Kahlan was headed to her cell to gear up for tower duty when Glenn stopped her.
"You've been up forever taking care of Rick and I'm sure you're tired. I'll take your shift tonight," he said.
Kahlan expressed her thanks. She was tired even though she had done what was needed for Rick.
She tried to hide her grin because she also knew Glenn wasn't just doing this for her; he often switched shifts with others so he and Maggie could have alone time away from the group.
Rick said goodnight to Carl and helped Beth put Judith to bed under the watchful eye of Carol.
He fell in step with Carol on their way through the cell block. He stopped at the doorway of the cell she now shared with Daryl. Daryl was sitting in the corner cleaning his crossbow and looked up as Carol entered. They shared a private smile before he turned his attention to Rick.
"I just wanted to thank you both for taking care of everything while I try to sort stuff out," Rick said, glancing between them.
Carol reached out to touch his arm and warmly smiled.
"That's what family does," she said. Daryl nodded in acknowledgment.
"I appreciate it," Rick said before bidding them goodnight.
He wandered to the cell Carol and Lori used to share that Kahlan now inhabited. He took a deep breath to stave off the sudden wave of emotion that flooded his soul.
Kahlan was lying on her bunk, fully clothed with an arm slung over her face.
Assuming she was asleep, he turned when she called out.
"You can come in, you know," she said, still not moving.
Rick hesitated before entering and leaning against the bed frame.
"I just wanted to say thanks," he said.
Kahlan lifted her arm and peered at him.
"You're still not out of the woods yet," she replied. "Thank me in a couple of months when you don't feel like you're drowning anymore."
Rick stared at her as he processed her words. She certainly didn't sugarcoat anything. He had never quite met anyone like her before.
"Hey, I'm just being honest with you," she said, pushing herself up on her elbows. "There ain't no fairy dust I can sprinkle on you and make all the pain disappear. The nightmares will come at the most inopportune moments. You will still want to kill yourself when the darkness swallows you. It is what it is. But eventually you won't feel like you are suffocating and you might even find yourself laughing again."
Kahlan rolled her side and pressed her back against the wall before patting the spot next to her.
"You can stay here tonight so you don't have to be alone," she said.
Rick stood there for a minute as he considered it. He then toed his boots off and climbed into bed beside her.
They lay there not touching, both drifting off into dreamless slumber.
Kahlan woke with start. Her eyes flew open and her breathing quickened. She was sandwiched between the wall and Rick's back.
Her claustrophobia set in along with the hyperventilating. She pressed a hand on Rick's back and he automatically rolled to his stomach. She scrambled over him and landed on the floor with a thud.
"Breathe," she reprimanded herself as she sucked in air. "Just f***ing breathe."
"What's wrong?" Rick groggily asked.
"Nothing. Go back to sleep," Kahlan answered, reaching out to stroke his temple as she laid her forehead against the bed frame.
Later that night Rick got up to relieve himself and found Kahlan curled up on the floor asleep. He finished his business before dropping to one knee to shake her.
"Kahlan," he softly said. She popped one eye open.
"What?" she asked.
"There's no reason for you to sleep on the floor. I can go back to my cell so you can have your bed," he said, helping her up.
"Naw. You can stay," she said. "I just had a panic attack. I can't take tight spaces. Let me sleep on the outside and it will be okay."
Rick nodded and crawled in first. Kahlan settled on her side, her arms crossed across her chest, facing him.
Neither spoke and drifted back to sleep.