A/N: I'm planning on bringing this story to a close soon but I do plan on leaving it sort of open ended in case I am inspired to do a Part 3. Let me know what you think- do you want the story to continue? Thank you for all the continued support and feedback! I really appreciate it. PLEASE REVIEW!

Chapter 37

"Stop squirming...the sooner you hold still the sooner I can be done." Hershel fussed at Merle as he tried feel around the wound in his side.

"Just pull the damn thing out! I've been sayin' it from the get go!" Merle snapped.

Hershel sighed deeply. "I swear I think you are about the most difficult patient I've ever had to deal with..."

"I don't need nobody makin' a fuss over me...besides ya need to check Gwen and the baby..." Merle argued.

Hershel looked over at Gwen standing in the doorway of the cell holding the baby in her arms, looking at him apologetically. "They look fine for the moment...we'll get you patched up then I'll take a closer look.

"I'm going to check on Daryl." Gwen told Merle.

"You're lucky...I don't think it struck anything vital...Beth...come in here and help me..." Hershel called out over his shoulder.

"Find me something to cut the end of this arrow with..." He told her as she came to the doorway.

"Let's take a look at your arm." Hershel upwrapped the make shift shirt of a bandage from his bicep. "Looks only like a graze and it's starting to scab over...best to leave it alone and heal on it's own but we'll put a fresh bandage over it."

Beth returned with a pair of small garden clippers. "This is all I could find that I think would be strong enough..."

"It'll do just fine...now come here and be ready to apply pressure to the backside once I start pulling the arrow through..." Hershel gripped it tightly and looked Merle in the eye. "You ready?"

Merle clenched his jaw. "I've been ready...pull the fucker out!"

.

Gwen walked a few cells down to where Daryl was. Carol was sitting on a stool by his cot and looked up at her and smiled.

"How's he doing?" Gwen whispered.

She noticed Daryl squirm as he tried to sit up. "I'm fine...ya ain't gotta whisper..."

"Easy...you're not fine and you need rest..." Carol helped him sit up since his arm was in a sling due to the wound in his shoulder. She looked back at Gwen. "Make sure he doesn't try to get up and don't leave him alone...if you do he'll get up and that's the last thing he needs to do right now." Carol stood up and walked out of the cell to give them some time alone.

"I swear...they act like I need babysittin'..." Daryl complained.

"Well you and Merle are horrible patients...can you blame them?" Gwen asked as she stepped closer and sat next to him.

"That who I think it is?" Daryl asked barely able to contain his own smile.

"Yep...this here's your nephew..." Gwen leaned closer with the baby.

"Can I hold him...I still got one good arm..." Daryl told her.

Gwen carefully passed the baby to him, resting it against his arm. Daryl cringed slightly when he lifted his arm that was in the sling so he could gently caress the infant's face.

"A boy...told ya..." Daryl smirked at her. "He gotta name yet?"

"Merle said he'd leave it up to me...I have a few ideas just mullin' them over for a bit before I decide." Gwen told him.

"Well I'm sure I can come up with somethin'...how about..."

"No..." Gwen laughed as she cut him off.

"Ya didn't even let me finish...how do ya know ya won't like it?" Daryl asked. "I could come up with a good name...you know that don't ya? Yer ma just ain't got enough faith..." He smiled as he spoke to the baby.

"Oh I'm pretty confident I wouldn't like it..." Gwen teased.

"Merle? He alright?" Daryl looked back up to her.

"He's more than alright...bruised and maimed a little but I think he's finally willing to put what happened with Rick behind him...Rick was really there for us when it counted and I think Merle is greatful for that...even if he won't come out and say it." Gwen felt antsy wanting her baby back but at the same time didn't want to take him from Daryl until he was ready.

"Good...one less thing to worry 'bout..." Daryl remarked.

"Shit brother...whatcha pussy ass doin' just layin' around...get yer ass up." Merle barked from the doorway of the cell.

Gwen rolled her eyes at Merle. "Don't give him a hard time...he does need to rest and so do you..."

"Hell...I'm just teasin'...he knows that...don'tcha baby brother?" Merle walked closer and sat at the foot of the cot. "He's somethin' ain't he?" Merle nodded towards the baby.

"It's a miracle ya could make somethin' that ain't ugly..." Daryl quipped.

Merle half grunted and laughed then directed his attention back to Gwen. "Ya need to see the Doc...make sure you and the baby's ok..."

"I'm glad you're ok Daryl...we were really worried about you." Gwen gently took the baby resting comfortably out from his arm and headed towards the cell where Hershel was.

