I wish I had a wooden heart and a sawdust mind
Then your memory wouldn't come around hurtin' all the time
I'd have a sewed-on smile and a painted twinkle in my eye
And I never would have ever had to learn how to cry
And I'm wishin' that I hadn't fallen in love with you
Daryl knew that Judith was teething but still, for the last four nights in a row she'd woken everyone up like clockwork with her crying. It wasn't the full on screaming of a new born but the pitiful type of sobbing that just about broke your heart when you realised that there was just nothing to be done about it. Beth, Hershel and Rick had all taken turns walking the floor with the fretful infant and it seemed like that night it was Carol's turn. He tried to ignore the soft voices and the pitiful cries by folding his thin pillow around his head and thought it had worked – until he realised that the crying had slowed to hiccups and were trailing off. He knew that it would likely be his turn the following night and so crept down the metal staircase dressed in just his low slung jersey pants to see if he could work out what magic tricks Carol had up her sleeve.
He found her dipping a washcloth into a bucket of cold water, squeezing it almost dry and then rubbing it gently along Judith's gum lines. Every time she did it the baby grew quieter and quieter until Judith was barely making a noise; her attention fixed directly on Carol as she rose up from the table and took a walk around the small room.
I wish I had button eyes and a red felt smile
A shaggy cotton skin and just one set of clothes
Sittin' on a shelf in a local department store
With no dreams to dream and nothin' to feel sorry for
Carol crooned softly to Judith as she gently rocked her in her arms, it was a song her mother had sung to her as a child and one that she had passed on to Sophia. Daryl kept out of sight, sitting at the top of the stairs that led down into the communal area that they were using as a kitchen, he was entranced at the way Judith was completely focused on Carol, following her every movement and opening her little mouth as if trying to form words as Carol was singing softly.
I wish I was a teddy bear
Not livin' or lovin' nor goin' nowhere
I wish I was a teddy bear
And I'm wishin' that I hadn't fallen in love with you
Carol looked down at the baby in her arms and thought about the many nights that she'd paced up and down her hallway, whilst singing the same song to Sophia. Those were the nights that Ed chose to stay over at a 'friends' house, and quite frankly by then Carol honestly care where he spend his nights away from home – as long as he was away from home. It had suddenly struck her one day how fitting the lyrics were to her life; there she was cradling her precious daughter but at the same time wishing that she'd never met Ed Peletier – it was at that moment that she'd decided that she wasn't prepared to have her daughter living in fear; but it had taken twelve years and a zombie apocalypse to get out of the hellish state of matrimony. Judith grumbled a little and Carol realised that she had stopped rocking.
I wish I had a wooden heart and a sawdust mind
Then your memory wouldn't come around hurtin' all the time
I'd have had a sewn on smile and a painted twinkle in my eye
And I never would have ever had to learn how to cry
I wish I was a teddy bear
Not livin' or lovin' nor goin' nowhere
I wish I was a teddy bear
And I'm wishin' that I hadn't fallen in love with you…
Carol realised that the time she had finished the whole song, Judith had finally given in to sleep. She continued to rock her gently for a few moments before heading across to place the baby in the plastic cradle just inside Rick's cell. She yawned loudly as she wearily trudged up the metal stairs toward her own cell, not noticing that Daryl had silently slipped ahead of her when she had placed Judith in her cradle. She flopped onto her bunk and only then realised that it was already occupied…
"Get her off ta sleep alright? 'Cause I'm in need of somethin' ta cuddle up ter…" A familiar arm snaked around her waist and pulled her in close to a male body that practically radiated more heat than the portable generators Glenn had found and set up around the lower levels.
"Mmm…think I might like to be your teddy bear, Pookie." Carol murmured as she felt herself drifting back to sleep; she could feel the rumble of Daryl's words in his chest and bit back a chuckle.
"Jest let me be your teddy bear…"
"Not Elvis, Pookie. But nice try – your turn tomorrow and you've got to get the song right," Carol promised as she snuggled deeper into his warm embrace; pulling his arms further around her and raising her head to murmur quietly; "No goodnight kiss?"
"Thought yer was just a little ole teddy bear with a sewn on smile…" Daryl murmured with a grin as he dropped a quick kiss against her waiting lips.
"Ha! I knew you were listening – my secret is out, I'm not going to be able to lay claim to having the magic touch anymore!" Carol gently thumped Daryl's arm; she'd had a sneaking suspicion that someone had been watching her in the kitchen, but thought it had been Beth wanting a few tips.
"Glad yer ain't got no wooden heart…'cause that belongs ta me now." Daryl curved his body around her smaller frame and felt her nestle back into her familiar sleeping spot. He slipped one leg between hers and felt her rest her head against his chest.
"And yours is mine…" She murmured, pressing a soft kiss to his bare chest as she started to slip back into sleep.
"Always has been, baby." Daryl murmured as he stroked the silvery curls that rested against his chest, dropping a final kiss onto of her head as he felt his body turning heavy and followed her into sleep.