Chapter 4
Merle had expected as much to happen and didn't so much as twitch. He simply stared into Glenn's eyes, fully prepared to die.
Harper, though not a fan of Merle, started forward only to have Daryl stretch his arm across her chest to halt her progress. She looked at him, pierced eyebrows raised
"Just let this play out," he whispered. She shrugged and stood next to Daryl, whom was surprisingly slow in removing his arm from across her body.
"Glenn, stop this right now!" Hershel said, edging forward on his crutches to stand next to the young Korean man with murder in his eyes. Glenn only spared Hershel a glance out of the corner of his eyes then pressed the barrel harder into Merle's forehead.
"Listen to Hershel, Glenn," Rick said, handing Judith to the nearby Beth. He then moved to stand next to the threatened man that was Merle. "You're not like this, there's a better way to handle this," he inched forward and extended his hand, assuming Glenn would relinquish the weapon.
Glenn, however, wasn't about to comply. He narrowed his eyes and glared daggers at Rick. His gun on Merle's head never wavering. "That's rich coming from you Rick!" He shoved Merle's head back slightly with the gun. Merle's eyes still hadn't wandered from Glenn's face. He was the type of man who wanted to look death in the face when it came for him. Rick reluctantly put his hand back down by his side.
"You've killed men for less Rick! You hypocrite! He nearly beat me to death!" Glenn stated in a deadly clam voice. Maggie stepped up to Glenn and put her hand on the barrel of Glenn's gun. "Glenn you don't wanna do this. No matter how you may feel you know this isn't right." Glenn broke eye contact with Merle to look at Maggie. She, afterall, had every right to hate Merle and want him dead after what the man did to Glenn.
"It's the Governor who needs to be taken care of first. He is the head of the snake, not Merle. As much of a sadistic ass Merle is he isn't the one we need to kill," she said reasonably. Glenn's hand loosened enough from the pistol grip for Maggie to take the weapon. Once in hand, she stepped back and placed the gun in the waist band of her jeans. Glenn's eyes strayed back to Merle, the murderous glare lessened but was not by any means gone. He remembered what the Governor had done to Maggie. Then swiftly as a striking cobra, Glenn's fist connected with Merle's face. After delivering the blow Glenn about-faced and strode back into the prison without a backward glance. Maggie followed her boyfriend. The rest of the group was still rooted in place waiting for Merle's reaction. Merle just stood still, his face darkening as blood welled under the skin. Some of that blood trickled from the split caused by Glenn's blow.
"Little Chinaman can pack a hit at least," was all Merle said. Rick rolled his frantic eyes and stepped toward Beth to retrieve Judith. He followed Glenn and Maggie's lead and went back into the prison. Beth followed with Carl by her side. Hershel shook his head silently and turned to follow his youngest daughter. The ever quiet Michonne trailed after the two. Her disgust with Merle was plain on her usually composed features.
Carol turned to leave, then stopped to look over her shoulder and said, "Daryl, I'm glad you decided to come back, you know how much we all need you." Without another word she continued on to the prison.
This left Merle, Daryl, Harper, the looming equine Ash and the lounging feline Ripley standing before the closed gate behind them. Lionel was circling low in the sky, as he had been since the previous events had unfolded. Once the tension was diffused he alighted on Ash's saddle.
"Well, that was something," Harper deadpanned. "I feel a rather dramatic campfire story coming on this evening." With that the trio slowly walked toward the prison. Ripley yawned and stretched to follow. Knowing they couldn't follow inside the building Ash and Lionel simply watched them go.
