Daryl blinked. Then again. And again. He was locked inside a dream. Or a nightmare This couldn't be happening. Not after everything. There'd been a couple of close calls but how had Merle managed to get bitten so easily? His brother's eyes were watering through his pasted on smile.

"Not as bad as it looks, right?" Merle chuckled.

Daryl couldn't take his eyes off the bite until he heard Carol gasp behind him and push forward. She appeared at his side and his hand immediately grabbed her upper arm and pulled her back. Merle noticed the action and the corner of his mouth flicked up.

"Think I should jus' go?" Merle asked.

Daryl couldn't say anything. No words were forming. It reminded him when he first saw his brother stumbling to the prison for the first time. Speechless.

"No!"

The brothers looked at Carol who was trying to cover her mouth with one hand. Her bright blue eyes were wide as she stared at Merle. Daryl knew she was thinking the same as him. There was no way to save him. No way to cure it.

"No? So whaddaya want?" Merle looked at Carol. "You want me t' jus' stay here an' turn in front of ya'll and put ya in danger?"

Carol looked scared now and Daryl could tell that her mind was working backwards. She was trying to rewind and think of something to make the situation better. That's what she always did. But there was no way of making this better. He saw her look up at him from the corner of his eye but he remained focused on Merle's bite.

"How did ya-"

"Was dealin' with one and didn't see the other behind," Merle stated, looking at the ground.

"But... You jus-"

Then Rick appeared behind Merle.

"What's goin' on?" he asked carefully.

Merle turned slowly towards Rick, his palms raised in defence. The recognition was instantaneous and Rick had his gun up in seconds.

"Hold on!" Carol cried. Daryl glanced at her. She was staring at Rick intently.

"We don't have time for-"

"Look," Carol interrupted, "they don't turn for hours. Just...let's just... slow down and think. We don't have to do anything right now."

Daryl was internally grateful for Carol then. Had she not been there, Merle's brains would have painted the walls in seconds. He couldn't say anything. He hadn't come to terms with the fact that he was now going to lose his brother.

Again.

...

They eventually decided to lock him in one of the rooms of the house. Rick wasn't happy about the situation, Carol noticed, but she didn't care.

"We could be running right now! We could be getting away from Woodbury! We're wasting-"

"Rick! We're going to stay here until..." She trailed off but glanced at Merle and Rick saw. He nodded then walked away, knowing how Daryl will feel.

She was in the room with Merle. Daryl was sat at the front of the house outside. He didn't want to be anywhere near him when it eventually happened.

"Thanks," Merle muttered.

Carol lifted her head. She was sat on the wooden floor opposite him.

"What for?" she asked.

Merle laughed under his breath. "Ya think I'd be sittin' here right now if you ain't been there?"

Carol attempted a laugh. It came out all wrong.

"I'm not turnin' yet," he mumbled, "ya don't have t' be scared or nothin'."

She nodded and shuffled closer to him. He sighed as though he was about to confess something to her.

"I jus' wanted to say thanks for takin' care of my brother."

Her head snapped up. "You don't need to be-"

"I ain't never been there much," he said, "he needs someone like you."

"I'll always be there... Well... for as long as I can." Merle narrowed his eyes at her. "I mean," she said, quickly, "we're all infected."

Merle chuckled again and Carol joined in until they were both laughing properly. It felt forced but she couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed. She remembered when he had first said that to her. Merle sighed.

"Your stitches worked pretty good," he said. "Jus' in time."

The seriousness of his blunt statement ended the laughter. Her vision became hazy and she blinked quickly and wiped under her eyes.

"Sorry," he muttered.

She looked at him properly. He looked like a wounded puppy. Then she smiled again.

"In the space of a few weeks, I've gotten a thank you and a sorry from Merle Dixon," she muttered.

Merle smiled then winced and felt around his shoulder. His eyes fell to the floor then back to her.

"Go get Daryl... please," he added.

Carol nodded and got to her feet.

"I'm truly sorry, Merle. Thank you for never giving up on Daryl." She noticed his face. "You knew he was still alive."

...

Daryl was sitting on the steps at the front of the house. He was staring up at the early morning sky and the sun was just beginning to rise. He closed his eyes and breathed in.

"Daryl?"

He whipped around but it was only Carol.

"He wants to speak to you," she whispered.

Daryl shook his head. "I don't wanna. He ain't himself."

"Daryl," she said, her hand grazing his arm, "he's still your brother. They don't turn for hours. You know-"

"I said I don't wanna."

He was being harsh, he knew, but he couldn't face seeing Merle as... one of those things. Carol glanced at him, tried to give him a reassuring smile and then retreated back into the house, brushing his arm with her thumb. Daryl sat heavily back down on the steps and kneaded his eyes with his knuckles.

...

Back in the room, Carol sat in front of Merle again. She wasn't two metres away from him but she noticed he looked pale. The bite was turning black and gooey and his eyes looked glazed over. She knew it would be soon but she hoped it wouldn't have to be her who finally-

"'M still here," he mumbled.

Carol nodded and reached over. "I know. But you can let go."

Merle looked dehydrated and very ill. His eyes had started to develop grey in them.

"He ain't comin'?"

Carol shook her head. "I'm sorry."

Merle snorted quietly but his head rested back against the wall and he closed his eyes.

"Merle?" she whispered, her voice shaking, edging closer. "Merle?"

His eyes fluttered open and they were fully glazed and grey. He turned his head to look at her but it wasn't him. Not completely. Slowly, he came closer and his arms raised up in front of him and made to grab her. With a scream, Carol fell backwards and tried to scramble away only to run into someone.

Daryl.

He raised his gun and, with an eerie and echoing shot, he fired.