Dixon's Baby Girls

Part 49: Matthew 29-30

*Hayley's POV*

After we saved Rick we went inside and met up the others. I received hugs from Carol, Maggie, Hershel, and Carl. They told me Maddie and the new baby were taking a nap right now. So I'll reunite with my little sister later.

"Take watch. Eyes open, head down. Field's filled with walkers. I didn't see any snipers out there, but we'll keep Maggie on watch." Rick starts as I take my place next to daddy, Carl stands on my other side. "I'll get up in the guard tower, take out half them walkers, give these guys a chance to fix the fence. Or use some of the cars to put the bus in place. We can't access the field without burning through our bullets."

"So we're trapped in here. There's barely any food or ammo." Glenn says.

"Been here before. We'll be all right."

"That's when it was just us. Before there was a snake in the nest." Glenn argues, talking about Merle.

"Man, we gonna go through this again? Look, Merle's staying here. He's with us now. Get used to it." Daddy snaps at Glenn. I grab his hand, sort of a silent way of pulling him back and calming him down. "All y'all." He directs toward the rest then pulls me as he starts walking to where they locked Merle up.

"You sit with Merle for a bit. Keep him company." Daddy whispers to me as we get to Merle.

"More like make sure he don't say or do something stupid to offend anyone else." I roll my eyes. Dad ruffles my hair.

"That too. I'm gonna go find something for us to eat on. Been a bit since ya ate hasn't it?" He asks and I just nod. Since before I left Woodbury to be exact.

He walks off leaving me in the company of Merle. The guy I'm not too happy with right now.

"Did you're daddy leave ya to watch me, munchkin?" Merle asks me, from behind the cell bars sitting on the cot.

"Something like that." I say curtly and sit down beside the cell door, leaning against the wall.

"What's up with you?" He says after a few seconds of silence.

"What do you mean?" I ask, playing dumb.

"Ya know what I'm talking about. You're not talking to me. Moping around all over the place." He states.

"Not like I just lost one of my best friends. And left the other two behind with a man that wants to kill us." I say, rolling my eyes a second time.

"Hayley, I'm sorry about Taylor." He says softly.

"Yeah so am I."

It's quiet for a second. Before I hear someone walking towards us. I look up to see Hershel making his way over using his crutches. It's still weird seeing him this way.

"You're the farmer, Hershel." Merle says to the old man.

"And you're the black sheep, Merle." Hershel replies. Merle points to where his leg used to be.

"How'd you lose it?"

"I was bit."

"Bit? You hack it off yourself?"

"No. Rick did."

"Awfully kindly of him."

"Saved my life. Gave me more time with my girls. Gave you more time with your brother your nieces." Hershel says sparing me a glance. "Can't put a price on that."

"Can't put a price on anything anymore." Merle states sarcastically.

"I found this in one of the cells. Lost more than the Good Book there for a while. Lost my way." Hershel says holding up a Bible. "'And if your right hand offends you, cut it off, cast it from you. For it is profitable that one of your members should perish--And not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.'"