Mushaboom • Daryl Dixon

38

Daryl

We didn't say much for a good hour, we kept on tracking, but eventually Jess decided to try to break the tension, "Ya gonna tell your old man about it?"

I shrugged. I hadn't really thought about it.. Like he'd care. Jess slowed down, frowning, "Ya don't think he outta know?"

"Why do ya care?" Merle butted in.

"He ain't done nothin' for me an' Merle. Ain't gonna do nothing for my kid." I kept on walking, wanting to drop the subject.

Jess came to a stop and Merle followed. I kept some distance but I waited for them to catch up. "That kid is his blood Dare. I ain't sayin' to have him be a part of yer everyday life, but he should at least know, ya know?"

Merle laughed, "Ya expect him to jump up an' down for Darylina here, getting his girl knocked up?" He started moving forward and Jess sighed.

"Look, I just miss my brother.. Hell, I even miss Buck! Before ya came back, I was with my boys and Daryl here all the time. Now they ain't sayin' nothin' to me since I brought ya in and that's fine. But if y'all just move past this, maybe-"

I shook my head at the very thought of telling my dad anything, "Nah he lost that, gettin' to know."

Jess stopped again and I started getting impatient. "But y'all are so stubborn! My brother did right by you both when you was younger! He worked hard, provided!"

Merle raised his hand to Jess and took a couple steps towards him, "Jess I'm gonna stop you right there. Ya best not talk about shit you don't know."

Jess shook his head and kept going, "I know how he is! I grew up with him. Our dad was real awful, but Will, Will was better than him. And you were too young to see it, how he took care of ya both! He and your Ma-"

I tensed. No one talked about my mom ever.

"They had it good for a good run. Before it went bad.. maybe he can get there again."

Merle shook his head, "He ain't ever gonna change. I was old enough to remember him turn the way he did. I saw! Sumbitch was always that way, he jus' got tired of pretending. Playin' house. Wasn't for him, so he took it out on his family, let us know how miserable he was. Hell, ya know what? He might as well have killed our momma. He drove her there. He ain't shit to me!" Merle's jaw tightened. He was gonna lose it soon. He and Jess stared each other down, but Jess wasn't the fighting type.

"Guys, c'mon-" I started walking forward, hoping they'd follow, but Jess laughed and shook his head. He narrowed his eyes at Merle and took a step forward, "Ya wanna know why he went there? Why he got cold, started drinkin'.. Your mom was whoring off while he worked his ass off for you and her!"

I came to a halt and swung my bow over my shoulder. I walked up to them; my fists were clenched. He was walking a thin line now. I didn't care if he was my uncle. He had no fucking right-

"This all happened when you was just starting school, your second or third year. Right before Daryl was born!" He shook his head and scoffed. My eyes darted to Merle and then back. Anger started taking over, I really hoped that he was done talking. That we could just go home.

"She ruined him. And then she couldn't handle it.. Your mom was a whore." I didn't give it a second thought. I lunged at him. I swung hard with my right and decked him right on his face. I watched him stumble to the ground, and I instantly tried to calm myself down. Jess was my friend, he was family, he took me in. He watched for my next move carefully but he stayed in the ground. He looked hurt. He calmed his breathing for a beat, "Daryl.. Christ Daryl- I'm sorry. I, I shouldn't have said those things."