Hiraeth (The Walking Dead)

Chapter 24

The two hunters, Cailey and Daryl were still sitting out and staring at the sky when the sun came up. Rick was the first to saunter out and find them on the ground, hand resting on his belt buckle. He watched the hunters sitting in silence in the ground, wondering what they could be thinking about. He had begun assuming that Cailey and Daryl had some sort of speechless language, they always seemed so in-sync with each other after the first few weeks of being together.

"Y'know," Rick began as his boots scraped on gravel. "The baby still needs a proper crib. Think you can help make somethin'?"

"Yeh," Daryl nodded. "Sure."

"Thanks, Daryl," Rick nodded. "Why don' you two head on inside. We got breakfast started."

After a rather silent and nearly-awkward breakfast, Daryl pulled Cailey into the cell being used for junk storage. He told her to search for anything that could be used to hold a sleeping baby. A post-office letter box was the first solution in sight, and the hunter towed the teenager off with the box in hand.

The two hunters weren't seen for nearly another hour. It wasn't until Carol asked that the group realized they were missing. The grey-haired woman crossed her arms gently in front of Rick, who was helping organize a stock of weapons. "Have you guys seen Daryl? What about Cailey? I didn't think they were leaving again."

"D'you check the perch?" Rick leaned on his hands on the table full of guns and knives. "Daryl doesn't like being in those cells. And Cailey follows him like a puppy nowadays."

Carol nodded silently, turning on her heels back towards the front of the cell block. She padded up the stairs, and up the ladder to the perch. When she cracked open the doorway to the perch, she could see two bodies sitting on the floor.

Right on top of Daryl's sleeping bag, the two hunters sat together. Cailey had the letter box in her lap, a black marker in one hand over the box's side. Daryl was pointing to the box with one heavy finger. "Now, how d'ya spell 'kicker?' Sound it out."

"C-I?" Cailey mumbled.

"Nah. What else makes that 'ck' sound?"

Carol couldn't help but give a small smile at the scene, as they hadn't noticed her yet. She was rather surprised that Daryl was having to show Cailey how to spell whatever she was writing, but it was always a nice change to see him being gentle with someone other than Carl or the baby.

"K-i?"

"Yeh," Daryl nodded. The older hunter stared up to see Carol leaning against the doorway. He stared back down. "Then what."

There was a long pause. "C-e?"

"Nah. C-k-e. Gotta have both of 'em in the middle of the word."

Cailey paused as she began slowly writing things out. Daryl slowly began standing up. "Finish that an' hol' up."

The teenager didn't look up as Daryl trudged over to Carol. He closed the door behind him to keep Cailey out of earshot. "Wha's up?"

Carol crossed her arms with a small smile. "Wanted to see what you two were up to. Making sure you're okay, and I was hoping to put the baby down for a nap. Does Cailey not know how to write?"

"Nah. Can't read, neither. Knows 'er a-b-c's, though. Makin' her write on the baby's crib."

"And what is she writing?"

"Lil Asskicker," a near-silent snort came from the man.

Carol laughed quietly and shook her head. "So the first thing you teach her to write is a swear word?"