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worse ways to stay alive

"OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD. RICK."

Iris sobs as she runs over to her brother, practically jumping in his arms as soon as he lets go of Carl. Rick's arms tightened around her, and the tears streamed free fully down Iris' face.

"You're here, you're all here." Rick's voice was a welcome sound, and it just brought Iris to another fit of sobs. "I found you."

Iris pulls back, one hand covering her mouth while the other holds onto Carl's shoulder. Lori held onto Rick's arm, and the four of them spent a couple of moments just staring at each other. Iris takes a sharp inhale before speaking.  "I- how? Shane said-"

"I woke up." Rick's voice was hoarse, and his blue eyes glistened. "I found my way to Atlanta. Got myself in a bit of a bend, and then Glenn found me, got me out."

Iris looks him up and down. He looked okay, not nearly as sickly as he was when he was in the coma, and he was breathing by himself, standing by himself. He looked alive. Iris couldn't believe her eyes, but there was one thing she knew.

Thank god for Glenn Rhee.

Iris was aware that she was ugly crying in front of the entire camp, but she didn't care. Rick was back, he was home, and Glenn had found him. Glenn had brought him home.

As Lori and Carl engulf Rick in another hug, Iris breaks away, wiping her tears and hoping her eyes didn't look too bloodshot. She stumbles past Shane, who was rooted in his spot, mouth open, just staring. She doesn't even think about Shane, she forgot he was even standing there, as she rushes to pull Glenn into another hug, the tears uncontrollably running down her face like a faucet.

"Hey, hey, you're okay." Glenn soothes, his hand going to the back of her head, allowing her to bury her head in his shoulder. His grip was strong and secure, and he even rocked her back and forth a little as she composed herself, and Iris found herself feeling safe in the arms of her best friend.

She didn't see Glenn look up at Rick as Iris held onto him, nor did she see Rick meet Glenn's eyes as he hugged his wife and son. She didn't see the subtle communication as Rick Grimes came to an easy conclusion. She didn't see Glenn close his eyes and look away.

Iris pulls away, smiling at him as she sniffles. "Thank you. God, Glenn. Thank you."

Glenn nods, and Iris can tell he was feeling the severity of the situation. "Iris, hey, it's okay. I mean, Rick saved my ass too. It was- a mutual thing."

It sounded so ridiculous that Iris couldn't restrain the giggle that left her lips. Glenn's mouth upturned too, but it was hidden under a guise of confusion. Iris finally composes herself. "I got your shirt so wet."

"You did." Glenn nods his head. "But it's okay. It's better than walker guts. Your brother's idea, by the way."

Iris looks back at Rick, who was now engaged in what looked like an apprehensive conversation with Shane, who had finally stepped forward. Iris could only imagine the thoughts and guilt going through his brain right now, having been the one to deliver the news of Rick's death to his family, only to be mistaken. Iris knew that there was no way Shane could've lied, so he can't have known, right? He had to have really thought Rick was dead.

God, it was all too much. All of her feelings were overwhelming, too layered and too complex. It didn't feel real, like she'd wake up at any moment and Rick would still be gone and she'd lose all of her grief progress.

"Iris?"

She turns around. Glenn looks concerned, and he nudges her. "Go over there."

Iris blows a puff of air. "Yeah. Yeah. You're right." She backs up, but pauses. Before she can stop herself, she jumps over to Glenn and plants a kiss on his cheek. "For you."

𖤓𖤓𖤓

Time seemed to move at two times the speed once Rick returned, and soon enough it was nightfall. The group gathered around the campfire, like they had done most nights since settling at the Quarry. However, tonight, Iris could actually feel the warmth from the fire instead of the bitterness of the air.

Rick was cuddled up with Lori and Carl, holding them close like he'd never let go again. Shane was nearby, but he also kept a distance. Iris couldn't tell what it was, but she felt a shift in him that she didn't understand. She supposed guilt could do that to a person, and Iris could see the guilt all over his face, even though she couldn't figure out what exactly was weighing him down.

Iris sat criss-crossed on the floor, right next to the open flame. She had let her hair loose, her bangs a lot more choppy now because she had taken her scissors to it in annoyance when it started growing over her eyes. She smiles as Carl rests his head, and brings her arms around her knees.

Rick had woken up from his coma mere days ago, and he had woken to the worst possible hell: in an abandoned hospital, in an abandoned city, with his family nowhere to be seen. He had done everything, everything he could to track them down, and now he was here. Iris couldn't even put into words how lucky she felt to have her family with her at this moment. She knew other people didn't have what she did.

