Chapter Five
NOTES:
This happens to be the shortest chapter so far, I wanted it to be the whole of the CDC but some of it got away from me and I wasn't going to get it all in for the length I wanted, so it's being split into two.
If you are a massive fan of Lori I'm about to disappoint, she is going to be a horrible person in my story, sorry.
DISCLAIMER:
I do not own The Walking Dead or Harry Potter and anything you recognize is made by their creators, I do not get any money from this fix it is purely for entertainment only.
Chapter Five
The convoy didn’t last long, the RV broke down a few hours later making everyone stop.
A part of the RV engine needed to be replaced again as the one they had taken from the old sports truck they got in Atlanta was just as old as the original.
Shane and T-dog went ahead to scout out a possible station up the way, while everyone just ambled around and waited.
Jacqui informed them in a panic that Jim was getting worse, so Rick had gone in to talk to the dying man.
Harry stayed close to Merle who wasn’t in a hurry to go walking around, he had stayed in the truck to rest.
He was sweating and feverish, it had surprised Merle that none of them had accused him of being bitten. He was doing better than he thought he would that was for damn sure.
When Shane and T-dog had returned with what parts they needed, the rest of the group had stood around and talked.
Jim wanted to be with his family, it was his choice, he was only going to continue to get worse and he wasn’t going to make it to the CDC.
Rick and Shane had assisted in carrying the dying man to a nearby tree, the group made their way up to say their goodbyes, except for Merle and Harry.
“They're just leaving him here?” Harry asked Merle as he watched from the car.
“Hell, they should have just left him at the camp or dealt with him there and then” Merle replied, he couldn’t believe these people and their damn soft hearts.
Everyone was very sombre as they returned to the cars, Daryl finally returned and got into the driver’s seat.
“Everyone done wasting time?” Merle asked, he was clearly in an impatient mood. The detox making him grouchy.
“It’s called being respectful ass hole, sides, someone had to watch their lily asses while they blabbered on” Daryl mumbled back, Merle just huffed in response.
The convoy was underway again, still heading for the CDC.
Merle was quite irritated at everything and was being intolerable to the point Daryl even snapped a comment about flagging down the other cars so Harry could ride with one of them, instead of being subjected to Merle’s piss poor attitude and bitchin.
After that comment, Merle tried to keep his mouth shut for the rest of the journey.
They had arrived at the CDC location without any more interruptions, just as evening was setting in.
The place was a massacre sight. Bodies of soldiers and people in lab coats were lying on the ground, military vehicles and ambulances were parked nearby.
The smell was horrendous, causing them to cough as the rotting smell made it hard to breathe.
They walked with caution to the building, but the group soon began to descend into chaos. The shutters were down and there was no sign of life.
Walker began to advance on the group as they were making a lot of noise.
Daryl shot one with his ever-present crossbow as everyone descended into panic.
The children all began to cry in fear and Harry tugged on Merle’s shirt and pleaded with the man to pick him up.
Knowing he could shoot his gun one-handed if he needed to, Merle complied.
Rick was in hysterics banging on the shutters and screaming at a camera to let them in.
They were desperate and to be left out was a death sentence. Just when they were giving up all hope the door opened, and the group was swarmed by a bright blinding light.
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Dr Jenner had let them into the CDC but had gotten them all to agree to give a blood sample.
Harry was frightened of the needle, he had never been to the doctor before but had heard from his cousin Dudley that it was a very painful experience.
With the way Dudley used to scream and plead with his parents about not going Harry always believed his cousin's words.
When it was his turn to have his blood drawn, Harry was in a state.
Merle kept him close to help calm him, while the gruff man rubbed his back and offered soothing words of support.
Rick had taken notice, he bent down so he was at eye level with the young boy.
“Harry, it’s going to be alright, everyone is here with you ok, we wouldn’t do this if it was something that would cause you harm, it will only take a moment, we are going to need you to be a brave boy for us,” Rick said trying to smooth the panicking child.
With more words of encouragement, Harry finally eased his panic and allowed the Doctor to take his blood.
“A fear of pointy objects coming at your person isn’t an irrational fear at all, it has come from the experience our ancestors lived through and is an ingrained instinct, honed over generations.”
Dr Jenner stated calmly to Harry as a way to distract him while he worked.
It only took a moment, as when Dr Jenner finished his short speech, he was finished and moving on to the next person.
“You Mr are feverish and sweating, are you hiding a bite somewhere on your person or are you just sick?” Dr Jenner asked Merle when he was drawing Merle’s blood.
The group collectively tensed at the doctors’ words and began to eye Merle with suspicion.
