Chapter 10 – Man Up
"What the hell is this?" Merle glared down at the counter. Before him sat two objects: a set of keys and a black box.
"Keys to my new pick-up. Got a new job," Daryl said proudly, pulling two beers out of the refrigerator and popping off the tops.
"Where?"
"The garage down on 7th? They were hirin' a new mechanic, somebody who knows motorcycles. I went in, showed 'em what I could do, and they hired me on the spot. Gonna be makin' twice what I got now. It's full time, bro. Been savin' up. Gonna find a place of my own."
"All this ain't good enough for ya, huh?" Merle asked, holding his arms out to illustrate the fact that Daryl was leaving their dump of a trailer behind.
"I'm twenty-five, bro. Time for me to move on. You got your unemployment check payin' your rent. You don't need my income." Merle snorted at that.
"You lookin' to nest up with that piece of ass who deflowered you, huh?"
"Shut up," Daryl threw back, taking another swig of beer before he pushed the black box toward him. "You think she'll like it?" Merle sighed and opened the box, revealing a simple silver band with a small diamond setting.
"Hey, what the fuck, Darylena?! You don't mean to tell me you're fixin' on buyin' the cow?" Merle pushed the box away. "You outta your damned mind or somethin'? You get into my stash? No way in hell a sane man or a sober one would be pickin' out a ring for the first pair of legs he put his dick between."
"You gotta be so fuckin' crude all the time?" Daryl asked with a scoff. "I love her, bro." Merle snickered at that.
"You gotta grow a pair, Darylena. She's got you pussy whipped." Daryl sighed heavily and snatched up the box, sticking it in his shirt pocket.
"You don't know shit."
"I know the second you blew your load, she had you wrapped around her finger. She's the only woman you ever fucked, and you're ready to settle down?"
"Maybe I ain't a pig like you," Daryl suggested. Merle chuckled at that.
"Twenty years from now, you're gonna be wishin' you'd gotten around a little more."
"Don't care about that. Just care about her."
"How long's it been for you two, now?"
"Been together a few months," he shrugged.
"Can I be there when you pop the question?"
"Why?" Daryl asked, narrowing his eyes.
"So I can watch her run for the hills," Merle snorted. "She's gonna run so fast yer head'll spin right off your neck."
"Would ya stop talkin' like that?" Daryl muttered. "We ain't seein' other people. We been talkin' 'bout movin' in together."
"Oh, so that's the game, huh? You get this new job, this new truck, you start talkin' 'bout findin' a new place to live? You just wanna play house so ya don't gotta spend money on gas when ya want to fuck yer girlfriend."
"Jesus Christ, Merle!" Daryl spat. "Can't ya just say 'congrats, bro' or some shit like that? You gotta make everything into a fuckin' joke. Think you're just jealous you can't get laid unless you happen to find the first desperate, lonely drunk chick in the bar." Merle flinched at that and then grinned.
"I'm just kiddin' baby brother," he snorted. "Unclench your cheeks and take a breath. Ya know I'm crazy 'bout Carrie."
"Stop callin' her that. She hates that."
"Yep," he chuckled. "I know." Daryl couldn't help but smile. He knew his brother had a soft spot for Carol, but good God could Merle be as stubborn as a damned mule when it came to changes and talking about things like this. "You gonna do it tonight?"
"Was thinkin' about it. Gonna pick her up, take her for a ride in the truck."
"Bring her by first."
"Why?"
"Just shut up and listen to your big brother," Merle snorted. "You got rubbers?" Daryl eyed him. "Hey, just makin' sure you ain't gonna be havin' to get hitched just 'cause you were too stupid to remember to wrap it up."
"Shut up," Daryl snorted. "Alright, I'll bring her by. Ain't gonna regret it, am I?"
"Nah. I might be an asshole, but you can trust me," Merle pointed out with a snicker before sucking down the rest of his beer. "Now get on outta here and go get your girl." Daryl eyed his brother for a moment before grabbing the keys to his new truck and heading out the door. Merle smirked and followed his brother, peering out the door as he hopped into the truck. Merle shook his head and chuckled to himself. His baby brother was a man now.
Daryl pulled the truck up outside the trailer, and as Carol was moving her hand toward the handle to open the door, he pulled her across the seat, and she giggled as his mouth closed over hers.
"What's gotten into you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and tracing her finger against his jaw.
