Chapter 10

Gwen rung out her hair as best she could then opened up her back pack and pulled some dry clothes from the garbage bag inside. She started to take off her shirt when she looked over at Merle and saw him staring at her.

"Do you mind?" She asked as she waited for Merle to turn around as she got undressed.

"What?...I ain't stoppin' ya! I already know the carpet don't match the drapes if that's what you're worried about!" Merle stated as he laughed out loud.

"Oh yeah….that's hilarious Merle…..now turn around so I can change….I'm freezing in these wet clothes." Gwen told him.

Merle continued to laugh as he turned his back towards her. Gwen paused to makes sure he wouldn't just turn all the way around like a smart ass and once she felt he'd stay put she started to change.

Gwen had turned partially sideways with mainly her back towards Merle. Slowly Merle turned his head around and watched her from the corner of his eye so she wouldn't catch him staring. Even though he didn't have any plans to make a move on her, he was still Merle after all and looking wouldn't hurt. As he watched her get dressed, he noticed all the black and blue bruises on her back and figured she got most of those from him during their wrestling match earlier that morning. He could also see a red mark forming on her rib cage that looked fresh, he assumed from her close up with the walker at the grocery store. She was certainly banged up and bruised. Gwen tucked her hair behind her ear showing off the scar he previously noticed down the side of her face near her hairline.

"What's that from?" Merle asked

Gwen looked over at Merle as she pulled the t-shirt on over her head. "Thought you weren't supposed to be lookin'…" She remarked.

"You just asked me to turn around…so I turned around….." Merle smiled back at her slyly.

"You're impossible….." Gwen remarked seeming annoyed.

"Come on Gwenny….just havin' a little fun is all….don't worry….your ugly ass hair is a bit of a turn off for me…..besides….you can get even by watchin' me change outta my wet clothes." Merle remarked with a grin.

"Ug!" Gwen replied "No thanks…..I'll pass…."

Merle struggled to open his backpack but managed to pull out his own set of dry clothes. Gwen unzipped her sleeping bag and laid it out on the floor of the truck and sat on top with her back against the wall as she started looking through the cans for something to eat. She did her best not to laugh at all of Merle's grunting and groaning as he struggled to change his clothes.

"What the fuck you laughin' at? I don't see you offerin' to help." Merle snapped at her as he began to get frustrated.

"Sorry Merle….I figured you were a big boy and could dress yourself by now." She stated, not bothering to look at him as she continued sorting through the cans.

"God Dammit…..this shit ain't easy with just one hand…" Merle complained.

Gwen looked up and saw Merle with his pants barely on his hips and tangled up in his shirt with most of it still over his head. Gwen couldn't help but burst out laughing from the sight.

"Quit fuckin' laughin' and help me out dammit!" Merle barked.

"Ok…..ok….just calm down…." Gwen stated through the laughter. She got up and walked over to Merle and helped untangle his shirt and pulled it down. She started to sit back down when Merle called out to her.

"WELL?..." Merle asked.

Gwen turned around confused "Well what?"

Merle looked down at his pants and stared back up at her.

"Oh HELL no!" Gwen remarked although Merle did look like a helpless child just learning to dress himself at that moment.

"Come on Gwenny…..it's just gonna take bit for me to get used to all this one hand shit….man….you think I like havin' to ask for help like this?" Merle complained.

"Fine…but I swear to God if you try any funny stuff…." Gwen walked back over and zipped and buttoned his pants then walked back over to the sleeping bag and sat down. "Come on…sit down and I'll rewrap your wrist….you don't want that to stay wet.

Merle sat down on the sleeping bag next to her as she grabbed the first aid supplies and some medication from the backpack. She started to carefully unwrap his wrist and Merle flinched as she got closer to the actual wound. With the bandage being wet it came off more easily but Gwen didn't like all the puss and goo that oozed from his wound.

"Damn Merle…..I don't know what to think about all this…..I guess it could be worse but it don't look good either." Gwen remarked. "I think we should wait a bit before covering it back up….let it air out a little. Might do it some good while we're sitting still."

"I'm starved….whatcha got to eat?" Merle asked.

"Well…there's a huge selection of beans….spam and Vienna sausages….mmmm good!" Gwen said sarcastically. "What I wouldn't give for a freakin' pizza right now."

"I'd love me a big ass juicy steak!" Merle remarked as he leaned against the wall next to Gwen. "And a baked potato with rolls and that fancy butter….you know the kind that tastes like honey?"

