Carolina in my mind
Chapter 8
"There! Over there by the fence! I see 'im!," Merle exclaimed, shoving the rifle at Carolina so she could peer through the scope. She held the gun and closed her other eye, nodding slightly as Merle pointed out which one of the men was his brother. And sure enough, over by the far side of the prison fence, Carolina could see not only Daryl, but Rick and Glenn as well.
Merle reached for the rifle, slinging it onto his back so he could pull Carolina into his arms. He crushed her against him, digging his metal arm sleeve into her back in his excitement. When she winced, Merle was quick to release his rough hold on her. He shifted his hold, cupping her face gently with his hand and pressing his lips against hers.
"Yer the best sugar," he practically gushed. "I dunno how you could know where little brother was from some dumb dream but I'll be goddamned if ya weren't right!" Seeing Daryl again had Merle behaving a bit like a kid on Christmas morning. And the excitement was catching. Carolina bounced a little, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as Merle swung the gun back up and resumed his careful observation of the prison yard.
"What are we gonna do now?," Carolina asked. "Can we take all these people back to Woodbury?," she added, hopeful that taking in the entire group might be a possibility.
"Hell fuckin' no," Merle countered, looking at her like she had lost her damn mind. He handed Carolina the gun back, gesturing for her to take another look through the scope. As she did, he leaned in close to her, whispering into her ear.
"See that cop lookin' fuck with the brown shirt on?," he asked. "He ain't comin' back ta Woodbury. That's the asshole that cuffed me to the roof. Me and him got us a little score to settle."
Carolina pulled away from the scope, her blue eyes widening as she glanced at Merle. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, she thought. She just wanted to help Merle find Daryl. She didn't think about the grudge he must still be holding against Rick and the rest of the group. And in this new reality Merle wasn't on the run from the governor either. So he had absolutely no motivation to play nice with Rick like he did on the show.
"Don't do anything crazy," Carolina advised. Merle's face twisted up into a wicked grin. And he began to chuckle as he stared at Rick through the scope of the rifle. "Merle!," Carolina barked, using her best I mean business classroom control voice. The one she reserved for kids that were about one second away from suspension. "I'm not kidding. You better not do whatever you're thinking about doing."
Merle turned his attention to her. He still had the cringe worthy evil grin on his face. But at least he wasn't staring through the scope at Rick anymore.
"Ya know how I like it when ya get all bossy with me," he taunted, grabbing his crotch and sticking his tongue out at her. Carolina shook her head at his obscene gesture, trying her best not to laugh. Merle pulled her against him again, planting a sloppy kiss against the side of her mouth as he pinched down on her ass hard enough to make her squeak. She elbowed him away from her, rubbing her butt and tugging on the center of her overalls shorts to straighten them out so they weren't riding up between her thighs.
"Not gonna do anythin' crazy," Merle promised, though she wasn't sure she believed him. He didn't sound very sincere about not doing anything crazy. "Cool yer tits. Right now I'm just takin' a little look-see."
Carolina rolled her eyes as Merle went back to staring through the rifle scope. She took a few steps back, leaning against the side of the truck and scrubbing her face with her hands. While Merle watched Daryl and tried to work out a plan in his mind, Carolina shaded her eyes and stared down at the courtyard area of the prison yard. She could see two men in prison jumpsuits. And a little further away Carolina spotted a few people milling around in the courtyard. Lori was easy to pick out from the rest. Her large rounded stomach gave her away. And Hershel was shuffling along beside her on a pair of crutches. Seeing them was like seeing ghosts. Carolina could still picture their horrible deaths in her mind. Lori being sliced open as she bled out during childbirth. And Hershel getting his head sliced off in front by the governor in front of his daughters. Carolina's eyes darted away from them, looking to see if she could spot anyone else.
"Merle!," she gasped, moving forward and yanking hard on the back of his shirt.
"I told ya I'm not gonna do anythin', there's like ten fuckin' fences between me and that prick anyway. I don't even have a clean shot," he huffed. Carolina tugged on his shirt again. Harder. She yanked Merle back a step and pointed towards the courtyard.
"Walkers," she breathed, her outstretched hand already shaking. There was a whole herd of the dead inside the courtyard and heading towards the small group of people that were gathered there. Merle let out a string of foul curses, swinging the gun onto his back.
"What are we gonna do?," Carolina asked, turning towards him with pleading frightened eyes. He cursed under his breath one more time. And Carolina had some idea of what was running through his mind. Merle would rather let those people die. The less of them there were, the easier it would be to convince his brother to leave. "Please," Carolina pleaded. "We've gotta help them." Merle's eyes locked with hers. And she knew the moment his expression turned soft that he was going to play the hero. At least while she was there to watch.
