It's Over When It's Over

Daryl walked away from the conversation and sat down, and begun cleaning his arrows. I sat next to him. Daryl glanced at me but didn’t say anything. “I’m going back with you guys.” I said.
“No you ain’t!” He said, as he continued to look down still cleaning his arrows.
“Yes I am. If he’s hurt I can be there, plus I’m a good shot. I’d be of help.”
“I can’t lose you too, alright!”
“Daryl, the safest I’ll be is with you, okay!” I said. Daryl glared at me with no reply.
“Jack, get your ass over here and tell your sister she can’t go!” Daryl yelled. Jack walked out the RV and up to us.
“Lora stay.” He mumbled.
“Jack what if this was Dad, Mark, or Billy and you couldn’t go. Would you want me too?” Jack nodded. “Then I’m going.”
“Fine, just stay by me!” Daryl snapped. I went into the RV to grab myself a hand gun. When I came out Lori, Rick and Shane were talking about how Rick shouldn’t go back for Merle.
“So you and Daryl, that’s your big plan?” Lori asked Rick.
“Lora’s coming too.” Daryl said.
“Okay you, Daryl, and Lora.” Lori said looking at Rick. Rick turned around and looked at Glenn clearly wanting him to go.
“You know the way. You’ve been there before in and out, no problem. You said so yourself. It’s not fair of me to ask, I know that, but I’d feel a lot better with you along. I know she would too.” Rick said pointing to Lori.
“That’s just great. Now you’re gonna risk four of us, huh?” Shane complained.
“Five.” T-Dog said, speaking of himself. Daryl huffed.
“My day just gets better and better, don’t it?” Daryl said sarcastically.
“Daryl, do you see anybody else here stepping up?” I asked. Daryl looked at me slightly shaking his head.
“But why you?” Daryl asked T-Dog.
“You wouldn’t even begin to understand. You don’t speak my language.” Not really sure what T-Dog meant by that.
“That’s five.” Dale said.
“It’s not just five. You’re putting every single one of us at risk.” Shane said. “Just know that, Rick. Come on, you saw that walker. It was here. It was in camp. They’re moving out of the cities. They come back; we need every able body we’ve got. We need ‘em here. We need ‘em to protect camp.” As Rick and Shane continued their argument Dale pulled me to the side.
“Are you sure you want to go?” He asked. “You even said yourself that you’re a good shot. We can use you here if another walker comes.”
“Dale you got Jack and Shane, and I know you know how to use a gun. Merle is family and I want to be there. If we find him alive or not.” I turned back around and sat next to Daryl, listening to Lori telling Rick not to go back for Merle and some guns again. What I don’t understand is that she told him that he was going back and now she is telling him to stay. I was tired of listening to everyone complain so I got up and went into the cube van the others brought back. I sat in the passenger seat as Glenn sat in the driver’s seat. Daryl followed and was walking in circles angrily waiting for Rick and T-Dog to hurry up. Daryl walked up to the front and started stomping his foot on the van’s stearin wheel, honking the horn.
“Come on, let’s go!!” Daryl yelled. Rick walked to the passenger seat so I got up and moved even though he said for me to stay. Daryl closed the van’s back and we drove off. Daryl sat next to me across from T-Dog. We drove in silence until we got to Atlanta. “He better be okay!” Daryl told T-Dog. “It’s my only word on the matter.”
“I told you the geeks can’t get at him. The only thing that’s gonna get through that door is us.” T-Dog explained.
“Boys, we’ll see when we get there!” I told the both of them. The van stopped. Glenn told us we walk from here so Daryl got up and open the back, then jumped out. He slung his crossbow over his shoulder as I stood up. Daryl picked me up by my hips bring me to the ground. “Thank you.” I said; Daryl nodded. We all started running towards this building. Daryl wanted me in front of him, in the middle of all the men, just so he could see me. When we got to the fence Glenn opened a hole up and let Rick throw first. Rick gave me a hand helping me throw.
“Merle first or guns?” Rick asked.
“Merle! We ain’t even having this conversation!” Daryl spat.
“We are!” Rick said. “You know the geography. It’s you call.” Rick told Glenn.
“Merle’s closest. The guns would mean doubling back. Merle first.” Glenn said. Good thing it was Merle first because if not I would have said something. We all ran following Glenn and T-Dog to the department store. I had to slow my running down to stay at level with the men. They we all slow runners.
“Daryl.” I softly said, “I just want to say sorry for whatever we see.”
“Don’t say nothing like that until we get there.” I nodded to Daryl. When we got to the department store we walked in throw the back quietly. Daryl led us all with his crossbow ready. From what I heard the building should be full of walkers so we had to be really quite. Rick put a hand up signaling for us to stop, and he pointed at a walker. Daryl crouched down and zig zagged through the tables to get closer to the walker.
“Damn. You are one ugly scank.” Daryl grunted before putting an arrow in the walkers head. We found the door to the stairs and we all went up. When we got to the roof door T-Dog moved his way to the front to cut the lock. Daryl kicked open the door and ran outside. “Merle! Merle!” He yelled. When I got outside, I saw Merle wasn’t there and I stopped in shock and fear and began to cry. Daryl looked around and didn’t see him, and then I saw what he saw. Merle’s hand lying on the floor. The idiot cut off his own hand to get away, when all he had to do was wait. Daryl broke down crying screaming “NO! NO!” repeatedly. I ran to Daryl hugging him. Daryl wrapped his arms around me laying his head on my shoulder crying.
“I’m so sorry Daryl!” I softly spoke into his ear. Daryl lifted his head after a minute or so and looked at Merle’s hand. He then stopped and turned around aiming his crossbow at T-Dog’s head. Rick then cocked his gun and aimed it at Daryl’s head.
“I won’t hesitate. I don’t care if every walker in the city hears it.” Rick said.
“Don’t you dare say that! Now both of you stop!” I shouted at them. Daryl hesitate but lowered his crossbow, tears stilling coming down his face. Rick still had his gun aimed at Daryl’s head so I walked up to him gently putting my hand on his, lowing his gun.
“You got a do-rag or something?” Daryl softly asked T-dog, while sniffling. T-dog reached into his pocket pulling out a rag. Daryl snatched it from him and picked up Merle’s hand. I don’t know why Daryl would do that. It was disgusting. “I guess the blade was too dull for the handcuffs. Ain’t that a bitch.” Daryl wrapped the hand up and put it in Glenn’s backpack. Glenn looked at me like he was disgusted. I mouthed ‘sorry’ to him. “He must have used a tourniquet, maybe his belt. Be much more blood if he didn’t.” I was surprised Daryl knew that. He may have not gone to medical school but he knew a lot. Daryl started following the trail of blood so we followed him, but then I stopped and went and helped T-Dog to get Dale’s tools.
“Sorry about Merle.” He said.
“It’s okay I guess. Know it’s not your fault though. Merle did this. He could have waited but he didn’t.” When we got the tools we ran too catch up with the others. We walked into another stairwell and Daryl yelled for Merle, but no answer.