Stacey burst through the hospital doors in a slight panic, she knew Daryl told her not to worry. But what the hell had he expected his shirt was covered in blood along with his pants. Of course she was going to fucking panic.
Walking to the nurses station she went to open her mouth when she saw Will walking through the doors. Turning to him instead, "Where is he?" She heard the panic in her voice.
Will looked up at her gesturing for her to follow him. "Down through here."
She followed after him keep pace with his long strides. Will was almost a calming presence for her, his strong persona had her taking calming breaths before she got to the room. There was no doubt Merle was being difficult and she didn't need to go in there a hot mess.
Will pulled a door open for her and she immediately heard Merle's voice ripping someones ass.
"Get the FUCK off me goddamn it! I'm fine!" He snapped. She heard a bang and clatter of something metal sliding across the floor.
She quickened her steps and seen Norm release a breath when he seen her. He started walking towards her, "You deal with him. I'll check on him later." He hugged her and kissed her forehead moving past her and Will.
Will chuckled and nodded to her, "I'll see you around. He needs anything let me know." He rubbed her arm before turning and walking away after Norm.
Stacey took a deep breath and walked closer to where Merle was still hearing him cussing.
"Sir we need to stitch this."
"I don't give a good goddamn." He barked.
Stacey watched him jerk his arm away the scared nurse and stepped into the room. Merle looked up when she came in and she seen just how pale he was. He'd lost more blood then she realized, he looked sickly.
She walked to him leaning forward and smoothing her hand over his sweaty hair and kissed his forehead.
"Daryl?" He questioned looking at her.
Nodding her head at him she looked at the nurse. "What does he need done?"
The nurse shot him a nervous look before bringing her eyes back up to Stacey. "He need to have it cleaned out and stitches. To rounds of stitches, part of the muscle needs it."
Stacey looked at him and then the nurse. "Get what you need honey, he aint gonna fight you no more." Bringing her eyes down to Merle's he scowled at her but kept his mouth shut.
The nurse released a breath and nodded gathering what she needed to help him. Stacey watched her for a minute before looking at Merle, "Why didn't you let them do what they needed to do?"
Merle looked at her scowling and jerked his head down the hall, "I want the fuck out of here, especially if Daryl decides to stop." He muttered lowering his voice.
Stacey looked around, "Why the hell does that matter?"
"Cause goddamned David is just down the hall visiting someone." He snapped at her.
Stacey's eyes widened and she nodded at him, "Honey can you go ahead and start."
Stacey watched as Merle kept his eyes trained on the opposite wall as the nurse cleaned and stitched his arm. He never made a face or even a noise. She could tell his anger at being so near his father had adrenaline pumping through his system dulling the pain.
"All done. You'll need-" the nurse began.
Merle stood up, "I know what to do." With that he brushed past her and towards the doors to the lobby.
Stacey grabbed up their stuff and followed after him, "We need to pay your bill."
Merle shook his head, "Shops insurance took care of it. Got her while at work woman."
Stacey nodded and followed him outside feeling her nerves calm. She had got herself worked up for nothing and was happy it was for nothing. She would have died right there if anything more serious happened to him.
They were halfway to her SUV when a voice spoke behind them. "Well if it isn't Merle Dixon."
Stacey turned not knowing the voice and frowned, she looked at Merle seeing him stiffen next to her. He turned and the look that was on his face would have scared the shit out of her had it been at her. "David." His voice was full of restrained hate and murder.
David stepped closer to him looking him over, "You've changed boy." David's gaze shifted to Stacey and he looked her over in one predatory sweep that had her cringing away from him. She suddenly felt bad for Carol for running into him alone.
"What the fuck you want coming back here?" Merle growled not backing down from his dad.
David chuckled looking at him, "Who said I wanted a goddamn thing?" His voice dropped a few degrees.
She felt Merle stiffen next to her further. She could feel the tension moving through his muscles from where he had pushed her behind him.
