Title: Stuck
Summary: Daryl and Carol have a moment alone after he returns to the prison.
Notes: I don't think Daryl would be like this, but reuniting with Merle and the reminder of all those bad things from their childhood is allowed to mess with the boy. :D
I write if I'm reviewed or not, but they sure are nice to get. :)

Daryl stood at the door of the cell staring at the bed.

The cell was empty, just a bag on the bed with Daryl's meagre possession in it.

"We couldn't keep it on the perch," Carol told him. She couldn't bare the constant reminder of him being gone.

He nodded, understood but he didn't say anything.
He couldn't quite bring himself to look at them, the people he'd abandoned. He'd come back to them sure, but the problem hadn't gone away. Merle had just followed him here. And now they were stuck.

Stuck with no easy way out.

Wasn't sure how he and Merle could stay here, wasn't sure it would even be allowed and even if they stayed, there was a fight coming and he wasn't sure if it was one that they'd win.

"What happened to your shirt?" Carol asked.

And Daryl looked to the piece of fabric she held between two fingers, the ripped front that still clung to him. And he moved away from her.

Didn't want her to see.

He sat down on the bed, back against the wall, felt better that way. Safer. "Jus' ran into some people. Got ripped in the fight, s'all."

She thought he might be lying, but as he wouldn't look at her anyway, she couldn't tell. "I wonder if it was Tyresse?"

Daryl barely reacted to her words. Just moved to the small pile of clothes and pulled out a shirt that was still in one piece. He wanted to change but she didn't take the hint.

"They killed Axle," she said.

"Yeah."

"You need anything?" She questioned.

He shook his head.

"Why did you come back? What happened out there?"

He wouldn't say a word so she stepped closer. "Did you fight with the people?"

He shook his head again.

She bit her lip. He wasn't usually this quiet. "Walkers?"

"Some," he said, a slight shrug.

"Merle?"

And he turned on her with that. "I need to change, get out," he snapped.

Maybe it was thinking she'd already lost him, maybe she just felt brave but she reached for him, hand gently touching his shoulder and he became a flurry of movement in seconds, spinning around to face her and slapping her hands away with force. His face was hard like she'd never seen before and when she didn't move he pushed her away, physically moving her out of the room, out of his space. Pushed her hard, just barely missing her throat, pushed her back until she was out and he could pull the door closed, shutting her out even if it gave no privacy. And he stood with his back to her, fighting to control his rage that had suddenly consumed him.

And Carol stepped away from the cell, backwards until her back was against the railing.

"Carol?" Maggie's voice called out from below. Concern shone in her eyes.

And Carol looked down towards her and nodded to her. And before she knew it, her feet carried her away from the cell and down towards the others.