Carolina in my mind
Chapter 15
Carolina wanted to head somewhere private right away, to discuss what they were going to do about what they just saw inside the governor's apartment. But she reluctantly agreed with Merle and stayed at the party. He said they needed to put on a show and pretend to enjoy the festivities to keep the governor from becoming suspicious. Carolina was relieved when she spotted Carl playing with the other kids. That meant he and Michonne must have escaped the apartment without being discovered, though it did make Carolina slightly nervous that she wasn't able to spot Michonne anywhere even though she was looking almost everywhere for her.
It wasn't until the barbecue started winding down that they were able to escape back to their apartment without arousing suspicion. Once the door shut behind them, Merle quickly filled Daryl in on what they saw in the governor's apartment. Carol listened quietly as he spoke, her eyes widening slightly as Merle's description of the trophy room.
"I was only parkin' it here until I found ya again," Merle said, waving his hand towards his brother. "Now that we're togetha, we oughta cut out. Head south towards the coast. There's some islands down there without a lotta people on 'em."
Carolina watched the interaction between the two men, curious to see what Daryl's reaction would be to Merle's plan. She didn't think there was any way he wanted to leave the rest of his group behind. But she wondered whether or not Daryl was attached enough to Rick and the rest of his friends to stand up to his brother. If this was a few more seasons in, there would be no way he would do it. But with things as they were, she suspected Daryl might still be willing to cut Rick and the others loose if it benefitted him.
Daryl nodded his head slightly, nibbling on the side of his thumb as he considered Merle's plan. It wasn't great. Especially not long term. But it wasn't terrible either, as far as plans went. Carolina felt like she could be convinced to spend the rest of her apocalypse existence in a bikini on the beach.
"If this guy is as crazy as ya say," Daryl finally said, "..why don't we just take 'im out?"
Carolina felt a flutter of excitement in her belly. Killing the governor was a plan she could definitely get behind. And the man trusted Merle. So it probably wouldn't even be hard to do. Merle and Daryl could walk right into his apartment and shoot him in the face. There wouldn't even be a fight.
"What then?," Merle asked. He didn't sound angry or irritated. But more like he'd already considered the possibility of simply killing the man himself. And he must have found some fault in that plan. Or the governor would already be dead. Carolina knew Merle felt some allegiance to the man, for saving his life. But she was willing to bet his loyalty only extended so far.
"What do you mean 'what then'?," Daryl asked. "There is no what then. He'll be dead."
"I mean who's gonna run this fuckin' place after we kill 'im?," Merle asked. From the sour look on Daryl's face, he certainly wasn't volunteering himself. Merle took in his brother's expression before he continued. "...there's close to a hundred people inside these walls. Most of 'em ain't worth the paper they wipe their assholes with. And we got about another two months worth of food and supplies fer 'em. Maybe four. If we stretch it and risk our own asses clearing out the rest of the stores in the area."
Merle paused, letting that information sink in. From his tone, it was clear that he wasn't any more eager to declare himself the leader of Woodbury than Daryl was. That surprised Carolina a little. She pretty much just assumed that Merle would be as power hungry as the governor if given the chance.
"So say we kill 'im," Merle added. "We take over. Wait it out for a few more months. And take off when things start goin' ta shit. Why not just skip that bullshit and leave now? With a truck full of gas and supplies."
Carolina had to admit, Merle made a valid point. She glanced to her side, curious to see what Carol's reaction to all this was. The woman's expression didn't reveal much. And regardless of whether she thought they should stay or go, Carolina guessed that Carol was happy to be included in the group that was potentially leaving and not the group that was going to be left behind at the mercy of a madman. Reaching across the couch, Carolina nudged Carol with her finger in an attempt to quietly get her attention. Then she ticked her head toward Merle and Daryl, giving the woman an expectant look. Carol shrugged her shoulders. Then she quietly cleared her throat and spoke, addressing the elephant in the room.
"What about the rest of our people?," she asked.
Merle narrowed his eyes at her. There was a mixed expression on his face, like he wasn't sure if he was irritated or impressed that she had the balls to speak up and contradict him. When they were all back at the quarry, he couldn't remember ever hearing her speak at all.