She turns her head and looks at Glenn. He had his cap on still, despite the fact that the only light that shone was the campfire and the stars above. He was staring at the ground, but he looked up as soon as Iris did, as if he could sense her. She smiles at him.

Dale shuffles in his place on the log. "Have you given any thought to Daryl Dixon? He won't be happy to hear his brother was left behind."

Merle had been one of the volunteers that went on the group supply run, but when Glenn had given Iris the full Rick story, he had told her what had happened on the rooftop, how Rick had handcuffed Merle up there and they'd ended up leaving him behind in the fight to escape. Daryl was on a hunt and had yet to return.

T-Dog swallows. "I'll tell him. I dropped the key. It's on me."

Iris did not like the idea of that. She was about to voice her concerns, but Rick gets there first.

"I cuffed him. That makes it mine."

Glenn holds his hands out. "Guys, it's not a competition. I don't mean to bring race into this, but it might sound better coming from a white guy."

"I did what I did. Hell if I'm gonna hide from him." T-Dog replies, his jaw set firmly with responsibility.

"Are you sure?" Iris asks him, in a small voice. T-Dog's eyes soften and he just nods.

"We could lie." Amy suggests.

"Or tell the truth." Andrea's blonde ponytail moved with her head. "Merle was out of control. Something had to be done or he'd have gotten us killed." She looks to Lori. "Your husband did what was necessary. And if Merle got left behind, it is nobody's fault but Merle's."

"And that's what we tell Daryl? I don't see a rational discussion to be had from that, do you? Word to the wise… We're gonna have our hands full when he gets back from his hunt." Dale warns, his brows raised to show his disapproval.

"I was scared and I ran. I'm not ashamed of it." T-Dog says.

"We were all scared. We all ran. What's your point?" Andrea asks.

"I stopped long enough to chain that door. Staircase is narrow. Maybe half a dozen geeks can squeeze against it at any one time. It's not enough to break through that. Not that chain, not that padlock. My point… Dixon's alive and he's still up there, handcuffed on that roof. That's on us." T-Dog looks around, with a sigh.

Later that night, Iris sat by the Quarry, long after everyone else had already retired to their tents. She couldn't sleep. Not right now. She cupped the water in her hands, bringing it to her face. She closes her eyes, allowing the cool water to run down her features. It was relieving.

She didn't hear footsteps approaching until a voice spoke. "Iris?"

She whips her head around, holding a hand to her heart. "Jesus. Glenn. You scared me."

"Sorry." Glenn perches next to her. "Why are you out here all by yourself?"

Iris shrugs. "I don't know. Couldn't sleep. Thinkin' about too much."

Glenn took his cap off, adjusting his hair before placing it back on his head. "Like what?"

"The apocalypse. Walkers. Merle up on that roof. Shane acting weird." Iris pauses. She could lie, but this was Glenn and she could tell him anything. "Rick."

"Wow." Glenn sits down fully, giving her a sly smile. "You've got a lot going on in that head of yours, huh?"

"Why do you sound surprised?" Iris snorts, but the moment passes when her smile drops. "I'm afraid that if I go to sleep, this'll all be a dream."

Glenn was quiet for a moment. "It's not a dream, Iris. I promise. Don't you trust me?"

Her smile grows again. He always knew the right things to say. "Of course I do."

"Good." Glenn looks away to hide the telltale grin on his face, before splashing her with the water.

Iris yelps, smacking his arm away.

𖤓𖤓𖤓

Glenn held his hands over his head, groaning as he watched Dale take apart the coolest car he'll ever get to drive. He'd been violently opposed to the idea, and he made that known, but no one listened to him. As per usual.

One hour. One measly hour is all he got to drive it.

He crosses his arms and stares as Dale stands under the bonnet, practically ripping parts out of his sweet, sweet car.

"Aww, you're losing your car?" Iris walks up to them, patting Glenn's shoulders in mock sympathy. "However will you survive?"

"Laugh it up, laugh it up." Glenn replies, shooting her a glare. "You'd be singing a different tune if you got to experience driving that thing."

"I don't even have my driver's licence." Iris laughs, and her smile almost distracts him from her words.

"What?" He exclaims. "You don't?"