"You're making a point to show up at odd times just missing Daryl.."Merle questioned his own voice dangerous. "If your smart you'll leave him the fuck alone. He aint no goddamned kid anymore."
David moved closer circling them slightly, "I have a right to check on my kids."
"You lost that goddamned right years ago. He aint no kid of yours." Merle barked stepping towards him. Stacey tightened her grip on Merle's shirt holding him place.
David's eyes flashed dangerously and he looked at her hand on his shirt and he gave a smile, "Better listen to your woman there Merle. Keep in your place."
Merle's response was drowned out by one of the girls from Whiskey Heat walking up and grabbing her in a hug. "I just heard! Clara told me your having a baby!"
Stacey swallowed down the bile that was threatening to spill from her and nodded at the girl aware that David's eyes were on her. "Yeah, we don't know the sex yet or anything." Her voice was weak.
The girl squealed and hugged her again, "I hate to run but my mom is sick and I'm here to visit. See later. HI Merle." She called over her shoulder.
Stacey turned back towards Merle and David. They had locked eyes and David was smiling while Merle's chest heaved. Discreetly pulling her phone from her purse she texted the first name in her call log.
Get to the hospital David is here
No less that twenty seconds she had a response.
Keep him there.Stacey looked up at David, "You don't look much like Daryl or Merle either one. Well besides the eyes."
David's eyes flashed to her and then her stomach. He grinned at her shrugging his shoulders, "I'm sure you don't look just like your parents either. Neither will my grand kid." He laughed.
She swallowed, "True enough I suppose."
"Fact honey." He snapped at her. "What's your name?"
He was ignoring Merle completely. "Stacey."
He nodded rubbing his slight beard, "Daryl's woman is Carol right?"
Merle growled at him, "If you have a problem with me and him, keep it with me and him." His voice was menacing.
David looked at him steadily as Stacey listened to the rumble of a bike coming near. She released a breath. She wanted out of here before one of them was put back in the hospital or arrested. There was to much testosterone in the air for her.
Heavy booted feet were walking briskly up behind her and she watched as David's eyes darkened loosing the bright blue. "Here to play daddy to my boy?" He growled loosing focus on her and Merle.
"Boy don't need a goddamned daddy he's a grown ass man." Will snapped out his voice not sounding a bit like the low soothing tone it usually was. She heard fire burning through it.
David brushed past her and walked towards Will, "Is that so? I'm sure though you tried your fuckin' damnedest though didn't you. Seeing as how you lost your own wife and kid before you ever got a chance. Aint neither one of us meant to be fathers." David laughed.
Will stepped into him grabbing him by the shirt collar, "You got no goddamned right bringing them up you low life son of a bitch. I'll rip your goddamned throat out if I hear it again." He snarled viciously.
David snorted, "You never won growing up and you aint gonna win now. But this time Norm aint here to stop it." The threat in his voice was clear enough.
Out of nowhere Will swung with everything he had dropping David to the ground. David didn't stay down long and came up swinging. Stacey was at a loss for what to do and Merle made no move to break them apart. The hard thing about twins is in a blur of movement you don't know whose who.
"HEY HEY! What is going on over here!" A loud male voice called.
Stacey looked over seeing Alan Daniels. She didn't know him personally but knew he the Dixon's.
Merle finally stepped in breaking the men apart as did Alan. David was spitting and hissing mad but what got her was the look on Will's face. He wasn't going to stop. She had seen that look when Daryl had got shot.
Spitting blood at Will's feet, "You always were close to that little son of a bitch. It's gonna be your fault. I'll destroy everything you love." He barked jerking out of Alan's restraining arms and storming away.
Merle held onto a livid Will and Stacey tried to look and see where the blood was coming from but he knocked her hands away. "Stop." His voice was rough.
Merle shook his head at her.
"You always did fight growing up." Alan commented lamely.
"You fuckin' think Alan." Will snapped. Looking over at Stacey, "Where is Daryl at right now?"
