A/N: Shout out to Howl Of A Werewolf for helping with this and dialogue for future chapters.
Two months ago…
"Hey… why the look on your face?" Shane responded after walking into one of the tents at the Atlanta camp, 15 year old Harper taking a few seconds to compose herself.
"I have a feeling that you lied… when you said that my dad is dead, I can't get that damn feeling to let go." Harper explained, the redhead staring right at Shane as she spoke and Shane realising whatever was left of her innocence was long gone.
"Harper, it's not easy to accept the loss of a family member-" Shane responded, Harper turning furious.
"Stop with that, you condescending bastard! You want to know about loss?! My biological mother died when I was 12, my stepfather who raised me like his own took his own life! Before you start up again, I was damn happy to be rid of him because he didn't see me as his kid after the accident and completely lost it, slapping me around whenever he felt like I fucked up! And then Dad and Mom took me in, treated me like I had been their child from the start! You don't get to rip my family apart by telling me that my father is dead and sleeping with my mom!" Harper yelled, Shane realising that she had seen him and Lori in the woods.
"I wish they had let you go into the damn foster care system!" Shane responded before he could control himself, Harper's right hand cracking hard across Shane's face and him stumbling back.
"Well too damn bad, Officer Walsh. You didn't get what you wanted." Harper replied coldly before Shane left, thinking that she'd calm down.
But after a while, the unsettling feeling crept in and he went to the tent… the blankets on the cot were tucked in around the edges but not tightly and Shane walked over.
"Harper… look, I really shouldn't have said what I said to you earlier. All you ever wanted after everything fell apart for you was to feel safe again…" Shane responded.
But he trailed off when he realised that something wasn't right… Harper wasn't snoring and anyone who was stood close enough to her when she slept could hear the faint noises.
"Harper, pretending to be asleep won't…" Shane replied as he pulled the blankets back… only to see that on the cot was a pillow and clothes vaguely resembling a human form as Lori ran in.
"Where is she?! Shane, where's my little girl?!" Lori responded, absolutely panicked.
Shane had no idea how to tell her about what had happened earlier but he knew he had to…
Present time, Rick's Perspective…
I could hear Shane yelling at the man he's dragging along with us as we ran across the fields, my little girl in my arms and bleeding from a bullet wound in her right side.
"How far?! How far?!" I yell at the man.
"That way! Talk to Hershel, he'll help your daughter!" The man responded as I kept running… you hang on, Harper, everything's gonna be okay!
I reach the farm, hearing a girl yell "Dad!" before an older man, a woman, a boy and two girls run outside.
"Was she bit?" The man asked.
"Shot… by your friend…" I managed to respond.
"Otis?!" The older woman asked as the man walked over.
"He said to find Hershel! Is that you?! Help, please, help my little girl!" I responded before we were guided inside the house and upstairs to a room.
"Patricia, I need my full kit. Maggie, painkillers, coagulants, grab everything!" Hershel responded before I put Harper on the bed and grab the pillowcase, folding it and pressing it against her wound as Hershel grabs his stethoscope and presses the metal end to her. "Got a heartbeat, she's hanging on. Your name?"
"Rick." I replied, grabbing onto Harper's left hand and brushing her hair back. "You're gonna be okay, baby girl. You're gonna be okay." I whispered, hoping she can hear me.
"Otis, how did this happen?" Hershel asked after looking at him.
"I was tracking a buck… I didn't see her, I swear I didn't see her until she was on the ground." Otis explained as Patricia hugged him.
"Deer slowed the bullet down, which saved her life… bullet went through clean but she's lost a lot of blood. What's her blood type?" Hershel responded after cleaning out the wound and looking back at me.
"O Negative." I answered.
"Patricia, we need you." Hershel replied after stopping the bleeding and stitching Harper up, Patricia walking over and sitting down before Hershel grabbed the needles and tube and started the transfusion.
All the times I've handled shootings… it's different when it's family, especially my own child.
Harper's Perspective…
It's slow to but I open my eyes and look around for her… but there's no sign of Sophia.
And where the hell are we? I turn my head to my left, seeing Dad, Shane and several other people.
"Hey… it's okay, kiddo, just stay as still as you can." Dad responded quietly, kissing me on my forehead.
The last thing I remember is seeing the deer… beautiful creatures, they are, they'd sometimes walk out of the woods in King County and go through the trash cans if they were hungry enough.
For a few seconds… it was like I was back home again.
"Easy now." Dad responded, carefully helping me lie back down as I try to get up to look for Sophia.
"We'll find Sophia, Harper." Shane replied, guilt in his eyes… and an older man looking at me.
"Is Sophia your little sister?" The man asked.
"No… but she's one of our group, we were all headed to Fort Benning when we had to hide under the cars on the highway. Sophia panicked and took off, her mother freaked out…" I explained, Dad lightly kissing me on my forehead.
When I'm left to rest for a bit, I grab the walkie talkie Dad left behind and switch it on.
"Morgan… I don't know if you can hear this but… be careful. The highway got overrun on our way to Fort Benning, one of our own ran off. If you reach the area, please keep an eye out… her name is Sophia, she has shoulder length blonde hair and blue eyes. If she's alive when you find her, keep her and Duane close to you and meet up with the others… we're off the main roads, look for a farm." I explained before brushing my tears away.
I set the walkie talkie down and look outside.
In the distance… I swear I can see her.