Unthinkable 12

Rick was seriously worried – both the Dixons' loud protests that Merle was innocent and Daryl's accusations had the group aghast and murmuring in shock, even more at the undressed state of the brothers and the love-bites on Daryl's throat and all it implied. But it could have been all innocent, Daryl could have a secret girlfriend (or boyfriend – he'd never shown much interest in the camp women) and maybe they just decided to take a nap together but people liked gossip and scandal, liked to believe the worst but no-one dared ask openly. Weren't anyone's damn business, unlike his abused son, apparently. Yet there was never no smoke without fire and even if people sided with Rick, Daryl's accusations would linger long in their ears. He knew he had to be even more careful from now on. If only he could have got rid of them quietly without all the fuss, but Herschel insisted on calling a meetng. When it wasn't anybody's business! Why did his son have to get out of bed and go through all that -everybody staring at him. Why did they have to pass every decision by everyone – including what to do about his son's molestation and rape.

He almost even believed that it was the older Dixon brother who'd hurt Carl – he wanted to believe it. Why were they half-naked in the middle of the day? He narrowed his eyes. He knew they'd been something off about them...Merle was a pervert anyway if he was fucking Daryl – how long had they been having sex anyway? Did he force him when he was a boy? The thought sickened him but made him excited at the same time, thinking about the games he played with Carl.

He watched Dale lead Carl away and tried to get his boy's eye to reinforce his warning to keep to the story but his son didn't even look at him.

'I'm comin' with ya.' He ran to join them but Dale motioned him away sharply. Rick didn't care for the suspicious glint in his eye like he knew. He should have never underestimated the old man – seemed mild but he had this uncanny ability to see into people. He should have known.

The old man out a protective arm around Carl's shoulders before he gave Rick a long, hard look.

'Come on, sonny.'

The leader who was used to getting his own way and being listened to, was forced to turn back.

'Where is he?' He asked, making his way across the field where the Dixons were being guarded by Shane and a few others. He sneered down in disgust to see that Merle's flies were done back up but his hands were still cuffed behind his back. Daryl was blowing his top, judging by his frantic eyes darting here and there and his chest heaving in and out while Merle looked like he couldn't care less.

'Please, Rick.' Daryl looked at him in appeal 'You're sick. Ya know what ya did.' He whispered.

'Shut up!' Rick glanced around to see if anyone else had heard and punched him on the mouth so that there was a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth. Merle finally reacted at that and struggled to get free in vain, cussing him with filthy names and threats.

'Ya gonna go to hell one of these days!' His younger brother snarled at him. 'Ya the one who fucked Carl – ya own son!'

'Stop lyin'!' Rick ordered Daryl and rushed at him with fists clenched but drew back at the last minute as if changing his mind about hitting him again. 'I know ya only sayin' that to protect ya big brother.'

'You lay one finger on him and I'm gonna come after ya!' Daryl screamed back. 'Ya the only one around here who's guilty, ya sick fuck!'

'Yeah, yeah...' Rick turned back on his heel, badly wanting to gag them, regretting not doing it in the first place but now he couldn't because he would look like he had something to hide.

'Damn you.' He hissed to himself. 'Put them in the shed.' He ordered the guards. Was it his imagination or had they swapped glances...maybe they were beginning to believe Daryl and his brother.

…

Dale sat down on the overturned log and gestured Carl to do the same.

'You know what this is about, don't you?'

The kid shrugged.

'Let's start off with the easy questions. I notice ya been sleepin' a lot with Merle and his brother in their tent. People talk...Then there's some people who think they may be closer to each other than they should be.'

'I never saw nothin'. Who gives a fuck if they screw anyway? I mean it's twisted but who really cares?'

'You know what I'm going to ask you and I need you to tell me the truth.'

'Whatever.'

'Who hurt you? At least tell me if it was one person or more than one?'

Carl looked away. 'Don't want to talk no more! Sick of talkin' about it!'

'Well, son, that's tough. Because I need to know for sure.'

'One.' He looked up at him through his greasy strands of hair. But it was his eyes that scared Dale the most – they were old, standing out of his haunted, thin face. Times were that he used to take pride in his appearance but not any more. Although he had been holed up in the Infirmary.

'I know it's hard to talk about and I'm sorry ya had to go through that. But who was it?'

'No-one!'

'Was it ya Daddy?'

He jerked back in shock at that. 'N...No...' But his lower lip was trembling.

The old man moved closer to him, sensing he was about to get up and run.

'Time to tell the truth, son.' He put his arm around his shoulders again. 'Jus' makes me wonder...why ya spent so much time with Merle and Daryl if they were hurtin' you? Why did you sleep in their tent?'

'Judith was keepin' me awake...but that weren't it.' Carl took a deep breath before he lied. 'Merle threatened me...He'd kill my Dad and my little sister, so I had to stay close and make it easy to him.'

Dale shook his head in horror.

Carl blushed and sank his head even lower. 'He'd do me when Daryl wasn't there...But make me just touch him or suck him whenever he went for a piss. There wasn't much time but he didn't care.'

He'd got so good at mixing the lies with the truth that he hardly knew which was which anymore. Merle and his Dad seemed like to be the same person in his mind.

'I didn't want to believe it of him...He can be vicious and mean but I can't believe he would do such a thing. But I can't really believe it of ya Dad either...Still, he lost his mind there for a while, stealing Judith, put her in danger...after...' He didn't want to finish and say 'when your Mom died'.

