Totally meant to update this on Thursday, like I normally do, but I was so busy with school and running around that I forgot. Wait, that's a lie. I remembered when I finally laid down to go to sleep lol
Chapter Ten
True to Glenn's word, he, Maggie, Carol and Daryl played a game of UNO. Carol, for once, hadn't won. Instead, the victor was Maggie, so the score was still zero for the men. A fact which the girls high-fived over. Once the game was finished and put away, they sat around the card table and talked. A few minutes into their conversation, one of the women, Lori, walked up to the table and asked if the four of them would like to join everyone on the couches.
"You guys seem to be keeping to yourselves," Lori said with a friendly smile. "Since we're going to be with each other for a while, I think we all should be better acquainted."
Daryl didn't want to have anything to do with the rest of them. He was perfectly happy with just talking with Carol, Glenn and Maggie. However, he got up when Carol did and followed her to a large sectioned couch. Everyone was sitting on the couch while Rick sat in the only armchair with Lori in his lap and Shane sat on the floor, back against the couch.
"I think we need ask Mr. Blake for another couch or something so we all aren't sitting on top of one another," T-Dog said as he slid over, pressing himself into Michonne's side, as they made room for the four new arrivals. Glenn sat down first and pulled Maggie into his lap, who giggled at the unexpected action. This gave Carol and Daryl some more room on the barely.
Daryl took a seat first. Carol bit her lip, looking a little unsure, before she took the seat next to him. She was practically plastered to his side, which he didn't mind. And to make himself comfortable, he took the arm that was stuck between their bodies and wrapped it around her shoulders. It was purely so that his arm wouldn't fall asleep.
Or, that's what he would tell anyone who asked.
"How do you all like your jobs so far?" Rick broke the silence and asked with his chin on Lori's shoulder. "Ours seems a little too easy. We're not complaining, though.
"Especially considering what we're getting paid!" Tyreese added with a hearty chuckle. "Hell, I'm working near a damn carnivorous beast that could eat me in one bite, but the pay is so good I'm willing to do it. I'd even brush its damn teeth!" There were murmurs of agreement from Sasha and Michonne.
"At least your jobs seem exciting," Lori said and leaned against Rick's chest. "We don't get to see a single dinosaur. Well, that is, if you don't count skeletons. Looking at the T-Rex one makes me feel lucky that I'm not working with it, though."
"As long as the thing stays where it's supposed to, we're good," Sasha said from where she sat between Tyreese and Andrea.
"How's working with the velociraptors?" Andrea leaned forward, her hand brushing against Shane's shoulder, as she looked at Carol and Daryl.
"It's...all right," Daryl answered slowly, not really liking talking in front of everyone like this. It was almost like high school all over, again and he was never good with standing in front of the class.
"Man, one of them wanted to eat Carol the other day!" T-Dog exclaimed.
Don't remind me, Daryl thought. Just thinking about that moment gave him the chills. If there hadn't been glass between them, then...
"Well, like Sasha said, if they stay where they're supposed to, we're good," Carol spoke up. "Though, I could do without having to witness their feeding hour." Everyone in the room shuddered from the memory of having to witness feeding the raptors once.
"Does that happen everyday?" Lori asked, eyes wide as she looked at Carol. The rest of them turned and looked at them the same way.
"We've only been there for one day, but I'm assuming so. The raptors have to eat," Carol answered.
"Unfortunately," Daryl mumbled, earning him a few chuckles from those sitting near him on the couch. Including Carol.
Rick moved to open his mouth, but was stopped when Phillip Blake made a smooth entrance into the room. They all startled at suddenly seeing their boss standing there. They had thought they wouldn't see him until the next day. "I am sorry to interrupt, everyone. There's something I forgot to bring up at dinner this morning."
"What is it?" Rick asked. Lori had moved from his lap to sit on the arm of the chair.
"You all have been here a few days and I bet you're dying to contact your love ones at home. Cellphones are useless here. We do have some phones though that can get through to the states. The reception still isn't good and we don't use them very often but tonight, some of you can call home. The rest of you will be able to call home tomorrow."
Murmurs filled the room and Carol looked at Daryl, who was gnawing at his thumb. She wanted to ask who he would call, but Blake interrupted them once more.
"If you don't mind, I have already picked the first half who can call tonight. Michonne, Carol, Shane, Daryl, Tyreese and Sasha. You're up. Follow me, and I'll lead you to the phones."
Those whose names were said stood and followed Blake out the door. Behind them, T-Dog sighed in relief as he once more had more space on the couch. Daryl fell into step beside Carol, who was at the back of the group. He didn't want to be far from her. "You goin' to call your mom?"
"Yeah," she sighed, not sounding happy about it at all. "She's probably been dying to hear from me. Do you think we'll have a limit on how long we can talk?"
"No limit, Carol," Blake answered from the front of the group. "However, we do have only three phones, so be aware of anyone who is waiting."
"I'm going to tell her there's a limit," she whispered to Daryl, making sure that Blake couldn't hear her this time. "That way I can cut our conversation short. She'll probably want to know if I met my future husband, yet." She rolled her eyes.
"I could talk to her. Maybe that would get her off your ass." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them and fuck, he couldn't believe he had just said something like that.
Instead of teasing him, like was sure she would do, Carol just nudged him and winked. "I just might take you up on that offer. You can tell her of all the wild sex we're having, too and that she'll be a grandma soon." Though the word seemed to have been said in confidence, Carol's cheeks were red.