"I left him at Carol's old place."
Nodding his head he turned on his heel muttering to him self and wiping blood from his mouth. Stacey watched him straddle his bike and kick it life, he locked eyes with Merle and something passed between them that had her scared.
Merle sighed rubbing his face, "Take me to the house." He huffed.
The ride to the house was quiet and she knew Merle was brooding on seeing his dad. Why was he so fixated on hurting Daryl? Merle was his son too, why just Daryl?
Pulling up Merle exited quickly and walked inside slinging his shit down only to turn and tell her to get in the damn car again.
"Where are we going?"
"Gotta find Daryl...And you sure as fuck staying home alone with that crazy fuck around." He growled taking the keys from her.
TWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDMerle could feel it in his bones and he knew Will could too. He was still shocked that Will had lashed out like he had and took the first swing. He knew it stunned David from the look that had been on his face. Norm always said that it was David that took the first swing.
Merle kept running over the possible things that could happen to Daryl, he knew David was out for blood now. He'd done enough to hurt Daryl and Merle would rip him apart with his bare hands before he allowed one hair on his brothers head to be touched. Not again.
Merle's mind flashed to the memories he knew plagued Daryl. The ones he had screamed at Merle himself with so much pain it made his chest constrict to think about. He knew what Daryl had let out that day was just a glimmer of the hell he'd been through. Thinking about the scars on his brother Merle growled and pushed the gas down. Not again.
Pulling in he seen Will's bike setting there. Merle jumped from the vehicle and moved quickly towards the door not bothering with knocking he just walked on in with Stacey right on his heels. Carol turned and looked at him wide eyed.
"William I said sit down now!" Carol said looking back at him. Merle felt the corner of his mouth tug up at her tone. She'd been spending more time around Norm and it showed.
He sat gracelessly at the table and scowled. "Where is Daryl?"
Carol handed him a wet wash cloth, "Clean yourself up. He was supposed to meet me here."
Merle looked at her, "Call him and tell him to get his ass here."
Merle took Stacey's phone from her hand and dialed Norm.
"What ya need Ace?"
"Get ya ass to Daryl's now."
He didn't wait for a response, he had a sinking feeling in his gut. Looking at Carol he frowned, "How long ago was it he was supposed to meet you here?"
Carol looked at him for a minute, "He was going to get the dog food and then he said he had to run by the shop. He was supposed to be here by now. Is there something going on I need to know about?" Her voice sounded slightly panicked.
Merle set heavily on the couch, "I'm going to run by and check and see if he's at the shop. He wont answer if we call." He rubbed his face, "Let Norm know what's going on Will. All of it. He's on his way. I'll be back."
Stacey grabbed his arm stopping him, "Becareful Merle..." She ran her hand up his arm.
Nodding his head at her he kissed her forehead and stepped through the door. He knew, he just knew something was wrong. Daryl wasn't one to not show up or keep someone waiting. Especially not Carol, he would have called her.
Merle drove like a bat out of hell towards the shop. He didn't give a fuck about the traffic or cops. They would just have to chase his ass to the shop for all he cared.
Merle pulled in and released a breath when he seen Daryl's truck. Thank fuck he was here. He chuckled at getting so worked up and walked towards the shop to see what was holding his brother up. Stepping to the door he frowned when the door didn't budge. It was locked. Merle looked at the office window, no lights were burning.
Merle whipped around and stormed towards his truck. Walking around to the drivers side he stopped dead. The door was ajar and the radio was still playing. Merle walked closer, Daryl wasn't here. Looking in the back he seen the dog food and some boxes that were marked for shit for him to take home from the shop. He'd already been inside and came back out.
Looking around at the ground around the truck Merle growled. David. It had to be David. But what the fuck would let him get the jump on his cagey paranoid ass brother? GODDAMN IT! Merle's heart was thundering in his chest and he felt pain lance through it like he'd never felt before. Breathing heavily he pulled his phone out calling Norm.