More Than Just Surviving

Daryl's breathing became labored. He paced back and forth, staring at the violent scene before him. Devyn kept a close eye him and crouched down by the hand cuffs. There was a lot of blood. "Wherever he is, he can't be far." She muttered. He'd been caught like an animal in a trap and Devyn had been in some serious trouble before, but she wasn't sure she could will herself to saw off her own hand if that was her last option. She didn't think she would have the stomach.

Daryl stopped suddenly, then, with a shout he whirled around pointing his crossbow in T-Dog’s face. T-Dog stood his ground with a stone face. As he did, Rick lifted his gun. Devyn could hear the click of the gun cocking. Daryl's body shook as he kept T-dog in his sights.

"I won't hesitate." Rick said. "I don't care if every walker in the city hears it."

Devyn interject, saying. "Well I do." She glared at her companions. "And you're an idiot." She kept her bow lowered. "We've all got people to get back to. Rick, what about your wife and son” At being directly called out, Rick turned away from her shamefully. “I've got my sister. I’ll be damned if I let you get me killed out here. So let's all just put our weapons down and relax." She walked to Daryl's side and when he didn’t comply, she cautiously put her hand on the bow. His nostrils flared and he gave aggressive “huff”. "Put it down." She repeated softly.

Daryl's eyes shifted, locking gazes with her haze eyes. Her features were soft, begging him to stop. His face was twisted in despair. His lips quivered and he struggled to come to grips but he gave in, his arm dangled limply. Rick held his gun for a moment longer before lowering it.

The three men just exchanged looks, breathing heavily.

"There now." Devyn sighed. "So, what are we going to do?” Any suggestions were welcomed. There were still the guns to retrieve. Were they going to simply stick with the plan and get them and return to the campsite? What was to be done about Merle? Daryl wasn’t going to come all this way just to leave him again. Devyn waited, but no one answered her. There was only a tense silence.

Daryl was the first to speak. "You got a do-rag or sumthin'?" Daryl stared at T-dog.

T-dog pulled a blue cloth from his pocket and handed it over to Daryl who snatched it from him with a sigh and laid it on the ground. "I guess the saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs." The southerner picked up the hand by the pinky, grimacing as he brought it to his face and looked it over. "Ain't that a bitch?" He dropped it onto the bandana and wrapped it up. Daryl stood, looking at t-dog and then to Glenn who had managed to keep himself a safe distance from all of the hostility. "Come here." He walked behind the young man and pulled his bag open.

Devyn did all she could to keep from laughing at Glenn's expression as Daryl put the bundle in his bag. "He must'of used a tourniquet- maybe his belt." Daryl said pointing to the cuffs. "Be much more blood if he didn't."

Devyn walked up alongside of him. "Droplets lead that way." She motioned towards the building opposite of where they had come from. "Like I said, he can't be too far." The two walked on. Rick and the others followed quietly. T-Dog stopped to pick up the tool box and loaded it up with the tools that be knocked around and scattered along the ground before hurrying after everyone else.

They followed the trail to another door. Everyone armed themselves as they entered another stairwell. "Merle? You in here?" Daryl called out as they descended. Rick hushed him. They found themselves in an office building. Devyn quietly made her way through the hall looking at the disheveled papers on the floor. She could already see how the events had played out. Important men and women in suits scrambling to get out and hurry home to their families and loved ones and then to escape to a safe place. If there was one.

"Has enough in him to take out these two sumbitches." Daryl muttered as he stepped over two dead walkers. Each corpse had it head bashed in and next to them lay a wrench. "One handed." He stopped and leaned over, loading his bow. "Toughest asshole I ever met, my brother." He grunted. "Feed him a hammer, he'd crap out nail."

"You must be so proud." Devyn said sarcastically as she covered her nose and mouth with the back of her hand in a futile attempt to block the stench of decay.

"Any man could pass out from blood loss." Rick raised his gun. "No matter how touch he is."

The trail went on and the group cautiously entered a kitchen. "Merle!" Daryl yelled.

"Were not alone here, remember?" Rick hissed.

“Could you please just be quiet for half a second?”

"Screw that." Daryl peered around the door frame. "He could be bleeding out. You said so yourself."

"Shh!" T-Dog insisted.

Devyn walked up to the oven, noticing that the burner had been left on in a rush. There was blood all over the stove top and a bloodied belt that she assumed to be Merle's. Rick picked up an iron and examined it.

"What's that burned stuff?" Glenn asked.

