Chapter 32: The Long Night

Carol was in no way, shape or form a physician. But she'd assisted Denise more than a few times in the infirmary. She'd been there for each of Nabila's children's births, and she'd helped out with patching up cuts and gunshot wounds. She didn't consider herself medically skilled in any way, but she was glad she'd picked up enough knowledge along the way to help out in a pinch.

So when Jerry came pounding on the door in the middle of the night, practically waking the whole community, Carol knew right away Nabila was having the baby. It wasn't the first time she'd been woken up in the night for a birth, and she was sure it wouldn't be the last.

"How's she doing?" Carol asked, tugging on her shoes as she sat on the bottom of the stairs. Jerry paced frantically while Daryl stood, eyes heavy from sleep with a fussy Luke in his arms.

"She's good. She's calm. I'm a freakin' mess."

"Jerry?" Carol asked. "Who's looking after your kids?"

"Uh…Tara's got them entertained. Denise said she's gonna need your help." He looked to Daryl. "That's not good, right?"

"Denise always calls Carol, remember? Ain't a lot of folks have experience with this kinda thing these days. She just wants all the help she can get. Relax, man. It's gonna be alright." He clapped Jerry on the shoulder. "Nabila's tough. She's been through this twice before."

"Like a champ," Jerry added.

"Right. She knows what to do. The doc knows what to do. Carol knows what she's goin' to do. So it's gonna be alright. It's good. Right?"

"Right." Jerry took a deep breath. A big grin spread across his face.

"Dude, I'm gonna be a daddy again!"

"Go on back home, Jerry. I'll be there soon." Carol nodded toward the door, and Jerry took off. Carol moaned softly when she bent down to lace up her boots.

"You ok?" Daryl asked, kneeling down and adjusting Luke in his arms. Carol gave him a tired smile and nodded her head.

"I'm fine. Just a twinge in my back. I get them even when I'm not pregnant. Don't worry." She leaned forward to kiss him.

"You should be in bed sleepin'."

"Babies don't care about that. And when they decide it's time, it's time." She smiled, and Daryl helped her stand, and he gave her hand a squeeze. "I'll be home as soon as Nabila and the baby are settled." She leaned in again and kissed him before pressing a kiss to Luke's cheek. "Go get some sleep. You'll need the rest to look after the kids when I sleep all day tomorrow." Daryl snorted at that, and Carol grinned before hurrying out the door.

...

Negan had made three trips around the perimeter. So far, the only excitement he'd had had been in the form of Jerry rushing around waking up half the damn farm because his wife was about to pop out yet another kid.

It was quiet again, save for the cricket chirps and the occasional lonesome howl of a coyote. As Negan walked about, he swung his bat, listening to the whoosh of air passing over wood and wire. He switched it from shoulder to shoulder, hand to hand, mindlessly thinking of anything and everything he could to keep his mind off the argument he'd just had with Lucy. Really, it had been one sided. She wanted something he couldn't give her. Well, he could give it to her, but he wouldn't.

As exciting as Jerry made fatherhood for the third time sound, he hadn't had to watch his wife nearly bleed to death, so ghostly pale and weak and closer to death than she'd ever been. It was an imagine Negan couldn't forget, and he certainly had tried.

He thought of Daryl and Carol and their little family. He remembered, way back when Henry was tiny, he admired them so much. They had a routine down with Lydia, and they made it look easy. Of course, the more he got to know them, the more he realized they were just winging it every day. Parenthood wasn't easy. Negan loved Henry, but parenting him wasn't easy. He was as mischievous as he was sweet, and he had more energy than Negan ever remembered having as a kid.

And Carol and Daryl had brought Luke into the picture, and everything went well. Carol was a trooper through her pregnancy, and Negan had often saw that wistful look in Lucy's eyes whenever Carol came by. He'd always tried to ignore it, to pretend he didn't see her longing for another child. But it was difficult to ignore when Luke was finally born and Carol would bring him for a visit. Watching Lucy with a little one again was beautiful, a snapshot memory he would likely never forget. But it made him feel guilty, because as he watched her desire for another child grow, his desire to keep his family intact, healthy, alive grew more.

