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They hadn’t spoken louder than a whisper in days, though usually they were able to get along without talking at all. Carol had her hands in her pockets, trying to keep them warm as they walked. She used to believe that having time and the quiet to be able to think would be wonderful, but now that she had the time and too much quiet she didn’t like being left inside her own head for too long. Her thoughts were not easy.
She accepted a bottle of water from Glenn and smiled her thanks. He smiled and nodded in return before handing the next bottle to Daryl, who grunted. Carol laughed softly and then shook her head as both Daryl and Glenn looked at her in question. She saw Maggie roll her eyes and Rick hide a smile before turning his attention back to Judith. They all took a few minutes on the side of the road to sit and rest as they drank their water and listened to the slight breeze rustle the leaves above. It was a nice moment, but it didn’t last.
Daryl held a hand out to help Carol to her feet when they were ready to start off again, and she held it for a moment longer than necessary, but he didn’t seem to care. Glenn had an arm around Maggie, Rosita was poking Abraham in his side and smirking, and Carl was taking his sister from his father to have a turn at carrying her. Everything that happened between them, as they moved to get into their typical formation on the road, was done quickly and quietly, and was so completely comfortable that it was easy to overlook the readiness they all had to drop everything and fight if necessary. It was all done without a word between them.