Title: The Silence
Spoilers: For episode 8 'Made to Suffer'
Summary: What happens after Daryl's captured but before he's bought face to face with Merle.
Bad language!
He'd left it too long, he knew that now.
Retrospect was a son of a bitch.
His mind couldn't help wander. Did the others get out safely? He didn't know if The Governor's men were out after them right now and knowing Glenn was injured and likely to slow them down... fuck it, he should have listened to Maggie. They'd lost Oscar, that chick that lead them here had left them the second they had Glenn and Maggie and that left Rick to defend them.
He thought this had been the right thing to do. To lay down cover. He didn't think they'd catch him, didn't think he'd lose the chance to escape with the others.
He didn't even see the blow coming that blurred his vision for a second and threatened darkness.
Didn't matter much now, he supposed. But he had to think of something because otherwise he might just lose his shit.
So he went back to thinking about the others.
Oscar had died here. They'd not be able to bury him back at the prison but they could make that grave dug for Carol now be Oscar's. He hoped Carl remembered the slippers that Oscar had found and cared so fucking much about because they could bury them.
It was something. They didn't know anything else about him. Maybe Axle knew him better... maybe he knew him because really, they knew nothing.
Maggie didn't look like she was hurt. But it didn't go unnoticed by him that Glenn was shirtless when they found him and he was sure that she had a different top on when she'd left with Glenn. He always took note of what the others wore. Needed it if you were looking for someone. It always frustrated him that he could never quite remember what Sophia had been wearing.
Sophia.
Fuck.
But Maggie... Maggie, she seemed okay. She was holding it together and she was fighting so he didn't think anything had happened. Merle hadn't touched her it seemed.
Glenn wasn't so lucky. If his face wasn't mangled up enough he seemed to struggle just walking, breathing, talking.
God damn, Merle.
He wondered how far they'd got. With only Rick to protect them and then... well if that wasn't just the icing on the cake... just what Rick hadn't wanted to happen. He'd let Rick down.
I need you, he'd said. And he'd hated hearing it because Rick didn't need him.
Rick didn't need anyone. He remembered telling Rick that Merle was the toughest guy he'd ever met but now he thought different. Merle was tough. He was a brute force, a wrecking ball. But Rick was a different kind of tough.
He was mentally tougher than anyone he'd ever met and he would fuck anyone up who messed with him, with his family. And he cared. He actually cared.
Cared enough to come after Glenn and Maggie, cared enough to thank him for taking care of his baby while Rick himself had been devastated by Lori's death.
Fuck, this wasn't helping and he choked a little on something that was trying to escape his throat. It wasn't a sob, he told himself, but maybe it fucking was because he was terrified.
And he couldn't stall thinking about it any more.
His hands were tied too tightly behind his back and he'd given up trying to get free of them.
His shirt had ripped partly where they'd pulled the crossbow away from him and they'd dragged him across the town and into some dark, bare room. He couldn't help wonder if this was where Glenn or Maggie had been held but he had no time to wonder before they put the hood over his head and left him in the darkness.
He thought he might be able to struggle free of the hood, but when he started to move, a hand grabbed him roughly and stilled him.
The silence, the darkness the lack of freedom built and then a door creaked and he heard footsteps. He tried to make out what was happening around him but all he really knew was that someone had come in the room and he didn't know if it was just one person or there was a room full. His senses were all off and he was sure someone was circling him, but maybe it wasn't that, maybe it was that there was more than one person and... fuck he was scared.
Should listen to Maggie next time, he told himself. If he ever got out of this, he would. He'd fucking listen.
He sniffed and then he realised that he was being circled and whoever was there was stood right behind him.
He told himself not to move but he was sure he did, was certain he stepped away a little. And then there was an arm around his throat pulling him tightly to whoever was behind him, The Governor his mind screamed at him, and he fought not to struggle, to try and fight his fear as best he could.
"Your name?" the voice all but whispered in his ear.
Daryl's jaw was clenched so tightly that he was sure he couldn't say anything even if he wanted too. Just as well he had no intention of speaking to this prick anyway.
Almost a chuckle before he spoke again. "There's more than one way to find out the truth," he said. The grip around his throat tightened and then a hand was snaking against the skin on his chest and delving beneath his shirt and the idea of staying still left his mind along with all rational thought as he struggled for his freedom and he felt himself truly panic, but the grip on his throat was crushing and he struggled for breath.
Strangely, his thoughts went to Rick again. Back to when Glenn told him that they'd given up the prison as their camp to The Governor and he said it was okay.
It was just his damn name, what the fuck could he do with that?
"Daryl," he struggled to get the word out, gasping for air.
The hand against his body touching him was running a finger gently across one of the scars on his body and it lingered as the grip loosened on his throat but didn't leave.
There was another chuckle. "I already knew," the voice said as he withdrew his hands before pushing Daryl forward. He stumbled into something, a chair it seemed and he struggled to stay upright.
His breathing was harsh as he struggled to regain control.
"Give me five minutes and bring him over," the voice said.
Then there was silence again.