Merle couldn't wait any longer, the hordes were closing in and his brother was nowhere in sight. He looked back towards where he came from, where he last saw his brother, there were at least three hordes between him and the spot where they separated. He could try and fight through but he wouldn't make it, especially not on a bike. He looked in the opposite direction, to where Emily and the other brothers had headed. He gave a big sigh and started up his bike, he really didn't have much of a choice. He'd get Emily and circle back, the dead should have moved on by then, he wasn't giving up on his brother.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Emily was sick, Murphy held her as she trembled. Despite her burning temperature and sweating, she was complaining about being cold. Murphy looked at Connor,
"We need ta stop brother."

Connor scratched his eyebrow with his thumb, "Ay, think we've lost the dead fucks yet?"

"I pray we have because either way we need to stop."

As if on queue, Emily began a hacking coughing fit. Murphy saw his own worry and concern mirrored in his brothers eyes and knew, it really was as bad as it seemed, he wasn't over reacting, Emily was seriously ill.

It had only been a couple of days since the horde drove them off, Emily had been complaining about not feeling that well before but it had not been anything serious, a mild cold is what they had all assumed, but after they had to run, Emily's health had deteriorated alarmingly fast. She was barely coherent now.

"We'll stop at the next safe place." Connor answered grimly, he turned his attention back to the road, scanning the tree lines for anything that looked like shelter.

Murphy looked back down at Emily, she was still now, her pale face covered in a sheen of sweat. I'm not going to be able to keep her. The thought came strong in his head, he squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head slightly, willing it not to be true, refusing to face it, but his heart thumped harder in his chest, it was true, the message sent was as clear to him as their mission had been. Then please don't let me watch her die! He pleaded with the almighty. Please let her live, even if it is without me. A strange sort of coolness washed over him and he got the answer, Yes, she would live, and Yes, it would be without him. Murphy kissed her forehead scorching his lips, he would take whatever God wanted to give him.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Murph." He felt his shoulder being shaken. Blinking sleepily he lifted his head, the entire right side of his body was drenched in sweat. Looking around he realized he must have fallen asleep leaning against Emily, his shirt was soaking wet and Emily was letting out steady but rasping breaths.

"Come on Murph, I've cleared the house. We need ta get her inside and find a pharmacy, maybe well get lucky and find her some medicine. There's a town nearby."

Murphy nodded unable to speak for fear of crying and becoming useless. He accepted his brother's help getting out of the car but shook his head quickly when Connor tried to pick up Emily.

"I got 'er." He mumbled, reaching in a gently lifting the pale girl from the back seat. She was light, too light she had lost a lot of weight in just these past couple of days. Her body was fighting too hard, she was burning herself out. Murphy followed his older brother into the house, he prayed and he asked for strength for Emily.

Connor had been busy while they slept, the small two bedroom home must have belonged to a bachelor because only the master bedroom had a bed and Connor had already stripped it and put on fresh sheets, he had arranged candles on the night stand and covered up the windows so no light could be seen.

"You two can sleep here, I'll get the couch." Connors soft voice came from behind him as he lay Emily down. "Don't cover her, in fact we might want to strip her down."

"Ay." Murphy agreed.

They set to work and Murphy was glad he had a brother he could trust, Emily stripped down to her tank top and panties and Connor politely looked away as soon as he was able. Murphy's mind wandered to the Dixon brothers, would they have cared for her if she had gotten sick on them? Would they have taken advantage of her unconscious state, first one and then the other? Perhaps, Murphy thought, his goal was to save her from those men and deliver her to a loving man that was not devoted to a mission from God.

He brushed the hair from Emily's face, she was so sweet and kind, he did his best to build her up her self-confidence had been broken. Maybe when the time came for them to part, she would know her worth. He closed his eyes, he didn't want to think of them parting, if he worked hard enough it was possible that God could still change his mind, a piece of him held on to that hope.

"I'll go try and find the pharmacy in the morning." Connor put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Tonight it is too dark already and I need to sleep." He reached around put a couple of bottles in Murphy's hand Ibuprofen and what looked like a prescription bottle.

"Found those in the medicine cabinet, they may help. Here's some water." Murphy took the glass and set it on the table, before opening the bottles and shaking out a couple of pills. He didn't bother looking at what the medicine was, if his brother said it might help then he'd try it. It was better than nothing, but he did check the dosage, 1 tablet every 12 hours.

"Need help?"

"Ay" answered Murphy. Connor came around and lifted Emily's torso. The girl groaned but didn't open her eyes.

"Open up Emily." Murphy lightly stroked her face. Emily just managed to open her eyes.

"I'm tired Murph," she weezed out. "It's cold can I have a blanket?"

"No love ya got a fever." Murphy frowned. "This'll help, open up." Connor held her up higher and Emily opened her mouth obediently. Murphy placed the pills on her tongue and helped her hold the glass as she drank. She shivered violently.

"Water is so cold." She tried to push the rest away.

"Drink it up Emily." Murphy pushed the glass back at her, smiling when she relented. "There's a good girl."

Once they'd made sure she'd swallowed the pills, Connor laid her back down on the bed and took his leave of Murphy.

"I'll sleep on the couch. Nothing will get through that living room without me hearing it brother."

Murphy stood up and looked at his older twin. "Thanks Connor."

Connor put his hand on the back of Murphy's neck a leaned his forehead against his brothers. "It will all turn out alright in the end. Have faith Murph."

Murphy closed his eyes and nodded taking comfort and strength from his brother. Finally Connor released him with a hard pat on the shoulder.

"Well now Murph you've had your nap, it's time for mine."

Murphy smiled and took a half hearted swipe at his twin missing him by a foot. "Lazy bugger." He teased.

