window, and by the way the shadows from the bars laid on the wall underneath the window, I knew it was the time that Vinny usually took a nap. I looked over to Beth who was still standing next to me.

“I’m going to lay down with him for a few minutes, if you need anything or if Carol wakes up… Just come and grab me, okay?” I asked and she nodded to be nervously. I carefully made my way to the metal stairway in the middle of the cellblock, glancing at the home-made mural we had colored on it earlier. I approached our beds and gently laid him down, and I rested on my side next to him as I covered him with a section of the large sleeping bag that was spread across the bed.

I cuddled him tightly as my mind began to race and I was having a hard time keeping up. I thought about this woman who had come in from out of nowhere, how Rick had just arrived and was already talking about leaving, about this evil man that Michonne called The Governor, and where Daryl and Vinny and I fit into all of this. We had just lost two of our own, and two more had already been taken, and from the likes of people like The Governor, possibly killed. My thoughts continued to race when I felt Daryl lay down on the bed behind me. I turned and rested my head on his chest and he wrapped an arm around me, resting his hand on my waist. His chest rose and fell as he breathed deeply underneath me.

“I’ve gotta go with Rick. We have to go get Glenn and Maggie. We’re leaving in an hour…” I lifted my head from his chest and looked at him, resting my chin on his chest.

“You just got back,” I replied, avoiding his gaze that was studying my face.

“I know, Gia, but its Glenn and Maggie. I can’t let Rick do this by himself…” he said seriously. I laid my head back onto his chest.

“I know…” I answered, and sighed deeply. “…Promise you’ll come back to me,” I said quietly and his grip tightened on my hip.

“Alright,” he said, and I lifted my face up to face his again.

“Say, ‘I promise…’” I said and he chuckled lightly.

“I promise…” He finished, and pulled my chin closer to his face and pressed his lips against mine. He suddenly pulled me on top of him with the arm that he had wrapped around me and began kissing me with more urgency.

“Now, what could we do in the next hour?” he asked when I sat up, straddling his lap. I giggled when he grasped my hips firmly and sat up, playfully kissing my neck.

I could think of several things to do…but an hour could never be long enough with Daryl.