HEART FOR BRAINS • the walking dead

030: ups and downs of storytime

Rio sat upon the wall beside Carol, watching as she cooked breakfast for everyone. She swatted him with her towel every now and then, asking him to jump down but he didn't listen, insisting that he couldn't hear her.

The boy had talked to her all morning, waiting for something else to do. He didn't have a real job like everyone else, he just drifted around looking for someone who seemed lonely. Most of the time Daryl would just take him out instead, call him a 'hunter' and that was that. Carol enjoyed the boy's company and she even would tell him that every now and then when he wasn't breaking the only rules they had at the prison.

He was mid sentence when Daryl arrived, an array of calls following after him.

"He's gotten some more admirers." Carol joked, turning to the boy.

"Admirers?" He thought for a moment before laughing. "Like crushes?"

"Yeah." She chuckled back as Daryl reached the table. "Just like that."

"Like what?" He peered over the wall, looking down at the food, distracting him from his question. "Smells good." He complimented.

"Just so you know, I liked you first." Carol teased, making a not so subtle joke about his 'crushes'. Rio held one hand to his mouth and the other to his stomach, pretending to throw up.

"Stop." Daryl joked back, taking a bit out of his food. He smiled down at the boy. "You do any cooking today?"

"You think Carol trusts me enough to do any cooking?" He retorted, holding back a scoff.

Daryl let out a small laugh in agreement, just before someone else called out his name. He turned and gave him a small wave. Carol pulled a face at him. "You know, Rick brought in a lot of them, too."

"Not recently."

"Losing his touch." Rio added, repeating what Carol had said a few days ago. She shot him a look and put a finger to her lips.

"You talk about this?"

"It's our own entertainment." Carol reasoned, looking to Rio for agreement. "You're gonna have to learn to live with the love." She teased him, handing over some food.

"Right."

"Anyway, I need you to see something." The woman changed the subject swiftly, swatting Rio one last time with the tea towel as he jumped down.

"Patrick, you want to take over?" Carol called out to the other boy in the kitchen.

"Yes, ma'am." He replied. Patrick was in the other cell block so he didn't see him all too much, but after a few conversations Rio decided that he liked him. He spoke funny.

Carol stepped away, making room for Patrick to stand beside the stove. Daryl walked over, throwing an arm around Rio's front and pulling him in quickly before letting him go.

Patrick stopped the three from leaving.

"Mr. Dixon." He said politely. He rubbed his greasy hands in his shirt. "I just wanted to thank you for bringing that deer back yesterday. It was a real treat sir."

Rio looked up at Carol who wore a suppressed smile, biting down on her bottom lip.

"I'd be honored to shake your hand." Patrick continued, extending his own hand out towards Daryl. The man licked the rest of his food off his fingers before clasping Patrick's hand in his, giving it a firm shake.

"Rio caught the deer." Was all he said to him, along with a nod and then they all walked off.

"He has a crush on you?" Rio said once they'd gotten a few feet away. Carol let out a loud laugh as Daryl shook his head, sighing.