"Ay, Well this lazy buggers been driven for hours." Connor yawned.

"Night Con." Murphy stifled his own yawn.

"Night Murph." With that Connor was gone, closing the door behind him. Murphy laid down next to Emily making sure their bodies were not touching, he didn't want to add anymore heat to her than necessary. Emily shivered next to him. He fell asleep in seconds.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Merle slowed down, he was sure he'd seen the lights of their car go over this hill but not back up the other side, they'd have to be deaf not to know a motorcycle was in the area but that didn't mean they knew it was him. He shut off the bike and hide it in the bushes by a burnt up house, hoping that no one would bother coming this way and accidentally stumble upon it. He removed his bags and his weapons and made his way slowly down the street keeping an eye out for their beat up piece of shit car.

The street was quiet, he hadn't seen a walker in this area for a while now. It didn't take him long to find the house they were holed up in. The car was parked right in the drive way and the damn thing was still warm. As he walked up to the porch Merle thought about his options, he could wait till morning give them all a chance to rest in the hopes of a reasonable reunion or he could just get it over with and risk a tired angry confrontation.

Connor made the decision for him, opening the front door and stepping out, not the least bit surprised to see the older Dixon.

"I gotta say Merle, I'm glad it's you and not someone wishin' ta 'arm us." The Irish man said as he light a cigarette. "Been waitin' inside for ya but if ya took much longer ida been asleep."

"Ya heard the bike?" Merle answered.

"Ay, figured you'd be comin' for her too." The brother stated without much fanfare or judgement. "Where's ya brother."

"Lost 'em."

Connor's eyebrow rose in concern.

"He ain't dead, just got separated by those dead fucks. Ain't nobody can kill a Dixon but a Dixon." He growled out.

"Hmmm," Connor agreed. "The same could be said about the MacManus brothers." Connor's eyes were sharp and held a warning that a man like Merle could read easily. Once again Merle was struck with the thought that there was much more to the Irish brothers than meets the eye. Connor was still calm and polite but there was something predatory in the man's eyes and stance and Merle remembered how easily they killed and the way they moved together and handled their weapons. These brothers were deadly.

"Is Emily with yer brother now?" He knew the answer he'd seen the way Murphy looked at her back at the camp and Emily was dying for kindness.

"Ay." Connor answered.

"Alrigh'" Merle answered turning to leave, he'd thrown her away and lost her, he was a damn fool, nothing new about that.

"Stay a bit." Connor put his hand on Merle's shoulder, offering him a cigarette with the other.

Merle looked the man up and down, the mick had something to say he could tell that much. Taking the cigarette and the offered light, he leaned back against the porch railing and took a big drag, the smoke felt good as it filled his lungs. He studied the man before him again. Connor was thinner, his eyes puffy and tired, something was definitely up. He exhaled the smoke.

"You gonna tell me what's up or we gonna stand around all night havein' a starin' contest."

Connor's face broke out in a genuine smile, Merle begrudgingly had to admit that the man was handsome, model handsome like those faggy clean cut bastards that were always plastered all over the billboards in their underwear. It didn't help to endear the man to him, but his next words did.

"I knew I was wrong about ya." Connor pointed at him with his cigarette. "Wrote ya off as trash, especially with how you two treated Emily." At this point Connors smile slipped from his face, "That was a bad thing ya did there, but I've been thinking." He tilted his head at Merle.

"That a fact." Merle took another drag of his smoke. So the mick really did care for Emily, that was good if he had to leave her again.

"Ay, I've been thinking it's an act the two of you play."

"Ain't an act, we is redneck trash all the way." Merle snorted.

"mmmm," Connor didn't agree or disagree. "but you're also smart, aren't ya? And cunning and," Connor paused a bit, almost as if he wasn't sure he should continue, "and you care for that girl in there don't ya."

Merle wiped the side of his hand across his upper lip, he didn't answer the man's questions, it was too weird to be praised by someone he thought of as competition.

"You still ain't told me what tha hell is up." He spat out instead.

Connor nodded once like he'd anticipated his reaction. Merle clenched his fist.

"Emily's sick, she's very sick."

The anger and frustration seeped out of him only to be immediately replaced with cold dread.

"Whatcha mean sick? Was she bit?"

"No, I think it's the flu or pneumonia. She's bad." Connor was watching him gauging his reaction. Merle was staring at the floorboards of the porch his chest heaving with emotion, his fists clenching and unclenching. Without another word he moved to the front door. Connor stepped swiftly in front of hm.

"Move now." Merle growled through his teeth. For a moment Connor was truly afraid, he had stared into the eyes of stone cold killers and evil men with excitement but this man's angry desperation nearly had him backing away.

"You'll see her." He assured Merle.

"Damn right I will."

" I need something first." Connor continued holding his hand up palm forward in a gesture of peace.

"What is it hurry up." Merle was losing his control. Connor spoke quickly.

"We need to find her medicine, there is a town nearby on the map Woodbury I need you to help me."

Merle sniffed, "You think I wouldn't?"

"I think you would, that's why I asked. Murphy isn't going to be happy to see you."

"I. Don't. Give. A. Fuck."

"Still Emily is with him until she chooses otherwise." Connor stepped out of his path and opened the front door waving him in.

Merle paused for a second, something about Connor's words confused him, until she chooses otherwise? Until? He shook his head, he didn't have time to think about that right now, he had food and water and if he had to watch Emily with that sorry imitation of Daryl so be it, at least he could make up for his earlier fuck up by helping her now, that and he could be near her again, but Merle didn't want to think too much down that road, that was some pussy romance novel bullshit. He steeled himself for whatever he'd find and stepped into the house.

Connor watched the man speed towards the closed bedroom door and his heart broke for his brother.