Daryl was just about beside himself pacing the house with Sophia over his shoulder, she was crying and he knew she needed Carol and to be fed. He looked into the fridge to see if there was any milk or something he could feed her. He pulled out a jar of apple sauce and held it up. He wasn't very good at feeding her due to his arm but he was going to have to try.

'You wanna try apple sauce for Daddy?'

Sophia cried again and he put the jar in a bowl of hot water to take the chill off it. He pulled open the freezer and pulled out some of her milk stash she had in there. She didn't like to bottle feed her but he put the little bag of milk in another bowl of warm water to defrost. He didn't know what he should try first. He knew she liked to give her milk before solid food. He couldn't do it holding Sophia so he put her on the ground on the floor and opened up the cupboard he'd dubbed 'the Sophia cupboard' looking for a bottle that he hoped they had one.

He didn't even know if she would take a bottle she was pretty attached to Carols boobs, he didn't blame her they were pretty nice. He shook his head to clear his thoughts a little so he wasn't thinking about the packages Sophia's milk come in. He run more hot water into the bowl he was defrosting her milk in. It didn't look good to him, it had big creamy bits and runny bits. He mashed it a little breaking up the ice in the bag.

He had the bottle, and the milk was nearly melted. He didn't know what he was supposed to do with the bottle were they supposed to boil it or something he turned the jug on and then decided he better check with Lori just in case he poisoned Soph or something.

'She's not back and I've melted some milk in the plastic thing what now?' he blurted out when she said hello.

'Well hello to you Daryl,'

'Help!'

'Ok, its still in its bag in the plastic bag?' Lori asked him.

'Yes, she's crying,' He was starting to get stressed about the noise at his feet and doing the bottle right.

'Ok, so what I would do is rinse the teat in boiling water. Let it cool, warm the milk in the bag in the warm water, you put it in warm water right?'

'Yes, I remembered that not to put it in the mircowave,' Daryl told her.

' Well you just put the bag inside the bottle, put the edges over the side of the bag... then the teat goes on top, then your good to go.'

'Ok,' he was doing most of it as she was talking.

'Daryl if the milk isn't coming out very well losen the top of the bottle slightly like a couple of tiny movements, it will flow better.'

'Thanks, I have to go,'

'Ok calm down she won't try drink if your stressed,' Lori told him.

'Its too late I'm freaking out they been gone 4 hours where are they?'

'They will be back soon, you got this, if not try apple sauce,' Lori told him, 'Good luck,'

She rung off and he was losening the teat of the bottle cursing everyone about not being there to feed Sophia. He picked up his crying baby off the floor and tried to calm her down then he tried to plug the gap by putting the bottle in. She took a couple of sucks then cried some knowing it was her milk and not her mummy.

'Shush shush, Mama be here soon, have some of this crappy stuff and be cheerful about it,' Daryl told her calmly.

He sat on the couch talking to her quietly and she calmed a little to take some sucks of the offered bottle.

'Its not as nice as Mama's boobies, she has nicer boobs for milkies than this thing but sometimes when there no boobies you have to have theses,' Daryl told her in all seriousness.

He looked out the drive and no car was there yet, he hoped they would come soon, he wasn't adapt to deal with the baby for feeding her. He didn't know what the hell he was doing. She was drinking the milk but she was letting him know she wasn't happy about it pulling off and crying then sucking then crying. She cried her whole way through her bottle. She finished and he hoped it was enough for her, she fisted her hand and was chewing on it. He put he over his sore shoulder and rubbed her back and she finally fell asleep, the afternoon was turning to dark.

He managed to stand and move her to her bed. When he come out he could see headlights coming up the drive. Carol was getting out of the car she waved Rick off and headed up the steps towards Daryl. He was standing there with his arms crossed waiting for her to say something.

'Is Soph ok?' she asked him.

'Gave her a bottle of your milk, she took it she likes titties better,' Daryl told her, Carol could tell he was annoyed with her still she walked past him to go into the house, her boobs were aching and she needed to pump or something.

Daryl reached out and snagged her wrist and pulled her back to him. He kissed her hard.

'Please, I'ma sorry,'

'I know, I love you too, but my boobs are so sore, I gotta do something about them before they explode,' she told him, 'I'll tell you about it soon, I need time to process everything,'

'I can help you with your boobs if you wanna hand?'

'I'm sure you can Daryl, whatever did you have in mind?'