Daryl woke once again when he heard moving around the area of their little camp, his hands automatically clutching his crossbow, as he cautiously peeked out, weapon raised on the defensive. He wasn't too surprised to see Harry in his brother's tent, he had been checking on him regularly all night. Every three hours he would guess, considering he hadn't heard his brother's voice once he was obviously still asleep. It was barely dawn, but he was ready for the day. He stood watching him outside the tent.
"Don't bother hunting," Harry told him, he didn't want to deal with Merle on his own, judging by the smirk Daryl was not even trying to hide he knew it too. "There's plenty of pasta that can be cooked at least today," and he wanted to see how quickly they would begin to complain that they weren't doing anything. He wanted to tell them what he really thought of them all, well most of them at any rate. Everything he, Merle and Daryl had suggested, with him doing the speaking, had just been turned down or he'd been condescendingly been told he (Shane) knew what he was doing way back when he first got there. The measures they'd put in place had been removed, much to their annoyance. Enough was enough.
"Fine by me," Daryl replied, turning and glaring at the tents across the quarry, they'd left his brother cuffed defenceless on a roof. He didn't care what he'd done they shouldn't have left him there without means of escape, shelter or supplies. No matter what he'd done he hadn't deserved that, and nobody not even Harry could convince him of that. Harry hadn't been defending them though; he always had the tendency to look at things objectively once the matter was settled.
And it was true, Harry would never have even thought of saying it until they'd gotten Merle to safety. He knew both Dixon brothers had temper problems that made his look extremely mild in comparison. He wasn't scared of them, he could defend himself, but it didn't make it any easier when they went on the rampage. Ultimately he would never have left Merle behind, no matter what he was doing or saying he wasn't that sort of person (he had saved Draco Malfoy after all). Which left him to wonder just what sort of people he was exhausting himself for, if it had just been the three of them they wouldn't be hunting anywhere near as much as they were, or as far as they had to go with a shortage of animals in the area now.
"He should be wakening up pretty soon," Harry added as he got comfortable in Merle's tent, sitting on a chair off to the side. Merle had slept longer than he had anticipated, but his body needed to recover. He must have needed it, but point someone out that couldn't use a good night's sleep. He would also be extremely thirsty and hungry, which was why he had put two large water bottles on his bed, along with a few cereal bars. He had poured water from his wand into it, along with a cooling charm on them it was much safer to drink that than the stuff they boiled from the water at the quarry.
Daryl just grunted and moved away, planning on checking the traps they'd set up at least, there was no point to letting anything go to waste, and there was always things in the traps, even if it was only one or two squirrels or rabbits.
Harry remained where he was, gazing at Merle critically even as he twitched and moved around, he was definitely the most wildly reckless angry man he had ever known. Well with the possible exception of Voldemort and his Death Eaters, Merle wasn't a killer though, he was just angry at the world, and this was his way of shouting at it Harry reckoned. The drugs though, he suspected that it was Merle's way of coping, but with what? His past? Or was it something he'd started and been unable to kick - drugs were addictive after all.
"What the hell are you doing here ya pansy arsed dick," Merle groaned out when he saw Harry sitting comfortably in his tent, that was until he remembered everything, sitting up anger filling him to the core, "I'm going to kill that pig, when I see him again," he ignored his shaking hands and sweat soaked brow.
"My pansy arsed dick saved your life, you ungrateful shit," Harry replied his lips twitching, he was well used to their language, although Merle was definitely more vocal than Daryl. "You're welcome by the way." he added knowing he'd never receive any gratitude from older man, pride wouldn't allow it even if he did feel it.
Merle quietened down for a few moments, when they'd left him he'd been terrified, although he would never admit to being. He'd just been waiting for those walkers to burst through the door, he'd known his brother would come for him, but as time crawled by he'd lost all sense of time and himself.
"What happened?" Merle asked shaky hands grasping the water bottle and opening it before downing it in one go, his perched throat glad for it. The second one he began to drink more slowly.
"We found you attempting to saw your own hand off," Harry replied, "Man what the hell convinced you to take drugs on a supply run to Atlanta which is full of walkers when you need your wits around you?"