"FUCK!," Merle cursed, grabbing Carolina's arm and tugging her towards the truck. "Get in the fuckin' truck!," he ordered.
Carolina jerked the truck door open and scrambled inside. When she saw Merle strapping on his seat belt, she followed his example and secured herself into her seat. She barely got her belt buckled before Merle slammed the truck in reverse and hit the gas, sending them flying and bumping over the uneven grassy terrain. Carolina reached up and grabbed for what her brother always called the oh shit handle, gripping it to keep herself from being tossed against the window. Once she saw the prison gates in front of the truck's windshield, Carolina braced herself for the impact she knew was coming. And since Merle was using his one good hand to steer the truck, she reached across and slammed her hand down on the horn, signaling for the people in the courtyard to get the fucking hell out of the way.
The first gate gave way as the large truck crashed through. And the second one detached from the hinges completely as Merle drove straight over it, heading straight for the herd of walkers. Carolina caught a glimpse of Hershel, staring at the truck with his mouth wide open. Carolina screamed as they careened into the herd. Merle kept his foot on the gas, jerking the wheel hard to the left so that the truck spun. She could hear the thumps of the dead bodies against the side of the truck. And she was tossed around in her seat as they began to run over the walkers they'd knocked down.
Merle screeched the truck to a halt. And just when Carolina thought their nightmare ride might be over, he slammed it in reverse again, mowing over the walkers that were still standing. He stopped the truck. And then drove forward, hitting the last few head on and splattering them against the hood of the large truck. Blood and rotted body parts splashed against the windshield. Carolina was still squealing like a schoolgirl when Merle leaped from the truck with his rifle and began shooting any of the walkers that managed to escape being run over by the truck. The crowbar she used to pry the health food store door open was on the floor by her boots. Carolina grabbed it and scrambled out of the truck. She wasn't sure if she wanted to help. Or just stay as close as she could to Merle. That seemed like the safest place to be, regardless of his crazy driving.
Carolina looked around. There were still some walkers shuffling in their direction. But the worst of the crisis seemed to have been averted. The able bodied members of the group were helping Merle take out the rest of the walkers. And Carolina rushed towards Hershel, slamming her crowbar into a walker that was lunging towards the man. She moved, shouldering up next to him and half leading half dragging him towards the truck.
"Get in," she ordered, pointing him into the backseat. One look at the way Lori was breathing and holding her stomach and Carolina ushered her into the truck as well. "You too," she said, shutting the door behind Lori and ignoring the woman's loud demands to know who the hell she was.
Killing her first walker felt good. Better than she thought killing something that used to be a person might feel. Carolina moved around the courtyard, slamming her crowbar down into the heads of the walkers that were struggling to get back on their feet. One was older and more rotted than the rest. And when she smashed the metal bar down, its head split open like a melon, spilling out maggots like rotten pinata candy. Carolina gagged and staggered back from the puke worthy scene. At least when she was watching this shit on tv, she didn't have to smell it.
"Y'alright?," Merle asked. Carolina turned and headed for him, hugging him like crazy. Regardless of his feelings towards some of these people, he definitely just saved quite a few of their lives. T-Dog and Lori were meant to die here. And now they were alive. Because of Merle.
Maggie was using her handgun to take out the last straggling walker as Rick, Glenn, and Daryl finally rushed into the courtyard with their weapons drawn. The three of them just stood there, dumbfounded for a moment that the fight was already over and won before they arrived.
"Merle?," Daryl said, staring at the man like couldn't believe his eyes. "Where in hell did you come from? And where the fuck have ya been?" Carolina squirmed a little when Daryl turned his observant gaze to her, eyeing her curiously.
"Where the fuck have I been?," Merle repeated. "Where the fuck have you been?"
Carolina watched them nervously, releasing her hold on Merle and stepping back. The two men moved towards each other. When they got close there was an odd sort of shuffle. Like they were the wrong ends of two magnets that someone was trying to force together. Merle reached out first, putting his hand on Daryl's shoulder. And then they gave each what had to be the most weirdly awkward hug she'd ever seen. There was a lot of cursing and back whacking involved. But mostly, they just seemed happy to see each other again. Carolina smiled. But her happiness was short-lived. Because once Merle got done reuniting with Daryl, he turned his attention towards Rick.
"What the hell do ya think yer doin?," Rick asked, "Smashing in here like that?" Carolina's mouth dropped open. This asshole had to be kidding. Merle just saved everyone here.
"I'll tell ya what I was doin'," Merle said, taking a step forward. He moved like a rattlesnake, his arm flying forward and slamming into Rick's face before the man even had time to react. Rick fell back onto the pavement, grabbing his nose as blood gushed down onto his shirt. "Saving yer sorry fuckin' asses! That's what I was doin'!," Merle hollered. He turned, kicking Rick hard in the gut before Daryl managed to position himself between the two men.
