TTWH 27
TTWH 27
Oh...What's happened? Is it Daddy Dixon getting his revenge on his sons and Rick wanting to kick him out - dying- of the camp? Or has he hurt Carl?
Daryl's head snapped up at the sound – he recognised it as one of the Greene girls and he let out a protective snarl in response. Merle grabbed his weapon too when the others shouted, taking up the cry. Now they could hear it, 'Walkers!'
'What?' The younger Dixon stared at his brother. 'Here...Now?'
'Get up.' Merle grabbed him from under his armpits. 'Come on.'
'I'm goin', I'm goin'.' He shook him off and they rushed out the tent. To witness chaos.
It wasn't quite a herd but enough to be a real threat if not dealt with quickly.
Rick rushed over. 'OK?' He glanced at them quizzically, remembering the events of the day.
'Fine.' Daryl brushed off his concern. 'Where are we needed?'
'Over there.' He pointed then ran off with his pickaxe to plant it into a zombie's skull. Looked like it had been an old woman – her sparse white hair was falling out in clumps and her torn, filthy clothes hung off her shrunk and rotting frame. The leader grimaced and looked away from her withered breasts as if embarrasssed before he swung the blade. Merle's sharp ears even heard him even say 'Forgive me' before he did. He was surprised because most of them no longer saw the Walkers as unfortunate victims who nevertheless, still retained some vestige of their humanity.
The Dixons rushed over to the main camp area. It seemed that the Undead had been attracted to the kitchen area and Daryl glanced at the remains of their uneaten dinner slop but brushed it off. He knew that's not what had attracted them.
'Come on!' His brother urged.
They helped some of the women dispatch the Walkers easily. Afterwards, when they were burning the bodies, (there had been about 30) Rick looked around checking his people.
'Anyone been bitten or hurt?' The leader looked round, examing every dirty, exhausted face.
People shook their heads. Their dilligence had paid off – the decision to place sentries taking turns at night in a rota system had likely saved all their lives.
But one.
Dirk fidgeted and looked away when the leader asked them. As if anyone who'd been bitten would say! He thought to himself.
'Do we have any idea why this happened?' Dale spoke up. 'I thought it was too cold for them up here?'
'Apparently not anymore.' Shane snapped and Rick looked at him sharply.
'They're runnin' out of food down there...' Carol said. 'They must have used up all their supplies.'
Several people fidgeted and shuffled awkwardly on their feet at that euphenism of hers.
'What we gonna do?' Glen asked, looking around at them. 'We're not safe...'
'No, we ain't.' Daryl spoke quietly and everyone looked at him. He rarely spoke since his Dad had come back. The dark shadows under his eyes that looked like bruises didn't escape anyone's eyes.
'We need to move up further the mountain at first light – it's too late now. And double our sentry patrols tonight.'
'Good idea.' Rick approved making his old school buddy scowl.
'Ya volunteerin'?' Shane asked him challengingly. He didn't like how when the archer spoke, everybody listened now. Took the uncouth redneck seriously since he'd replaced him as Rick's right hand man.
'Yeah. Double shift.' Daryl retorted just as sneeringly.
'Ya don't have to do that...' Rick tried to interrupt but Daryl insisted and Shane had no choice but to offer to do the same. Otherwise he would have looked bad in front of everybody. He glared back at the Dixons who were looking back at him with identical mocking little smirks on their lips. He felt like wiping them off their faces, whatever the younger brother had been through. He seemed fully recovered now.
'I'll come with ya, bro.' Daryl's brother offered but Daryl only scowled at him in reply. He knew that it wasn't pure altruism...With Merle it never was unless it came to him. His brother always had an ulterior motive.
'We'll take the far side of the camp perimeter as an extra precaution. We're not tired.' Maggie volunteered herself and Glen. Not to be left out, they wanted to help out too. Besides, everyone was shaken up by the unexpected attack. Just then, however, the Dixons were searching the group of people with their eyes.
'Where is he?' Daryl hissed to Merle.
The latter cleared his throat. 'Dad...' He called out. 'Has anyone see our Dad?'
Everyone looked at each other and shook their heads.
Merle took his torch and went searching in all the tents and bushes and so did the others, except Daryl and a cursarory search begain.
'Do ya think the Walkers got'im?' Daryl asked when his brother returned, shaking his head.
'I fuckin' hope so. Although I was hopin' to send the bastard to hell myself.'
'Merle!' Daryl exclaimed in shock.
His brother looked at him in disbelief. 'Ya tellin' me ya don't want tot? After what he did to ya?'