Merle watched her leave then moved over to stool next to Daryl. He waited a moment to make sure she was far enough away before he spoke. "Listen up...you and me both are banged up but we need to get well and fast..."

Daryl could see the seriousness in Merle's face. "I know..."

"I swear when I get my hands on him I'm gonna ring his neck...squeeze the life right outta him." Merle fumed with anger as he thought about all that had happened to Gwen and Daryl.

"The Governor?" Daryl asked.

"Course...who the fuck else?" Merle looked irritated at Daryl.

"Well ya do have a bit of a list goin'..." Daryl told him.

Merle shook his head. "Fuck that shit...I ain't worried 'bout that right now...what I am worried 'bout is bein' ready when the Governor comes back...he knows we're here...came right up to the main gate and boy we sure pissed him off but I think he was taken a bit off guard...he doesn't know how many of us are here but at some point he'll figure it out."

"Ya think he's got eyes on us?" Daryl asked.

"I know he does...we need to be extra careful comin' and goin'...and as little goin' as possible...not out the main gate neither...we need to figure out a way to sneak out if we need to run for supplies so hopefully he won't know nobody is gone." Merle told him.

"This place ain't gonna be easy to attack...we'll see him comin'..." Daryl told him.

Merle got up and walked to the doorway, looking out before turning around and sitting next to Daryl. "I don't know when he'll strike but when he does he'll hit us hard...fence or not...he's got enough men and vehicles that gettin' in won't be as hard as we would hope...you and me brother...we gotta come up with a plan to defend this place."

"Even more reason for me to get out of this bed..." Daryl started to lean forward to get up moaned in pain. Merle pressed his hand against his chest and pushed him back gently.

"Ya ain't goin' nowhere if I gotta sit on ya myself to keep ya here...ya need to get better...there's somethin' more important I gotta ask of ya..." Merle told him.

"What's more important than keepin' us safe?" Daryl furrowed his brow frustrated by his own self.

"Somethin' happens to me...I want yer word that yer gonna take care of 'em...Gwen and the baby...get them some place safe...they're yer family now...ya gotta protect them no matter what the cost." Merle told him.

Daryl stared at him in silence for a moment. "Ya know ya ain't even gotta ask that...I'd protect 'em like they were my own..."

.

Hershel sat next to Gwen on the cot, holding the baby as he smiled down at it. "I don't know if this group could've handled another death right now...such a blessing you two are fine...and you are...both of you."

Gwen smiled in relief but a look of concern still lingered on her face and Hershel noticed.

"What's wrong...what's got you troubled?" He asked.

"You sure the baby's ok? I mean...he's early...maybe something's wrong and we just don't know it yet." Gwen stated.

"Maybe...but that could be the case with anyone...right now though his heart sounds strong and so do his lungs and that's really what I'd be most concerned about with him being a few weeks early...but he seems to be managing just fine." Hershel told her. "Has he been able to latch on? Colostrum is most important right now 'til your milk comes in."

"He seems good...I mean I don't really have anything to compare it do but I guess I'm doing it right..." Gwen told him.

"Maybe it's something you'd feel more comfortable discussing with Carol but if you have questions I'm happy to answer them..." Hershel told her.

"I don't...least not right now...about that at least..." Gwen stated.

"Go on..."

"He doesn't cry...he'll just stare up at me or whoever or be sleeping...but he hasn't hardly made a sound...barely a whimper when Rick delivered him...shouldn't he be crying some?" Gwen asked.

"Well...every baby is different...some cry all the time and some don't...maybe he's just one that likes the quiet...if something's wrong though he'll let you know and soon you may be longing for these first few hours of quiet." Hershel smiled at Gwen as he passed the infant back to her.

"I was just worried...I didn't want to say anything to Merle..." Gwen told him.

"Gwen!..."

Gwen looked up and saw Merle standing in the doorway. Please tell me he didn't just hear that... She thought to herself but she could tell by the look on his face that he did. She turned her attention back to Hershel and thanked him as she got up and headed outside the cell and Merle followed her.

"Don't try and run away from me..." Merle snapped at her.

Gwen turned to face him as she took a deep breath. "Don't get mad...I didn't mean it like that..." Gwen started to explain but Merle cut her off.

"If yer worried about our boy ya need to tell me...don't hide shit from me..." Merle slowly stepped closer towards her and slipped his right arm behind her back as he gently kissed her forehead. He cupped the baby's head in his hand for a moment as he watched him sleep.

"You're right...I'm sorry..." Gwen told him as she rested her head against his shoulder.

"When do you think he's coming back?" Gwen asked softly.

Merle sighed heavily. "Soon...he'll wait until he thinks we've settle back into a sense of security...but he'll hit us as hard as he can when he does..."