Merle opened his mouth, ready to spew profanities no doubt when Harry cut in.
"Merle, do you want to survive? And please," Harry raised his hands in defeat, "Just let us have a normal conversation for a few moments, shouting your mouth of ante gonna solve anything."
Merle arched an eyebrow silently impressed, he had guts he'd give him that, not many people had the guts to stand up to him. If they did they usually found out the hard way not to talk down to him, not that Harry was he was just giving the blunt uncensored truth in a way that for some reason didn't grate on his already raw nerves.
"Ante no walker gonna get the better of me," Merle grunted, rubbing his temples he had a splitting headache.
"And what about your brother? Would you ever forgive yourself if you got him killed because you were too bloody high to do anything?" Harry pointed out something that would definitely get Merle's reaction.
It did, Merle was out of the bed and grabbing Harry's throat forcing him to his feet, Merle's arm raised into a fist but it didn't move from there.
"Go ahead, I wont defend myself," Harry stated bluntly, green eyes meeting blue without even a hint of fear.
"Damn you boy," Merle hissed through gritted teeth, shoving him away growing like a wounded bear. He was many things but he didn't outright drawl anyone that wasn't participating, that and he knew Harry could defend himself, which irked him more. He wasn't his damn da he would never hit someone who wasn't even going to defend themselves.
"Merle," Harry said leaning forward watching the man sit down again, "We need you, me and Daryl do, this group will as well, whether you like it or not, we're safer in a big group, even I don't like to admit it. They're a bunch of idiots who don't seem to realize what the hell is going on. A walker got into the camp; they've done nothing since to prepare for a bloody hoard of them coming this way now that food is scarce in the city. The small town cops don't know what the hell they're doing either, they're scared, we're going to have to help them not give into it. Just like you've been saying, I know, I'm with you, hell if you really want to leave then Daryl and I would come with you and you know that." but he'd stayed this far, he must realize too that they were safer, despite the talk of robbing them, they had nothing Merle could want, he was just being an idiot because he didn't like Shane, Glenn or T-Dog. He was a prejudice old fart.
"I ante no good to nobody like this," Merle snapped his hand up showing the tremors that were going through him. He needed the coke; it would stop the shakes, the headaches, and the nausea.
"How long would that keep you..." Harry asked apprehensively, they would need Merle, of that he had no doubt.
"Two days," Merle grumbled, he knew through experience, he'd been in and out of prison up until the apocalypse, forcing cold turkey withdrawal on him.
"Any way other than taking drugs to short circuit the process?" Harry questioned, hopeful that there was, the shake of the head answered that well enough. Could phoenix tears help him? He had a vial, one drop less in it wouldn't matter, not when it came to helping the people he cared about most. He was tough, a leader, but he wasn't above asking for help when it came to it, and that's exactly what he'd asked of the brothers. The only problem with giving him that was it might actually heal every scar he had, Harry's green eyes roamed over him, finding them faded enough as not to draw attention if they disappeared.
"Wait here," Harry said stepping out of the tent heading for his own which was pitched just a few feet away. He quickly retrieved the vial of phoenix tears and headed back.
"Alright, this should help with the symptoms, although there's no guarantee," Harry admitted, watching Merle recoil glancing at the vial cautiously.
"It's a vial of phoenix tears," Harry explained to Merle, "They heal any wound, any poison known to man or wizard, in fact I've never encountered anything stronger than this. It could and would heal you from a severe and fatal bullet wound, it's that potent."
"And why would you give it to me?" Merle snapped, an uncomfortable feeling stirring in his chest, nobody other than his brother and his mother when she'd been alive had ever gave a shit about him. Everyone else he was just a disappointment, a worthless redneck and most times he proved them right, why be better when everyone would only think the worst? Yet this boy comes into their lives, after a rough start they taught him all they knew, he was quick, caught on real fast. Then stuck around when things got bad, saving each others neck along the way. Seemed impervious to their moods, knew when they were teasing him, teased back, he was alright for a boy who'd come from the suburbs - probably he had been educated after all. All his pansy assed words he liked to spew now and again.
