A/N All characters belong to the writers and creators of The Walking Dead. Except those that arose from my own twisted imagination.

Chapter Twelve-Trapped in a Cage

Andrea closed the door to the infirmary and walked quietly towards the bed where the Governor lay. The nurse was looking at his eye and he was very agitated.

"I'm fine. I need to get home." The nurse held him firmly on the bed, her lips pursed in annoyance.

"Governor, you were just shot. Your eye has suffered permanent damage and you will likely never see out of it again. What you need to do is lie still and let us take care of you." He continued to argue until he saw Andrea.

"Andrea, are you ok?" She stepped into the room. He held out his hand to her and she took it. He was shaking.

"I'm fine. But…I have bad news. We lost Merle." A dark shadow passed over the Governor's face.

"Did you see Danielle Robertson? Did you see that she shot me?" Andrea frowned. She had not expected him to bring this up.

"Yes I did. Phillip, you said she was being taken care of, that she was suicidal." He closed his good eye and sighed.

"This is my fault Andrea. I was trying to keep people calm. Abigail's death came as such a shock to everyone and Danielle was so well liked. The night Abigail died was the night the town was attacked. We didn't even realize it until the next day when we discovered Danielle had disappeared. We think she was kidnapped. We've been looking for her ever since. Seeing her tonight was such a shock. I just wonder what's been done to her. It was like seeing that newspaper heiress…what was her name?"

"Patty Hearst." The Governor nodded.

"Yes, that's the one. It has to be a form of Stockholm syndrome." Andrea could hear desperation in his voice, almost as if he was willing her to believe him. She wanted to. She wanted to believe that her safe haven and the man who had invited her to his bed were real. But there were cracks in her resolve.

"I knew one of the shooters. Rick's a good man and definitely not ex-military. And Merle's brother Daryl. And Michonne. I don't understand why they were…" The nurse cut her off.

"I'm sorry, but the Governor needs his rest. You can talk to him more tomorrow." Frustrated, Andrea leaned over to kiss Phillip and allowed the nurse to escort her out the door.

Cash and Tripp were waiting for her, along with several of their crew. Cash glared at her. She never did trust him. He seemed like the type that would hurt you just for the joy of hurting you, like he got off on it.

"You tell 'im 'bout Merle?" Andrea nodded and started to pass them but Tripp stepped in front of her.

"We heard ya in there askin' questions. Why don't you just mind your business and let us do the thinkin' 'round here?" Andrea couldn't resist the sarcasm.

"If we left the thinking up to you all, nothing would ever get done." Cash grabbed her arm.

"You're sassy. We don't much like sassy women." Andrea pulled her arm out of his grip.

"Touch me again and you'll be discussing it with the Governor. Why don't you go protect this town? It seems you've had trouble doing that lately." Cash's jaw twitched but he motioned for the boys to let her pass.

When Andrea got back to her apartment, she locked the door and wedged a chair under the doorknob. Something wasn't right and she was going to find out what was going on.

Around five AM, Hershel checked on Daryl and decided that it would be ok if he slept for a few hours. His headache had dulled slightly and he was no longer dizzy. Hershel also ordered Danielle to bed. Carol volunteered to sit with Daryl to keep an eye on him. Reluctantly, Dani got up from the bed and stumbled to her own bedroll on the landing. Daryl adjusted his pillow to sit up a little higher.

"Damn. Now that I'm allowed to sleep, I don't know if I can." Carol smiled.

"Are you feeling any better?" Daryl nodded.

"Did Dani go to sleep?" Carol nodded and leaned over to check the bandage on his head.

"I think she was out before her head hit the pillow. You need to get some sleep too. Don't worry about Danielle. Now that you're back, she'll be fine." When she sat back and his face came back into the light, Carol saw his eyes were wet. "Are you ok?" Daryl quickly ground the tears away with the heel of his hand.

"It's kinda stupid to be cryin' over a brother who just kicked the shit outta you ain't it?" Carol shook her head.

"I don't think so. You loved Merle. Even after everything he did you still wanted to be back with your brother. After everything Ed did to me, for all those years, what he tried to do to Sophia…I still mourned his death. I was glad he was dead, guilty that I felt that way and sad that I lost someone I loved." She remembered being disgusted with herself over feeling the satisfaction of driving the pick ax through his head over and over…and the sense of relief that he would never again touch her or her daughter. Daryl adjusted the sheet and stretched out his injured leg. Carol got up from the bed, leaned over and kissed his forehead.

"Daryl, try to get some sleep. We can talk more tomorrow if you need to, alright?" He nodded and slid back down on the bed, turning away from her.

