Survivor - TWD (Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 10 - I Ain't a Judas

Hold On

by Tom Waits

"You got to hold on..."

Nelly

Daryl came back. Well, he brought Merle with him. But he's back. I'm surprised, to say the least. I feel like anyone would choose their brother over strangers, even if their brother is the most arrogant asshole ever.

Michonne and I lean against the cold bars of our shared cell door. Daryl, Carol, and Beth stand on the perch, waiting for Rick to speak. Glenn and Maggie are next to the stairs where Hershel is sitting, while Rick paces with an antsy energy. He quickly and precisely loads his shot gun clicking it shut.

He was definitively a cop.

"We're not leavin'," Rick finally says with his deep Southern drawl. His voice is firm, the decision is final.

"We can't stay here," Hershel protests, his tone heavy with concern.

"What if there's another sniper? A wood pallet won't stop one of those rounds?" Maggie's voice carries a note of worry as she crosses her arms.

"We can't even go outside," Beth adds from above, her voice trembling slightly.

"Not in the daylight," Carol says despondently.

All this talk is getting us nowhere. I shift my stance, biting my cheek. Maybe it's best if we leave. Woodbury has way more people, way more guns. We don't stand a chance. As much as I want to give the Governor his comeuppance, we can't win staying here.

"Rick says we're not running, we're not running," Glenn says, his tone betraying a sense of relief that Rick is finally taking a stand.

"No, better to live like rats," Merle drawls from the other side of the block. His voice carries a lazy disdain as he leans against his cell bars, his good hand dangling through them. I'm surprised Merle kept his mouth shut for this long.

"You got a better idea?" Rick snaps, clearly annoyed with Merle's interruption.

"Yeah, we should've slid outta here last night and lived to fight another day. But we lost that window, didn't we? I'm sure he's got scouts on every road out of this place by now," Merle says with a smirk, his words dripping with egotism.

I would never say this out loud, but he's right. We should have left. The Governor has the upper hand right now.

"We ain't scared of that prick," Daryl says from the balcony, leaning casually on the rails.

"Ya'll should be. That truck through-the-fence thing, that's just him ringing the doorbell. We might have some thick walls to hide behind, but he's got the numbers. And if he takes the high ground around this place, shoot, he could just starve us out if he wanted to," Merle continues, as if he's not worried at all. He glances at me, his eyes trailing down my body before he gives me a wink.

I cross my arms, feeling uncomfortable not just with his eyes on me but with the truth in his words. In the corner of my eye, I see Michonne wipe the blood from her sword more aggressively, giving Merle a death stare.

"Let's put him in another cell block," Maggie suggests, not even looking at Merle.

"No, he's got a point," Daryl sides with his brother. I uncross my arms and lean one hand on my hip.

"This is all you. You started this!" Maggie raises her voice at Merle, her frustration clear.

A part of me wants to speak up and tell them how it is, but this isn't my group, and it's not my place.