TTWH 17

Sorry it's been a long time...I've been busy.

Daryl

i.

I was going to do something about Caesar, save my brother even if he didn't deserve it. Even if he'd lost it! But I could try and get him back just like he'd brought me back. Merle had finally told me that he was one of the Governor's henchmen and had joined in the things that they did to me and others but I didn't remember him. So maybe he wasn't there because but he was still guilty. Then the tables had turned and they'd turned on him like dogs on a cruel master. Karma was a bitch.

I couldn't help feeling a grim sense of satisfaction at what had happened to him although I knew deep inside that no-one deserved the things they would do.

Besides, Merle was my brother! The only family I had left and I knew if it came between him and the group who I would choose. Would have to choose. Even leave Carol and Rick. So this sad sucker didn't stand a chance in my priorities.

I knew what Dad did to him but that wasn't any excuse to become like him. He was going to need my help .

I stalked my way to the infirmary tent but halted outside at the sound of raised voices. Herschel's and Beth's. Was she telling him what my sicko brother was doing to her?

I listened. No, he was berating her.

'How could ya fall asleep? Ya sleep all day, as it is, girl?'

'Daddy, I didn't mean...I didn't hear him stop breathin'!'

'Call yaself a nurse! Ya a disgrace!'

She started crying at that. I'd never heard him speak so harshly to either of his daughters before.

I could stand it no longer but coughed loudly and strode in.

Beth blushed bright red and I glanced down to see the edge of the bottle under the bed.

'Lay off her, will ya, Doc? What's happened?' I glanced over at the bed. The 'patient' was stiff and cold, silent with no sign of his chest going up and down.

Beth gave me a small grateful smile and sucked it up.

'Daryl.' He seemed to notice me for the first time. 'How long ya been there, son?'

'He dead?' I jerked my head over to where the corpse lay.

'Yeah, he is.' Herschel sighed and threw the cloth he was winding around in his hand away in rage.

I struggled to hide the relief for my brother. Problem solved. It came from knowing that he was a bad man and seriously, I didn't know why Rick was keeping him alive. Well, I did – he saw him as a victim of the Governor like I was and he'd let his feelings run away with him when really, they didn't no shit about the guy.

'Does Rick know?'

'Not yet. I only jus' came in to take over from Beth and found him dead.'

'It's not my fault, Daddy!' She cried out. 'I only fell asleep for a minute, I was jus' so tired.'

He sighed. 'I know, sweetheart. I'm sorry I yelled.'

I said nothing even though I knew it wasn't true. Either she didn't remember or she told herself that this happened. She did look exhausted, black bags under her eyes and pale.

'Do we know how he died?' I went over to the body and examined it for injuries. I found none and I knew that he'd been alive when Merle was molesting Beth.

'No idea. It looks like he just passed away. We'll never know now without a post-mortem and even if I could perform one, we ain't got the equipment.'

'Yeah? Ya sure 'bout that?'

I took out my hunting knife.

He saw what I was going to do and blocked my way. 'Don't be hasty, son. Wait until Rick gets here and makes a decision.'

I stopped in my tracks. 'Why?'

'We jus' should.'

I shrugged and backed off. Really, it didn't matter to me.

Rick came rushing in. Someone had told him what had happened.

'He dead?' Was his first question.

Herschel sighed. 'Yes. Passed away in the night.'

Beth nodded. 'That's what happened – I must have dropped off for like ...a minute.'

Rick didn't even blame Beth, after all everyone thought he was on the mend and as far as they knew, she'd just fallen asleep. I hoped that they didn't find the bottle. I guess they could believe it was Herschel's and that he'd fallen off the wagon again if Beth argued.

'Do we know why?' Rick looked at me like I should know.

'Yeah – I was jus' gonna open up his stomach.'

'Do it.'

I took out my knife and slit up his stomach. Beth looked like she was going to be sick and ran out. I ignored her and carried on. Neither of them were squeamish anymore, I'd taught Rick how to track and open animals and Walker's guts to look for body parts they might have eaten when we were looking for Sophia.

I examined his stomach's contents after putting on gloves of course while they wrinkled their noses against the smell. Me – I barely noticed.

After a few minutes poking around I couldn't find anything out of the ordinary.

'I dunno.' I told them. 'Maybe he was hurt pretty bad and we didn't know.'

'Could be possible.' Herschel mused. 'Though I ain't qualified to say. No sign so far of internal bleedin'.'

'Poor bastard.' Rick shook his head. 'To be tortured by those animals then die. He barely spoke.

'Maybe it was for the best.' I spoke up and they stared at me. 'Well – I mean, we don't know what kind of man he was.'

'But they were ….they were...' Herschel looked at me uncomfortably, unable to finish his sentence.

I nodded. 'Yeah – ya can say it. They were fuckin' him but don't mean he was a good guy, though. Merle thinks he recognises him...from when he was at Woodbury. Guy was a real charmer – not.'

'Still, we could have at least given him the chance to fit in...' Herschel added.

'Leave it. What's done is done.' Rick was final. 'He was just using up our resources anyway and if ya say we're not sure if he was one of us or not.'

'Well-said.' I added. 'We gonna bury him or not?' I got the spade, ready to start digging.

'We should at least have a funeral...' Herschel said.

And we did, later on. Merle wasn't there, of course and I came up witurh some excuse to be with my brother. Dixons had never been into all that religious crap anyway and I thought I'd done my bit by burying the guy.

…..

ii.

Daryl

While the funeral was going on, I was in the tent with him. I was listening to his heartbeat while he twirled his fingers in my hair.

'So, ya told'em?' He nudged me.

'Yeah.' I was sleepy and lay my head back down on his chest. 'Rick's usually so careful about who he lets in...Ya sure ya didn't do nothin' to him?'

'No...when I saw Beth...passed out like that, got myself all distracted. Forgot about whackin' the bastard.'

I rose my head and thumped him. 'Ya leave her alone, ya hear! Ya touch her again and I'll end ya.'

He chuckled and ruffled my hair. 'I'm sorry about what I did! Must have lost it there...Only messin' with ya. I know the difference between right and wrong, ya know.'

I stared up at him because I wasn't sure that he did know anymore. 'Jus' wonderin' if anyone else has noticed her little drinkin' problem?' He wondered out loud.

'She's punishin' herself as it is. For a piece of shit like that...she thinks she let him die.'

'Well, ya jus' gonna have to convince her otherwise, ain't ya, boy? Hey, why don't ya two hook up, after you've made her feel better, of course?'

'Don't be stupid, Merle.' But I was relieved that we we talking about normal brother stuff like girls and he'd forgotten all about screwing me. For today, anyway.

'Ya an asshole, Merle. She's too young anyway, jus' a kid.'

'Too young for what?' He leered down at me and chuckled dirtily.

'Besides, Herschel and Rick would kill me.' I blushed and turned away. I'd never thought about Beth in that way...to me, she was just a slightly older version of Judith.

'But she's hot...'

'Yeah, maybe.' I shrugged. 'What about you and Andrea?'

That got him because he thought I didn't know.

'Why ya little...' This led to a wrestling match and I won, or more likely, he let me win and ended up on top, straddling him.

'Come here.' He laughed and pulled me down and held me tight. 'Go to sleep.'

I sighed and had the best nap during the day I'd ever had without bad dreams for a long time. We fell asleep to the sound of the others singing a hymn...I vaguely recognised the tune but damn if we actually knew what it was called.

'