Rick attempted, albeit unsuccessfully, to try and stop analysing why Daryl had raised his hand as if to squeeze his shoulder but pulled it back down again, maybe he's not a tactile person, he thought to himself, but he was about to, which means he has it in him, his brain betrayed. He needs to stop analysing everything, or else he really is going to go off his block and he has people to look after, and a never ending list of things to do in regards to securing the prison. This isn't just about me, I've got people, children, relying on me to keep them safe, he rationalises.
Rick brings focus back to the task at hand, safety first and foremost.
"Okay, let's get the other car in; park them in the west entry of the yard".
Daryl the ever trusty right hand man concurs, "Good, our vehicles camped out there look like a giant vacancy sign."
Rick continues, "After that we need to load up these corpses, so we can burn 'em".
It's gonna be a long day", T Dog mutter as Carol makes her way over and chimes in, "Where's Glenn and Maggie? We could use the help."
Daryl with his finely tuned hunter's senses points to the nearest guard tower, "Up in the guard tower."
"The guard tower? They were just up there last night!"
"Glenn! Maggie!"
Glenn sheepishly steps out of the guard tower, to face them, "What's up guys?"
"Ya coming?"
"What?"
"Ya coming? Come on we could use a hand".
"Yeah, we'll be right down".
Carol, Daryl and Rick all share a good laugh at the double entendre, a blush appears on Rick's face and neck as he imagines Daryl making him cum and he averts his gaze to the ground to avoid further embarrassment, but before his eyes fully reach the ground, he notices the same blush he can feel on his face has cropped up all over Daryl's.
T Dog's voice draws him out of his reverie and he sees the reason why T called him- the prisoners have made their way to the yard.
"That's close enough, we had an agreement", Rick snarls.
"Please, Mr., we know that, we made a deal, but you gotta understand, we can't live in that place for another minute, you follow me? All the bodies, people we knew, blood, brains, there's ghosts", Axel implores.
"Why didn't you move the bodies out?" Daryl questions, not trusting them one bit.
"You should be burnin' 'em", T adds.
"The fence is down, every time we do, it attracts more of those things", Oscar states with something akin to disgust.
"Look, we had nothin' to do with Tomas and Andrew, nothin', you try'na prove a point, you proved it, bro, we'll do whatever it takes to be part of your group".
"Our deal is non-negotiable, live in your cell block or leave".
"Told you this was a waste of time, Axel, just as bad as the guys who shot up our boys", Oscar laments sadly.
Rick feels a surge of guilt and looks to his second, a very subtle shake of the head lets Rick know what Daryl thinks of the situation they find themselves in.
Daryl makes his way back to the rest and is surprised to hear that T wants to bring them into the fold, everyone is vocally matching his own sentiment; about T Dog and everyone having to sleep with one eye open, he already does, apparently. He voices his thoughts, "I get guys like this, grew up with 'em, degenerates, but they ain't psychos, doesn't mean they should join us though". Rick regales them with a story of a boy who suckered the jury and shot another girl 2 weeks later, whether the story was true or not, he'll side with Rick no matter what, they've got too much and too many people to lose.
…
"Move the cars to the upper yard, point them facing out, they're out of the way but they'll be ready to go if we ever need to bail", Rick commands.
Rick decides to give the prisoners a week's supply of food for the road and tries to ignore the crestfallen face of T Dog when he says he's rather have no one's blood on their hands.
Glenn, Rick and Daryl are in the middle of discussing their ammo provisions, making supply runs and burning the corpses as they don't want to plant crops in walker infested soil, when they see a sight that can't help but put a smile on their faces, Hershel slowly hobbling on his new crutches. Lori is staring at him with those doe eyes of hers and he can't bring himself to reciprocate in anyway, so he just focuses on Hershel's mini victory, until Carl's cry of, "Walkers!" echoes all around him- deafening in its urgency.
…
"Noo!"
They spring to action, but the three men are so far away from the Walkers, Rick's not sure if they'll even be able to help them in time. He unlocks the gates ready to face the swarm of Walkers that threatens to overcome them, feeling some relief that at least Hershel, Beth, Lori, Carl and Maggie are hidden away.
Rick starts firing, whilst screaming, "What the hell happened?"
He finds out T was bit, but he can't dwell on that now, not if they're all going to make this out alive. Glenn states that cutters had to have been used, and he can't help but think it was the prisoners and what punishment he's going to dish out to them, when hell really breaks loose; and he thinks the world can't possibly go anymore to shit, then the prison alarms sound- well, shit…
"You've got to be kidding me!" He hears Daryl exclaim.