"Ya mean the people that left me cuffed ta that roof?," Merle asked. "What about 'em?"
Carol lowered her eyes, avoiding the intense threatening stare that Merle was throwing her way. Her tongue flicked out to wet her lips before she glanced back up.
"We can't just leave them here," she countered. "...not if that man is as bad as you say he is."
"Yer welcome ta stay here with 'em," Merle huffed, pointing towards the door.
Daryl was teetering on his breaking point. And Merle's callous treatment of Carol pushed him over the edge. He moved, placing his body slightly between his brother and his favorite friend.
"She's comin' with us," Daryl interjected, his voice loud enough to serve as a warning. Merle shrugged it off. But his previous threat already made his point. If Carol wanted to be included then Carol needed to shut her mouth. Carolina shifted her body around slightly, uncomfortable with the slight tension that was forming in the awkward silence of the room. She wondered if Merle's policy of shut up or get out applied to her. Tucking a lock of her blonde hair back behind her ear, she decided there was only one way to find out.
"If he gets to bring Carol," Carolina said, gesturing towards Daryl. "...then I wanna bring Michonne." Merle snapped his head in her direction, looking at her like she'd officially lost her fucking mind.
"Yer not bringin' anyone. Yer gettin' brought," he countered.
"Okay," Carolina said, smiling her biggest and prettiest smile at him. "I'll stay here." She pressed a kiss to her palm, turning her hand and blowing it at him like she was saying goodbye. Daryl might not be in a position to make demands. But she was. "Have fun jerking off left handed," she added, pressing her lips together in a tight smile to keep the laughter from escaping.
"This ain't funny," Merle warned, though the amused expression on Daryl's face proved otherwise. "Yer not stayin' here," Merle barked.
Carolina leaned back into the couch, crossing her arms under her breasts and trying not to laugh at the look on Merle's face. It was obvious to everyone in the room that he was going to give in to her demands. At this point, she guessed he was probably trying to figure out how to do it without looking completely whipped in front of his brother.
"I need a fuckin' smoke," Merle finally groused, turning away from them as he stomped towards the bedroom door. When Merle stepped inside the room and flipped the light on, Carolina heard his surprised curse. That was followed by the sounds of a struggle. Carolina leaped up, rushing for the door. Daryl made it there first.
"What the fuck?," Daryl exclaimed, not sure what to do about the scene that was playing out near the bed. Carolina, on the other hand, knew exactly what to do. She took one look at Merle and Michonne facing off and burst into near hysterical laughter. Michonne had her sword up. And Merle was pointing a gun at her, pissed as hell that she'd startled the shit out of him.
"Carolina!," he hollered, finally tucking his gun away into the back of his pants. "I'm gonna kick yer ass if ya knew she was hidin' in here," he threatened. Directing his next angry words towards Michonne, he added, "...yer lucky ya didn't get fuckin' shot!"
"I didn't know, I swear!," Carolina insisted between giggles. At least now she knew why Michonne didn't come back to the party after she snuck back out of the governor's apartment. The woman was snooping around in their apartment, making sure they weren't hiding anything sinister inside.
"Get the fuck outta here!," Merle hollered, tucking his gun away before he turned and began poking through the dresser for a cigarette once he was sure Michonne was moving away from him. He grumbled under his breath about what a sneaky fucking bitch she was as he tapped a cigarette from one of Carolina's crumpled packs.
"Find anything good in there?," Carolina asked, wrapping her arm around Michonne and steering her towards the couch. Michonne shook her head, smirking slightly. She found Merle's hidden stash of pot and more lubricant than she thought anyone in their right mind would ever need. But there was nothing inside the apartment that made her distrust the people that lived there. She certainly didn't find any decapitated heads or undead children.
Merle sat down at the table, puffing on his cigarette as he glared at Carolina. Why she decided to pick a mute ninja as her new best friend, he had no idea. But he had to admit, Michonne might be half crazy and one hundred percent ugly but she wasn't without value. She was quick and quiet and clearly knew how to use the sword she had strapped to her back. He didn't trust her. Not yet. But if he and Daryl left to go on a run or go hunting, Carolina and Carol would be safer if Michonne was with them.