Now, he worried he was going to lose her anyway.

As he approached the gate again, he noticed movement. Then he heard the snarls. He quickly directed the beam of his flashlight toward the gate, only to see a figure rushing away. The gate appeared to be shut and locked, so he focused his attention on the retreating figure.

"Hey!" he hissed, rushing to catch up to the running, cloaked figure. "Hey, what the fuck?" He reached out, grabbing hold of cloak and tugging back. The young man struggled and wrenched away from Negan's grasp. But he didn't run this time. He just pulled the cloak tighter around himself. "David? What the fuck are you doing? Didn't you get garden duty or some shit after that stunt you pulled at the gates this morning?"

"Yeah. I was just…"

"You were just what?" Negan asked. "I'm gonna have to tell Daryl about this."

"Please. Don't." The young man was pale, out of breath, and now he was sweating. "Please just…I just…wanted to help."

"Did you go out there?" Negan asked, reaching down to pick up his flashlight and bat.

"No. No, sir," David insisted. "I was just checking the gate."

"It's fine. Now you got those dead bastards all riled up. You hear that?" He paused, and the raspy snarls filled the night air. "Jesus, you gotta pick your fuckin' moments to be a goddamn hero. This ain't it, buddy. You wanna kiss Dixon's ass, you're gonna have to stay away from the fucking gate, man." David looked away, his face paling further if it was possible. "Shit. Look. I won't tell him if you stop acting like a dumbass. Deal?" David simply nodded his head vaguely, and Negan ran his hand through his hair. "Fuck, kid. Look. Take it from me. Don't fuck with those things. I know we've all been safe and comfy in here for a good, long while, but those things are just as vicious and deadly as they have been since this whole thing started. All you are is a goddamn lunchbox."

"Can I go now?"

"Oh, you can go. Next time I see you snooping around the gates, I'm gonna let Dixon teach you a lesson. And I don't mean Daryl. He's the nice one. Yeah. Merle? His bite's worse than his bark." David flinched and looked like he was going to throw up. "Get outta here. Get some sleep kid." David turned and rushed off, and Negan shook his head. "Stupid fucking kid."

He turned and started his next lap around the perimeter.

...

Daryl woke with a jerk the moment he felt the mattress move. He cracked one eye open but couldn't see anything in the darkness.

"Time is it?" he murmured.

"We have a few hours before dawn," Carol whispered.

"That was fast."

"She was already pushing when I got there. Baby came soon after."

"Nabila ok?"

"Nabila's on cloud nine. Another girl."

"Yeah?" Daryl asked, as he pulled his arm around Carol's shoulder.

"Mmm. Looks just like Jerry." Daryl snorted.

"Oh. Poor kid."

"Hey, Jerry happens to be quite handsome."

"M'just sayin'. If I was a girl, the last person I'd wanna look like would be my daddy. Let's just hope this next one looks like you."

"Still convinced we're having a girl, huh?" Carol asked, as Daryl moved his hand beneath the blankets and placed it on her stomach.

"Mmmhmm. And she's gonna have her mama's eyes, too. And your nose. Probably that smart ass mouth of yours, too."

"You like my smart ass mouth."

"Yeah, but on our kid? I don't think so." Carol snickered at that, and she sighed softly. They were quiet for a moment. "So. Jerry?"

"What?"

"Ya think he's handsome?"

"Oh, Daryl," Carol sighed.

"I got anything to worry about?" he teased.

"Not anymore. He broke my heart. Our affair was short but passionate," Carol teased.

"So long as it's over," Daryl laughed, as Carol peppered kisses to his jaw. "I love you."

"I love you," she whispered back, sliding her hand down his chest and over his stomach. Daryl chuckled, catching her wrist and stopping her before she could slide her hand down his pants.

"You ain't tired?" he asked.

"Dead on my feet," she laughed before kissing him again. "But, lucky for us, I can do this laying down." Daryl snorted then, but he let go of her hand and let her proceed, and it wasn't long before they were lost in one another, all cares tossed to the wayside.

Author's Note: Please let me know what you think. Feedback is much appreciated and encouraged.