We need better timing ! Rickyl

What lies ahead.

Daryl sighed as he sat by Rick's bedside his husband's hand firmly grasped in his own. "I need you to wake up okay, Carl needs you to wake up."

Daryl felt like a broken record as he sat there whispering the same thing he had done a hundred times this week, hoping that today would be the day his husband listened to him.

"He needs his dad man." Daryl sighed as he brought Rick's hand closer to his face. "And not me, he needs you. The one with all his shit together, not the one that goes off on a fucking hunting trip for way to long when things get bad. You help him with his homework better than I ever have. You just better at that stuff."

Daryl tried to fight back his tears not willing to let himself cry in a hospital where anyone could walk in and see him. "You promised me another kid Rick, a little brother or sister for Carl, you promised me and you can't keep the fucking promise if you don't wake the fuck up."

"How am I supposed to do this whole single father thing?" Daryl asked as he let his head rest on the side of the bed. "I earn shit all at my job, I don't know half the things Carl's learning in school so how the fuck would I be able to help him with his homework. Think about that Rick, if you don't wake up Carl's gonna fail at school you need to wake up so that doesn't happen. You need to wake up and make sure that our son does the best he can at school and can get whatever fucking job he wants when he's older."

Daryl sighed when nothing happened, not much of him expecting anything to happen anymore. He felt broken as he looked back up at his husband, looking my lifeless then he should. Looking the far vest thing from the man he's known for twenty plus years. "You have a kid waiting at home for you and you better damn well come back to him. You hear me."

**********

"Hey." Carl said as he walked into the hospital room, Lori right behind him.

"Hey." Daryl looked up from where he had be staring at his own hands to his son. "Good day at school?"

"It was okay." Carl told him as he walked around to sit in the chair next to Daryl's.

"How is he?" Lori asked as she sat down on the opposite side of the bed. "Any change?"

"No." Daryl shock his head as he leaned back in his chair. "Nothing's changed."

"When's he gonna wake up papa?" Carl asked looking away from Rick.

"I don't know buddy. I just don't know." Daryl had tried to make sure that he was always being truthful to his son through all of this, he didn't want Carl to feel like he was being left in the dark about anything that was happening.

"Why don't you go home and get some sleep." Lori suggested, the bags under Daryl's eyes showing his lake of sleep. "I'll stay here with Carl and bring him home in time for dinner."

Daryl looked reluctantly between his son and husband knowing that Lori was right and he really did need sleep but not wanting to leave the two people closest to him.

"I will call if anything change." Lori promised him.

Daryl finally nodded knowing it was for the best before he pushed himself up from chair, giving Carl a quick hug goodbye, leaving the room.

When Daryl got home to an empty house, no clue where his brother had gone, he walked up the stairs and into his and Rick's room.
Looking around at the room that was so clearly decorated by his husband Daryl let himself fall to the bed as he broke down for the first time since everything had happened just over a week ago.