"I love you," he said with a little smirk, pressing another kiss to her lips.
"I love you too," she said with a smile when they pulled apart. She took a deep breath. The last couple of months had sped past them like crazy. Their first real date felt like the tenth date. After a month, they were both pretty much ready to move in together. Daryl had been the first to say he loved her. He'd blurted it out after sex, and they'd laughed about the timing for a few minutes before Carol had crawled over him, kissing him, whispering her own affirmation of her love for him.
Finally, they managed to pull themselves out of the truck, and Daryl moved to Carol's side, pulling her into his arms.
"Just warnin' ya," he said quietly, pawing at her hips, "Merle's gonna act weird. Just don't mind him."
"Your brother? Weird? Gee, that's something strange and new," she deadpanned. With a wink, she leaned in and pressed her lips against his. "I think I can handle Merle Dixon."
"Smile, you two." Carol and Daryl both turned, a bit startled, only to have a camera flash in their faces. Merle snorted when the old Polaroid whirred and spit out a photo of them.
"What the hell was that for?" Daryl muttered, grabbing the photo before it fell to the ground. The picture began to fade in, and he snorted. "You're a terrible photographer, bro."
"Aw, it's sweet," Carol said with a grin, taking the picture and holding it close. "Our first picture together." Carol stuck the picture in her purse and gave Daryl a wink. "A keepsake."
"I look stupid," he muttered.
"Shut up," she laughed. "You look perfect."
"Yep, she' a keeper alright. She likes ya even when you're a fuckin' mess," Merle chuckled.
"What do you want, Merle?" Carol asked, rolling her eyes.
"I got some news," he said, clearing his throat. "Gonna be outta town for a while. Found some work up north. Under the table pay, so I can keep on drawin' my unemployment, of course," he said with a shrug. Daryl rolled his eyes. "Daryl tells me the two of ya wanna shack up, well you're welcome to move on into the trailer with Daryl while I'm gone, Carrie. Give livin' with him a test drive, if ya know what I mean. I'll be gone a few months, and you can save up, find yerselves a nice place."
"Merle, that's really sweet," Carol said softly.
"Plus, I figure, havin' a lady stayin' under the roof, the place might get clean."
"Ah, there it is," Carol laughed. "I knew you were being too nice."
"Nah, really, the place could use a lady's touch. 'Sides, if you two start shackin' up, I might just have to find me a roommate. Maybe one of the female variety."
"Yeah, because you could live with a woman and not try to invite yourself into her bed," Daryl snorted. "Good luck with that."
"Now you gonna take me up on my offer or not? Or am I gonna have to find somebody to rent to and charge double, 'cause I'd be alright with that."
"We'll stay," Carol said quickly. "Rent free, of course, right?"
"Only for you, Carrie. Anything goes wrong, it's on Daryl's ass to fix it though." Daryl rolled his eyes at his brother, but he had to admit, it was a pretty good idea. If they were going to find a place to live together, Carol moving into the trailer for a couple of months would help them save for a really great place.
"Thanks, bro." Merle nodded his head.
"You two get on outta here, 'fore I change my mind." Merle waved them off and handed them the Polaroid camera. "My housewarmin' present. Found it in a box of junk in the hall closet. Think it belonged to Mama." Merle disappeared back into the trailer, and Carol sighed softly, taking the camera into her hands.
"He's takin' it a lot better than I thought he would," Daryl said with a little shrug. Carol smiled a little and snapped his picture. "Aw, stop."
"C'mon. Let's take this and go make some more new memories, hmm?"
"It involve you naked?"
"Maybe?" she suggested with a raised eyebrow. Daryl threw open the door and ushered her in, and she squealed as he lifted her up, practically tossing her inside. He was in the driver's seat and gunning the engine ten seconds later, and all the while, he still had that little black box in his shirt pocket.
Carol kept her eyes fixed on the house and tried not to count the minutes until Daryl returned. Her heart was thundering against her ribs, and she tried not to let Sophia see the way her hands trembled. He'd only been gone a few minutes, but it felt like much longer.