Before Iris can reply, Rick approaches the pair, and Glenn tenses up. It is not lost on him how he confessed the fact that he liked Iris to her older brother. Sure, he didn't know Rick was Rick and he didn't mention Iris by name, but the look that he gave Glenn yesterday after Iris had hugged him said a thousand words. This was the first time Rick had been near Glenn since then, and he was nervous. He didn't want things with Iris to change.

Instead, he focuses his energy on the car, holding his arm up in the air. "Look at them. Vultures. Yeah, go on, strip it clean."

Dale turns around, giving Glenn a fatherly look. "Generators need every drop of fuel they can get. Got no power without it. Sorry, Glenn."

"Thought I'd get to drive it at least a few more days." Glenn grumbles, and Iris laughs her cute laugh next to him.

"Maybe we'll get to steal another one someday." Rick pats Glenn's shoulder. He swallows nervously, watching Rick with unblinking eyes. He doesn't seem to notice, and neither does Iris, who was bringing her hair into a ponytail, probably frustrated with the heat.

"Hey, Iris, I could use some help with these holes." Carol waves towards Iris, holding a pile of clothes from a supply run.

Iris looks happy to help, heading over towards Carol, but warning flares fire in Glenn's brain, silently begging for her not to leave him alone with Rick.

He taps his foot, itching the back of his neck as he looks at Rick, who was peering at him like he was crazy. He opens his mouth to speak at the same time Rick does.

"So, here's the thing-"

"Glenn, listen-"

God, Glenn kind of wanted a walker to appear out of thin air right now.

He shut up, looking at Rick as he waits for him to talk.

Despite it, Rick smiles. "Calm down. So, you like Iris, huh?"

Glenn purses his lips, trying to gauge Rick's opinion. He thinks about all of the evidence that Rick had already seen, and realised how pointless it was to deny it. "Yeah, I do. But I swear, nothing has happened. Or will happen. You have nothing to worry about."

Rick pats him on the back again, and Glenn could've sworn that he heard him stifle a laugh. "You're a good one, Glenn."

As he walks away, Glenn frowns, pointing a finger in Rick's direction even though he couldn't see or hear him. "Right, but that didn't exactly clarify if... and you're gone."

Dale smiles as he keeps stripping the car.

It wasn't long before Shane returned with more water, and Dale got all of the pieces he needed from Glenn's car. He ended up turning away, in the end, couldn't bear to watch.

Iris kept sitting with Carol, giggling and stitching, thought Glenn was pretty sure that the clothes were just a ruse to cover up their chatting. He loved watching her, and how she was able to get along with everyone at camp no matter who they were, because she was just that kind of person.

Glenn could've kept staring at her all day, but his attention was drawn away by a sudden scream that rippled across the camp. Iris lets out a gasp and jumps up, followed closely by Lori.

"Mom!" Carl's voice shrieked, and Glenn picked up the pace, along with many others from the camp. He sounds terrified, and Glenn's mind immediately jumps to the worst case. It was obvious Iris had too, since she yells back in a tone he'd never heard from her before.

"Carl?" Lori yells back.

The screaming came from the woods, and Carl's voice sounded louder as they got closer. "Dad! Iris!

"Rick!" Glenn catches the attention of the former police officer, who grabs a pole and runs to follow his wife and sister.

Before Rick and Glenn could get there, Carl stumbles into the clearing. Lori drops to her knees, meeting him halfway into a hug. "Carl! Baby!"

"Mom!" Carl allows Lori to embrace him, his voice going quieter the moment he is safe.

"You're okay?" Rick asks, as soon as he gets close enough. Iris breathes out, her shoulders relaxing as she watches her nephew hug his mother.

"I've got him. I've got him." Lori's voice was slightly muffled. She pulls away from Carl, holding his chin. "Nothing bit you? Nothing scratched you?"

Carl shakes his head. "No, I'm okay."

Rick taps Glenn on the shoulder, motioning with his head. The two of them, along with Iris and half of their group, move towards the direction that Carl had run from. Glenn turns up his nose as they come across a walker that was elbow deep in the carcass of a deer. Iris shudders, and Andrea and Amy turn up their noses as the smell reaches them.

The walker looks up and notices their presence, tilting its head and standing up, running at them like the vicious animal it was. Glenn, along with Rick, Shane, Glenn, Jim, and Morales use the objects they had picked up as weapons to beat it and keep it away. Iris gasps and covers her mouth, but after a moment of hesitation, she pulls out her gun and points.

