Cherokee Roses {Daryl Dixon's Daughter}

t w e n t y s e v e n

"Well good news is, you're gonna live." Hershel said. "Bad news, you're gonna need stitches."

I groaned, making a laugh escape from the old man. My dad was leaned against the cell door watching me carefully.  It's been a whole day since the shootout, and I really thought I'd get by with just a bandage. That was until Hershel got me cornered and told me that I wasn't.

"It'll only be a couple." Hershel told me before getting up to go get supplies. 

My dad and I make eye contact as Hershel leaves. Slowly he makes his way over and sits next to me. "You haven't needed stitches in a while." 

"I've had stitches before?" I ask and he chuckles.

"Yeah, it was the scariest moment of my life." Dad cracks a smile. "I took ya to the park when you were around three. This jackass kid pushed you down, ya busted your chin."

"Is that what the scar on my chin is from?"I ask lightly. 

"Yeah." he grunts chewing on his thumb. "I swear, his mom and I almost assaulted each other I was fuming." 

"Daddy?" I ask looking down at my hands. "Why'd you leave me?"

"Because I was a dumbass," He tells me placing a hand on my knee and squeezing it. "I was chasing after family yet my family is right 'ere with you and this group."

Hershel comes back in with supplies and before I know it, he's stitched me up. 

"There, bet you didn't even feel it." Hershel says with a light chuckle. 

"Oh no, I definitely felt it." I grit out before we exit the cell where the group is debating on whether or not we leave. It's always the same. 

"We're not leaving." Rick says cocking his gun. 

"We cannot stay here" Hershel responds.

"What if theres another sniper, a wood pallet won't stop another one of those rounds." Maggie says.

"We can't even go outside." Beth states.

"Not in the daylight," Carol somewhat agrees with the younger girl.

"Look, Rick says we're not running, we're not running." Glenn says angrily. 

"No, better to live like rats." Merle says tauntingly from where he stands locked outside of the actual cell block. 

"You got a better idea?" Rick asks my uncle.

"Yeah we should've slid out of here last night and lived to see another day." He says. "But we lost that damn window didn't we? I'm sure he's got scouts on every road out of this place by now." 

"We ain't scared of that prick." Dad says walking away from me and towards his brother. We're on the top portion of the cell block so he's looking right down on top of Merle. For once, it seems like he has the power in the relationship. 

"That truck through the fence thing, that was only him ringing the doorbell. We might have some thick walls to hide behind but he's got the guns and numbers, and if he took the high ground around this place? Shit, he could just starve us out if he wanted to." 

"Let's just put him in the other cell block." Maggie says uncomfortably, fidgeting with something in her hands.

"No. He's got a point." Dad says.

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

"What difference whose fault it is? What do we do?" Beth says. She's got a point.