"Skin." Rick muttered. "He cauterized the stump." He looked at the Glenn before putting the iron down again.

“That’s the only smart move he’s made thus far.” Devyn sighed, still keeping her eyes and ears on alert. Why couldn’t Merle have just stayed put? All he had to do was wait.

Daryl shot her a glare that she simply shrugged to. "Told you he was tough." Daryl shook his head. "Nobody can kill Merle but Merle."

"Don't take that on faith." Rick sighed. "He's lost a lot of blood."

"Yeah?" Daryl found the exit, a busted out window and walked towards it. "Didn't stop him from busting out of this death trap." The group followed, crowding around the shattered glass and looking out into the street.

"He left the building?" Glenn looked at Devyn. "Why the hell would he do that?"

"Why wouldn't he?" Devyn shrugged. “Hand cuffed to a pipe, alone. Walkers pushing against that door.. the guy didn’t think he had a chance.” She looked down at both of her feet and with the toe of her boot she kicked at an upside down bowl. Devyn looked back at Glenn and she asked, “What would you have done?”

Daryl moved out of the way, giving Devyn room to look. She gripped onto the window frame and stuck her head out. There was a fire escape that lead down into the alley. Just on the sill of the window there laid scattered pieces of broken glass and a bloodied cloth. Devyn felt a calloused hand wrap around her upper arm firmly. She turned and looked at Daryl. “Careful.” He muttered

Daryl was surprised to hear Devyn call to Merle’s defense the way she did. She was the last person Daryl expected to try to understand the place in which Merle had been put in. "He's out there alone as far as he knows," Daryl backed away from the window pulling Devyn back with him. Seeing her so close to that window made him nervous. He gave her a short nod. Merle had taken his chances out on the streets. "Surviving." Daryl turned and went to check out another doorway.

"You call that surviving?" T-dog asked in bewilderment. "Just wandering in the streets; maybe passing out?" He gestured with the bolt cutters. "What are his odds out there?"

Daryl began to puff up again. Turning around he narrowed his eyes, "No worse than being handcuffed and left to rot by you sorry pricks." Glenn and t-dog just looked down. The guilt on their faces, Devyn couldn't take it. She felt her face heat up. All they were trying to do was help. How could someone be so ungrateful? Daryl turned to Rick. "You couldn't kill him. Ain't so worried about some dumb dead bastard."

"What about 1,000 dumb dead bastards. Different story?" Rick challenged.

"Why don't you take a tally? Do what you want; I'm gonna go get him." Daryl started to walk off when Rick put his hand on his chest and shoved him back.

"Daryl, wait."

"Get your hands off me!" Daryl hollered. Glenn frantically shushed them both. "You can't stop me."

Seeing that a fight was just on the brink, Devyn quickly wedged herself between the two men. She put a hand on each other their chests, trying to keep one from jumping the other. “Stop it!” Devyn hissed. She turned towards Daryl, “Yeah, they screwed up but why don’t you give them the chance to make this right. None of us had to come here.”

“You’re only here cause of a damn bribe, what do you care?” Daryl sneered.

Devyn was quite taken aback. How had Daryl known about that? Unless Rick told him. Devyn felt a bit betrayed at the fact that Rick would share such intimate information about Devyn’s concern with Hailee’s safety and her having doubts about returning from Atlanta. In her eyes, that made her think she might have been seen as weak. She faltered, leaning back slightly, her eyes losing that fire she had only a moment. She quickly regained composure, shaking the thoughts from her mind. Devyn glared up a Daryl again. “Look, what’s it matter my motive if I’m out here looking for your dense headed brother? Why don’t you try showing a little gratitude maybe?” she placed her hands on her hips and waited.

Daryl took an aggressive step towards Devyn, towering over her. She was a little spitfire, Daryl would give her that. But he and his brother had come across their share of very mouthy women and Merle had a way of dealing with that. A slap to the face usually ended a woman’s rabid parade, but Daryl never stooped to such lows. He preferred to intimidate by appearance alone and it typically got the job done, but this woman wasn’t backing down. She held her stance, straightening her spine in an effort to make herself taller and her eyes bore into his. Suddenly, Devyn was yanked backwards by her shirt. Rick pulled her behind him. Daryl’s attention focused on the cop again.

"I don't blame you." Rick sighed. "He's family. I get that. I went through hell to find mine." Both men were dangerously close to one another, tempers flaring. "I know exactly how you feel."

