The Walking Dead isn't mine.
The truck continued to struggle over the rough terrain as Rick tried to steer them toward the edge of the clearing where the herd seemed to be a little more thinned out. Glenn and the others could no longer be seen.
"Save your bullets, numb nuts!" Daryl shouted at one of the strangers. "The only thing you're gonna hit is one of us."
"Hell with this, bro." Merle said, strapping a blade to his stump. "I'm gonna walk." With that, Merle pushed off the gate of the truck on which he'd been sitting and sliced into the walker closest to him.
"Stay with the truck." Daryl said to Carol as he jumped off and joined his brother. He took a moment to admire Merle. The man wasn't afraid of anything. Didn't even pick up his pace. He took out another walker and grinned at Daryl. Just out for a stroll.
It reminded him sharply of when all this shit first went down. Even juiced like he'd been, Merle had been a machine. He was made for this world. All Daryl had to do was keep up.
The truck hit a deep rut in the ground then, tipping dangerously, and spilling it's cargo into the field. Carol was on her feet with her weapon out in seconds and Daryl felt himself swell with pride. Most of the others scrambled off in different directions in a mad panic.
"How much more effort you want to put into keeping these idiots alive?" Merle asked, observing the chaos. Daryl just shrugged, refusing to be embarrassed by his natural inclination to help. Merle was indifferent, he knew. But that meant Daryl could probably count on him to tag along. At least until he felt his own neck was on the line. Or he got bored.
"You got somewhere else to be?" Daryl asked.
"Christ," Merle rolled his eyes. "These assholes have really rubbed off on you. Can't hardly see the Dixon in you any more." But Merle followed him toward Carol, casually stabbing through the geeks as they went.
Michonne was there, slicing through walkers like they were butter.
"Your blood will attract them." She pointed out to Merle, whose shirt and waistband were stained with blood from his wound.
Carol reached for him once again and was successful this time in lifting his shirt to reveal where a bullet had grazed his side.
"Told ya." Merle said, yanking his shirt back down.
Michonne cut open the dead walkers at her feet and began smearing the blood and guts on the arms and clothing.
"What the fuck are you doing, you crazy bitch?" Merle asked, taking a step back.
"It masks our scent." The woman explained. "I think it's smarter to walk out of here."
"I ain't taking no walker bath." Merle said. It amused Daryl how disgusted his brother seemed.
"Maybe just a little over your wound." Daryl suggested.
"How sanitary does that strike you?" Merle asked, appalled.
"After all the skanks you been with?" Daryl questioned.
"You shut up." Merle pointed his finger in Daryl's face. "What do you think?" He asked Carol directly.
"I don't see how it can hurt. We're all infected anyway." Carol offered. Merle thought about it for a second and then gave a brisk nod, lifting his shirt and gesturing for Carol to do it. He stared at Daryl as Carol applied the geek goop and Daryl could only wonder at what exactly had happened between the two for Merle to demonstrate this kind of trust.
"Okay," Merle said gruffly, looking a little green. "We've got our girl, let's head South." He rolled his eyes once again when no one followed.
"Where is everyone?" Rick shouted from the truck. Daryl wasn't even familiar enough with their faces to look for them.
"Get back in the truck! We can make it to the highway." Rick urged.
Daryl thought he saw Tyreese running across the field in the distance. Here they were standing around in the middle of a herd while the others had done the smart thing and had kept moving.
"Daryl!" Rick called. Daryl ran over to the truck that was still tilting at an awkward angle. Axel was now behind the wheel as Rick attempted to push the vehicle out of the ditch. Daryl added his weight and the truck was righted.
"Where are the others?" Rick asked.
"Took off. Didn't catch what direction."
They all heard someone cry out in pain. Carol started taking off across the field and Daryl silently cursed the woman. Whoever it was, they were beyond help now. He saw Merle reluctantly move to follow her.
When he first heard the gunfire, he assumed it was one of the others taking out walkers. He quickly realized how wrong he was. Bullets rained all over the truck. Daryl ducked down behind it with Rick.
"They're at the opposite end of the field." Rick said, checking his gun. He stood and took a brief glance inside the truck. "They got Axel."
"We've got to get into those trees." Daryl said. "It's our only chance." He looked around and saw that Michonne had already taken off. He peered over the truck then, to see where Carol and Merle were. She was still heading further into the field.
"Fuck! Carol!" He called. She paused and turned back to look at him. Did she not realize they were being fired at? "Get down!"
He was about to take off after her but Rick grabbed him by the arm and pulled him down. "You'll be no good to her if you get yourself shot." Rick said. "Merle's got her." Rick observed.
Daryl watched as Merle continued to make his way toward Carol. She seemed confused. She held a hand to her head and turned away from them once again.
"Is she hit?" Daryl asked, his heart stuck in his throat.
"Can't tell. She's still standing." Rick said.
Daryl wondered why the gunfire had paused. What were they waiting for? Another glance told him that Merle was thinking the same thing. His brother quickened his pace and then broke into a run. It was as if that was the signal they'd been waiting for and the shooting began again. Daryl watched helplessly as Merle finally reached Carol. He grabbed her with his good arm and turned his body, using it to protect her. They both fell to the ground.
"Merle!" Daryl screamed. "What did he do? What did he do?" Daryl knocked Rick's hands away from him and left the shelter of the truck, running to where Merle and Carol had gone down.