Merle Dixon's A+ Parenting

Welcome To Woodbury

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/70mz7BgFslcsu2Z04LtDsA?si=cC_8m-9uTZ2zQvstPJdGgg&pi=u-5Y0LsVvkRe66

That's for in case anyone is interested in the playlist I made for this story. You can look it up on Spotify too, same name as the story, Merle Dixon's A+ Parenting Its a mix of songs I like to associate with the characters or what I'd imagine is playing in the background in that moment. Writing from my brothers computer. I also honestly made Merle and Ronan sick simply because I've already been sick three times since the start of 2024 and I'm projecting, just now getting over the 3rd sick. Gotta love having a compromised immune system.

-Sam

"Merle!" Alice hissed loudly, shaking Merle's shoulder roughly. The first thing Merle really registered was the excruciating heat that was covering his body and the killer headache pounding in his skull. Merle sluggishly opened his eyes to see Alice glancing at the window were Connor was standing, his gun at the ready.

"Wha-?" Was all Merle could get out before he began coughing violently, quickly trying to cover his mouth ended with him rolling off the couch and onto the floor.

"Guys!" Connor tried to get their attention but Alice shook her head "Merle's too out of it! We can't get him and Ronan out!" 

Before Merle could respond a crashing sound came from the front door of The Castle "Shit!" Warren hissed, she and Adrian already had Ronan up on his feet, but he looked just as bad as Merle felt "Merle! People!"

"H-hide. I'll deal with them" Merle grunted as he picked himself up, sitting back on the couch. The teens scurried off before the room was suddenly filled with people. Men. They had guns trained on him as they surrounded him on all sides.

"It's rude to just barge in without knocking" Merle grumbled as he looked around the men, his voice rough and scratchy from the cold running through his immune system. Turns out saving Ronan had worse repercussions than risking being in the water with possible Infected.

As Merle's mind was wondering he didn't notice a man speaking and held up a hand, interrupting him "Hold on, could repeat that? I missed everything"

The man glared at Merle with a scowl "I was saying that my name is The Governor. We saw lights from the windows and came to see if you and your group needed any help. I have a community, Woodbury, and we could use some new members"

Merle narrowed his eyes "Just me," He lied, "I have no group"

The Governor laughed, shaking his head "Then who was the boy standing at the window?" He asked condescendingly, an arrogant smirk on his face.

"No one" Merle growled and shakily stood to his full high, slightly shocked to find 'The Governor' was taller than him. But he wasn't as bulky as Merle, so the marine had some advantage "No ones here besides me"

"Well, I apologize if I don't trust you" The Governor snapped his fingers and his men branched off, walking around different parts of the large house. "No!" Merle tried stopping them but he was ignored "Get your men and get out of my house!"

"But you're all alone, I cannot in good conscience leave a sick man by himself" The Governor stated with false concern, a hand placed over his heart in dramatics. His head snapped to the entrance to the living room when Martinez and another man walked in, carrying Ronan.

"We got one of them," Martinez said, shaking Ronan slightly making the boy groan, "The other four jumped out the window"

"Sorry Shredder" Ronan muttered quietly as he was dropped onto the couch "Its okay, Bambi. Where's the others?" Merle asked, crouching down in front of Ronan.