CHAPTER 5
Glenn and Maggie watched from the courtyard's edge as Daryl, Michonne, and Carol walked down the gravel road and towards the prison's new gate.
Michonne led the trio; she wore her hooded cape, an M4A1 rifle was slung over her shoulder, her katana was slung over her back, along with the orange backpack she found on the supply run she went on with Rick and Carl to their hometown of Castle Rock County.
Daryl wore his Navajo print poncho, his Stryker Strykezone 380 crossbow was slung over his back, and in his left hand was the group's Remington 870 Wingmaster shotgun; it was the same shotgun he used when Shane broke out the walkers inside Hershel's barn. In-between the first two fingers of Daryl's right hand was the cigarette he'd been smoking while he sat on the bleachers with Carol.
Carol wore her jacket buttoned to her throat, and her Colt Detective Special revolver was inside the right pocket, but she wasn't going with Daryl and Michonne; instead she'd be staying to help guard the prison.
From the courtyard, Maggie stood with her arms crossed across her chest as she watched Daryl slowly recede from view. "Did you talk to him last night?" she asked Glenn.
"Who?" Glenn asked as he looked at Maggie.
"Daryl. You did talk to him, right?"
"No, I didn't."
Maggie dropped her arms to her side in exasperation and turned towards her fiancè. "Seriously?"
"Yeah."
Maggie huffed in exacerbation. "You've got to be kidding me."
"No, I'm not." Glenn said defensively as he turned towards his fianceè. "And what was I supposed to talk to Daryl about anyway?"
"Oh, let me think about it, Glenn. Maybe you could've talked to Daryl about his racist attitude!"
Glenn groaned and shifted his posture. "Are we going to have this argument again?"
"An argument?" Maggie asked in disbelief. "I want you to stand up to that racist son of a bitch, and you call it an argument?"
"Uh, we can call it a disagreement?" Glenn suggested.
Maggie shook her head. "What is wrong with you?"
Glenn blinked and asked, "What do you mean?"
"I mean that you have the potential to be a leader! You proved it when Rick went crazy after Lori died. You proved it again when you led me and Tyreese into the tombs to get the guns the Governor's army left behind. You proved it just now when you defended Rick from that casino group after they compared him to the Governor! But why is it every time Daryl growls and stomps his feet you run and hide like a chicken?"
"Hey, I'm not a chicken! I'm, you know…a guy," Glenn said defensively.
Maggie stared at Glenn for a moment and said, "I grew up on a farm; what else am I supposed to compare you to every time you get scared and run away?"
Glenn's expression turned red, and a moment later he turned around and stomped across the courtyard towards Cell Block C.
Maggie watched for a few moments as Glenn stomped away, her heart was beating rapidly. Oh, shit! I just wanted Glenn to be strong, but instead I upset him! She thought worriedly.
"Glenn, wait!" Maggie cried as she ran to catch up to her fiancé.
Glenn stopped walking, turned profile, and watched as Maggie ran towards him.
"I'm sorry!" Maggie panted after she caught up to Glenn. "I didn't—"
"Maggie, forget it," Glenn interrupted.
"No! No, I won't!" Maggie pleaded as she put her hands on Glenn's shoulders.
"Maggie…" Glenn said in embarrassment as he looked around the courtyard to see if anyone was staring at them.
"I'm sorry that I was a bitch, but I…I just don't want Daryl to think he can kick you around every time he has a bad day!"
"Well, I can't say Daryl wasn't justified when he choked me; I did insult Merle."
"You had every reason to be angry at Merle; he did beat you up," Maggie reminded him.
Glenn closed his eyes and clenched his fists as he remembered the day Merle (minus one hand) caught him and Maggie outside a strip mall, and forced him to drive to the town of Woodbury.
•••
Glenn and Maggie were taken to a warehouse and placed in separate rooms. Glenn was duct-taped to a chair, and Merle interrogated him as to where Daryl—and the group—were staying, but Glenn wouldn't tell Merle about the prison.