"Alright," Merle huffed, snubbing the butt of his cigarette out in the ashtray, "...she's in. But that's fuckin' it. No more tagalongs."
Carolina glanced around the room. She had to say, she'd managed to snag herself a high quality apocalypse team. Both the Dixons, Carol, and Michonne. All of them saved the entire group at least once, if not multiple times. She was actually starting to feel a little guilty, wondering what was going to happen to the rest of the prison group if she left with nearly all their muscle. But before she could say anything, there was a knock on their door.
Merle headed across the room, adjusting the gun that was tucked into his belt so it would be easier to grab. Daryl moved forward, pressing himself against the wall near the doorframe. Carolina felt her body tense as Merle reached for the knob. But she quickly relaxed when she saw Hershel and Rick standing in the hall outside.
"We'd like a word with you," Hershel said, directing his words to Daryl. Carolina saw Merle's expression turn dark. And she assumed Daryl must have noticed it as well. Because he glanced back and forth between his brother and the men in the hall a few times before he answered.
"Whatever ya gotta say ta me," Daryl said, "...y'all can say it in front of my brotha." Rick looked like he was taken aback by Daryl's declaration of allegiance. But Hershel remained composed. Which was probably why Rick brought him.
"May we talk to you inside then?," Hershel asked.
Since Daryl nodded and Merle moved out of their way, Hershel and Rick took that as permission to enter. As Rick moved past Merle, the tension in the room grew. Merle had his hand on his gun, openly threatening the man. Carolina attempted to ease a little of the tension as she rose from her seat, indicating that Hershel could take her spot. He gave her a grateful smile, hobbling across the small space and taking a seat on the couch. He had another smile for Michonne as he lowered himself down next to her, unaffected by the fact that she didn't smile back. Carolina moved, leaning against the counter. Hershel leaned his crutches against the side of the couch before he explained the reason for their visit..
"Carl told us what he saw inside the governor's apartment," Hershel admitted. "I think it's obvious that the man isn't fit to continue as the leader of this community. We were wondering what you're planning to do about it?"
"What makes ya think we're doin' anything?," Merle asked. Hershel didn't answer. He just looked at Merle as though he knew the man was lying. How Merle was managing not to squirm under Hershel's disapproving gaze, Carolina had no idea. Even she was feeling the urge to confess. And she wasn't even the one that lied. It was Carol that broke the silence.
"We're leaving," she admitted. Hershel gave her a grateful nod.
"I don't suppose you have room for a few more passengers?," he asked, though it was obvious from his tone that Hershel already knew the answer to his question was no. And even if he didn't, the way Daryl was suddenly staring down at his boots spoke volumes. Hershel quickly switched tactics. "Would you be willing to help us deal with him before you go?," he asked.
"What's in it for us?," Merle asked. He wouldn't really mind shooting the governor in the face before he left. But he wouldn't gain anything by doing it. And killing Phillip Blake had the potential to cause a lot of chaos. Most of the men in town were intensely loyal to the governor. They might come after him, looking for revenge. Merle could take them out too. But he'd really rather just slip away without attracting any attention. Maybe pretend they were going on a run and just take off. He figured they could probably get a day's head start before anyone even noticed they were gone.
"We could make it worth yer while," Rick said.
Merle stepped forward, pressing into Rick's personal space. Carolina could tell he was uncomfortable. But Rick held his ground, letting Merle practically breathe down his neck.
"Ya ain't got nothin' I want," Merle growled, his hand still resting on his gun. "...and ya sure ain't got nothin' I need."
"How about some guns?," Rick offered.
"Guns?," Daryl asked, his tone indicating that he didn't believe Rick had any guns to offer up. Daryl had been with him since the farm. And he hadn't seen any guns other than people's personal shit. And most of them were out of bullets. "Ya got guns?"
"I don't," Rick admitted. "But I know where we can get some."