She peered out the window, watching the way the breeze caught at pieces of litter that were scattered on the ground. Everything seemed to be at a standstill, waiting for the world to start moving again. There were no cars moving down this road. There were no people coming out to search the bushes for their newspapers. No newspapers to be sought. No bus stops filled with less than enthused school children. No late-leavers speeding down the road in a rush to get to work on time. It was eerie. It wasn't normal, and the fact that there were no military vehicles or police cars on this side was a little odd. It was like they were focused solely on the center of town, as if that was where the problem was. But, as she looked in the rear view mirror, she saw a young woman walking along the street, slowly, stumbling, as if coming home from a long night at the bar.
Carol felt the fear rise up in her chest, and she sat stock still with her arm around Sophia. She watched out the mirror as the woman froze in place. She saw her lips pull back in a snarl, her teeth red and brown, flesh stuck between them. Carol felt her stomach turn, and she flinched, tightening her arm around her daughter. Sophia glanced up at her curiously.
"What's wrong, Mama?" Carol's eyes were transfixed on the image in the mirror, and the woman started toward the truck. "Mama?"
"Shhhh," Carol urged. She reached across the truck, locking the driver's side door. "Baby? You want to play a game?"
"What kind of game?"
"Well, what you do is lay down across the seat here and cover your eyes, and I want you to count to one hundred. Can you do that?"
"Uh-huh. Do I get a prize at the end?" she asked hopefully.
"We'll see, sweetheart. Now, I want you to count to one hundred, ok? No skipping numbers."
"I promise, Mama," Sophia said with a smile. She covered her eyes, and Carol slowly opened the car door.
"Now lay down, baby," Carol murmured, sliding out of the truck as the woman came walking toward the driver's side. Sophia lay on her belly across the seat, kicking her feet back and forth as she started to count. Carol grabbed for the keys in the ignition and locked the door, closing it behind her.
The woman was snarling loudly now, and Carol kept her eyes on her as she moved toward the back of the truck. Seeking out the shot gun, she quickly grabbed for the ammo and walked backward slowly as she loaded it. Daryl had taken her out hunting on a couple of occasions when they were dating, mostly so they could have some privacy and seclusion, but she'd picked up a few things, anyway.
Once the gun was loaded, she shakily held it up, aiming it at the woman who came near her.
"I'm sorry," Carol murmured, shaking her head. "I don't know what to do for you." The woman lurched forward, hands outstretched as she gnashed her teeth. "I'm sorry. Please." Carol's hands shook, and she flinched, pulling the trigger. The shot went through the woman's chest, but she just kept coming.
"Oh God," she cried out, her stomach tightening as she realized this was something far worse than just some illness. She thought back to old Mrs. Murphy on the lawn the night before, and she cringed. "Please, stop. Please." The woman continued walking toward her as brown blood oozed from the wound. "God damn it, stop!" Carol loaded up and fired another shot, this time hitting the woman between the eyes. She fell to the ground, still now, dead. Really dead. Carol sucked in a couple of sharp, uneven breaths. "I'm sorry. God, I'm sorry." Daryl came rushing out of the house, a bag over his shoulder, eyes wide as he hurried to Carol's side. He glanced toward the truck where Sophia was now peeking out the window, tears in her eyes, her little face red from crying.
"What happened?" he panted, moving to grab the gun from Carol as she slumped on the ground.
"I was trying to lead her away. She just kept coming. I shot her, and she just kept coming." Daryl pulled his arm around her waist and helped her stand. "What is this? What's going on?"
"I don't know," Daryl murmured, "but we're gettin' outta here." He nodded toward the next yard, where a man was coming toward them, snarling and stretching out his hands. Carol shuddered and rushed toward the truck with Daryl. "Got some more guns and ammo. Picked up some huntin' knives too. Old man had a collection." He hoisted the bag into the back of the truck, keeping his hand on the shot gun. Carol fumbled with the keys, unlocking her door and sliding in next to a sobbing Sophia. She let Daryl in, who promptly stashed the shotgun and ammo under the bench seat.
"Mommy the monsters," Sophia sniffled, as Carol pulled her into her lap. Sophia buried her face against her mother's neck, and Carol gently rubbed her back.
"Mama's here," Carol soothed. "Don't worry. I'll never let the monsters hurt you. I promise." She kissed the top of Sophia's head and held her tight.
Daryl got the engine running, backed the truck out of the drive and gunned it, heading off to try and find another back road that might get him up ahead of the traffic snarl on the highway. The last thing they needed was to be stuck when those things came. They needed to keep moving, and the fear that began to grip him told him that if they started running, they'd never stop.