Of Monsters and Men
five.
A few weeks in, everyone in the cabin had fallen into a comfortable routine. Meal preparation duties were split between Carol and Lori while Sophia and Car shared dish washing duties. Emma, Rick, and T-Dog began setting up perimeters while Shane and Merle chopped wood for both the fire place and a sturdy fence. Dale kept watch perched on the roof of his RV overlooking the front of the cabin while Glenn sat on the balcony watching over the back. It was Daryl and Andrea who would hunt- the majority of the land had yet to be picked over by survivors so the area was just teeming with game.
As Emma and Daryl joined the group for breakfast one morning, Carol’s curiosity got the best of her. “Hey, Emma... I was wondering, upstairs there’s a door locked between yours and the study. What’s in there?”
The brunette’s face fell and paled slightly as all eyes shifted in her direction. Daryl grunted and thrust his fork down on the table, “None of your god damn business, now quit snooping.”
The room went silent. It was the first time since the group rejoined the Dixon’s that they were lashed out out on by Daryl. Emma quietly set her fork down and left the room without a word. Carol, with fear in her eyes, began apologizing profusely. “The hell with all y’all.” Daryl muttered before following after his wife.
Rick soon found everyone’s attention on him. Anytime there was any sort of disturbance in their routine, he was the one people went to. This time, however, it was Shane who spoke up. His voice was coarse and his tone was harsh.
“If it’s something that could potentially cause us harm, we need to deal with it realistically.”
Lori bit her lip nervously, “What are you suggesting might be up there?”
“Don’t know,” Shane removed his baseball hat and ran a hand through his overgrown hair, “A walker maybe?”
Rick shook his head, “Don’t be ridiculous. If it were a walker, we’d know it by now. I say-” Merle sat back and chucked to himself as the group began speculating what was behind the locked door. Turning to the amused red neck, Rick narrowed his eyes, “What’s up there, Merle?”
“Aint nothing up there but a weakness. That rooms makin’ Daryl soft, no doubt about it.” Merle mused biting into a piece of toast sending crumbs flying.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Glenn asked, a slight nuance of panic in his voice.
Shane, however, didn’t wait for an answer. He grabbed pulled out his gun out of its holster and stormed upstairs. He ignored the sound of people asking him to stop. For too long, Shane thought, people sat around waiting for answers. It was all the waiting that was picking people off left and right. The cop tightened his grip on the gun as he heard Merle’s cackling laugh and heavy footsteps fast approaching. With a swift kick, Shane took down the door ready to attack.
To his surprise, the cop found himself standing in a room that heavily reminded him of Carl’s nursery when the boy was still just a baby. Daryl jumped off the couch with a furious look on his face. Emma pulled her legs to her chest while a few gasps were heard from the hallway. “Get the fuck outta here, man.” the hunter shouted, “This aint your house.. door was locked for a reason.”
Emma reached out and grabbed a hold of her husband’s hand hoping to bring him back, calm him down. “Daryl, stop.. it’s not a big deal.”
Daryl looked back at his wife, “This is a big deal. Let me deal with this.” He turned his attention back to the cop. As he opened his mouth to say something, Lori, who was standing in the doorway beside her husband, quickly covered her mouth and darted down the hall. “What the hell is her problem?”
Rick let out a sheepish laugh as he felt his face heat up, “Well, we were going to wait until after we talked to Carl privately, but I guess now works too...”
“Spit it out, Officer!” Merle barked.
“Lori’s pregnant.” He said.
It was so silent you could hear a pin drop. No one knew what to say or how to react. Daryl looked back at his wife who, to his surprise, took the news better than he expected. Emma stood from her spot on the couch, “It’s a good thing we have the nursery all set up then. When she feels up to it, send Lori to my bedroom. I have plenty of maternity clothes laying around.”
There was a heavy aura hanging over the group as they slowly began to resume their daily jobs. During his break, Dale found Daryl sitting on the back porch staring at a small photo. The older man sat beside the hunter and sighed.
“I know what you went through, son.”
Daryl shoved the photo back into his shirt pocket, “Leave me the hell alone, old man.” He slid further away on the step, “Aint your son either.”
Dale refused to take no for an answer, “When Erma and I lost our baby, e were devastated. We had the name and nursery all set up, just waiting for the arrival. Damn near killed us. We never tried again and Erma never fully healed emotionally. But we were able to grow from it, used the experience and tried to turn it into something positive.” Dale gave the hunter a sympathetic look, “You can’t let the grief control you.”