Rick stood in the guard tower watching the rising sun. Glenn had offered to keep watch with him but Rick had said no. He needed some time to think about everything that had happened. Daryl was hurt pretty bad, Merle was dead and Michonne was back. He needed to talk to her and find out what had happened in Woodbury.

After the sun was up, Rick returned to the cellblock. Maggie was sitting at the table feeding Judith. Rick laid his gun down and sat next to them, smiling at his daughter.

"How's everything down here?" Maggie set the bottle down and propped Judith up on her shoulder to burp her.

"Everything's fine. Dad just checked Daryl's knee and it looks like he didn't tear anything, just banged it up real bad. He should be fine in a week or so but dad ordered him to stay down for a couple of days so Daryl's already in a mood." Rick smiled.

"Nice to know he's feeling better. How about Michonne?" Maggie shrugged.

"I think she's still sleeping. I haven't seen her yet. Carol crashed out right after Dad checked on Daryl. I think Dani's awake. Beth and Carl are out in the garden. Oscar and Glenn went to check the generator fuel level. Oh, and Axel is fixing something in the kitchen. I'm not sure what and I'm almost afraid to ask." She started to rise with the baby.

"Want me to take her?" Maggie shook her head and smiled.

"I'm gonna take her in to see Daryl. See if that will stop his bitching." Rick laughed.

"Good luck with that." Maggie rolled her eyes and left for the cells. Hershel passed by her and sat at the table with Rick. Hershel looked exhausted and rubbed his face with his hands. Rick leaned towards him, concerned.

"Hershel, are you alright?" Hershel nodded.

"I'm fine. I'm just gettin' too old for these late night runs of yours." Rick smiled apologetically.

"Sorry about that Hershel. I think things should be calm for a few days at least. How's Daryl?" Hershel looked over his shoulder and then leaned in closer to Rick.

"He has a concussion. To be honest, it's a miracle he's still alive. He hit his head when he took his bike down. There's a possibility he could have a skull fracture and we might not know it yet. If he does, there could be bleeding on his brain that could cause a clot and, to be honest Rick, there's nothing we can do if that happens. We'd just have to wait and see." Rick nodded but felt the blood drain from his face and his skin go cold. They needed Daryl. If something happened to him, if he died, Rick didn't know if the group could function.

"But he could still be fine, right? He might just have a concussion and that's all. Right?" Hershel nodded.

"It's possible. Given his stubbornness and hard ass nature, he might very well will himself healed. He could also push himself too hard and make whatever injury he does have worse. We need to make sure he stays put." Hershel looked over his shoulder again and lowered his voice even further.

"That's why I told him what I did about his knee. I don't want him up and around for at least another forty-eight hours. That way, I can keep an eye on his head injury. His knee is swollen badly but he could definitely walk on it now, with that bandage. If he finds out he can get out of that bed, you know he'll take off and do something stupid." Rick thought on that a moment and shook his head.

"I don't think Daryl would do that to Danielle again. I think we need to talk to her and let her know what's going on. I'm sure she could convince Daryl…"

"No, I do not think that's wise," Hershel interrupted. "That girl has not recovered from the loss of her daughter. She barely pulled out of that and she only did because she loves Daryl. If she loses him, I think she'll be gone for good. He's her strength and the only thing that's keeping her together right now." Hershel paused as Axel entered the room, carrying a steaming carafe of coffee and a sheath of Styrofoam cups under his arm. He was grinning proudly.

"I finally found the percolator! We've got a whole fifteen pounds of coffee, we just didn't have no means of brewin' it. I've missed my mornin' cup of coffee for a long time. That percolator was stuffed in the back of the cabinet. Found a tea kettle too. Might be better for boilin' water." He set the carafe down and poured himself a cup of coffee that smelled a bit like mud. Rick and Hershel watched as he took a sip and almost choked. Axel blinked, looked at the cup and smacked his lips. "That'll put hair on your chest." He took another sip and walked outside. Both Hershel and Rick eyed the carafe with caution.

"I gave up coffee when we went on the run. I don't see no reason to start drinkin' it now," said Rick. Hershel nodded.

"Amen to that."

Dani took a cold shower and washed her hair. She hadn't had a chance to do that for a few days. Even though the water was like ice, it didn't bother her like it had the first time she'd taken one. She quickly got dressed and dried her hair, pulling it up into a pony tail and checked her reflection in the mirror. The bruises on her face were gone, except for the dark circles under her eyes from not sleeping.

When she got back into the cell area, she saw Maggie leaving Daryl's cell with Judith. Maggie looked at Dani and smiled, rolling her eyes.

"Would you go talk to him? He's being impossible." Dani suppressed a smile as Daryl's voice rang out from his cell.

