Fever dreams (Rickyl)

No place like Prison

"You can't leave us." Rick would have probably begged if he weren't so proud, but Daryl had no choice. Blood was blood.
"Merle is my brother, Rick. I can't just leave him again. He goes.."
"you go, I know." Rick cut him off, stroking his chin in frustration. "You're the best we have here. You're family."
"And Merle is my family. I'm sorry, Rick."
"What about me? Huh, Daryl? What about." He cut off quickly, but all Daryl could do was stare at the crossbow in his hands, pretending he didn't know how that sentence was going to end."
"Goodbye, Rick." Grabbing his backpack, Daryl quickly made his way back to Merle, never looking behind him, not wanting to take that final look at Rick Grimes.

"Wake up now, baby brother." Daryl was pulled away from his dream as he felt cool water hit his face."
"What are you crazy?" He shouted at Merle, jumping up from the ground. "Wasting water like that, idiot."
"Calm down, little bro. We got plenty."
"No, we ain't. Need to save all we got left."
"You hungry? Got some left over rabbit." Merle passed him a small, metal bowl with scraps of rabbit inside. It was barely a meal, but he couldn't really complain.
"Need to go hunting again." Daryl said with a mouth full of food.
"All we've managed to find during our time out here is that damn Rabbit."
"Maybe we can find a Deer?"
"Ain't no Deers out here." Merle put his plate aside, swapping it for a stick he had been sharpening with his knife. "The biters got them all."
"Not all of them." Daryl replied, sucking the greasy meat from his fingers. "Just need to know where to look."
"Then you lead the way, Brother."
Slinging his crossbow over his shoulder and grabbing his bag, Daryl began walking through the forest. He had no idea where they would find any food, they had been searching the same stretch of land for three days.

"You've changed, baby brother," Merle muttered after they'd both been walking in silence for what felt like ages. "All up in office friendly's ass."
"Must be noon." Daryl stared at the sky, ignoring his brother's comments. "Sun is in the middle, but we ain't been walking for that long."
"Yeah well I thought you might need your rest, sleeping beauty."
"Ain't got time for resting these days. Come on, lets go this way."
"you think I don't know what you're doing?" Daryl stopped and turned to look at his brother.
"What am I doing?"
"Heading back to that prison, going back to your little bitch."
"no I.."
"Don't insult my intelligence, bro." Merle huffed. "I ain't stupid. We've been going in circles, hunting this same area for the past few days."
"What if am?" Daryl shrugged. He had been hoping Merle wouldn't notice. "Maybe we are better off there."
"They ain't want me there, little brother. Officer friendly would rather put a bullet between my eyes."
"Yeah well, maybe you deserve it."
"woah woah, now hold up there. The hell is that supposed to mean?"
"After everything you did. The shit you pulled? Hell we were fine before you decided to kidnap Glenn and Maggie." Daryl had been thinking of Rick and the others since the moment he'd decided to go with Merle. He had known then he was making a mistake, but Merle was his brother.
"We both know they ain't gonna welcome me with open arms." Merle said, his tone more serious than usual.
"I'll tell Rick."
"Tell him what? He didn't listen before, he ain't about to start listening now."
"Are you coming or not?" Daryl asked, his patients wearing thin. "I ain't gonna ask twice, bro. They got food there at least, shelter."
"We don't need that, daryl. We've survived without that before."
"Yeah, until we found that group."
"That group that left me handcuffed to a roof." Merle laughed, waving his weaponised stump around. "I cut off my own hand, remember?"
"Yeah. I remember. Guess you've all done shit you ain't proud of, huh? So lets just go back."
"Fine, but you'll see, baby brother. They don't want me there."
"If they want me back then they have to accept you. Its about a days walk from here."
"We've been out for three days, but its only a days walk." Merle laughed again. "I knew you were stalling.
Daryl started walking ahead in the direction of the prison, he had always been good with directions and he had a vague idea of which way to head back. "I ain't got all day." He called back to Merle. "Lets go."
He didn't stop after that to make sure Merle was behind him, he knew he would follow him no matter what, after all, he had no other place to go. All Daryl could focus on was getting back to the prison again, getting back to the group and Rick.