Carolina moved, adding her body to the blockade that Daryl already created. She put her hands on Merle's chest, gently backing him up a few steps.
"He fuckin' deserved that shit. And more!," Merle cursed.
"I know," Carolina agreed. "But it's not worth it." Merle huffed. But he allowed Carolina to steer him back towards the truck while Daryl looked on in shock. No one went near Merle when his blood was up.
Lori was already down out of the back seat of the truck. And she cast a dirty look in Merle's direction as she rushed to Rick's aid, kneeling down on the pavement next to him and using her shirt to try and staunch his bleeding nose. Carolina kept a side eye on Merle as she opened the driver's side door, poking around inside until she found her lighter. It was on the floor near the gas pedal. Pulling her half crumpled pack of cigarettes out of her pocket, she snagged one and held it between her teeth while she lit it. She sucked in, taking a hard drag and holding it in for a moment before she blew it out. She needed a cigarette in the worst fucking way. And a damn drink.
With Lori out of his way, Hershel wriggled his way down out of the truck. Beth hurried over, retrieving his crutches for him so he could hobble his way across the few steps that separated him from Merle and Carolina. He stuck out his hand, speaking to Merle first.
"Thank you," he said. "I believe you just saved all our lives. I'm Hershel Greene."
There was an awkward shuffle of hands and missing limbs and crutches. But a handshake finally took place.
"Merle Dixon," Merle said, regarding the tough old man with some interest. At least someone here had some fucking manners. And sense. Hershel offered Merle a warm smile, probably putting it together in his mind that this was Daryl's missing brother if he hadn't already figured that out.
"Carolina Mason," Carolina said, offering Hershel her hand. Touching Hershel felt almost surreal. It was like meeting the real live Santa Clause or something. She let go of him and took another drag off her smoke, blowing the smoke away off to the side so it wouldn't puff into Hershel's face.
There was still some awkward tension in the air. But Hershel's handshakes managed to relieve the thickness of it. People were starting to glance around at each other, unsure of what to do next.
"Hey. Can I get one a those?"
Carolina turned towards the gruff voice, feeling a little heat flare in her cheeks when she realized Daryl was talking to her. It took her a moment to realize he was asking her for a cigarette. And she quickly fished the pack out of her overall pocket, stretching her arm out so Daryl could take the smokes and her lighter without getting too close to her.
Daryl's hand brushed against her when he grabbed the smokes. And she felt the tingle all the way down to her toes. With all the chaos of their arrival, this was the first chance Carolina had to really look at him. And goddamn if he wasn't even finer in person than he was on tv. Daryl Dixon. The object of her every masturbatory fantasy. His arms were like something from a dream. He was covered with just the right amount of dirt and sweat. And she raked her eyes over the rest of him, completely unaware that she was openly staring at him and probably licking her lips too until Merle cleared his throat and wrapped his arm around her waist.
"This is Carolina," Merle said. "...my girlfriend."
From the way Daryl's eyes widened at the word, Carolina could only guess that this was the first time his brother had ever introduced a woman to him with that particular title. If Merle ever had a girlfriend before her, he clearly never brought her home to meet his brother. She wasn't sure if she should be flattered or terrified.
"Girlfriend?," Daryl repeated, looking at Carolina with renewed interest. "...Now I know it's the end of the world."
Carolina assumed that Daryl was making a joke about his brother's inability to commit to a relationship. But she still cringed as she looked down at her appearance. Of all the million times she'd imagined in her mind what it would be like to meet Daryl Dixon, she certainly never pictured herself in a day-old bra and dirty overalls, smelling like she just got done having raunchy sex with his brother.
"You must be Daryl," Carolina said, though she knew exactly who he was. And would be. She stuck out her hand, cringing when Daryl grabbed it without bothering to wipe his hand off first. Merle laughed as she pulled her hand back, wiping off dirt and what appeared to be dried walker blood off onto the front of her overalls.
"Y'all got a place somewhere 'round here then?," Daryl asked, glancing across the courtyard towards the rammed down broken gates and ripped fencing. Carolina felt Merle's body tense. And she suspected they were going to be at a standoff soon. Because Merle didn't want to risk angering the governor by taking all these people back to Woodbury. Especially since he hated at least half of them. And Daryl wasn't going to leave without his friends. But before they could get that far, a loud keening wail of pain broke the silence. And all three of them turned towards the source of the noise. Lori was crouched on the pavement, her hands smeared with Rick's nose blood as she leaned back and clutched her stomach. She let out another loud groan, falling forward and bracing her hands against the pavement. Lori was in labor.
