Chapter 37

Naomi woke to the sensation of someone slapping her face. She jerked away as she opened her eyes.

"Wake up! Come on...wake up..." Merle stated as he leaned over her smacking her cheek.

Naomi groggily lifted her arms and shoved Merle's hand away. "Stop!...Why are you slapping me?" All she wanted to do was go back to sleep but Merle was relentless.

"Come on...sit up...NOW!" He raised his voice.

Naomi's head throbbed as she struggled to sit up. "God I feel terrible...I don't even remember coming in last night...wait...why are you in here? What time is it?"

"I brought ya some coffee and water...drink up" Merle told her.

Naomi rubbed her eyes then realized she was still in her clothes from the day before. "What's going on?"

"LISTEN..." Merle breathed deeply as he tried not to get frustrated with her. "Drink the coffee and the water then get ready..."

Naomi remembered they were going to look for Caleb but couldn't understand why she felt like she was in such a fog.

"Just remember...when ya come to the gate don't let on I woke ya up, ya here? Just act like it's the first time seein' me." Merle instructed.

Naomi looked at him confused. "What are you talking about? I still don't understand what happened last night..."

"JUST DO WHAT I TELL YA!" Merle snapped at her.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?" Naomi watched him as he headed towards the door.

"I ain't got time to explain it all now...just do it..." He snapped and left the room.

Naomi scratched her head as she tried to remembered the night before but the last thing she could was eating dinner with Milton. Everything else was just a blank. She struggled to get herself up as she made her way to the shower.

.

Naomi headed towards the gate feeling like she was dragging herself the whole way. When she approached the group of men gathered around the vehicles, the Governor was the first to notice her.

"Naomi!" He remarked as he shot a look over to Milton.

"Good morning..." She replied. She couldn't help but notice the sudden awkwardness he had towards her, making her even more confused than before.

"Do you feel alright? You are looking a bit pale..." The Governor remarked.

Merle came out from behind one of the vehicles. "He's right...ya look like shit..."

"I'm fine...I just...I mean I wouldn't miss this for anything...you know how important it is to me." Naomi told him.

Milton rushed over and gently grabbed hold of Naomi's arm. "Please...you don't look well...why don't ya come with me?"

Naomi glanced over towards Merle who was steadily watching. She didn't understand why he wasn't taking up for her and why he had been acting so strangely that morning. She jerked her arm away from him. "I'm going and that's final!"

The Governor shot a dirty look at Milton then looked back at Naomi. "Alright...Milton it appears you're staying here after all then...there's not enough room for the both of you...just as well I supposed since I know you have some serious work to do in your lab...right?"

Milton stammered a bit when he spoke but agreed with the Governor.

.

They headed off down the road towards her old camp and stopped when they reached an abandoned gas station. Everyone got out of the vehicles and began searching around the building.

"Naomi stay close to either me or Merle...no exceptions..." The Governor ordered.

Naomi followed behind Merle as he started to enter the garage. They made their way through the vehicle bay and headed back towards the store room.

"What's with you this morning?" Naomi whispered.

"Nothin'...just keep quiet...the less ya know the better..." Merle snapped at her.

"What's that supposed to mean? What is going on? I don't remember how I even got home last night, my head's killing me...I woke up in the clothes I was wearing yesterday...what the hell is going on?" Naomi snapped back.

Merle stopped and turned back towards her. "Let it go...ya have to trust me..."

"I'm starting to wonder if I should be trusting anyone..." Naomi glared at him.

Merle turned away and kicked a bucket across the room that was next to him. "Fuck it...do what the fuck ya want then but don't ask me for my help..."

Merle stomped off towards the back office. Naomi just stood in the bay feeling deflated. Her head throbbed from the raging headache and she was starting to feel like she could vomit. Suddenly she heard a commotion from where Merle had gone. Naomi started to head down the hallway and drew the weapon from her waist band. She couldn't help but gasp when she saw Merle in the back room, fighting off two walkers. He had pierced through the neck of one with his knife on his wrist guard. He gripped it's shirt, holding it away from him as it still struggled for him and Merle pushed against the other to ward off the second walker but was unable to draw back his arm to get the better of both.