“Just detoxing,” Merle informed the Dr, he was loud enough for the others to hear but he really didn’t care what their opinion was.
“Well, I’m sure we have something around here to help ease that for you.” Dr Jenner assured.
He guided them to another area of the facility, after all the blood was drawn, Andrea became dizzy after her turn, causing concern.
The group hadn’t eaten anything since the fish cookout before the attack, everyone was pretty weak and in dire need of food and water.
So, a somewhat joyful and grateful group sat down to dinner. Andrea and Jacqui were some of the only two who were quite sombre after the loss of Amy and Jim.
Carol got Jacqui roped in to help cook to try to get her mind off the last few day's events, Andrea was mostly just keeping to herself.
It was a wonderful feast for them all to indulge in. They hadn’t seen this much food in months.
Alcohol was poured and shared around, Daryl wanting to see what Glenn was like drunk.
The older two kids got to have a little sip but didn’t like the taste, Harry giggled along with the funny faces they pulled.
At the doctor's urging Merle didn’t partake like he was itching to. The good doctor had given him a few bottles of medicine to tie him over while he went through the withdrawals.
Usually, Merle wouldn’t listen to some snooty rich prick telling him what to do, but the man rubbed him the wrong way, he decided to watch the man as his gut was telling him there was still plenty of danger.
Rick clinked his wine glass with his fork to get everyone’s attention,
“It seems to me we haven’t thanked our host properly,” Rick announced earring a round of joyful cheers.
“He is more than just our host,” T-dog chortled.
“Hear hear!” Dale interjected cheering.
“Here’s to you, Doc,” Daryl said while raising his very full wine glass at the same time Merle, Dale, and T-dog echoed together “Booyah!”
“Thank you. Thank you, Doctor.” Rick expresses.
Everyone clinked their glasses, even the children joined in with their glasses of juice.
Everyone was in a good mood, so of course it had to be interrupted.
“So, when are you going tell us what the Hell happened here, Doc? All the—the other doctors that were supposed to be figuring out what happened, where are they?” Shane asked to the group’s annoyance.
“We’re celebrating, Shane. Don’t need to do this now” Rick interjected.
“Whoa, wait a second. This is why we’re here, right? This was your move—supposed to find all the answers. Instead, we—we found him. Found one man, why?” Shane challenged. The group was silent for a moment before turning to the doctor questioningly.
“Well, when things got bad, a lot of people just left, went off to be with their families. And when things got worse, when the military cordon got overrun, the rest bolted.” Dr Jenner explained quite emotionless.
“Every last one?” Shane questioned in surprise.
“No, many couldn’t face walking out the door. They… opted out. There was a rash of suicides. That was a bad time.” Dr Jenner was trying to sound as normal as possible but to Merle, he just came across as tired and done, a dangerous combination in a world like theirs.
“You didn’t leave. Why?” Andrea asked. She was looking at the man with pity in her eyes, none of them could imagine what he had been through.
Dr Jenner paused before he answered almost like he didn’t quite know the answer himself.
“I just kept working, hoping to do some good.” He eventually answered.
“Dude, you are such a buzz kill, man” Glenn huffed, clearly annoyed with the ex-deputy for not waiting for a better opportunity.
It wasn’t long after that Jenner showed them the rest of the living area.
A long corridor with a few doors leading off into small rooms that had a couch and an attached bathroom in each.
“Most of the facility is powered down including housing so you’ll have to make do here. The couches are comfortable, but there are more cots in storage if you like.” The Dr explained as he showed them around.
“There’s a rec room down the hall that you kids might enjoy. Just don’t plug in the video games, okay? Or anything that draws power. The same applies—if you shower, go easy on the hot water.” Everyone froze at the man’s last words.
“Hot water?” Glenn asked in astonishment.
“That’s what the man said” T-did attested.
Both men laughed as they made their way to a room down the hall.
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Daryl was wasted just enough that it didn’t take Merle putting him in a headlock to drag him for a quick scrub.
Both of them had been used to being dirty and didn’t care for anyone’s opinion, Daryl would skip out just to make others uncomfortable with his presence more than they already were.
Once the older hunter was out of the shower he quickly dried and put on another set of clothes he had.
Merle went out to go explore the rec room or head back to the kitchen to bag some snacks when the man spotted the little tyke sitting in the hall.
“What you doing out here then?” Merle asked as he dropped down to sit with the boy.
He watched him critically after he noticed the nearest of flinched, he inflicted when he moved round the child.
“Going to get some sleep,” Harry told the man.
“What room you in then?” the redneck asked, he hoped that the good Sherif didn’t forget the boy again.