'Keep ya fuckin' voice down!' But the youngest Dixon's eyes were haunted.
'I'm sorry, we can't find him.' Glen came over to tell them the bad news.
'Well, we might as well and go sstart patrolling, then.' Merle replied while the teenager looked at him in shock.
'Don't ya care?' He began.
'He's tough, he can take care of himself.' Merle explained.
'Still...He's an old man and he's sick...'
'We don't care, get it?' Daryl suddenly snapped while Glen and Maggie goggled at him.
'Come on.' He dragged his brother with him without another word to them.
Behind him, he heard his friend and his girlfriend talking about his reaction in hushed tones. 'Did ya hear that?'
'Well, ya know what he did to them.' Maggie replied.
'Yeah, I know but still? He's their Dad. I'd give anythin' to see mine again.'
The Dixons ignored them. They didn't understand and Merle put his arm around his brother's shoulders as they made their way to their section of the perimeter. Only he knew that he was shaking.
'Come on.' He drew him to him as soon as they reached the place. 'Sh...'
Daryl leaned against him, looked like he was gasping for air. He'd lashed out because he didn't want to show weakness in front of the group, naturally. Their Daddy was still a sore subject with them both.
'Poor baby.' Merle had taken to crooning this to him lately.
'Don't call me that!' Daryl snarled.
'Sorry.'
'No, seriously, what do ya think's happened to him?'
'He's burnin' in hell, I hope. After they ate him piece by piece..'
'Ya sick.' Daryl's voice wavered.
'Can't blame me. After what he did to ya...'
'Stop talkin' about it! I jus' wanna forget.'
Merle stopped curling his fingers through his baby brother's hair to plant kisses along his throat. 'Oh, I can make ya forget all 'bout him...' He promised.
Daryl arched his back and squirmed. His brother always knew what he liked, what was likely to make him melt.
'That's it, baby brother.' Merle was growing bolder now and sliding a hand seductively up under his shirt to stroke his stomach. 'I can make ya feel real good...'
'No, Merle! Stop!' He pushed his hand away.
His brother gave a feral growl of disappointment. 'Jus' thought we could have ourselves a little stress-relief, is all.'
'Ya sick! As if I'd wanna after...after...' His breath hitched in his chest. 'That's the only reason ya came here, weren't it?'
Merle chuckled as he wrapped his arms around again, making him feel snug. 'Ya know me so well...Dunno why ya care about them so much. They don't care about ya. Ya know Rick didn't believe ya?'
'That ain't true! Anyway, he does now since ya told him everythin'!'
'Oh, don't worry. He's cool. Ain't gonna tell no-one...'
'He's alive, Merle. I can feel him...' He turned his face away and shuddered against him.
'Sh...Even if he is, big bro ain't gonna let him get to ya...'
'Would ya let me the fuck go already?'
Merle laughed sardonically and opened his arms and Daryl scrambled out of them. He was amazed at how quickly his brother seemed to recover from their father.
'I think it's about time we started to act like normal brothers again, don't ya?'
'Whatever ya wamt.' Merle pretended to bemore casual than he actually felt -far from it - when the last thing he wanted was to think that it was all over between them for good. That Daryl would never let him touch him like he wanted to. If that happened, he knew he'd be truly alone because nobody liked him in the camp. He wasn't respected like his brother – he didn't have one friend. Let alone even a piece of pussy – Andrea had kicked him out of bed one night and given him no real reason. Her rejection had hit him out of nowhere, it seemed. Making him suspect that someone had seen their little midnight rendez-vous and now she was worried about the rest of the hypocrites finding out. He thought she had more balls than that to care what people thought but apparently not.
So Merle wasn't about to give up on what he'd always longed for and let Daryl pass their weird sex off as mere temporary episodes of losing control with each other. Convincing himself no doubt that it had all been a kind of twisted celebration of relief and heightened emotion from finally getting revenge on his assailants.
But there was one left. Unless he was dead.
But Merle didn't believe that either. He could feel the living spirit of their old man out there, in the woods, like a malevalent force stalking and spying on them. Waiting for the right time to attack and get his own revenge on them. Maybe he had heard Merle or Daryl to get rid of him somehow? Dying or not, old or not, he was still a Dixon and was too smart to let himself be taken down by a few, slow Walkers.
Shivering himself at the thought – the old bastard still held that power over him, he drew close to his brother and held him tight despite his muted protests. But Daryl didn't really mind, he could tell at the way the tension slowly melted from his body. After all, he was the only person Merle had ever loved more than himself, he'd sacrificed everything for him and would do it all again in a heartbeat. Not one of his women had ever come close. Daryl knew that, had always known that.