Then his eyes grew dark as something clicked and he suddenly shook Carl. 'Ya lyin'. If it was Rick...we can sort this out. Protect ya and Judith!'

'I ain't!' Carl fought him and shoved him off.

Dale grabbed him and stared into his eyes. 'Promise me, son. Promise me it was Merle and not ya father.'

Carl slumped and let himself relax for the best performance of his life. 'It wasn't my Dad – that's sick! Why would ya think that? It was Merle, not Daryl.'

Dale let him go and looked into the distance across the golden fields of corn. They'd be ripe soon...They'd go and pick them and eat the ears...'

He shook his head and focused on the here and now. The boy next to him badly needed his help.

'If ya lying, boy...God help you.'

'I ain't. But don't let my Dad hurt Merle, will you?'

'Why do you care about what happens to him? If he did those things to you?'

Carl lowered his gaze. 'Because he's Daryl's brother. It will kill him to lose him again.'

Dale patted his shoulder. 'I'll talk to him, OK? Maybe there's another way.'

…

'I think we can just send them away. Blindfold them and take them in the van and drop'em miles away.' He told the leader later when they were alone. He still didn't quite believe Carl...couldn't imagine Merle for all his rough edges would stoop so low. Dale wasn't sure of the truth by any means.

Rick wiped his brow, he was sweating like crazy, waiting for what Carl would tell the old do-gooder. He'd been relieved at first although the old guy kept giving him sideways looks that suggested that he didn't quite believe what his son had told him.

Well, whatever. He carries on giving me those snide looks and I might make sure that he has an unfortunate 'accident'. With a walker in his face.

'No.' Rick knew that he couldn't be seen to give in to easily. 'You expect me to jus' let that sack of shit get away with what he did to Carl?' He raised his voice in angry disbelief.

'You'll be seen the better man. He told me that he doesn't want you to hurt Merle because it will hurt Daryl.

'Like I care about that! If he wasn't under that sick bastard's spell - God knows if he didn't put those hickies on there him, the sick bastard as if my son wasn't enough for him – he'd believe me and see it from my point of view.'

'We don't know about that...Anyway, whatever they do or don't do with each other, we shouldn't judge.'

'Except when it involves my son! How can ya stand there and tell me to let the bastard who raped my 13 year old son go just like that?'

Because I'm not sure it was him. Someone else maybe, he thought. 'Let'em go. It's what Carl wants...Maybe ya could even offer to let Daryl stay but not with his brother.'

'He'll never go for that! And what if they come back? They're expert trackers after all!'

'If ya kill Merle, you'll hurt Daryl.'

'I don't fuckin' care about that! Who's to say he didn't know even if Carl says he didn't join in?'

'Ya know he wouldn't have just stood back and let it happen if he did.'

'My son's hurtin', scarred for life and I'm jus' supposed to let them go? No! Besides, he might do it to another kid, how can I take the chance?

'He probably won't. Learnt his lesson, you spare Merle's life, they'll keep their promise. They're men of their word.'

'He raped a boy but he's a man of his word.' Rick laughed bitterly. 'OK.' He felt regret that he was almost certainly losing Daryl – such a good hunter and fighter but they would survive without them.

...

Later on, it was just Rick and his best friend from childhood in his tent. Carl had been ordered back to the Infirmary by Herschel who'd given him a sedative.

'Ya gonna what?' Shane shook his head in disbelief when he heard Rick's plan for the Dixons. 'I can barely stop myself from killing that sick bastard...'

'Look – 'course that's only what I want Dale and Carl to think.' Rick whispered, looking around. 'Do ya really think I'm gonna let the bastard who forced himself on my son go scott-free?'

Shane leaned forward. He'd never been keen on the Dixons, especially Merle. 'It's weird, though. Do ya think he liked it really?' He wondered allowed without thinking of the effect of his words on his father.

Rick growled and clenched his fist and let it fly to punch him hard on the mouth. 'Don't ya ever say that about my son! Ya hear?'

Shane nodded. 'Sorry. Came out wrong...Jus' think that Carl wantin' ya to spare him is fucked up, is all.'

'Of course the poor kid's messed up – the pervert screwed with his head most likely and he probably doesn't know what he wants. No surprise there. But ya get what I'm sayin'? I don't want him comin' back – not ever. But don't hurt Daryl, knock him out when ya off Merle then dump him off somewhere where it'll be hard for him to find his way back here.' He paused to gauge the other's reaction. 'He'll most likely guess what happened but I don't want him to know for sure. We'll jus' have to be prepared if he finds us somehow and comes back blazing guns of vengeance or at least demanding an explanation and we'll give him one. I'm hopin', though that we would have found more permanent living quarters by then...can't stay here forever.' He looked around and sighed before he continued. 'But I'm hopin' if the job's done properly, he'll never find his way back here.

Shane smiled grimly. 'Got ya. Don't worry. I won't kill Daryl – I don't think he knew and I got nothin' against him but Merle on the other hand...' Rick saw that he was indifferent towards the younger Dixon but Merle he was going to make suffer long and hard before he finally let him die. He felt a little guilty about that but there was always collateral damage in tough times like these and he was sure that the big bad Dixon could take it.

Couldn't have happened to a better person. Rick thought to himself.