Daryl couldn't come up with anything to say to that remark.

"He can't get far with that injury." Rick reasoned. "We could help you check a few blocks around, but only if we keep a level head."

Everyone looked at Daryl tensely, waiting for his answer. "I could do that." He held Rick’s stare. Rick broke contact and looked at the others.

T-dog sighed. "Only if we get those guns first." He held up his hands. "I'm not strolling the streets of Atlanta with just my good intentions, okay?"

--xx--xx--xx--xx—

"Even I think it's a bad idea and don' even like you much."

"It's a good idea, okay." Glenn insisted. "If you just hear me out."

Rick crouched down in front of the map; covering is mouth with his hand. He looked at Glenn, signaling him to continue.

"If we got out there in a group, we’re slow, drawing attention. But, if I'm alone, I can move fast." He looked at the four of them, but each member had a look of doubt. He sighed. "Look." He took a large black paper clip and placed it on the sketched out map and pushed it forward. "That's the tank, five blocks from where we are now." He took a small piece of crumpled paper and laid it next to the clip. "That's the bag of guns." Glenn pointed to the next street over. "Here's the alley I dragged you into when we first met." He glanced at Rick and continued. "That's where Daryl, Devyn, and I will go."

"Why us?" Devyn asked.

"Your bows are quieter than his gun." Glenn explained simply. He took a piece of gun wrapper and tore it in two, placing it in the alley. "While you two wait here in the alley, I run up the street, grab the bag."

"You got us elsewhere?"

"You and T-Dog, right." Glenn moved a pink eraser to the map. "You'll be in this alley here."

"Two blocks away? Why?" Rick muttered.

Shaking his head, Glenn said "I may not be able to come back the way the same way. Walkers might cut me off. If that happens, I won't go back to Devyn and Daryl. I'll go forward instead, all the way around to the alley where you guys are." Glenn shrugged. "Whichever way I go, I've got you both in places to cover me."

Rick stared at the map, taking in all of Glenn's plan. Devyn chewed on her lip. She didn't like this plan, it was risky. But it was the only plan they had. Rick nodded

"Afterwards, we'll all meet back here." Glenn finished. He left the floor open for them.

"Hey kid, what'd you do 'for all this?" Daryl inquired.

"Delivered pizzas." Glenn's brow furrowed. "Why?"

Rick turned and looked at Rick. Devyn smirked quietly. This explained why Glenn knew the layout of Atlantis better than anyone of them.

-

Devyn slung her bow over her shoulders as she watched Glenn and Daryl climb down the shielded yellow ladder. She pushed her hair back "looks more like a safety hazard to me." She grumbled and turned, holding onto the sides and stepping on the first rung. The ladder creaked against her weight but it held. She slowly climbed all the way to the bottom. Then the "shield" ended, she jumped down. She landed softly on her feet and removed her bow. She raised it. The three of them looked at each other and silently nodded before hurrying down the alley and taking refuge behind a dumpster. Glenn peeked over it as he removed his jacket.

"You got some balls for a Chinaman." Daryl loaded it crossbow with a loud click.

Devyn rolled her eyes at the racist comment. She pulled an arrow from the small quiver on her hip.

"I’m Korean." Glenn retorted.

"Whatever."

"Hey," Devyn looked between the two men. "You can exchange back stories when we get back to the camp. We've got work to do." She nodded towards the fence in front of them. Just past it, walkers limped around in the street, having not caught on to them yet.

Glenn rushed to the opposite side of the alley, keeping his back pressed to the wall. He approached the door of the fence and looked around the corner. Seeing that the coast was clear, he dashed off.

Devyn took Glenn's spot and leaned against the wall while Daryl crouched down in front of the dumpster. She looked over at him. He was still so distraught by his brother’s actions. His face was stern but it was in his eyes, a deep sadness. She tried to imagine if anything like that was to happen to her sister but she couldn't bare it. "We're gonna find your brother." She assured him.

He looked at her for a moment and nodded before looking back to the street. "You think this is gonna work?" She asked. "Glenn's plan, I mean."