Was he imagining the very same thing? That their father was out there in the woods somewhere, just waiting for his chance?
'Sh, baby.' He whispered in his ear. 'I got ya.' What I wouldn't do for a bottle of JD's right now but he wouldn't let us drink on duty, anyway. Would be worried about endangering the group.
This time his brother didn't tell him to shut up.
No Walkers appeared but just before their double watch was over, the other couple came up to them.
'Anythin'?' Merle demanded abruptly.
'No. You?' Maggie answered, frowning in concern a little at the way he was holding his brother. Jus' like he used to before he got better. 'Is he OK?'
'I'm right here, ya know?!' Daryl looked up.
She startled back.
'Sorry,' He shrugged apologetically. 'Jus' tired, is all.'
'We all are.' Glenn yawned and covered his mouth with his hand.
'Are ya worried about ya Dad?' Maggie wouldn't let it rest. 'We'll find him.'
'Yeah, I'm sure we will – as one of them.' Daryl snapped sarcastically. 'I'm sure he's jus' fuckin' peachy...'
Her boyfriend immediately rounded on him. 'Ya don't have to talk to her like that. She was jus' tryin' to make ya feel better, is all.'
'I don't need...'
'Well, she shouldn't have.' Merle cut in and squeezed his brother reassuringly. 'That's what I'm here for.'
'Come on, let's go.' Glen made a face at her and pulled her away.
'Bye!' Merle called loudly after them but they didn't answer.
'Why did ya say that, huh?'
''Cos we both know he's not. He's fuckin' out there!' And Daryl pointed out towards the woods and shrank back against his brother and buried his face in his chest like before. He was no coward but what their father had done to him and the way he'd taunted him for it made him seek reassurance from his big brother again.
Merle rocked them, feeling an unsettling sense of deja vu. 'We don't know that for sure...' But he knew in his guts that their father was alive and unfortunately, still kicking.
'I jus' wanted to shut her up. Make her stop talkin' about him...' He trembled.
Merle stroked his hair soothingly. 'Yeah, I know the feeling, bro.'
They sat like that in silence and after a while Merle stopped moving. Every time one felt like dozing off, the other would dig him in the ribs or hiss in his ear. It was a real struggle to keep awake towards the end.
They turned around gratefully when they heard the footsteps of the two men relieving them approaching. It was Eddie and Mike.
They glanced briefly down at them huddled like that defiantly on the ground but showed no surprise, unlike Daryl's friends. Didn't offer reassurances that they would find their father soon either which was a relief to both of them. They just gave a curt greeting which the Dixons returned in kind.
'Fuck.' Daryl sighed, swaying in exhaustion on his feet after they stood up and leaning against his brother. 'All I jus' wanna do is sleep...' His eyes were fluttering.
'Ya sure that's all ya wanna do?' Merle leered at him like a pantomime villian as they walked back to their tent. 'Can't we have some fun before we do?'
Daryl looked back anxiously at the other two behind them to see if the other men had heard. If they had, they gave no sign, probably too wrapped up in each other or didn't bat an eyelid at two brothers messing around with each other. They were married after all. That had discomfited some of the older, more conservative or bible-bashing members of the group and this was probably why they kept themselves to themselves. They didn't need other people, they had each other. Merle could only wish that Daryl was just as content with him.
'Shut up, Merle.' He punched him on the arm irritably. 'Too tired...'
That gave his brother renewed hope.
Even so, he sighed in relief when Merle pulled him to him just before they literally passed out from exhaustion after forcing themselves to stay away for three hours. He was forced to use the sleeping bag their hated father had crawled in, it was just too cold even with the spare blanket and he grimacedand wrinkled his nose as he did. He had briefly considered seeing if cosying up with his brother would be enough but the way his breath frosted in the air, he knew it wouldn't work.
'We need to get a new sleeping-bag and more blankets, baby brother.' He whispered in his ear but Daryl didn't hear. Was already snoring lightly. Merle got as close to him as he could get, to take advantage of his body heat. Daryl had always burned like a furnace, probably didn't even need his sleeping-bag.
He sighed. Too late now.
The next day there was no sign of their father or Walkers when the Dixons woke up a couple of hours later than they did normally.
'Could'ave jus' been a rogue group...' Dale mused hopefully at the meeting straight after breakfast. He was reluctant to pack up all his stuff and move again. He liked it here.
'We ain't takin' the chance.' Rick was firm.
But moving made no difference. Didn't save the lives that were lost.