"SHOOT IT!" He yelled at her.

Naomi raised her gun, took aim and pulled the trigger but the gun didn't fire. Panic washed over her as she tried to figure out what was wrong. Merle was steadily struggling and cursing at the two walkers attacking him as he fended them off. He shoved against them both as hard as he could, drawing up his leg and kicking the one off his knife. It immediately lunged back towards him and Merle was able to pierce it's skull as it ubruptly stopped and then he shoved it off onto the floor. Meanwhile, the other walker had noticed Naomi and started to charge towards her. She struggled to pull back the slide of the gun and raised the gun again, not having time to aim but fired. The walker stumbled backwards slightly from the impact to it's chest but lunged at her again. This time Naomi aimed as it stood a few feet in front of her and shot it in the face. The walker lifelessly dropped to the floor. Naomi's whole body trembled as she stared wide eyed. Merle rushed over towards her, raising his hand to gently push the gun away that she still had aimed.

"You alright?" Merle asked. She just nodded her head in silence.

"What happened? Is everyone ok?" The Governor asked as he came rushing in.

Merle struggled to catch his breath. "Yeah...just had a close one is all..."

The Governor grabbed hold of Naomi's arm and pulled her closer towards him. "See...this is exactly what I want to avoid with you! You could've been killed...who'd be there to take care of Caleb then?"

Naomi, still somewhat in shock, just remained silent.

"Let's go...clear the shelves of any automotive supplies and let's head back to town..." The Governor ordered as he led Naomi outside back towards the vehicles.

Martinez approached Merle in the shop, glancing back outside. "She seems freaked...maybe he's right...maybe she ain't cut out for this..."

"It's my fault...I shoulda made sure she racked one in the chamber before we even got here...she tried to fire and when it didn't she freaked...but she still managed to pull through...that's what counts...she just needs more practice. Besides...she ain't feelin' too hot this mornin'..." Merle remarked.

"Why you so interested in her Merle? It ain't like you...I know she'd be nice to have some fun with but ya seem to be going to more trouble than it's worth."

Merle glared at Martinez then headed over towards the shelves and started gathering supplies. "I'm only interested in findin' my brother...so get it straight..."

Naomi was quiet most of the way back to Woodbury. She and Merle sat in the back seat of the vehicle and Merle stared at her as she kept her eyes out the window.

"You alright?" Merle nudged her.

She looked over at Merle expressionless. "I could've gotten you killed...it was stupid...how could I have not made sure the gun was ready to fire?" She said softly.

"Happens to everyone...ya got it to didn't ya? It ain't like ya completely froze..." He remarked.

"But still...I panicked...you could be dead right now because of me." She turned her gaze back towards the window.

Merle sat there silent for a moment not knowing what else he should say. He looked up front and noticed the Governor appeared to be listening to them and that he had a smirk on his face. The Governor hadn't wanted her to come in the first place. Merle could only imagine that he was pleased with himself that things went badly. He knew he'd use it against her the next time she asked to go on a run.

Merle looked back at Naomi. "Well I ain't...that's all that matters..."

.

The next few weeks were rough at the prison. Besides the exhaustion everyone suffered from initially clearing one block of the prison, the run in with the prisoners had taken more of an emotional toll on everyone. Suffering through the loss of two of their group had been almost too much for most of them to handle. Daryl was devastated at first when he thought they had also lost Carol but he did his best to hide it from Caleb. He couldn't help but feel guilty but finding her again as they searched the prison gave everyone a little hope. Caleb had been glued to her side ever since. Not wanting to leave her for a moment, not even with Daryl.

"Come on little man...Carol needs her rest..." Daryl told him as he stood in the doorway of the cell.

Caleb sat next to Carol on the lower bunk, leaning into her as she wrapped her arm around him.