Silence. The two men sat in silence for what seemed like forever. Eventually, Dale decided it was no use trying to get the hunter to talk. As he left the last step off the porch, he heard Daryl.
“Michael.” He huffed, “Michael Lucas Dixon.”
As Emma and Daryl joined the group for breakfast one morning, Carol’s curiosity got the best of her. “Hey, Emma... I was wondering, upstairs there’s a door locked between yours and the study. What’s in there?”
The brunette’s face fell and paled slightly as all eyes shifted in her direction. Daryl grunted and thrust his fork down on the table, “None of your god damn business, now quit snooping.”
The room went silent. It was the first time since the group rejoined the Dixon’s that they were lashed out out on by Daryl. Emma quietly set her fork down and left the room without a word. Carol, with fear in her eyes, began apologizing profusely. “The hell with all y’all.” Daryl muttered before following after his wife.
Rick soon found everyone’s attention on him. Anytime there was any sort of disturbance in their routine, he was the one people went to. This time, however, it was Shane who spoke up. His voice was coarse and his tone was harsh.
“If it’s something that could potentially cause us harm, we need to deal with it realistically.”
Lori bit her lip nervously, “What are you suggesting might be up there?”
“Don’t know,” Shane removed his baseball hat and ran a hand through his overgrown hair, “A walker maybe?”
Rick shook his head, “Don’t be ridiculous. If it were a walker, we’d know it by now. I say-” Merle sat back and chucked to himself as the group began speculating what was behind the locked door. Turning to the amused red neck, Rick narrowed his eyes, “What’s up there, Merle?”
“Aint nothing up there but a weakness. That rooms makin’ Daryl soft, no doubt about it.” Merle mused biting into a piece of toast sending crumbs flying.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Glenn asked, a slight nuance of panic in his voice.
Shane, however, didn’t wait for an answer. He grabbed pulled out his gun out of its holster and stormed upstairs. He ignored the sound of people asking him to stop. For too long, Shane thought, people sat around waiting for answers. It was all the waiting that was picking people off left and right. The cop tightened his grip on the gun as he heard Merle’s cackling laugh and heavy footsteps fast approaching. With a swift kick, Shane took down the door ready to attack.
To his surprise, the cop found himself standing in a room that heavily reminded him of Carl’s nursery when the boy was still just a baby. Daryl jumped off the couch with a furious look on his face. Emma pulled her legs to her chest while a few gasps were heard from the hallway. “Get the fuck outta here, man.” the hunter shouted, “This aint your house.. door was locked for a reason.”
Emma reached out and grabbed a hold of her husband’s hand hoping to bring him back, calm him down. “Daryl, stop.. it’s not a big deal.”
Daryl looked back at his wife, “This is a big deal. Let me deal with this.” He turned his attention back to the cop. As he opened his mouth to say something, Lori, who was standing in the doorway beside her husband, quickly covered her mouth and darted down the hall. “What the hell is her problem?”
Rick let out a sheepish laugh as he felt his face heat up, “Well, we were going to wait until after we talked to Carl privately, but I guess now works too...”
“Spit it out, Officer!” Merle barked.
“Lori’s pregnant.” He said.
It was so silent you could hear a pin drop. No one knew what to say or how to react. Daryl looked back at his wife who, to his surprise, took the news better than he expected. Emma stood from her spot on the couch, “It’s a good thing we have the nursery all set up then. When she feels up to it, send Lori to my bedroom. I have plenty of maternity clothes laying around.”
There was a heavy aura hanging over the group as they slowly began to resume their daily jobs. During his break, Dale found Daryl sitting on the back porch staring at a small photo. The older man sat beside the hunter and sighed.
“I know what you went through, son.”
Daryl shoved the photo back into his shirt pocket, “Leave me the hell alone, old man.” He slid further away on the step, “Aint your son either.”
Dale refused to take no for an answer, “When Erma and I lost our baby, e were devastated. We had the name and nursery all set up, just waiting for the arrival. Damn near killed us. We never tried again and Erma never fully healed emotionally. But we were able to grow from it, used the experience and tried to turn it into something positive.” Dale gave the hunter a sympathetic look, “You can’t let the grief control you.”
Silence. The two men sat in silence for what seemed like forever. Eventually, Dale decided it was no use trying to get the hunter to talk. As he left the last step off the porch, he heard Daryl.
“Michael.” He huffed, “Michael Lucas Dixon.”