Andrea made him eat at the table at dinner time. He was clearly exhausted from doing nothing but coming home and talking. He played with Sophia a little bit in bed. He ,moaned a little about eating, he'd lost a lot of weight from the infection. He didn't feel hungry or want too eat. Carol had given him a protein drink during the afternoon, which he drank only because she told him he wouldn't be able to play with Sophia.
Carol watched as he was determined to do everything for himself he was starting to annoy everyone because he kept dropping things and stumbling while he was doing it, everything including pouring his drink and Carol shut her eyes at the glass went smashing to the ground.
'Fine if you insist on doing things for yourself please use the plastic, Sophia rolling and trying to crawl everywhere, she might catch a stray bit of glass,' Merle growled at him, everyone was surprised that he spoke up, he looked pissed off and went across to the lounge to pick up Sophia who was rolling around playing with her feet and took her outside with him.
'Where you going with my kid?' Daryl called after him, Carol shook her head and she and Andrea had to clean up the mess including vacuuming the floor as well to get every last piece of glass off the floor.
'You need to let us help you,' Carol told him, 'You could drop something on her head,'
'She could get cut or something, no glass or plates,' Andrea told him. 'Its going to take time, you know this, we went through this last time.'
'Fine,' he mumbled, he didn't feel much like eating now, Carol was still mad at him, Andrea shook her head and left going to the nursery and picking up a hat and blanket for Sophia, she had the pram and pushed it towards the front door.
'We will take Sophia for a stroll, you can talk to Mr Determined,' She told Carol quietly in the kitchen as Carol was putting glass in the rubbish. She nodded, they had a lot to talk about and really it was the first time they had together in almost a month.
'Ok big boy where are we going to do this?' Carol asked him. He looked at her and blinked a little, Carol almost wondered if he was going to cry. She watched not really know what to do but kneel in front of him wrapping her arms around him making shushing noises to try do something. His tears fell, he was exhausted and tired. She made shushing soothing noises like she would Sophia, holding him running her hand up and down his arm.
'Sorry,' he managed to get out, 'Shouldn't have done the thing at the prison, ... just... I ...'
'Ok, Ok, lets get you to your feet and to be,' Carol told him, 'Come on, bed,'
'Carol, I love you and Soph... When it happened... I couldn't keep you both safe...I had to choose,' Daryl told her,his eyes were tearing, his face was streaked, 'I had to choose Sophia... I wanted to chose you both but I had to choose her... I didn't want to have you near them without me, to the prison,'
He managed to stand his shoulders half heaving as Carol slipped under his arm helping him to the bedroom. He'd been showered and Andrea had changed his dressing, She had him sitting on the side of the bed. He was upset she'd never seen him cry, she didn't like it, it was hurting her throat and making it hard for her to breath. She wrapped her arms around him and they moved together onto the bed.
He started touching her, and kissed her. She knew he wanted her but honestly he wasn't up for it. It was a instant emotion to try feel better. She could feel him hard pressed against her, his hands drifted up and down her body.
Carol slowed down his attempts by kissing him back and rubbing his back until he did fall asleep. His breathing was hitched and he was making funny noises while he slept. He seemed more relaxed at home, relieved to be there, not putting up a hard front like he had been doing at the hospital.
They still had a long way to go, on Monday he started physio and not that she was complaining about having him home. She'd missed him, all of him. She would be keen to take it that step further but he was tired she really didn't think it was a good idea to do anything like that, he might pull a stitch or something, She dozed beside him thinking it might be best for her to go on top and do all the work, he could just lie there. She heard the soft cries of her daughter as she come back to the house with Merle and Andrea. Carol rolled out of the bed to feed her, bath her and put her down for the night.