"I wouldn't be so impossible if y'all would let me outta this goddamn cage!" Dani stuck her head in the doorway and looked at him, trying to keep the amusement and relief off of her face. His face was scrunched up in annoyance and he looked like his old self.

"What are you complainin' about?" she teased as she walked in. She sat on the bed. "I get to stay in bed with you all day." She couldn't resist a smile. His face relaxed and he gave her a partial smile.

"Stop it." She shook her head no and leaned over to kiss him. When she sat back up he put his hand on her leg. "You look nice. You didn't have to get all cleaned up just to sit inside all day, if that's what you were plannin' on doin'." He pulled himself up higher on the bed. Dani took the pillow off the top bunk and put it behind his head.

"How are you feeling?" His eye was swollen and an ugly purple but at least he could see out of it again. His bottom lip was cut and he had a bruise on his cheek. He had a few bruises on his chest but no broken ribs.

"I'm feelin' fine. I'd feel a helluva lot better if they'd let me get up and move around. You're not the only one that doesn't like sleepin' in these things. You can't move in here."

"I could check with Hershel about setting you up on the perch if you want to. I'm sure that would be ok." Daryl shrugged.

"I just don't like bein' fussed over, you know? I can take care of myself. Been doin' it my whole damn life." His eyes were suddenly sad. She took his hand.

"Do you want to talk about Merle?" Daryl looked at her and then looked away.

"Why would you want to do that? After everything he did to you, you don't want to listen to me cry over his sorry ass." She put her hand on his cheek and forced him to look at her.

"Daryl, I don't care. He was your brother and he was the one that took care of you, raised you, for better or worse. You have the right to mourn him, regardless of what he did." He looked her in the eye.

"When your mother died, did you cry over her?" Dani thought about it.

"No, I don't think I did. But I hadn't seen or spoken to her for three years when she had the stroke. Meemaw kept tryin' to get me to come back out and mend fences but I wouldn't do it. I was in California and finally free of her bitching. But she was never a mother to me. She was just the woman who happened to give birth to me and drove my daddy to an early grave. I didn't fly back to Louisiana until the summer after she died to help Meemaw and Granddad clean up the trailer. It was more of a relief that she was finally gone but I hated her. Never felt any love from her, ever." Daryl was quiet and looked away. Dani watched him a moment and then got up. Daryl turned quickly to look at her, a worried frown on his face.

"Where are you goin'?" She leaned over and kissed him. It was getting so much easier to do that and it thrilled her that he didn't pull away from her touch.

"I'm going to talk to Hershel about movin' you out of here. I'll be right back."

Michonne lay in her cell on the second tier, listening to the conversation below. She knew the truth about Merle Dixon. That he had helped his brother and her escape that night. After they had brought Daryl in, Merle had come to her and kicked his crew out of the room. He told her that he needed to get Daryl out alive and laid out the plan. He would uncuff Daryl and leave him in an unlocked room. He left Michonne's room unlocked as well. He made sure that there were only four guards that Michonne could easily take out. Merle probably didn't count on Rick's rescue crew coming in when they did. She hadn't asked why he did any of it and she figured he'd probably turn on them in an instant, which is why she had decided to kill him.

But she was going to keep that information to herself. She also wasn't sure if she was going to tell Rick about the Governor's plan for attacking the prison and turning it back over to the walkers or about Andrea living in Woodbury. Michonne didn't act on impulse, everything she did she thought about and planned. It's what had kept her safe over the past year. She was going to stay low, stay quiet and see whether the group was ready to defend itself. If it was, then she would stand with these people and defend the prison. If the group wasn't ready, then she was going over the fence and would be back on her own. She would do like she had suggested to Andrea. Head to the coast, maybe find an island. Live the rest of her life not thinking about being eaten alive every day.

She looked at her knife and thought that she should try sneaking away back to Woodbury and steal back her katana. She was sure the Governor had it on a trophy wall in his house. She thought she might do it later that day, while he was surely either dead or recovering from a gunshot wound. Plus, the town wouldn't be expecting anyone to return so quickly. Michonne knew there was a hole in the prison fence that she could get through and she could definitely make it back to Woodbury on foot. Plus, she wanted to find out what the Governor's real plan was, especially now that his lead henchman was dead.

Michonne waited until she heard the outside door shut and quickly left the cellblock. Danielle was in Daryl's cell, her back to Michonne. Neither Dani nor Daryl noticed her pass by. Outside, Rick and Hershel were walking down towards the garden with the two girls and the little boy. Michonne quickly headed through the inner gate and slipped through the cut in the fence. After making sure the fence was secure, she headed quickly for the woods.

No one noticed that she was gone until Carol woke up two hours later.