“With Sophia and Carol, but they're all busy getting showered and dressed” Harry replied.
“And you couldn’t wait in the room why?” Merle asked,
“Mrs Grimes said I had to stay out here as it wasn’t proper” the boy confessed with his head down.
This left Merle perplexed.
“Did she explain why she thought that?”
“I’m a boy and they are girls, and we aren’t family” the boy responded.
“Damn, that bitch” Merle mumbled to himself.
“Well, that’s damn stupid of her it is, why don’t you come in and shower in my brother and my room while you wait for them to be done.” Merle coaxed the boy gently.
Harry nodded and followed Merle back to the room the older man had claimed for him and his brother.
Daryl had just finished getting dressed by the time Merle returned.
He took the backpack Harry always carried and ushered the boy into the bathroom telling him to get cleaned.
When Merle could hear the shower going once more, he went to head out again.
“Watch him for me, will you” he asked his brother.
“Why? He ain’t ours, can’t you just leave him to the woman” Daryl asked, he had been wondering at Merle’s actions when it came to the young boy from the start, but it seemed the alcohol in his system made him finally ask.
“None they women have stepped up to try have they, they a bunch of self-centered housewives or them city chicks who don't care for no one really” Merle snapped back before he exited the room.
Daryl just laid down on the couch fully intending to get some shut-eye after such a long tiering day when he heard the shower cut off abruptly.
“Merle, there isn’t a towel” Harry’s gentle call had Daryl up with a huff. He didn’t hate kids, in fact, he thought of himself better at handling them than his brother ever could, but he was tired from the long day and just wanted to sleep some.
He quickly retrieved a towel from the top of a dresser and made his way to chuck it to the kid. Only once he entered the bathroom he froze.
The kid was standing there holding his dirty clothes in his hand and had his back turned to the door, his scared back, with copious amounts of whip marks and lashes, some that could have only happened days before the epidemic, his spine was visible as it jutted out along his back, and his too small shoulder blades were sticking out prominently. The kid had been beaten and starved for a long time, it had Daryl seeing red.
With a loud growl, Daryl threw the towel on the ground and stomped away slamming the door behind him as he went to hunt for his brother.
Completely missing the fear, he caused in the young boy.
When he found Merle, the man was with the officer talking in hushed whispers.
“I’ll talk to her ok, I’m sure she didn’t mean anything malicious bout it, we're all just under stress,” Rick said to Merle.
“I’m telling you now, it don’t fly ok, he just a lil boy, don’t need no one making accusations like that, even as subtlety as she did” Merle responded just as he spotted Daryl making his way over, looking like a wild animal locked in a cage being poked at with sharp sticks.
“Did you know?” Daryl asked the officer angrily,
“Did I know what?” Rick asked, he was confused as to why the brothers were all worked up.
“That boy's family beat him something rotten, that he skin and bone, not a lick of fat on him,” Daryl responded in agitation.
“Are you talking about Harry?” Rick asked. It seemed the alcohol was making the officer slow tonight.
“Is lil bit hurt?” Merle asked getting what his brother was saying.
“Old wounds like ours, nothing fresh” the man responded, he didn’t see the surprised look his brother threw him as turned to Rick.
“He family dead?” Daryl asked.
“Yes, they are, shot up by the military back at the hospital we were in” Rick answered now understanding what the man meant.
“Good, bastards like that don’t deserve to live” Daryl responded still agitated like a caged animal.
“Where is Harry now?” Rick asked gently.
“Our room, he was showering, and asked for a towel so I took I’m one. He was just there, back to me. All torn up with old wounds, scars, worse than any of ours” Daryl murmured.
Again, Merle was looking at his brother in astonishment.
‘Not you too brother, you were the good one’ Merle thought to himself as he took in his brother’s words.
“We better go check on him, make sure he is alright,” Rick responded as he began to make his way to the hall of rooms.
When they got to the Dixon’s chosen room they couldn’t find Harry, the boy’s dirty clothes were still on the bathroom floor along with the towel Daryl had thrown down earlier, but the boy in question was not in sight.
“Harry?” Rick called as the three men began to search around for the missing boy.
“I’ll go check with that mousy woman,” Merle suggested before he took off, knowing Harry was meant to room with them.
“Did you say anything to him before you came and found us” Rick questioned Daryl, the younger man was still agitated, and wouldn’t meet his eye.
“I might have scared him with my reaction” Daryl admitted sullenly.
“Right, we should check in all the places a kid his size could hide, he might just want to stay clear of anyone who might cause him harm” Rick responded as he began to check the closet space in the room.
