"I brought you some food." Carol stopped just outside of Merle's cell, hovering with a tray of food in her hands. Merle rose from his bunk and waved her to step inside.
"Thank you." He said surprise colouring his voice, having not expected any kindness from the group at all after the way things had been left in Atlanta.
"Figured you were part of our family now." Carol placed the tray down and took a seat on the bunk opposite, she saw that Merle was inspecting the contents of the tray and was probably comparing it to the offerings at Woodbury. "It's not much, but compared to what we've had; it's a lot." Merle smiled faintly back – he found it completely lacking in substance compared to the meat and potatoes that he had been enjoying only a few days before; but accepted it in the spirit that it was offered in. Carol sat back on the bunk and watched Merle picking at the tray; she had to choose her words carefully, not wanting to set him off in a rage.
"I should have been dead several times over." She finally said, referring to the many times that one of the other members of the group had stepped out in front of her; protecting her from the Walkers.
"Ain't that the truth for us all?" Merle agreed, thinking back to the time he had been left chained to the rooftop in Atlanta. If he hadn't had taken the chance and sawn his own hand off; he might have still been there now – a turned Walker, but still chained by that damned handcuff.
"I think that part of the reason I'm not is that people always underestimate me." Carol leant forward, deadly serious as she looked directly into his gaze. "Don't underestimate me, Merle."
"Excuse me?" Merle dropped the piece of ham back onto the tray in shock and looked over at the slight woman with the ice cold eyes.
"I've seen you making the rounds, trying to play nice." Carol continued, not noticing Merle's attention drift over past her shoulder. Daryl had been making his way over to see how his brother was faring; but had stopped at the bottom of the stairs when he noticed Carol sitting in the cell with him. "But if you screw this up; mess with Daryl in anyway…" Carol leant forward to emphasise her last point, lowering her voice a little until it was cold and deadly; "I will slit your throat while you sleep." She sat back and watched Merle digest the statement; a smirk ghosted about his lips and his eyes flickered over to gauge Daryl's reaction to the little woman's threat. Something in the way Daryl held his arms crossed against his chest made Merle's smirk falter slightly and he sat back against the wall and stayed silent as Carol rose to her feet.
"Enjoy your food." She shot him a completely insincere smile and turned to leave the cell; not noticing the quiet man that uncrossed his arms to silently follow her down the hallway.
Merle rose from his bunk and stared out between the bars at the retreating figure of his brother and the woman he followed. "Brother, you got yourself a cold one there…Brrrr!"