"No!" Dale pushes forward and swngs his axe, beheading the walker in one foul swoop. Iris' arm falls to her side, looking at the old man in shock. Dale turns to face the group. "It's the first one we've had up here. They never come this far up the mountain."

Jim holds his hands to his hips. "Well, they're running out of food in the city, that's what."

There was a moment where everyone considered that information, and what it could mean. If the walkers were migrating, the Quarry could no longer be safe in a week, a month. Their carefully crafted home could be overrun, and they would have nothing.

Glenn tenses as a branch snaps and footsteps start to walk closer. His hands tightened on the baseball hat in his hands, but he relaxed as Daryl revealed himself. He scowls as he catches sight of the deer, and Glenn only just realises that the deer that the walker was eating also had an arrow sticking out of it's head.

"Son of a bitch." Daryl grunts, kicking the beheaded walker. "That's my deer! Look at it. All gnawed on by this… filthy, disease-bearing, motherless poxy bastard!"

Iris snorts.

Dale holds his hands out. "Calm down, son. That's not helping."

Daryl scoffs. "What do you know about it, old man? Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to "on golden pond"? I've been tracking this deer for miles. Gonna drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison. What do you think? Do you think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?"

Shane grimaces. "I would not risk that."

Daryl sighs, shaking his head in annoyance. Glenn couldn't help but think that he was about to be a hell of a lot more annoyed when he found out what they did to Merle. He looks to Iris, who shrugs.

"That's a damn shame. I got some squirrel… about a dozen or so. That'll have to do."

"Oh god." Amy suddenly says, pointing as the walker's head reanimated, baring its teeth and snarls.

"Come on, people. What the hell?" Daryl points his crossbow and shoots, getting the walker right through the eye socket. "It's gotta be the brain. Don't y'all know nothing?"

No one knew how to break the news to Daryl about Merle, but as soon as Iris stepped forward, taking a breath to explain the situation, Daryl walked past them all, heading straight for the camp.

"Merle! Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrels! Let's stew 'em up."

Iris takes a step forward, nudging Shane with a glare. Glenn had always thought she had the most compelling eyes, that she could probably get anyone to do whatever she wants with just one look.

Shane picks up the pace, catching up to Daryl as he checks all of the tents, looking for his brother. "Daryl, just slow up a bit. I need to talk to you."

"About what?" Daryl pauses, clearly alarmed by Shane's sombre tone.

Shane closes his eyes, massaging his temple. "About Merle. There was a- there was a problem in Atlanta."

It was subtle, but Glenn saw the emotion that came over Daryl's face. "He dead?"

"We're not sure." Shane starts,

"He either is or he ain't!" Daryl replies, throwing his hand towards Shane.

Rick holds his hands on his hips.  "No easy way to say this, so I'll just say it."

Daryl squints, peering at Rick. "Who are you?"

"Rick Grimes." Rick says, in his strong accent that was reminiscent of Iris'.

Daryl looks close to blow, looking between Iris and Rick. "Grimes, huh?" He steps closer. "You got something you want to tell me, Rick Grimes?"

"Your brother was a danger to us all, so I handcuffed him on a roof, hooked him to a piece of metal. He's still there."

"Rick." Iris gives her brother a pointed look. Glenn had a feeling this wasn't going to go well.

Daryl's face reddened. "Hold on. Let me process this. You're saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof and you left him there?!"

"Yeah." Rick nods, and to his credit, he owns up to what he did, and doesn't offer any excuses. He was a good man, just like how Iris was a good woman. He didn't blink, just watched Daryl carefully.

Daryl wasn't quite so calm. He lunges forward, taking a swing at Rick, but Rick shoves Daryl off with the same strength he'd used to handcuff his brother. Iris took a step forward, but there was no way Glenn was letting her get in the middle of a pissed off Daryl and his target, and he lightly grabbed her arm. She looked like she was about to pull away, but at the last second, she relaxed.

Daryl pulls his knife from his belt, but before he can even think about using it, Shane practically jumps him and places him in a tight chokehold. Iris had said that Shane and Rick were like brothers, but this was the first time he had seen it in action. "Okay. Okay."

"You'd best let me go!" Daryl struggles.

"Nah, I think it's better if I don't."

"Chokehold's illegal." Daryl grunts, still trying to escape Shane's grip.

"You can file a complaint." Shane replies. "Come on, man. We'll keep this up all day."

Rick steps closer, his hands up. "I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic. Do you think we can manage that? Do you think we can manage that?"

