Daryl was out somewhere.

Merle had watched the prick Rick come and ask for some help with some made up bullshit. Merle had seen through his lies, Daryl had nodded and followed the other man like a god damn puppy.
Always waiting for that damn pat on the head.

But Merle didn't care. He stayed in the cell alone while Daryl fucked about with his new pals.
He knew he'd be back, sooner of later.

So the time alone wasn't a bad thing, really. He didn't mind laying there, eyes shut, minding his own damn business but someone else decided to spoil that.
The Chinese kid. No, Korean.
Daryl corrected him on that. Mister PC.

And he stood at the cell door, eyes hard and mouth tight like his presence itself might be enough to frighten Merle off. When Merle looked dead in his eyes, the kid looked scared, like he might just bolt. The kid forgot that Merle beat him one handed. And despite what Glenn might feel like doing, he weren't no killer. Hell, he'd probably feel bad if he threw more than one punch Merle's way.

"Let's not beat around the bush. You don't wanna be here any more than we want you here. So... you need to get going. Move on."

"I ain't going anywhere without my brother. And seeing as he came back and saved your sorry asses I guess he ain't ready to leave yet. So really, you're talking to the wrong brother, China."

Glenn's face flushed slightly, but he refused to back down. "No, you can convince Daryl to go with you," he demanded.

"Seeing as how us being here puts you in such a state little man, makes me all the more determined to stay," Merle smirked.

"Wanna play it that way? Fine. I know that with everyone else's help we can convince Daryl to cut you loose. It won't be easy, but I know him. He'll do it for Rick, for Carol... for the baby."

"You don't know shit boy. Think a few months with you people changes all we been through together? Hell no it don't! He's a sentimental pussy, and while ya'll here he likes ya. But he won't forget every damn year I looked out for him."

Glenn shook his head at that. "You're wrong. He doesn't care about you. He doesn't even like you." Glenn smirked, stepping into the room a little further, courage gathered. "He looked for you once in Atlanta. Once when he went back for you with Rick, T Dog and me and then we went back to the camp and we thought you'd be there and you weren't. But he didn't hesitate to leave with us. And he never even mentioned going back out to look for you."
Glenn noticed the dark glare Merle was fixing him with but he didn't care. He hoped this fucking hurt Merle. "And you know what? When we lost Sophia, and I mean when he lost her in the woods, Daryl was searching all the time for her. Days! You think he cares about you? Then ask yourself why he didn't ever try and find you."

Glenn walked away leaving Merle to digest the words he's said.
Daryl had always said they went back for him, but it was true that he never really mentioned it again. He wondered whether that really was it. Did Daryl just look for him once and move on? And what the fuck was that looking for a little girl about? Days? And he had spared Merle what, one visit to Atlanta?

Merle had always told The Governor that if Daryl was out there, he'd be able to find him. He thought Daryl would feel the same. Wouldn't stop looking for him if he thought he was in trouble. And he damn well knew he was! Knew he'd lost his hand and was hurt. Knew he'd lost blood, knew he was alone. And he didn't even look for him for more that one damn day?

He settled down on the bed, thought about what Glenn said, and waited for Daryl to come back to him.