“I wouldn’t hurt no kid” Daryl argued back.
“I’m not accusing you of anything Daryl, but Harry doesn’t know any of us well. If the abuse had been going on for a long time, he would have the instincts to stay clear of aggressive people honed to a fine art. We just have to reassure him he we are not like that till he learns” Rick assured, it was a while before Merle came back being followed by Carol who came to help.
“Alright we will split up and check each room, Carol and I will take this side, and Merle and Daryl take the other side we will work our way down and just hope he hasn’t taken off into the building further.” Rick got everyone organized he would have to get others involved including Dr Jenner to help if they couldn’t find him in one of the rooms closer by.
“Remember to check all the places a little five-year-old boy could be hiding” Rick mentioned.
“Seven” Carol called drawing the attention of the three men.
They all stood staring just waiting for the woman to explain. “ Harry is seven, not five” she informed them.
“Nah lil bit way too tiny,” Merle said, the three of them looking at Carol in disbelief.
“The second day with us, he asked to play with Sophia, and she responded that she doesn’t play with babies, he told her he was seven, not a baby.” The woman explained.
“That kid is fuckin tiny, ain’t no way he could be older than five,” Daryl interjected.
“All I’m saying is what he told Sophia and me, I don’t think the child was confused about his age, he is very smart and well-mannered, he seemed to have the maturity of an adult most of the time but I’d say he knows his age alright” Carol refuted, the three men just nodded their heads along in agreement.
They continued to search the rooms, getting curious looks from the other members of the group while they checked all the spaces a little boy could hide.
Close to an hour later, Merle was checking out a corridor that looked like it had storage of different supplies, from cots to bathroom products, office supplies, and medical equipment and supplies. Thinking it would be a great idea to take some and stash away in his bag for later he continued his search along with his brother, planning to come back to this hall another time.
When he opened a door to a closet, he found the young boy curled up, leaning against the wall.
He was using his bag, which was bulging more than before, as a makeshift blanket to stave off the cool night air and was fast asleep.
After telling Daryl to go inform the others he found the boy, Merle leaned down and gently woke the sleeping child.
“Hay now lil bit, this is no place for sleeping.” He said gently as to coax the boy awake.
The child was awake instantly like it had been a necessity his whole life to be aware and ready at the drop of a hat.
It made Merle cringe internally, wondering why he hadn’t noticed anything wrong before.
“Cause you had your head so far up your arse you weren’t thinking of no one but you and your bro,” Merle thought.
“Merle?” Harry asked sleepily.
“Yeah kid, come on everyone is worried about you, you can’t just take off like that,” the large man said as he helped Harry to his feet.
“Even Daryl?” Harry murmured.
“Even Daryl, kid he wasn’t angry at you, he was angry for you, we don’t like to see kids hurt, no kid should have to go through what I and my brother went through,” Merle said hoping that sharing this information of a common childhood would help the boy understand.
“Someone hurt you too?” Harry asked.
“Yeah, our da, he was a mean sonofabitch” Merle told him.
“Like my uncle Vernon?” Harry mumbled.
“If that’s the bastard that did that to your back, then yeah like him kid.”
“Are you a freak too?” Harry asked after a moment of silence.
“What kind of question that lil bit?” Merle asked in surprise.
“Uncle Vernon said I had to be punished because I’m a freak like my parents, he wanted to stomp the freakishness out of me” the child explained, Merle was pretty confused for a moment until he remembered back to the night of the attack and Harry kneeling under the truck, with no walkers able to get to him, as if there was a force blocking them.
If the kid had some type of voodoo powers, then who was Merle to judge? It would explain the cuffs, and if he used it to help even unknowingly then it couldn’t be bad.
“Kid, there is nothing wrong with you, you got that? No excuse out there for what that bastard done to you, that uncle of yours is dead and gone and he can’t hurt you no more.” Merle had never consoled a child that was not his kin before, and even in the past he was never this gentle, it was a pretty foreign concept for the man, but he felt like he was doing an okay job.
“Now let’s get back to the rooms and get some much-needed sleep, yeah? You can bunk in with me and Daryl tonight” Merle declared as he picked Harry and his bag up to carry him off to the rooms.
They would all be having another talk tomorrow, and he would get Daryl to apologize, whether the man wanted to or not, Dixon men don't tend to apologize, but Hell if he was he letting his brother off. on top of that he was going to have to have a heart-to-heart with dear Darlena about their dead da too.
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NOTES:
Well I did want more in this chapter but this is where I chose to leave it, it explains a few things that have come up in comments hopefully as well.
Let me know what you think.
as always
Stay Tuned XX