"Now…I want to know where my brother is," Merle said coldly as he threatened Glenn with the bayonet attached to the metal covering on his right arm.
Merle lowered his arm and stepped in front of Glenn so they were face-to-face.
"I want to know where the sheriff is!"
Glenn head-butted Merle, and sent the redneck reeling backwards. When Merle recovered, he discovered that the blow had broken his nose, but he grinned and gave Glenn a head-butt of his own, followed up by a punch with his left fist.
"Now I want to know where you're hidin'! Were your camp is! And I want to know now!" Merle shouted as he punched Glenn again and again. "I want to know now! Where the Hell are they! Tell me!"
Glenn didn't answer.
Later, Merle left the room and returned leading a walker on a reach pole. Again Merle demanded to know where the group was, and again Glenn didn't answer.
"You know what they say, 'he's goin' to be hungry again in an hour'!" Merle taunted.
Merle shoved the walker at Glenn and fled the room.
Glenn, his arms still tapped to the chair, managed to stand up and evaded the walker's grasp with shoves and footwork. Eventually, Glenn broke the chair against the wall, and used the support pole attached to the left armrest, to stab the walker through its eye, killing it.
Glenn gasped for air, and then screamed in rage.
•••
The memory of Merle and the walker was over, and Glenn opened his eyes to see Maggie, looking at him worriedly.
"Glenn?" Maggie asked.
"I'm okay," Glenn answered.
"Really?"
"Yeah, really. I was just thinking about Merle."
Maggie grimaced and quipped, "You're definitely not okay."
"Maggie, please hear me out. Merle was a jerk. We can agree on that."
"Definitely," Maggie agreed with a nod.
"And he was a racist."
"He was just another white trash male born in the South; after NASCAR racism is their second favorite pastime."
Glenn stared in surprise at Maggie for her stereotypical comment and replied, "But Merle sacrificed himself for the group!"
"Merle didn't leave this prison with noble intentions; was going to fulfill the Governor's deal hand Michonne over in exchange for peace," Maggie argued.
"It was the deal Rick agreed to," Glenn pointed out.
"Rick changed his mind."
"Merle didn't know that."
"Merle would've given Michonne to the Governor if she didn't give him a guilt trip."
"But Merle let Michonne go. He could've come back with her, but instead he kept going and he killed half of the Governor's army! We wouldn't of stood a chance against those guys if Merle hadn't of done that. And Merle didn't just sacrifice himself for Daryl, but he did it for Michonne, for me, and for you and your family. He sacrificed himself for the group!"
Maggie lowered her head as she considered Glenn's statement. A few moments later she looked up at him and replied, "Okay. Maybe you're right, but…"
"Maggie, I am right," Glenn insisted.
"What?"
"When I first met Merle and Daryl at the quarry outside Atlanta, they scared me. I mean, there I am, a Korean pizza boy with a front row seat to the end of the world, where dead people eat the living, and who sits down beside me, two good old country boys!
Merle scared me the most: he was loud, profane, and he was always hitting on Andrea. One of the few times he helped the group was when he joined that scavenge party I led into Atlanta.
Daryl was quiet, but he brought in game to feed the group, and there was that time he dropped Ed on his ass for hurting Carol. When Sophia got lost in the woods, Daryl was the one who tried the hardest to find her. I mean, he got an arrow in his side and Andrea shot him by accident! A year later and look at Daryl now: he's Rick's lieutenant. He helped you get formula for Judith. He's probably done as much as Rick to keep us alive!"
Maggie was quiet for a few moments, and then she asked, "So what are you saying?"
"I'm saying we should've given Merle a chance! Glenn answered. "Yeah, we didn't like him because he was a jerk and a racist, but he was still a human being! How many people are left in this world now? The only way we can keep this prison going, the only way we can survive, is if we give people a chance!"
Maggie knew that Glenn was right, so she lowered her head in defeat. Glenn's expression softened and he wrapped his arms around Maggie and pulled her gently towards him for an embrace.