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Chapter 5: Rooftop Drama
Abby walked quickly, her eyes darting in all directions and the gun still clasped in her hand. She could hear Daryl right behind her but didn't turn round; they hadn't spoken a word to each other since she'd shot the walker.
They got back downstairs and joined the others, they all looked nervous when they saw Abby with the gun in her hand,
' You ok?' Rick said quietly
' Fine, just a walker'
' Only one?' he said looking surprised
' What did you expect, they're all out in the streets now, there's nothing left for them in there' he nodded
' Can we go and find Merle now?' Daryl said, he looked agitated and wouldn't look at Abby,
' Yeah alright we'll go' Rick said rubbing the back of his neck and taking the bag off Abby.
They moved quickly through the building, they came across one walker, a girl probably the same age as Carrie,
'Damn! You is one ugly skank' Daryl muttered before firing an arrow into the walkers forehead.
Daryl rushed up the stairs, he was biting his lip and pacing as T-Dog pulled Dale's bolt cutters out of a bag. Abby watched Daryl clench and unclench his fist as T-Dog snapped the padlock on the chain. Daryl pushed forwards and ran as soon as the door was open, the others followed and Rick and Abby glanced at each other, a moment of mingled fear and worry on both their faces.
Daryl ran to the pipe and screamed, Abby pushed through the others on instinct, screams meant pain and she had to help. In the few seconds she was making her way over to Daryl horrible images flashed through her mind.
What if they had managed to get to Merle?
What if he was dying and she couldn't do anything, would Daryl blame her?
Would it be him pulling the gun on her this time?
She stumbled mid step and stared at the ground, Daryl paced next to her his hands clasped behind his neck and a pained look on his face. Rick stood next to Abby and the two of them stared at the same thing on the ground: Merle's severed hand.
Abby's eyes darted from the hand to the hack saw and finally to the handcuffs hanging from the pipe covered in dark congealed blood. Her stomach twisted and she put her hand to her mouth, Rick put a hand on her back and gently forced her away. Daryl spun round and pointed the crossbow at T-Dogs head, T-Dog didn't flinch but Rick was fast,
' I wont hesitate' he said in a warning tone as he pointed his gun at Daryl's head, Daryl lowered the crossbow and walked away.
She stared at Daryl and felt guilty when he looked up and saw her watching him; he stared at her for a moment before breaking away and walking over to where the others stood.
' He ain't dead' Daryl said shuffling along the ground, Abby joined the others and they watched him and Abby finally saw what Daryl was following,
' Holy shit! He is alive or…could be anyway' she said and pointed to the trail of slightly fresher blood on the ground. Daryl doubled back and knelt down beside Merle's severed hand. He took a blue cloth from his pocket and carefully wrapped the hand in it; he did so without looking at any of them before standing up and following the trail.
They followed the trail on the floor and the smears on the doors and walls down through the building; Daryl led the way, his crossbow in hand, he occasionally shouted merle's name but got no reply. They got to the lower floors and came to the buildings kitchen area, it became obvious Merle had been here. A few walkers lay on the ground their heads caved in,
' Had enough in him to take out these two sons of bitches…and one handed, told you he was tough you feed him a hammer he'd crap out nails' Daryl said.
' What's that smell?' T-Dog said as he wrinkled his nose,
' Smells like burning' Glenn said looking around; Rick crossed the room to one of the kitchens stoves, one of the hobs was burning and Abby guessed what the smell was. It was a familiar smell to her, one you never got used to when you worked in the burns unit at a hospital,
' What is that?' Glenn said as Rick picked up a metal implement,
' Skin' abbey whispered and they stared at her
' He cauterised the stump' she said grimly
' Told you he was tough, nobody could kill Merle but Merle' Daryl said
' He's lost a lot of blood' Rick said
' Didn't stop him busting out of this death trap' Daryl muttered, they began arguing about the walkers and Merle's chances of survival since he'd left the building.
It was finally decided they'd search a little more for Merle but only after they had the guns Rick had left in the street,
' Abby you need to get this stuff back to camp, we didn't come all this way to lose it if we get ambushed by walkers' Rick said, she nodded,
' I need to get some of this stuff into Dale's fridge as soon as I can'
' Right, Glenn we need a car' Glenn nodded stiffly still looking at the burning hob and walked outside. He returned a couple of minutes later,
' There's a car at the end of the alley, not too many walkers about either, it's a back street and I think they stick mostly to the main roads' she nodded
' Right we all go, Abby get out onto the dirt track, stay away from the main roads and don't stop'
' Chill out Rick I got this far' she said shouldering one of the bags, Daryl picked up the other one and they moved towards the door. She was alone at the entrance with Daryl while Rick, Glenn and T-Dog tried to figure out a road she could take.
' Where'd you learn to shoot?' Daryl muttered quietly
' John showed me, used to take me to the firing range'
' You're pretty close to him?'
' He's like a dad to me…sorry about Merle, but from what you've said I think he's alright, seems like a real survivor' Daryl smirked and nodded.
She put the bag down and grabbed her gun she checked the silencer was on properly and that it was loaded as Daryl loaded his crossbow,
' Right let's go' Glenn said.
They grabbed the bags and followed him silently down the alleyway. They got to the opening of the alleyway and looked around, there was one walker but he was wandering away from them. Abby put the bag down and lay down flat on the pavement,
' What the fuck are you doing? This ain't no time to nap' T-Dog said hissing quietly,
' I'm checking under the car for walkers dick!' she spat back at him, she stood up and she could see Daryl smirking. They crossed the pavement and Daryl checked the car before tossing the bags in. abbey walked round, the gun still clasped tightly in her hand, and climbed into the drivers seat. She searched the glove compartment and the floor but couldn't find any keys,
' Nice job, we got a car and no keys' Daryl snapped at Glenn
' Relax…I got it' abbey said as she crouched down and ripped some wires out, a few seconds later the engine roared to life and she was relieved to see the car had a full tank of fuel,
' You hotwire cars too?' Daryl said standing next to the window; she simply smiled back at him,
' Abby, be careful' Rick said, she nodded and reversed the car straight back and spun it round.
She had her foot flat to the floor as she sped away; she glanced in the rear view mirror and saw the four specs walking back towards the alleyway.