LIFE WORTH LIVING [Daryl Dixon]

| FIVE |

The group drove down the same roads they had driven the previous day. Daryl's truck was on its last legs, and the RV was beginning to emit steam from the hood.

Daryl sighed to himself when he saw Rick's arm come out of the window, ordering those behind him to come to a stop.

Everyone left their vehicles and gathered at the RV.

Daryl spoke up first, "going to leave the truck, get some gas for the bike." he mumbled.

Rick nodded in agreement and looked at his sister, "you okay riding in the RV once we get it going?" he questioned.

Megan nodded, "sure, but it doesn't look like it's going anywhere anytime soon," she replied as she watched Dale and Glenn waft the steam from their faces, trying to locate their problem. 

"For now, let's just search for supplies. We can't go anywhere until we have some more fuel anyway," Shane spoke up. He was pacing back and forth with his hands on his hips, "need water desperately," he mumbled as an afterthought.

Everyone began to make their way to the array of cars scattered across the highway. Megan followed suit. With Shane's mention of water, she suddenly realised how desperate she was for fluids.

The first car she came across had nothing of use to them, just a rotting corpse and a glove compartment full of mints.

She approached the next vehicle, a small van. She checked the window, making sure there was no movement before she opened the passenger side door.

Again, her search of the front of the vehicle brought her nothing but a half-drunk bottle of whiskey. She smirked, thinking of Glenn, curious to know whether he would ever drink again after the previous night's antics.

"Now, now, little lady, I think that belongs to me," a familiar gruff voice came from the back of the van.

She gasped out loud, "Merle?" she questioned the shadows.

Merle's face came into view, the bright Georgia sun highlighting his features. He leant his arms against the driver and passenger seats to get a closer look, "the one and only," he grinned.

Megan stepped back as her eyes dropped to his arm, well, his stump. Her face contorted in disgust; it was wrapped in duct tape, with a large knife attached.

"Clever, right?" Merle grinned as he followed her gaze to his arm, "no thanks to your prick of a brother."

She scowled, "what are you doing here? Why are you hiding? Daryl will want to see you," she said, "he went back to get you," she snapped.

Merle shrugged and awkwardly claimed into the passenger seat. Megan took another step back, keeping a fair distance between them, "didn't know who you were. Hid just in case."

"Well, let me go and get Daryl," she said, attempting to leave.

"Nah," Merle sighed, causing Megan to stop in her tracks.

Megan furrowed her brows. She didn't understand why he wasn't desperate to see his brother, "I'll just shout him over-"

A flash of anger flickered across Merle's features, and before she could grasp what was happening, he had removed himself from the vehicle and wrapped his handless arm around her neck. He held the knife that was attached firmly against her throat, "he's already replaced me with Officer Friendly," Merle hissed. "You're going to leave the whiskey behind and run along to your little friends."