A/N: this chapter has a bit of ick in it. Maybe some people won't really notice it, but it's there and it's not pointed out in an obvious way, but it's there. Also, there's some reference back to what happened to Daryl.

2.

It was late into the night.

Rick had watch, but he'd been nervous about the fact that this area had been populated before they'd rolled in and he decided to have Carl on watch with him, keeping an eye on the other side of the building.

It wasn't really something they did these days, go out of their way to help strangers.

But Merle had looked so desperate. And the fact that he didn't seem like the sort who'd easily be driven to that was the deciding factor to Rick.

Merle had filled them in on the fact that the people in the building had his brother and beside the fact that they were 'filthy fuckers' they'd got little else out of him as to what the situation was.

But once they'd breached the building, Rick had backed up Merle and they'd found Daryl.

Rick didn't want to think about what he'd seen, and he couldn't imagine how Merle had felt seeing that.

They'd killed the two men in the room with Daryl quickly and Rick had closed the door before any of the others in the group could get a look at the sight inside.

He'd not even thought about it as he unbuttoned his shirt and passed it to Merle to cover his brother with. He still wore a tee underneath whereas Merle was only dressed in a vest. Rick only met Merle's eyes as he passed the shirt over, not able to bring himself to look at the naked quivering mess that was his brother. But even the look Merle wore had killed Rick.

Hershel had often said Rick felt too much. But looking at the brothers, how could he not?

They'd done nothing to deserve their treatment, simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The group had been all men and it seemed they kept their prisoners for a while to meet their needs before they'd eat them. It wasn't the first time they'd encountered cannibals since the world ended.

He knew it wouldn't be the last.

Hershel had checked over Daryl and was able to tell Merle that his brother didn't require any stitches, which was something of a relief.

Rick was drawn from his daze by a gentle noises coming from across the room. He looked across and saw that Daryl was sat up, muttering something as Merle tried to soothe him. Rick could see a sheen of sweat covering Daryl's skin, glistening in the moonlight even as Rick kept on the other side of the room.

And then it seemed as if from nowhere, Daryl was hurling on the ground.

Rick heard Merle mutter a curse as he scooted away from Daryl slightly and then moved round to his brothers other side. But it seemed once Daryl started he couldn't stop and when he had nothing else to bring up, he was still heaving and Rick could see how the act was taking a toll on the man's exhausted body. When his arms gave out on him, Merle quickly grabbed his brother and held him up while he made sure he was finished and then positioned him back down on the makeshift bed.

Rick could hear Daryl muttering words to Merle as his breathing hitched. He was a mess.

Rick turned on his torch and pointed it down at the ground as he made his way over to the brothers. He made sure he pointed it away from them as he slowly approached.

"Need anything?" He didn't look at Daryl, didn't want to heighten the man's shame in anyway.

Merle shook his head. The flash light in Rick's hand passed across the slick pile of vomit on the floor. And Rick glanced across to Daryl, the pull of checking him over for himself too strong, and he was half wrapped in a blanket and still wearing Rick's shirt.

He looked dishevelled, like he had no clue what was going on.

Hershel had expressed his concern that they might have drugged Daryl, and Rick was starting to think that he might be right.

When Rick turned his attention back to Merle, not wanting to make Daryl uncomfortable even though he'd really not noticed Rick's presence, Merle was still staring at the vomit and then Rick realised why.

The consistency of it was something they both recognised and the pair met eyes briefly before Merle reacted, bending down to help Daryl to his feet and dragging him across the room away from the mess.

Rick was aware of the others, having been woken by the fuss around them, but paid no attention to them.

Merle's actions were rougher than Rick had seen him be with his brother up until then, but then he recognised the anger surging through Merle at what he'd seen and with no way to vent it, it was spilling out of him.

He grabbed the blankets Daryl was sleeping on and passed them to Merle as he found them a new spot to sleep in. Daryl just stood their numbly trembling while Merle tended to the bed and Rick handed Daryl another blanket.

The man seemed to have no realisation that he was half naked still. Merle had produced a pair of boxers but that was all the lower of half of Daryl was covered with. Even in the faded light, Rick could see bruising covering his legs, especially around his thighs and knees.

Daryl grabbed the corner of the blanket with one hand and let it drop around his feet.

"Here," Rick said as he carefully moved around Daryl's other side and handed his empty hand the other corner. Daryl still didn't pull the blanket around himself but Rick didn't want to get any closer to him, so he made his way across the room and covered up Daryl's vomit with some old filthy rags.

Merle shot Rick a grateful look and Rick watched as Merle roughly pulled Daryl back down to the bed and muttered quietly to him about resting.

Rick watched as the others settled back down again. He hoped that the rest of the night would pass peacefully.