He can see why, those alarms are alerting every walker within a 10 mile radius as to their whereabouts, they've got to act quick or this is going to become dire, very quickly. Oscar explains it must be the back- up generators, whilst protesting that they had anything to do with it, Rick brings them with him as they know where the generators are.
Rick makes his way through the cell block, neither Lori nor Carl in sight and lets out a scream, "Somebody is playing games!" The others walk in, and Daryl gives an infinitesimal nod to his leader, "Took down five of them in there", they all split up, on the premise that those who reach the generators first will shut them down.
They find what appears to be the generator room, they enter, Daryl and Oscar barricading the door and Rick eventually starts turning the generators off, until a flash of movement in his periphery comes at him full throttle and suddenly it's Andrew with an axe backing him into a corner- he's got rage and spitfire in his eyes and he's going to kill Rick or die trying.
Daryl can't hold the door much longer and he can hear Rick's screams, it aches that he can't do anything to help, but he's best focusing on not allowing a swarm of Walkers into the confines space, it would be suicide. Meanwhile, Andrew gets a few hits in and Rick is sprawled on the floor- this is bad- Daryl can't hold the door any longer, gets up, sinks a bolt into the head of an old walker, uses his hunting knife to kill another and shuts the door, to his relief.
To Rick's utter surprise, Oscar throws a barrel and temporarily stuns Andrew and picks up Rick's Python, "Shoot him!" Andrew begs, "We can take back this prison!" Rick is trying to placate Oscar thinking he's going to kill him, "What are you waiting for? This is our house, show him!" Oscar wavers slightly, moves a few centimetres to the left and shoots Andrew, his allegiance clear, Rick comes out of his stupor and nods his thanks. That is more than enough action for today, he thinks to himself.
…
Daryl makes his way back to the cell block and upon making his way up the stairs to his perch, Rick calls out to him from his cell, he wanders over, not sure whether to go in or not so he just sort of stands there, neither in nor out, he keeps his eyes trained on the floor, "I just wanted to say thanks for havin' my back, back there, I guess, I'm so used to Shane's sneering and second guessing that I'm always surprised by you, Daryl, thank you."
"M'not Shane", he replies a little defensive for his liking.
"I know, I jus' feel he haunts me even though he's gone, I should give you more credit, you've done nothing but good for me, except for those squirrels, they were nasty", Rick chuckles.
"S'nothin, it's what I'm good for, huntin' and killin', nothin' much more than that", it's all he knows, it's all he's ever been told, and half the time, he was criticised for that as well.
"It isn't nothing, Daryl! My best friend of 30 years tried to kill me, what does that say? You've done more for this group than they will ever know, don't forget that."
Rick sees Daryl look up at him with swirling blue eyes filled with unspoken words and emotions always so closely guarded, and it is in this moment he realises Daryl is beautiful, not that he'd tell him that, he'd probably have his balls on a platter handed to him, and he has no doubt Daryl would actually do it. He needs to get something off his chest- he's done that a lot lately- "Hey, why did you raise your hand and pull it away the other night?" Daryl looks at him with wide eyes, before gaining his composure and his finely tuned mask back in place.
"Dunno, Rick, just leave it."
"Come on, I'm serious, I don't care."
Daryl heaves another large sigh, "Was try'na be comfortin', but then I realised I didn't know how".
Rick feels his heart swell, he pictures a little boy who has never felt love, comfort or affection from those who are meant to give it most. It is while he is in this half alert, half picturing Daryl as a loveless child that without realising he kisses Daryl on the cheek and walks out of his cell, this time leaving Daryl wondering what the fuck just happened.
…
Daryl is standing at his perch still clutching his cheek, mind running a million miles a minute- does he know? Did he think I was Lori? Is he just screwing with me?- he bites his lip so fucking hard, it starts bleeding- he will just forget about it- Rick looked a bit dazed anyway.
…
What the fuck was he thinking? Of all people he kisses on the cheek it has to be a badass hunter with a crossbow from the backwoods of Georgia who could beat him to a pulp in seconds- but he didn't, he had plenty of time to beat you up afterward, but he didn't, maybe he wants this, too- Shut up brain! He doesn't want to get his hopes up, so he makes his way to survey the damage of today's events. Hershel hasn't seen the others and he starts to worry. He is stewing in his concern when he hears the little cries and sees Maggie shuffling towards him carrying the littlest baby imaginable.
"Where is she?"
"Rick, no!"
"No, no, no, no!"
Carl stares impassively and resolutely refuses to look at his father. Rick starts wailing and falls to the floor in his grief.