Solitude -> The Walking Dead

41

"I should've seen it coming. Only Merle's stupid enough to try a stunt like that." Dakota mumbled.

We were laying in her bed facing each other. Breaking the news about Merle's death went as well as it could've. Dakota was trying to hold in her emotions as best as she could.

That's how we wound up here, in her bed and away from the rest of the group. She couldn't process his death in front of them, they were all pleased that Merle wasn't coming back to the prison. Even if they didn't say it out loud.

"He thought he was helping the group." I said.

"No, he chose death over dealing with his emotions. Don't try and justify his actions." She argued.

My mouth snapped shut at her remark. It wasn't my place to tell her what he was thinking. She wouldn't be satisfied with anything I said anyway. No words can change the fact that he's gone.

Dakota closed her eyes at her little outburst. I knew she didn't mean to snap at me like that. It wasn't in her nature to act in such a harsh manner. She was just trying to keep a grip on her grief.

"I'm sorry, you're just trying to help." She whispered.

She held out her hand for me to hold. I did so without hesitation. Her eyes welled up with unshed tears as she tried blinking them away.

I gripped her hand tighter letting her know that I wasn't going anywhere.

"You were right, you know? Back at camp, when you said Merle was a loose canon. And I loved him despite it and I don't even know why."

Her voice cracked at the end of the sentence and my eyes softened at the sight of her. Her pain matched mine in a similar way. Except Daryl was still alive, even though I still couldn't hold him.

"Sometimes we love people despite their flaws." I said.

A throat cleared at the entrance of the cell. Dakota and I looked up to see Maggie standing there. She shifted uncomfortably with her eyes flickering between the two of us.

"It's almost time." She stated.

She opened her mouth to say something else, but chose not to. There was nothing she could say. She hated Merle and wasn't exactly sad that he died.

I turned to Dakota and squeezed her hand. We won't let Merle's death be in vain.

-----

Shouting filled the air as people from Woodbury scrambled to exit the prison. I took a deep breath to steady my aim before pulling the trigger. A man fell down as Maggie and Glenn joined in.

I shot at the Governor as the lovebirds aimed at the rest. He dodged a bullet before shooting at me. I ducked down feeling his bullets bounce off the metal shielding the bridge. I gritted my teeth waiting for him to run out of ammo.

Once he did, I used my chance to shoot at him once again. He was getting away so I got reckless. I stood up and aimed at him. As I pulled the trigger, another bullet made its way to me. It redirected my bullet's path so it missed the Governor.

I fell down on the ground groaning as the air was knocked out of my chest. Heavy breaths left my mouth as I heard cars drive away. Maggie ran to me and pulled up my shirt.

The bullet was still stuck in the vest.

"People have got to stop shooting me." I grumbled.

Maggie sighed in relief and laughed at my words. I held out my hand and she helped me up.

She threw her arms around me in excitement while I groaned at the dull pain on my stomach.

"We did it!" She exclaimed.