During the episode,This Sorrowful Life
"We should probably get back inside" Gertrude shivered, "It's getting kind of cold. Alyssa might worry about us"
"True" Jayne said and nodded off into the distance.
"What?" Gertrude responded.
She turned around and noticed something walking up to the prison in the distance; she shielded her eyes to see that it was Daryl. But something seemed a little bit off about him, he looked careless as he walked through the fields of walkers. Fear took over her as she ran off over to the fence, the keys jingling in her hand. Gertrude quickly opened the gate as Daryl stumbled inside, keeping his head down low and away from her.
"Merle's dead" Daryl whispered.
"What?" Gertrude spoke up, "How?"
"Gunshot" Daryl sniffed, "No doubt it was the fucking Governor. I had to kill him. He… he was my brother. He was the only family I got left"
"I know" Gertrude whispered as she threw her arms around him.
Daryl wrapped his arms around Gertrude and let out a sob through her hair as his weight brought both of them down to the ground. Gertrude cradled Daryl's head near her chest as he gave her a bone crushing hug, practically suffocating her as she ran her hand through his hair. She brought down her head and kissed the top of his as she whispered some encouragements into his ear. He just continued to cry out his frustrations as she felt his hand grip onto the back of her shirt.
"He's dead" Daryl let out. "He killed- he killed him. He should've waited… I wouldn't gone with him"
"Maybe that's why he didn't want to tell you" Gertrude softly said.
"Merle did the most fucking stupid thing" Daryl ranted. "He knew the Governor was going to kill him! Merle just wanted to die"
"Don't say that… you've got it all wrong" Gertrude rocked gently, "The way I see it, he wanted to protect you. He thought he had a chance with killing off the Governor"
"He told me something earlier this morning" Daryl sniffed, "He said that we look at him like as if he was the devil"
"I never thought of him as anything like that" Gertrude told him.
"It was the drugs" Daryl let out, "He was craving them for so long that he started talking like as if he was already on them"
"We should get inside" Gertrude said as she tried to straighten Daryl out of her lap.
"No!" Daryl said firmly, "They can't see me like this"
"Alright" Gertrude nodded, "Then we'll stay for a while. We'll go in later"
Daryl stiffened up as he looked up to Gertrude, still cradling his upper body in his arms. She looked down at him and gave him a warmhearted smile as she smoothed her hand over his cheek. At first, he thought that it was just to feel his cheek, but then he realized it was because he was still crying for his brother. Daryl slowly moved his body out of her arms and placed his head on her lap as she continued to stroke his hair and placed a hand on his chest.
"Thanks" was all he could say at that moment.