The last walker was taken down. Rick nodded his silent thank you towards Daryl. He didn't have to speak, Daryl understood. Rick bent over and then fell to his knees. Daryl watched Rick with growing concern, finger on the trigger of his crossbow. His brother was standing right behind Rick and Daryl couldn't be sure what could come to Merle's head when he saw Rick so vulnerable. Rick looked as if he he hadn't been sleeping for days. His eyes were bloodshot, his skin was terribly pale under the layers of dirt and walkers' blood and his hair was falling into his face in greasy strands. But what made Daryl even more worried was the mental state he was in. He was kneeling on the ground and he was shaking, absent-minded look fixed in the distance. Daryl put his crossbow over his back, made a step towards Rick and helped him to his feet.
"What's wrong man?" Daryl didn't understand what the hell could have happened in these two days he was gone.
He heard Merle's laughter behind him: "You two real cuties together. Who would have guessed my lil'bro would fall in love with officer friendly!"
Daryl shot him an annoyed look and turned to Rick: "We need to clear the field. It's crammed with fuckin' walkers."
Rick finally nodded, grasped the fence and looked over the field to the prison yard.
"Do ya' know if anybody…?" Daryl's voice trailed off.
Rick shook his head: "I don't know, everything happened so fast. Hershel was in the field, near the fence, I talked to him. Glen was gone and Carl was on watch. Axel and Carol stood in the yard. Then the heavy fire started and one son of a bitch got to the guard tower. Whole yard was opened to him…"
Daryl felt like somebody punched him in the stomach. He was late. He gripped the metal fence and tried to catch a glimpse of any movement in the yard. He saw nothing.
"Bro, the governor riddled your fucking lil' family with bullets. Stop starin', let's go inside, we can have a nap in that prison of yours."
Merle's grasping voice was getting under Rick's skin. He twitched and started to turn around but Daryl was faster. He turned on his heel and jabbed a finger into his brother's chest.
"Merle shut the fuck up or I swear I'll let them to beat shit out of ya and help them myself!"
Merle laughed at him: "And who exactly will beat the shit out me? Your cute lover over here or your walker friends if they were not lucky and didn't catch the bullet in their heads?"
Something in Daryl's face made Merle fall silent.