Self Inflicted

7

"This redneck white-trash piece of shit shot us!" I barked, throwing my finger in the asshole's face.

"Best watch your damn mouth sunshine," Daryl growled, stepping between us with his crossbow slung over his shoulder.

"What the hell are you going to do about it, asshole?" Daryl tried to retort but Rick pushed him back by his chest.

"That's enough," the leader chewed us out like children.

"Man, she's gone all buck-wild hasn't she?" Merle chuckled dryly. "Lit a fire under yer ass, huh?"

"Nah, but I'll light your ass on fire," I spit. Michonne grabs me and pulls me a few feet back.

"Everyone just calm down," Rick paces between us in the cell block. Daryl and Merle saved him while he was outside the fences earlier, but it still didn't change who he is. Merle is in the cafeteria, leaning against the locked cell door with amusement.

We've been spending the last ten minutes arguing about whether or not we should just leave the prison. "The truck through the fence thing, that was him ringing the doorbell," Merle starts again.

"We ain't scared of that prick," Daryl paces.

"We'll you should be. He's got the guns and the numbers. And if he takes the high ground around this place, shoot," he shrugs. "He could just starve us out if we wanted to."

"Let's put him in the other cell block," Maggie's thick southern accent comes through in her frustrated statement.

"Nah, he's got a point," retorts Daryl.

"This is all you! You started this!" Maggie yells.

"What's the difference whose fault it is? What do we do?" Beth speaks up, coming down the stairs.

"I said we should leave, now Axel's dead. We can't just sit here!" Hershel's voice is so soothing somehow, like the years of experience show his current wisdom. Rick turns to walk out and Hershel yells making him stop instantly.

"Get back here!" He angrily crutches over. "You're slipping, Rick. This is not the time! You once said this isn't a democracy, now you have to own it! I put my family's life in your hands, so get your head clear."

Rick storms off anyway and all of us scatter into our different responsibilities. "Well sugar-tits, looks like we're going to die in here," Merle grumbles. I go to open my mouth but I'm cutoff by the archer himself.

"Man, shut the hell up," he says, walking over.

"You better keep your dog on a leash," I raise my eyebrows at Daryl and give Merle a quick glare. Daryl just grunts in a response and I walk into Michonne and I's cell.

"You need to learn how to do it," Michonne says bluntly.

"What?"

"Live with Merle, that's the only way we do this," she shakes her head.

"Do you really want him sleeping in the same roof as us?"

"No," she snaps, "but we will do what we have to."

-

"Field is filled with walkers, I didn't see any snipers but we'll keep Maggie on watch," Rick storms into the cell block.

"Get up in the guard tower, take out half these walkers, give these guys a chance to fix the fence," Daryl suggests, hands on his hips.

"Or we use the cars to put the bus in place," Michonne tries.

"We can't access the field without burning through our bullets," Hershel shakes his head.

"Won't be worth it anyway," I start. "If he can do it once, he'll do it again, maybe worse next time. Can't waste our bullets on that."

"So we're stuck in here?" Glenn huffs, I glance at Daryl and he runs his hand through the scruff on his chin. "There's barely any food or ammo."

"Been here before, we'll be alright," Daryl says softly.

"That's when it was just us. Before there was a snake in the nest," Daryl snaps his head and walks up to Glenn.

"Man we gonna go through this again? Look, Merle is staying here, he's with us now. Get used to it, all y'all." The archer storms up the stairs and into his cell.

"Maybe we give the Governor Merle, give him his traitor, maybe a truce," Glenn spits and Rick slowly nods his head.

"You really want to do that? What's Daryl going to do?" I throw my good hand up.

"Maybe we just pay that price," Glenn retorts. I shake my head as they all dispersed.

"Michonne," the woman pauses beside me. "Daryl has to know, right? You said I need to learn, this is me trying."

"They wouldn't do it. They're too soft."

"They're desperate," Michonne leaves without giving me a proper answer. I battle with myself but ultimately decide to go visit Daryl. I pass Carol as she exits his cell, giving me a weak yet warm smile. I lean against the door frame.

"Uh, hey," I say awkwardly to the man sitting on his bed, fidgeting with an arrow in his hands.

"What?" He grumbles.

"I just wanted to warn you I guess, but Glenn wants to give up Merle. Maybe call a truce out of it. Just thought you should know," I shrug. A silence fills the room and I avoid eye contact, looking around at the stuff scattered on the floor.

"You should know," I bring my gaze back to him. "He ain't all that bad. Just too stupid loyal." The man refers to Merle with the Governor.

"Loyal's a good thing, not stupid, he just may have a bit too much of that," I raise my eyebrows with a hint of a smirk.

"Guess all of it went to one brother," he replies.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that hotshot," I chuckle lightly. Something in me warmed, he was surprisingly easy to joke with.

"Shut up," he grumbles lightly, no true meaning behind it. I take that as my cue and exit the man's cell. He's really a man of few words.

He's odd, that one. He's protective over this group but still cowers sometimes, lack of confidence. I just don't understand it.

Finallyyyyy some Daryl and Luna convo. Seems to have found some common ground, we'll see how long that lasts.