"It's ok Daryl...he just needs a little more time...he'll be ok in a day or so...right Caleb?" Carol nudged him gently.

Caleb didn't respond, he just looked up at her with a world of fear in his face. She gently caressed his cheek then hugged him. "He'll be fine...he's gonna take good care of me until I get my strength back..."

"Carol..." Daryl stared at her but she knew exactly what he was thinking without him saying anything else. Daryl was afraid of him resorting back to his old behavior after doing so well before all hell broke lose.

"It's ok Daryl...we've all lost a lot lately...don't worry..." She tried to reassure him.

Frustrated, Daryl left and walked outside.

"You alright?" Glenn asked as he passed by him.

"Everything is goin' to shit...fallin' apart all around us...no it ain't alright..." Daryl snapped.

"Daryl wait..." Glenn followed after him and Daryl stopped in his tracks, keeping his back to Glenn. "You're doin' a good job...great even..."

Daryl turned around, looking at him confused. "Job with what?"

"Holding everything together...taking charge...you've really helped keep us all from fallin' apart...it hasn't gone unnoticed." Glenn told him.

Daryl shook his head. "I ain't doin' nothin' nobody else ain't doin'."

"That's not true...you run around here worrying about everyone else but yourself...you saved Carol, that's a miracle in itself, you found formula for Judith...you take watch more than anyone else to make sure everyone gets enough sleep...and on top of it all you're taking care of someone else's kid like he's your own...you can't possibly do any more than you are." Glenn told him.

"Always feels like there's somethin' else I need to be doin'...it ain't enough...Rick is fallin' to pieces...haven't stopped that...we runnin' through that formula and will be out in no time...Caleb's...I don't think he's ever gonna leave Carol's side again..." Daryl started to go on but Glenn interupted him.

"You need to rest Daryl...at least for a bit...where are you off to now?" Glenn asked.

"Gonna relieve Oscar from the tower for a bit..." Daryl told him.

"No you're not...I'm not busy...I'll do it...you go inside and try to sleep for at least a little bit..." Glenn told him.

"It's the middle of the day...I ain't gonna do no sleepin'...there's too much to do..." Daryl snapped at him.

"Maggie and I will take care of things...I don't care if you sleep or not...at least go rest but go...for a little bit Daryl...you're going to run yourself into the ground if you don't...now go!" Glenn ordered.

Daryl could see he wouldn't take no for an answer but just the thought of lounging around during the day annoyed him. He didn't want to seem lazy. Daryl shook his head and headed back into the cell block. He walked up the stairs to his area on the landing and leaned his crossbow against the railing. He squatted down then laid on his back with his arms folded behind his head.

"Sleepin' in the middle of the day...this is stupid...don't know why I even listened to him." Daryl grumbled but his body welcomed the sudden stillness. He struggled to keep his eyes open when he heard footsteps.

"Daryl? You feeling ok?" Carol asked as she stepped out of her cell with Caleb.

Daryl rubbed his eyes for a moment and propped himself up on his elbows. "Glenn sent me to my room." He sarcastically smirked. "Said I needed a break..."

"And you're taking one?" Carol asked surprised.

"You're right...this is stupid." Daryl leaned forward as if he was going to get up but Carol knelt beside him and gently pushed him back on his back.

"Oh no you don't...you're not going anywhere...this is exactly what you need." Carol insisted.

"We can all take a nap." Caleb remarked as he made his way between the two of them. Carol smiled as she lay on her side next to Daryl with Caleb curled up with his back towards her, both staring at Daryl. Daryl rested his hands behind his head again and glanced at both of them for a moment.

"I'm feelin' kind out numbered here..." He remarked.

"You are..." Carol smiled as she watched Daryl sigh. They all became quiet and Carol watched as both Daryl and Caleb soon fell asleep. There had been so much loss but for the first time in a long time she felt like she was gaining something. Maybe there was still a chance for happiness for her in this world.