Eyes Wide Open [TWD]

°•twenty-six•°

The next morning was warm and quiet. Out of the ordinary compared to the last few days. Carl, Michonne, and Rick went on a run together and everyone else was doing their chores around the prison.

"How much you wanna bet they don't bring not a damn thing back?" Merle asks from his seat.

I just continued looking down at where I was packing bullets and ignored him.

"Ah come on cupcake, we always made bets about these things. Remember when I tricked you out of that new knife? Good times," he comments.

It was followed by silence from my end and he sighs.

"Why ain't you talking to me?" He asks, softer this time as if I were a frightened animal.

Seconds passed as he awaited my answer that never came.

"Did I do somethin'?" He lowers to a whisper now.

"You almost killed Glenn," I spit, finally speaking but refusing to look at him.

"I was just takin' orders, darlin," he says.

Out of the corner of my eye I see him bend as if trying to force his way into my sight. I simply turn my head and continue working.

"You let a walker loose on him," I state another fact.

He stays quiet at this line and the silence is deafening.

"You brought Maggie to the Governor and he-" I stop myself, "And you didn't stop it."

"I didn't know he'd do that to her," He swears.

"But you knew he'd do something to get to them. How can I trust you? After everything I told you. The things about my dad. How terrified of him I was knowing he did something like that to Lori. What if it was me?"

"It's not the same dammit!" He shouts abruptly and I wince before glaring over at him.

"Not the same? How the hell do you get that? She didn't deserve that! You just let it happen and you continued to threaten both of them and me!" I shout back.

I knew we were loud enough that everyone would hear but I couldn't help it. I was too angry at him to just let this slip by.

Merle was the only person I truly had at Woodbury. For three years, he was the trainer, friend, shoulder, caretaker.. Now he does this? To me? To the people I love?

"I did what I had to! And you know I wouldn't do something like that to you! And your father and Lori was a different story and you know that!"

"She was taken from her group and being used to get answers out of! That's not a way to do it! You brought her there! As far as I'm concerned you're no better than he is!" I was now standing and leaning over the table with my palms flat on the surface.

"I didn't know he'd do that!" He sat up straight in defense.

"Even if you didn't know, you had no hesitation to call my father a monster and say he deserved to rot, yet you don't look Governor in the eyes after what he did!"

"That's cause I couldn't look him in the eye! I woulda put the son of a bitch down!"

"Why didn't you!" I scream louder.

He begins to retaliate before there's a loud bang of the door flying open and Glenn running in the room.

"Hey what the hell are you talking to her for!" Glenn yells questioningly at Merle while moving between us as if guarding me from him.

"I'm tryna talk to her and explain-"

"You don't need to explain shit! It's a miracle that you're still here taking up space. I'll let that go for Daryl's sake. But if you talk to, look at, if you dare to even breathe in my daughter's direction I will kill you!" Glenn shouts his finger pointing accusingly at Merle through the bars.