Life of Illusion- Rick Grimes x reader

Vatos

"What the hell do we do now?" Elyse says frustrated.

They all stare at Merles' severed hand, lying on the floor. A split second and Daryl pulls his crossbow on Rick, but both Rick and Elyse pull their guns on him.

"I won't hesitate. I don't care if every walker in the city hears it," Rick says.

"You know I'll do it just for fun," Elyse says not breaking eye contact.

Daryl lowers the bow after realizing neither of them was bluffing. He looks over to T-Dog. "You got a do-rag or something?"

He digs in his pockets and hands it to Daryl. He picks up the severed hand, Elyse and Glenn gagging.

"He must have used a tourniquet...maybe his belt. Be much more blood if he didn't." Daryl looks at the blood, realizing there's a trail.

He gets up and follows it, the rest of the group following him down the stairs to a level they hadn't been on yet.

"Merle? You in here?"

Daryl shoots a Walker in an office with his crossbow. The group walks in and makes sure the coast is clear.

"Had enough in him to take out these two sumbitches," Daryl says looking at the two walkers on the floor, "One-handed. Toughest asshole I ever met, my brother. Feed him a hammer, he'd crap out nails.

"Any man can pass out from blood loss, no matter how tough he is," Rick says, getting a scoff from Daryl.

They all walk into rooms, searching for Merle, their weapons drawn.

"Merle!" Daryl yells.

"Do I need to remind you that we're not alone?" Elyse says walking into the room Daryl was in.

"Screw that. He could be bleeding out," he turns to Rick who had walked in as well, "You said so yourself."

T-Dog and Glenn came back, all five of them heading over to the kitchen that none of them had checked.

A stove was on with a belt sitting next to it.

"What's that burned stuff?" Daryl asks.

"Skin. He cauterized the stump," Rick says.

"Told you he was tough. Nobody can kill Merle but Merle."

"Don't take that on faith," Elyse says looking at the trail," He's lost a lot of blood."

"Yeah? Didn't stop him from busting out of this death trap," Daryl says gesturing to the building.

"He left the building? Why the hell would he do that?" Glenn asks.

"Why wouldn't he? He's out there alone as far as he knows, doing what he's got to do. Surviving."

"You call that surviving? Just wandering out in the streets, maybe passing out? What are his odds out there?" T-Dog asks.

"No worse than being handcuffed and left to rot by you sorry pricks. You couldn't kill him. Ain't so worried about some dumb dead bastard."

"What about the 1,000 dead dumb bastards? Different story?" Elyse asks.

"Why don't you take a tally? Do what you want. I'm gonna go get him."

Rick stops him, "Daryl, wait."

"Get your hands off me! You can't stop me."

"I don't blame you. He's family, I get that. I went through hell to find mine. I know exactly how you feel. He can't get far with that injury. We could help you check a few blocks around but only if we keep a level head."