Title: A Storm From the Sea
Summary: Daryl Dixon heads back to Atlanta with Rick and the others to rescue Merle from the rooftops, but this time, they find him. Weak from blood loss, Daryl stays with his brother in Atlanta determined they will make their own way without the groups help. But things never go that smoothly.
Notes: Slight AU. The show goes the same way up until 'Tell it to the Frogs' but from there, they find Merle and things go in different directions.
Warnings: Major character deaths.
Additionally, I know I can be a bugger for starting stories and leaving them hanging, but this story is complete, so updates will be quick. Show a little love. :)
"Merle? Ya hear me?"
Daryl shook his brother gently, noticed the heat radiating from his brother's fevered body, the sweat soaked material clinging to his skin. Merle gave a low groan as a reply, not coherent enough to answer his brother's request.
First light was breaking now and Daryl started to unwrap the messy dressing around the stump that used to be Merle's right hand.
The smell of infection was clear and Daryl cracked open the car's window to help.
He threw out the spoilt bandages and re-wrapped the wound best he could.
He popped some painkillers and antibiotics into Merle's mouth, helped him swallow them, and watched his brother as he went back into a fevered sleep.
Daryl bit nervously on his thumbnail. His gut was knotted in fear, because he knew Merle was in trouble.
This wasn't his brother.
His brother was loud, obnoxious, always pushing people's buttons, winding them up, egging people on. Not silent, hands trembling, soaked through in sweat.
He was dying.
Daryl pushed the heels of his hands into his eyes, tried to rub away everything. The exhaustion was one thing, but the fear that he might not be able to save Merle scared the shit out of him.
There was only one thing he could do.
*Flashback*
Daryl wiped the sweat off his brow as he raced back to where he'd left Merle.
He could hear the Asian kids footsteps just behind him but he didn't care whether he'd made it back or not. Painkillers and antibiotics. That was the only thing on his mind.
When they'd found Merle, hand severed and cauterised but delirious with blood loss, pain and sun stroke to boot, he'd initially froze.
Everything just overwhelmed him for a moment and as Rick and T Dog started to try and help the barely conscious man Merle had enough about him to push them away, curse them out and that bought Daryl around as he shoved them back further, made his brother realise he'd come back for him.
And then one of them said something about medical supplies and Daryl knew he needed to get them. Couldn't trust these dumb fucks not to mess it all up.
So despite hating the idea of leaving Merle he got up and headed out, the Sheriff giving instructions for Asia to go with him and Daryl barked out for them to try not to kill Merle while he was gone.
And Daryl was shovelling down painkillers and antibiotics for Merle while the others stood behind him uselessly. And it wasn't until Rick lowered himself beside Daryl that he really remembered they were there.
"We should move him," Rick said.
"You don't touch my brother!" Daryl barked, knife out and pointed at Rick before anyone could really react. "Just get back to yer damn family. I got mine here and ain't no way I'm lettin' him anywhere near you people again. To hell with ya'll." He lowered the knife, sheathed it and turned his attention back to Merle.
"You can't look after him by yourself, Daryl," Rick tried to reason.
"Can't? Hell, it's been me and Merle our whole lives. Ain't changing now."
"The two of you won't make it..." T Dog added.
Daryl huffed at him "Like we're better off with you. All this wouldn't be happening if it weren't for you!" His voice rose as his anger simmered. "Go back to ya camp. And pray you don't run into us again."
Rick exchanged glances with the other two men and they nodded. Time to go. Before they left, Rick paused at the door. "I never meant for this to happen, Daryl."
"Yeah? Well it did. Shit happens."
*Present*
Merle cracked his eyes open as Daryl drove the stolen car up a bumpy path.
"Where we goin'? he muttered weakly.
Daryl spent so long looking at Merle, shocked his brother was conscious that he nearly drove them straight off the road into a ditch. "Fuck," he muttered as he swerved to straighten up. He concentrated on the road this time. "Goin' back to the camp." Daryl explained.
"Fuck for?" Merle muttered, already sounding sluggish.
"They owe us. S'all their fault this happens. Least they can do is help us out until you're better."
Merle let a light huff escape his lips but slipped back to being quiet and when Daryl checked on him minutes later, he was unconscious again.
The frown Daryl wore deepened. He had brief flashes of the group turning him away, refusing to help them but he tried to stay off that train of thought.
If that happened he'd deal with it then.
But he hoped it wouldn't be the case. They'd been decent enough up until now.
Had taken them both in when they first arrived. Had gone back for Merle and Rick did make the offer for them to go back to the quarry with them.
He hated that he needed them but it was only for a little while.
Once Merle was healed, they could do whatever they wanted and fuck it if he wouldn't rob them bastards blind just to show them all.
Nobody fucked them over and got away with it.
He stopped the car as he reached the top of the quarry.
He stared ahead.
Stared at the spot there the RV once stood.
The only car remaining was some flash red sports car. Everything else was gone, except his blue truck with Merle's bike a few feet away.
His lip trembled before he even realised it and he stepped out of the car.
There was a note for someone else on the red car and he ignored it.
Headed over to the truck and found the keys were left in plain sight. He grabbed them, intending to at least leave in his own truck but when he tried to start it, it wouldn't turn over and he realised they must have syphoned all the gas from his truck before leaving.
That was when he remembered Merle's stash. He had some damn strong painkillers with the other pills he carried and that might be enough to save his brother right now.
He left the truck, headed to the bike. But it didn't take him long to see the saddlebags were missing.
In fact, all the stuff from the back of his truck was gone too.
They'd taken everything.
Left him with a truck with no gas, and a bike that was no damn good for him to transport Merle in.
He wasn't even aware of the tears running down his face as the frustration burned in him.
He didn't know how to save Merle on his own. And he didn't know anyone else. Didn't know who the fuck might help them. They weren't an appealing pair for strangers to take in, and Merle was the talker, not him.
He'd got them into the last group. Daryl wasn't good with people.
He ran a hand across his face, pushing away the sweat and tears and ran it up into his hair.
He let out a breath. Gathered himself.
He could do this. He could save Merle alone.
He'd have to now.
Rick Grimes told them at the quarry that he couldn't leave a man to die. That's why he'd gone back for Merle Dixon.
Instead, he'd left two men to die, because he saw no logical way that Daryl Dixon would be able to save both himself and his brother the way they'd left them.
So it was his idea. That they took a chance and headed back to the store where they'd left Daryl and Merle and tried to talk them into coming with them.
And if they still turned them away, they could at least give them some supplies.
They could spare them a gun, some ammo. At least give them back their own possessions which they'd taken from the brother's vehicles before leaving them behind. Glenn had stuffed all the brothers belongings into a backpack so it's be easier for them to take with them.
The group had gathered back at the caravan after the detour.
"Nothing," Glenn said.
"We tried, Rick," Lori said, "There's nothing else we can do."
"She's right, man. You said Daryl decided not to come back to the camp and you came out and tried to find him anyway. Ain't nothing more we can do now. We head on to Fort Benning, right?" Shane kicked in.
Rick looked guilt ridden, but he knew they couldn't do anything else. They'd tried the department store, Glenn had tried a couple of pharmacies and there was no sign of the Dixon brothers. They needed to move on.
He nodded. "You're right. We should go."
TBC...