Amor~ Daryl Dixon

2.

Everyone was still staring at Merle's hand as Daryl pulls away from me and turns his crossbow on T-Dog to kill him and Rick pulls out his Python causing me to raise my crossbow towards Rick quickly.

"I won't hesitate. I don't care if every walker in the city hears it." He says looking at Daryl then me.

Daryl lowers the crossbow and looks at me to lower mines too.

"You got a do-rag or something?" Daryl asks T-Dog and he hands him one and Daryl picks up Merle's severed hand.

"I guess the saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs. Ain't that a bitch." He says and puts the hand in Glenn's backpack.

"He must have used a tourniquet maybe his belt. Be much more blood if he didn't." I say as Daryl notices a blood trail.

"Merle? You in here?" Daryl yells as the group walks down the stairs.

Daryl shoots a Walker in an office with his crossbow as the group walks in and makes sure it's clear.

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

"Any man can pass out from blood loss no matter how tough he is." Rick says.

———————————-

We continue to search for Merle and Daryl shouts for Merle.

"We're not alone here. Remember?" Rick asks in a quiet whisper.

"Screw that. He could be bleeding out. You said so yourself." I say shooting him a look they come upon a kitchen where a stove is still lighted.

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

"Skin. He cauterized the stump" Rick blurts out quickly getting close.

"Told you he was tough. Nobody can kill Merle but Merle." Daryl says to Rick looking around.

"Don't take that on faith. He's lost a lot of blood."

"Yeah? Didn't stop him from busting out of this death trap." He says getting close to a broken window.

"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." I say looking out the window and looking down.

"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." I shoot back as Merle was basically family to me.

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

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

"Daryl, wait." Rick says grabbing him.

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

" 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." Rick try's to negotiate with him.

"I could do that." Daryl says nodding.

"Only if we get those guns first. I'm not strolling the streets of Atlanta with just my good intentions, okay?"
T-dog says and we all agree.