Gwen opened a can of beans and the spam. Although she always hated spam she figured she'd love it right about now. Merle had scored some camping equipment with a couple plates, forks and knives in the duffle bag. Gwen split the two cans between them on the plates and handed one to Merle. He rested it on his lap and they both began to eat.

"You never answered my question….." Merle stated with a mouthful of food.

"What question?" Gwen replied.

"About that scar of yours and how you got it…." Merle replied staring at his plate continuing to shovel food in his mouth between words.

"Uh…as I recall I asked you about your hand and you never told me….." Gwen remarked.

Merle paused from eating and looked at her. "Alright….you tell me yours and I'll tell you mine…" He said with a grin.

"Do you have to make everything sound perverted?" Gwen asked as she looked at him. Merle just shrugged his shoulders and went back to eating.

"Fine….it's from when everything first started going downhill….I had joined up with a small group….there was a guy that was part of the group….everyone else had been killed and it was just the two of us….thought he could be trusted but in the end the only person he was concerned about protecting was himself…we were in an apartment when a couple of walkers busted in…..I had a baseball bat and he had a knife…..I thought we were going to try and fight them off together but the next thing I knew he grabbed me around the neck, cut the side of my face and pushed me to the floor…..guess he thought if I was bleeding the walkers would go after me first…" Gwen stared at her plate the whole time she spoke and just pushed at her food with her fork.

"How'd you make it out?" Merle asked as he listened intensely.

"Just kept swinging the bat…..couldn't see what the hell I was hitting with blood running into my eye but I just got back on my feet as fast as I could and started swinging as he ran out the window and down the fire escape. Somehow I managed to fight them off….cracking them all in the head….still not quite sure how I managed to do it on my own….but somehow I did." Gwen stated.

"And the guy?..." Merle asked.

"No idea…..disappeared…..I have no clue what happened to him….but I swear if I ever run into him again….he better hope he ain't needing any help because he certainly won't be getting it from me." Gwen replied as she started to eat again.

They both sat there silently for a moment until Gwen spoke up again. "Alright Merle…..so tell me….."

Merle hesitated but began to tell her the events of what happened on the roof. He even told her he thought T-Dog dropped the key on purpose and how Rick Grimes just showed up out of nowhere and took over like he was their fearless leader. Gwen cringed as Merle talked about what it was like cutting off his own hand and having to cauterize the wound.

"But I'm gonna get back to camp….pay them all a friendly visit…then they will all know what it's like to suffer like I have…..they gonna wish that door hadn't been chained and that those geeks had gotten me….I'm gonna make them all wish they had thought twice about leaving ole Merle for dead. They're all gonna pay one way or another….." Merle just stared off at the opposite side of the truck.

Gwen couldn't help but get the chills just listening to Merle. His whole demeanor and tone to his voice changed when he talked about it. She had no doubt in her mind he was serious but one thing was for sure, she was grateful not to be on his bad side.

Gwen cleared her throat a little nervous to speak to him at that moment. "And Daryl?..."

As soon as she spoke his name Merle snapped his head towards her. He started to relax and shook his head. "That boy…can't imagine how he's doin' without me…..one thing about my baby brother….he tries….tries real hard…..but he don't do well on his own….ain't nobody gonna ever treat him with respect…..they'll just treat him like trash….like they always have and all he does is look for approval. I tried to break him of that myself. Don't know why he cares what others think so much. He won't admit it but he do…don't get me wrong…he's a Dixon and Dixons are tough but he's got a soft spot…that's the worst part about him….he can be soft, that's why I don't like him being out there without me….he don't know what to do with himself without me to guide him…you know what I mean?"

Gwen smirked "Yeah I know…..but I hate to break it to you Merle but I don't think he's the only Dixon with a soft spot…."

Merle grew angry at the thought of her calling him soft. That's one thing he wasn't and how dare she think otherwise. Infuriated, Merle threw his plate across the truck, turned towards her, getting up on his knees and smacked the plate and fork right out of her hand. With his right arm he pressed hard against her chest, leaning in close, partially pinning her arms so she couldn't maneuver easily and grabbed her by the throat with his left hand and squeezed just enough for her to know he meant business.

"Don't you ever call me soft again you freak! EVER! YOU DON'T KNOW ME!" Merle breathed heavily in her face and she could see his eyes burned with anger. She was almost paralyzed by her own fear but did her best to try to squirm away from him.

Merle gave her a shove as he released her and she instantly put her hands against her throat. Her eyes filled with tears but she fought them back. He had caught her completely off guard. Merle stood up and walked to the other side of the truck.

He stared at her from the other side as he sat there leaning against the wall facing her. "Don't you ever forget that…"