It was a second before he answered. “Glenn is the one who usually goes out on runs. Never had a problem till be brought a group.” He scoffed. “Wouldn’t surprise me if Merle did start tro-“

Daryl stopped midsentence when his ears picked up on a sound. The two hunters turned to each other. Devyn silently shook her head. It wasn’t coming from either of them. There was another sound, like paper rustling along the ground. Devyn’s eyes widened. Someone else was with them. Daryl put a finger to his lips, telling her to remain quiet. She gave a nod and watched as Daryl slowly stood with his bow at the ready. He inhaled deeply before rounding the corner with his cross bow raised. He came face to face with a lanky boy clad in baggy jeans, a dirty white tank and a silver chain. His hair was cut short. Devyn followed Daryl’s lead, but when she saw the boy, her guard lowered. He didn’t look to be any kind of threat. More of an annoyance in fact, but she kept behind Daryl still keeping an eye on the street.

"Whoa, don't shoot me! What do you what?" the boy begged.

Daryl didn't lower his bow. He stepped closer. "Lookin' for my brother. He's hurt real bad. You seen him?"

The boy was terrified. He panicked. "Ayudame!" Help.

"Shut up!" Daryl ordered. "You're gonna bring the geeks down on us. Answer me." Daryl glared at him and repeated himself.

"Ayudame!" The boy shouted again. "Ayudame!"

"Do something!" Devyn raised her bow and glanced back at the street, looking for Glenn. He hadn’t come back yet. Perhaps he went straight to Rick and T-Dog? Either way, they needed to leave. Now. "Shut him up!" She hissed, looking at Daryl desperately.

The boy called out once more and Daryl brought his crossbow across the boy’s face hard, knocking him to the concrete. He leaned over the boy who began screaming. He covered his mouth with his hand in an attempt to muffle the screams. "Shut up." The boy struggled and swatted Daryl's hand away from him and screamed out once more. "Shut up!" Daryl grabbed at him again.

The sound of scuffling feet caught Devyn’s attention and she turned. "Daryl!" she yelled as two burly Hispanic men came running from the streets. One of them carried an aluminum bat. Devyn backed up towards Daryl's side with her bow ready. The one with no weapons charged her, knocking her bow from her hands and brought a closed fist to her cheek and then a heavy blow to her stomach. Every fiber told her she was going to hurl as she leaned against the man in pain. He gave a dissatisfied grunt and shoved her to the ground.

He kicked Daryl hard in his side. Daryl toppled over crying out. The two men then took turns beating and kicking him.

"That's it! That's the bag, Vato! Take it! Take it!"

Devyn’s head was swimming. She struggled to her knees but kept her hands on the cool concrete. She looked up as Glenn came through the gate and stopped. She could just barely make out his blurred shape, but she recognized the red hat. His expression was wide and his lips parted in confusion as he tried to take in the scene. Devyn gritted her teeth and screamed, "Glenn, run!"

He had to get away. He had to get Rick and T-Dog, to get someone. They needed help. Glenn backpedaled and tried to run but Vato snatched him by his shirt collar and spun him around. Glenn caught an elbow to the face and fell. The other man had followed and he brought his bat down in Glenn's back. He cried out in pain. Vato grabbed the bag while then other man pulled Glenn to his feet. He put the bat over Glenn's throat and used him as a shield. Daryl raised himself to one knee and quickly took aim and shot an arrow into Vato’s rear. The man screamed in agony and grabbed at the arrow.

Devyn watched as the men began hauling Glenn away. “Get off me! Get off me!” he demanded but his pleas meant nothing to them and though he fought with all his might, the pizza boy was no match for their strength. If Devyn didn’t do something, they were going to take Glenn and who knew what would happen after they did that. What would they tell Rick and T-Dog? Even worse, what would they tell the group? She looked to her side to see Daryl getting to his knees, crossbow aimed but he was still keeping an eye on the rat that had started the whole thing. There was only one option. She wouldn’t just sit by and let them take Glenn. She pushed herself onto her feet and rushed towards the man who held Glenn captive. As Devyn and the man struggled, she could hear the faint sound of tires squealing. Suddenly, a car appeared in the street, drawing walkers towards it. The dead scraped at the trunk door.

Vato quickly grabbed Devyn by her arm, twisting it behind her and grabbing a fistful of her dark hair, tugging her head back roughly.

“Daryl!” Glenn screamed as he was pushed into the back of the car. Devyn was pushed into the car after him, clumsily rolling into the back seat and the door slammed after her. She quickly recovered and crawled back towards the door and tugged at the handle but the door didn’t open.

“Child locks maybe?” Glenn panicked as he tried his door as well, but to no avail.

Devyn’s lips parted slightly and she shook her head. “No, no, no…” she turned away from him and beat her palms against the window. “Daryl!” she screamed as the car peeled away.