"Mmm. Yeah." Daryl hits Shane off again, but this time, Shane lets him go.

Before Daryl can get any words in. Rick speaks up. His voice was smooth and calm. "What I did was not on a whim. Your brother does not work and play well with others.

"It's not Rick's fault." T-Dog defends. "I had the key. I dropped it."

"You couldn't pick it up?" Daryl scoffs, but he was considerably less calm than he was before.

T-Dog's face drops. "Well... I dropped it in a drain."

Daryl scrunched his face up, shaking his head as he looked away. "If it's supposed to make me feel better, it don't."

"Well, maybe this will." T-Dog offers up, sparing a glance at the others. "Look, I chained the door to the roof, so the geeks couldn't get at him, with a padlock."

"It's gotta count for something." Rick steps closer.

His words seem to set Daryl off again, and he throws his fist in the air. "Hell with all y'all! Just tell me where he is so that I can go get him."

"He'll show you." Lori says, speaking for the first time. Rick looks at her, and Lori gives him a nod. "Isn't that right?"

Rick gives her a curt nod in return. "I'm going back."

𖤓𖤓𖤓

Iris wasn't sure how much she liked the plan that was in place. The last thing she wanted to do was watch Rick head off again when she had only just gotten him back. It was hard enough sending Glenn out to do his supply runs, and she couldn't stand the thought of staying behind again while her brother went back to the city. Least of all for Merle Dixon.

However, the part of her that knew what it was like to be the youngest sibling left all alone, understood that Daryl needed to try.

There was a debate as to the importance of the mission to free Merle, as it would take at least a day and Rick had already volunteered to leave camp. Some people just didn't think it was worth it.

"I can't let a man die of thirst." Rick argues, adamant on his choice to go back. That was just the kind of man Rick was  — noble and moral. "Thirst and exposure. We left him like an animal caught in a trap. That's no way for anything to die, let alone a human being."

Lori still wasn't sure. Iris could understand her hesitation, especially since she had Carl to think about as well as herself. Just two men alone is risky. "So you and Daryl, that's your big plan?"

Rick shrugs and glances pointedly at Glenn, raising his eyebrows in hope. Iris sighs and shakes her head. Glenn realises exactly what Rick is getting at and groans. "Oh, come on."

Trust her brother to rope her best frend into a dangerous mission to the city. Another dangerous mission, considering only one day had passed since the two of them had covered themselves in guts and traipsed through the city like dead people.

Iris had a feeling that the two of them could cause a lot of trouble together.

Rick gives Glenn a chastened smile. "You know the way. You've been there before. In and out, no problem. You said so yourself." He looks over at Iris, who holds her lips together and shakes her head. Rick sighs. "It's not fair of me to ask. I know that, but I'd feel a lot better with you along. I know she would too." He motions to Lori behind them.

"That's just great. Now you're gonna risk three men, huh?" Shane spits, scoffing as if he couldn't believe the audacity.

"Four." T-Dog volunteers, puffing his chest out as he does so.

Well, Iris couldn't let them have all the fun now, could she?

"Five." She says. If Rick and Glenn were both going, she was damn well not going to sit at this camp and do nothing. Not this time. Iris decides, here and now, that she needs to be strong. She had a gun, and all she needed was the will to use it.

Granted, it was going to take a fight just to convince them to let her go.

There was a shrill silence when she spoke up. First it was Glenn who hesitantly shook his head, then it was Rick giving her that disapproving look, and finally it was Shane who gave a very firm, "No."

Iris looks at him. "Yes."

"Iris, no." Shane pushes. "You can't even shoot a gun."

"Then I'll learn." Iris says, looking between Shane and Rick and Glenn.

Glenn licks his lips and she watches him attentively. He exhales and nods. "I can keep her safe."

"No, I'm supposed to keep you safe." Shane protests.

"I'm a big girl." Iris tells him. "I can handle it. Rick?"

Shane raises his eyebrows at Rick, giving him secret communication. Iris stares at him just as intently. Rick sighs. "Okay, but stay close to me or Glenn. And, for god's sake, be careful."

Iris grins. "I will, I will." She looks back at Glenn, and he gives her a soft smile in return. Iris can see the worry on his face, and she hated being the cause, but it had gone past the time to step up.

Shane huffs, and the smoke almost blew out of his ears. When Shane didn't agree with you, he did everything he could to let you know. He was stubborn, but he was protective.