Harry sighed and took his seat, "Look merle, I know you can't tolerate many people, but what the hell can I do to prove that I give a shit? Why do I need to be questioned about it? If you want to think about it selfishly then fine, think of me doing it to save my own hide. As I said we need you, we're going to need you, and this will help you and in turn it will help us."
"One drop should do it, no more than that," Harry said, handing the vial over, when he could he would need to head to the nearest magical district and get what he could, especially from the apothecary, maybe even a few wands as back up, there was no point to letting it rot, not when it could be used to help them all. "You might notice any scars you've got disappearing as well," he added as an afterthought.
Merle did as instructed and took the single drop of 'phoenix tears' expecting it to taste absolutely foul, like the other potions he had taken when asked. Yet he was surprised, it didn't taste at all, although he could feel a tingling in his tongue where it landed. The aches and pains seemed to fade each passing minute.
"Eat up and rest for a while, and drink a lot, you were dehydrated when we found you," Harry said, a concerned look on his face as he reminded yesterday. Without waiting on a reply, he stood up and moved towards the tent flap pulling it back ready to get on with his day.
"Harry?" Merle's voice caused Harry to pause and look over at the older guy curiously.
"Thanks,"
Harry chuckled at the screwed up look on Merle's face, it looked as if just saying those words were causing him unimaginable pain. Nonetheless Harry nodded grimly, acknowledging the thanks. "Oh and the next time you call me boy, Merle, I'll hang you upside down a tree for hours!" Harry pointed out changing the subject causing Merle to relax then snort.
"I'd like to see you try," he replied smirking wryly, but he saw the seriousness in the green eyes, it seems as though he'd hit a raw nerve there.
Harry just smirked in turn, well aware that he did have what it took, and he damn well knew it. His eyes quickly adjusted to the blazing ball of sun that seemed to try and burn his retinas. He looked around camp; he found Carol had put three bowls of oatmeal on a log for them at some point. Grabbing Merle's he headed back in and put it beside him, silently gesturing for him to eat before leaving again. He made quick work of his own meagre serving, as he did he remembered his vow to teach the women how to defend themselves. He rolled his eyes when he saw them, predictably washing clothes at the water edge. He quickly jogged towards them, to see if they actually wanted the help. He got there in time to hear them complaining about how the tasks had been divided.
"Then say something, make them wash their own stuff, they are big boys I'm pretty sure they can handle washing their own clothes." Harry said surprising them, causing them to look around at him in question.
"Hello, Harry, did you get your breakfast?" Carol questioned giving him a small smile.
"I did, thank you," Harry replied, "Do you all want to learn to fight the walkers?"
"There isn't enough ammo," Andrea pointed out, not to waste on target practice.
"I didn't say anything about using it, you need to learn to defend yourself without a gun too, and you can't just stand there behind the men with the gun screaming or crying in fear. Otherwise you're just going to end up a meal for the hoard, this thing isn't going to end suddenly, and you must arm yourself, defend yourself and your loved ones and not let fear get the better of you." Harry pointed out, "So are you coming?"
"How are we going to learn if we don't use guns?" Andrea asked curiously, as the other girls nodded curiously thinking the same thing.
Harry smirked, "Target practice," he replied.
"I don't know about you guys but I'm going," Andrea insisted standing up, ready to do what was required to keep everyone safe. Shane had continued to insist for over two months that they would learn and had not yet lived up to it, so if it meant learning from Harry so be it.
"Carol?" Harry questioned, seeing how unsure she looked he went for the jugular. "If you want Sophia to grow up and you to see her grow up then you must be a warrior, a mother and protector in that order." Ed wouldn't do anything for them, he would run, he was nothing but a coward who hit women and children. Walking closer he whispered so only she would hear, "In this world, there is no room for victims only survivors."
Carol looked down after hearing his words, before glancing at her daughter, and then gives a slow single nod.
"Jackie? Amy? Up for it?" Harry then asked the others, there were a few females missing, but he was sure once word got out they would all be training.