"Uh, what?" Daryl nearly died right there.
"Of course, I'm just kidding," she said and winked again, clearly enjoying his discomfort.
"Hey, mom," Carol leaned against the wall, cradling the phone between her shoulder and cheek. Already, she was ready for the phone call to be over. She loved her mom, there was no doubt of that, but she could be a little...too much, sometimes.
"Hey, sweetie! I was wondering when you would call. It's been three days!"
Like that.
"Sorry, mom," she said, trying hard not to sound exasperated. "Today is the first time my boss said we could call home."
"I see. So. How are things going? Have you seen any dinosaurs, yet?"
"Things are going good and yes, I've seen the dinosaurs. They're bigger than you would think and I'm actually going to give tours of the velociraptors."
Her mom gasped on the other end. "Isn't that kind of dangerous?"
"Yeah, it is. Not as dangerous as working with the T-Rex, though."
"Those are the big ones, aren't they?"
"Yes, mom. They are." Carol only felt a little guilty for giving her mom the bare minimum of answers, but she knew it was only a matter of time before she asked abo-
"So. Have you met any interesting guys there, yet?"
"What I'd like to know is when is that paycheck comin', baby brother?"
Daryl sighed, regretting dialing his brother's number already, but he was the only he could call. There was no one else back home. "It's comin' soon. Be patient for fuck's sake. I've only been here for three days!"
"That's like fifteen hundred dollars, right?"
Daryl ran a hand down his face and leaned against the wall next to the phone cradle. "You actually calculated that? I can't even get you to figure out the damn tip for the pizza guy."
"What the hell am I supposed to do all day?"
"Get a job. I thought that was the damn plan. It would sure keep you busy." He knew how his brother would react to that and he knew that Merle saying he would get a job had been a bunch of bullshit.
"You see, that don't really appeal to me, little brother."
"Didn't think so," he sighed. "Look, I got a time limit here. All I wanted to do was check in and see how things were."
"Things are good. Gareth hasn't been around since I told him I'd get my debt squared away with him soon. Guess I won't be seein' you for a few more months, then."
"Nope, you won't. Bye, Merle."
"Bye, Daryl."
Daryl hung up the phone and sighed before walking out of the little room. Tyreese walked in after him and Daryl wondered if Carol was finished speaking with her mom, yet. When he didn't see her waiting out in the hall, he checked the room she had gone in and saw her with the phone pressed to her ear. She looked up at him standing in the doorway and rolled her eyes.
Daryl pointed to himself and held up his pinky and thumb to mime a phone, silently asking Carol if she wanted to speak with her mom, shocking him by offering. She smiled and shook her head.
The grin quickly vanished, though. "Mom!" She rolled her eyes and groaned, focusing back on her phone call. "It's my job, not a dating retreat." Pause. Another groan. "No! I don't want to hear what Ed's been up to." Pause. "Because I can't stand him!" Carol was clearly getting very annoyed and Daryl came up with a plan, which he knew he was crazy for even thinking of.
"Carol, sweetheart," he called louder than was needed. "You ready to head back to the room?" Carol gave him a wide-eyed look, confused. However, her mother must have said something on the other line that made everything click.
"Oh, that? That's Daryl. He's my...friend." Carol's face went beet red and she quickly turned her back on Daryl, confusing him. "Maybe, mom," she said in a low voice, almost a whisper. "Maybe."
Daryl slipped out of the room, face hot with embarrassment. In the room, he let Carol say her goodbyes to her mom privately. When she finally walked out, she surprised Daryl by giving him a hug. "Thanks for that, by the way," she said and pulled away.
"Thanks for what?"
"You know what. Now, my mom has stopped bugging me about Ed." She nudged him and wink. "Calling me sweetheart did the trick."
Daryl's face went hot, again. "Uh, that was the first thing that came to mind. Glad it worked."
"She thinks I have a man, now and she's super happy about it." Carol rolled her eyes. "So, bye-bye talk of Ed. Thank God."
Together, they walked in the direction of their rooms. "That's good, huh? Ed's a prick."
"He is," she agreed and looped her arm through his, surprising him. "And I much rather have my mom ask about you all the time, then tell me stuff about Ed. At least I care about you."
"U-Uh, well, I'm glad I could help, then." They reached the door to Carol's bedroom and her arm reluctantly slipped from his. She stood before him, biting her lip. Nervous.
"I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning, then." She rocked forward on her toes and then, back on her heels.
"Yeah, bright and early for work," he gave her a shy smile.
"Goodnight, Daryl." She went up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek, dangerously close to his mouth. If he had the balls, he would have turned his head and captured her mouth was with his. However, his experience with kissing woman was nil and he knew he would have fucked it up if he tried.
"Night, Carol," he finally choked out as Carol went back to her heels.
Goodnight, sweetheart.
Phillip Blake stood in the middle of his large bedroom in nothing but a pair of sweats. Trails of sweat slipped down his chest from the before bed workout he had just completed. The alarm clock beside his bed flipped from 11:59 to 12:00, marking the start of a new day. He smiled at the device and walked to the glass doors leading out to his balcony that overlooked the park.
The night air felt good on his heated flesh and his eyes went to the lights in the distance that marked where the velociraptor enclosure was located. "Just one more," he said into the night. "One more day and you all will be freed."
I hope you all liked this chapter! :)
Thanks for reading!