However, there was another reason to head back to the city that wasn't just Merle Dixon. After Rick had woken up from his coma, he had met a surviving father and son who had caught him up and helped him take a bag of guns from the sheriff's station, and a radio that Rick had promised to use to contact them again. However, when he had gotten himself stuck in the tank, he'd dropped the guns and left them behind.

If the walkers were migrating towards the Quarry, they were going to need more guns.

After giving Carl a big hug, and promising that she'd be back really soon. Iris climbed into the truck with Rick, Glenn, T-Dog and Daryl. There was a twist in her stomach as it drove off, the reality setting in as soon as the Quarry was out of sight, and they were faced with the world around them. T-Dog was driving, and Glenn was sitting next to her, watching her as if she was about to break down.

She fiddled with the gun in her hands as the truck drove on, imagining herself using it, on a real human person, even if they had already died, and being able to live with herself afterwards. She wasn't sure if she ever could.

"You've got to take the magazine off to load it." Glenn says, softly taking the gun into his hands and showing her how to load it. "And take the safety off before you shoot. But hopefully you won't have to."

"Yeah, hopefully." Iris echoes, bringing her arms around her knees.

Once the truck pulls up to a stop, Daryl reanimates, giving everyone a glare. "He'd better be okay."

T-Dog raises his hands. " It's my only word on the matter. I told you the geeks can't get at him. The only thing that's gonna get through that door is us."

"Yeah." Glenn stands up, extending his arm to help Iris get up. "We walk from here."

Once the doors open, the first thing Iris becomes aware of is the stench. It was worse than what it was like when she had first escaped the city. The smell of rotting flesh was overwhelming, coupled with the constant aroma of smoke from the government's attempt to destroy the city. It immediately made her feel nauseous, but she pushed it aside, focusing on the things she could control. The gun in her hand, the bag on her back, and the mision they had.

They walk along the railway track until they find a fence that could lead them into the main part of the city. It didn't take long to cut through the wire, and they were in.

Rick put his hands on his hips. "Merle first or guns?"

Daryl glares at him. "Merle! We ain't even having this conversation."

"We are." Rick interjects, turning to Glenn for his input. Iris found herself  proud of the fact that Rick valued what Glenn could add, because he was sometimes unaware of his own merit. "You know the geography. It's your call."

Glenn nods, looking at Daryl in solidarity. "Merle's closest. The guns would mean doubling back. Merle first."

"It won't hurt to have another man when we go for the guns, too." Iris says.

As it turns out, the city wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. There were walkers everywhere, but there were enough of their group that they could easily pick them off. The thought of Glenn doing this alone, time and time again, made her feel ill, however. So many things could've gone wrong and he had no one to have his back.

He'd never go alone again. Not if Iris had anything to say about it.

They had made it to the abandoned mall, and thanks to Rick and Glenn's quick thinking the day before, it wasn't totally full of walkers. "It's so weird. I think I came here once to buy a TV on Black Friday. It all seems pointless now."

"We ain't got no TV's now." T-Dog replies, as they move towards the roof.

Iris wanders over to a blood splatter on the wall, hovering  her fingers over it. It all still felt like something out of a crazy movie. The thought that that blood once belonged to an actual human and no—

"Iris!"

Glenn's voice breaks her out of her thoughts, and Iris gasps as a walker runs right at her, pinning her against the wall. She yelps, taken aback as the walker's teeth bare, only just missing her skin. Before she could do anything, Rick had pulled the walker back and Daryl's arrow flew through its skull. Iris pants, holding her heart.

"Are you okay?" Glenn asks, holding onto her shoulder.

Iris finally catches her breath, and she nods. "Yeah. Hey, Rick, let me get the next one, yeah?"

"Sure." Rick replies, and Daryl rips the arrow from the walker's skull and walks up the stairs that led to the roof.

T-Dog had the bolt cutters in hand, and the second the doors opened, Daryl ran through. "Merle! Merle!"

Iris follows him through, expecting to see Merle or at least hear him mouth off, but instead, there was nothing.

"No! No!" Daryl yells. Iris and Glenn run after him, but her steps falter when she sees it.

A hand.

Merle had cut off his hand.

AUTHORS NOTE

❥ Welcome back to Doomsday!
❥ Oh, my sweet Iris. She's so innocent right now, my poor love.
❥ This chapter was so fun because so much happened and I'm now officially mid way through season one! I'm so excited for season two and especially season three, I have so much planned.
❥ Make sure to vote and comment if you enjoyed <3