RIDE OR DIE | DARYL DIXON

snake in the nest

THE NEXT MORNING, Rick began to give each person a job to resecure the prison.

The group gathered together in the heart of the cell block, eager for Rick to let them know the plan. He had disappeared for hours the other night after the heated discussion between some of them. They were all happy to see he had his head back in the game.

"Take watch." He said to Maggie, handing her a large automatic rifle. "Eyes open, head down."

Willow watched as he moved onto Glenn, handing him a gun too. "The field's full of walkers. Didn't see any snipers out there, but we'll keep Maggie on watch."

"I'll get up in the guard tower, take out half them walkers, give these guys a chance to fix the fence." Daryl said from beside Willow, already wanting him to insert himself as much as he could.

"Or use some of the cars to put the bus in place." Michonne suggested from the corner.

"We can't access the field without burning through our bullets." Hershel responded.

Glenn sighed. "So we're trapped in here. There's barely any food or ammo."

"Been here before." Daryl said, squinting against the light beaming through the high windows. "We'll be all right."

"That's when it was just us." Glenn countered. "Before there was a snake in the nest."

Willow could see Daryl getting irritated with Glenn as he stepped up to him more, his voice condescending. "Man, we gonna go through this again? Look, Merle's staying here. He's with us now. Get used to it. All y'all." And with that, Daryl was removing himself from the situation like he used to at Hershel's farm. He may as well set up another tent out in the prison yard like he did at the farm.

"Seriously, Rick. I don't think Merle living here is really gonna fly." Glenn spoked quietly, hiding his words from Daryl not too far away.

"I can't kick him out." Rick responded with agitation. 

"I wouldn't ask you to live with Shane after he tried to kill you." Glenn argued.

"Merle has military experience. He may be erratic, but don't underestimate his loyalty to his own brother." Hershel tried to reason with Glenn.

"He's right, Glenn." Willow spoke up softly, guilty for going against Glenn. "I'm not too thrilled about it either. It's no secret that Merle is an asshole, but I think he's willing to fight against the Governor as much as the rest of us. And if we need to play nice with him to do that and so Daryl will stay, I think we should. Doesn't mean we have to like it, but we'd be stupid to turn them both away again."

Glenn watched her as she spoke, wanting to understand.

"What if we solved both problems at once?" He suggested. "Deliver Merle to the Governor. Bargaining chip. Give him his traitor, maybe declare a truce."

Willow could already see that not going as planned. If Daryl found out they did that to his brother, they'd risk the chance of him leaving again, and this time never coming back.

"Let me go talk to Merle." Hershel said, already practically hobbling his way over to him before anyone could detest.

"Should someone go with him?" Willow asked in concern for Hershel.

Rick shook his head. "He's got this."

"All right." Willow said, less than pleased. "What do you want me to do?"

She took immediate notice of the strange glares from each person around her.

"Take care of your little girl." Rick said, handing out more guns to everyone else. "I don't want that leg of yours getting any worse."