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Another bad dream.
You were having a lot of those lately, and they seemed to be getting more vivid.
Usually, you could fall back asleep after a nightmare, but tonight was different. You couldn’t shake the images your troubled mind had conjured up, deep in the arms of a restless sleep.
Tossing the cool linen sheets from your body, you lifted yourself from your bed, the squeaky springs further rousing you from your previously unconscious state.
As you always were when you woke up, you were incredibly parched. You internally scolded yourself for not keeping a stash of water bottles in your cell, but you also supposed the short walk to the kitchen area would help clear your mind of the nightmarish images.
Pushing open the door of your cell, you tiptoed down the catwalk with your arms outstretched a bit to make sure you didn’t hit something in the dark.
When you noticed you could actually see your hands in front of you, you looked up and focused your eyes on the dim lantern flickering near the baby’s crib (which was really just a box with some blankets for cushioning).
You approached slowly, trying your hardest not to wake the newborn. She was only born yesterday, she needed her sleep.
As you passed, you couldn’t help but steal a peek at her. To your surprise, she wasn’t there.
“Hey,” a deep, gruff voice you knew to be Daryl’s sounded from behind you as he emerged from the shadows holding the baby.
You flinched a little in surprise before turning around to reveal his face, accented by the lantern’s warm yellow glow that danced across his face with each flicker.
You rubbed your sleepy eyes. “Hi,” you said quietly. “Just… getting some water.” You folded your arms over your chest, admiring Daryl as he rocked the sleeping infant back and forth in his strong arms. “I see you’ve been put on babysitting duty.”
“Shut up,” he practically whispered. “She was hungry.”
You tilted your head in adoration. Daryl seemed to be the last person in your group to care about a baby, but he was the one who got her formula, and the first one to feed it to her.
It was good for the baby, but bad for you and your rather annoying crush on him. Every time you were around him you had that same feeling you get when you’re driving fast down a steep hill. You had never been sure if you liked that feeling or not, and you still weren’t.
“Well, she’s lucky to have you. You’re good with her.”
Daryl narrowed his eyes at you, as if he didn’t believe what you were saying to him. “You mean that?”
You laughed. “Of course, I do.”
Daryl gently rested the baby back in her crib. “You just got up to get water, huh?”
You nodded. Not just that. The reason you were thirsty was because you had prematurely awoken from a terrible dream. “Yeah.”
Daryl chewed on his thumb, contemplating what he was going to say next.
He felt your eyes lingering on his body, and it always gave him an odd feeling. It wasn’t a bad one, or a feeling that you were judging him. It was more like he wished he could muster up the courage to look at you the same way.
“Ya know, I get bad dreams, too,” he said.
You furrowed your brow, wondering how he could possibly know about your nightmares.
“How’d you know?”
He shrugged. “Cell’s right next to yours. I can hear ya saying stuff in your sleep. Figured they ain’t good dreams.”
You fidgeted with your hands, your head held down as you looked at them. “That’s embarrassing.”
He shook his head. “Nah, it’s fine. Like I said, get ‘em too.”
You raised your head to look at him before tucking a piece of hair behind your ear. “Thanks, Daryl. Good to know I’m not the only one.”
He nodded, still looking down at the peaceful baby. “Wish I could sleep like her,” he said. “Don’t even know what’s out there, how bad things can get.”
You sighed. “That’s the benefit of being born yesterday, I guess. You don’t have any nightmares because you can’t even comprehend the bad things.”
Daryl grunted in agreement. “Yeah,” he said. “Least we get good dreams, though. Kinda makes up for it, I guess.”
You smiled. “That’s true. I can’t remember the last time I had a good dream, though.”
“Me neither,” he said. “It’d be nice to go to sleep and not think about those undead bastards for a bit.”
“That’s what you dream about?”
He nodded. “Every time I sleep. It’s why I barely do.”
“I dream about being swallowed into a black hole, or getting trapped in an underwater cave and never being found. Things like that.”
“Least you’re creative.”
You laughed. “Only when I sleep.”
That was it. That laugh, that smile, the way you closed your eyes when you did it. If he could see that little bit of happiness for the rest of his life, he’d have everything he ever wanted.
He was in love. He couldn’t admit to himself, and couldn’t even imagine admitting it to you, but he knew he was.
The two of you were silent for a while, watching the baby squirm a bit in her sleep. “You know,” you began, “if you ever need help… um, babysitting her, you can always ask me.”
You’d be lying if you said you weren’t using the newborn he was clearly so fond of to spend more time with Daryl. You didn’t know much about hunting or mechanics or any of the other things he seemed interested in, but babies? Piece of cake.
He looked away quickly, hoping you couldn’t see him blushing. “Uh, yeah,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “That’s fine… or if you ever just wanna talk.”
He couldn’t believe what he was saying. Talk?
He hated talking. Well, with most people.
Your eyes widened, and you raised your voice a little too high. “Really?”
The baby woke up with a stir, her cries ringing out throughout the cell block. Daryl quickly picked her up and began rocking her back and forth in his arms.
“Shhh…” he said. “It’s a’right.”
You nearly lost it at his baby voice, so sweet and innocent. When she stopped crying, you looked at Daryl with so much admiration.
A thought occurred to him as he felt your eyes on him again. “You wanna hold her?”
You hadn’t held her yet. You wanted to, but you didn’t want to impose. “Can I?”
Daryl nodded. “Asked ya, didn’t I?”
You sighed. “I would love to hold Lil’ Asskicker.”
She didn’t have a name yet, but the nickname given to her by Daryl was just fine for now.
He carefully transferred the baby from his hands to yours. “She’s so light,” you said. She began to close her eyes again as you held her. “You know, what Daryl?”
“What?” he asked, watching you hold the baby close to you with such fascination.
“Maybe we don’t need good dreams,” you said. “Maybe it’s just about good memories, like this.”
He smiled. “Yeah, think so.”