Living Like You're Dead

The now awake group of people that stood in the hallway wanted an explination. They wanted to understand why their friend was hurt, and what had caused it. and they decided to turn to the only one left, Merle.

The man was now asleep on the sofa, his face was pale, the bandaged explained to them that he had seemed to help Adeline. But they still didn’t believe that he wasn’t the cause of all her injuries. Merle only had a moment of peace before the grand party began to wake him. His dazed eyes looked up at them in a pleading manor that said: "please let me rest." But instead all he got were questions.

“What’d you do to her?”

“What do you-“

“Where were you? How'd you get there to help her?”

“You mean you didn't touch her?”

“No! Of course not! I- I saved her life!”

“Why should we believe you? She can barely talk!”

“She can talk just fine. “

“Oh really? Because she seems to be pretty incapacitated. “

“Damnit I didn't do shit. Ask Daryl. “

“I have a feeling your hiding something from him too.”

“What is it you accusing me of?”

“Oh nothing just what your already guilty of. “

“You think I touched her again?”

“We didn’t say that. But maybe you're the one responsible for her recent medical emergencies.”

“What's the matter Merle? Got angry? Wanted her to shut her mouth so you pushed her?”

“God damn it!”

Merle left the room, and even though he was being followed he kept on his way- avoiding their stares and their accusing questions. What he did would never go away, but he had hoped that he had helped redeem himself in someway.

Daryl heard the flustered footsteps that were likely merle he entered the room and locked the door behind him. Daryl motioned that the chair in the corner was the place that he'd likely find sleep. He carefully sat down and shut his eyes. But one thing that bothered him was the look in Daryl’s eyes. The look had not been directed at him, but at Addie. The worry that plagued his eyes made Merle easily understand his anger with him earlier. The love that Daryl felt was obvious Merle tried not to let that love haunt his dreams.

Daryl watched Addie while she slept; at least he hoped she was sleeping. As far as he could tell she was. He chest would rise and fall and her eyes would flutter every now and then. He found comfort in knowing that she was still breathing. Her bandage needed changing. He replaced new gauze on her delicate stitches that riddled her neck and face. He thought about the ugly scar that would form there, the thought of her beautiful face being damaged angered him.
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In her mind she felt little pain. She felt the occasional flame from her arm and an unpleasant feeling up her neck. Her mind flashed images of the terrifying occurrence: When her lungs struggled to retrieve air once Alex’s foot dug into her back, the feel of her blood running down her body – the spray of blood across her face – then the nothing. That blackness that consumed her woke her from her deep sleep. Light streamed through the windows, and the room, it was empty.

She stood at the edge of the bed, she could hear commotion downstairs, but her hears were ringing, she could make nothing out. Dizziness lingered in her mind, but she ignored it as she listlessly made her way down the hall and down the stairs. She was incredibly pained at the amount of screaming that rang in her ears. Perhaps that has been what had really woken her up.

She walked into the kitchen, it seems everyone was oblivious to her. The argument was about Daryl trying to defend his brother, and the reast of the group not trusting Merle. Daryl seemed to want to believe his brother so badly, but when they would bring up his past actions, his loyalty would falter.

“He’s the one who raped her! He’s the reason you made him leave in the first place!”

“I didn’t ask him to leave, Addie did.”

“So she didn’t even want to be around him!”

“Do you see how this doesn’t work, I think Merle just came across her and decided to finish whatever is was he started!”

“That’s not true, he brought her back, he saved her life! I watched him stick the fuckin’ needle in his arm!”

Addie could see Merle’s face, a clenched jaw, and several open beer cans in front of him. They wouldn’t let him leave, they wouldn’t let Daryl or Merle convince them of the truth, they were too stubborn to accept it. It was mostly Lori, Rick, and Andrea that did the talking, the other adults seemed to only agree with Daryl, then agree with Lori, then Rick, then Daryl. Carol was absent with the children in an upstairs room. Merle was trying to not look at anyone, and by chance he caught Addie’s gaze.

Seeing her up and about brought worry to him, wondering if she was dizzy, sick, or needed something, he walked over to her and all the eyes in the room followed him, and Lori let out a small gasp when Addie grabbed Merle’s hand and leaned against him.