The sun was blaring down on them, as they sat on the wall, watching. Daryl had come out of the woods, and told them all that the mysterious people were getting closer. Rick worried. For Carl, for Andrea, for Daryl. For the group. For himself. He didn't know what would happen. He didn't want to know. Rick just wanted these people to never even find them. Of course, they did.

And of course, they were armed. They walked to the edge of the woods, looking very malicious. Rick knew this wasn't going to go over well. He wasn't about to let these people stay here, or even have any supplies. It seemed harsh, but he was only doing what he had to for his group to survive.

There were about eight men, that Rick could see. All but two were clean shaven, but they looked well built and healthy. Which meant the possibility of more people. Rick really wished that he could just snap his fingers and make them disappear. Wishful thinking once again.

"Name's Solomen. Saw this, uh, nice place of yours. Was wonderin' if you would let us stay a while?" One of the two with a bearded face asked. His voice had a creep sound to it.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. There isn't enough room or supplies here for anyone else. I'm sorry." Rick said calmly.

"But I-" The man's angry protest was cut short.

"In other words, you needa get on outta here." Daryl said, holding his gun by his side.

"Okay, okay. As you wish." The man started to turn his back. He turned around quickly, gun in hand. He raised his gun, but before getting the chance to shoot, a shot rang out from the prison, and the man went down, dead before he hit the ground. Damn, Carl's got some aim on him, Rick thought as he pulled his gun.

Unfortunately, more men appeared. Rick concentrated only on shooting who he could see, and yelling commands for everyone to stay covered. Daryl, ignoring this, ran out into the open, firing his gun. Andrea let out a huff of air before jumping up and running out to cover him. Rick followed, praying that they didn't get shot. They were down to three men, hiding in the brush of the woods. They continued to shoot.

Rick shot one of the men, just as he jumped out of the woods. When the bullet hit the man, he had already pulled the trigger. Andrea felt a sharp sting in her arm. Blood ran down, dripping onto the grass. She knew it was just a graze, but it hurt like hell. Rick saw the blood, and his posture drooped. His gun dropped slightly. Slightly enough to show he was vulnerable for those few moments. Andrea saw it happening, before she could shoot. The shot had already rang out, and with a yelp, Rick hit the ground.

Andrea pulled the trigger and the guy went down. Daryl finished off the last one, and ran to Rick. Andrea was already at his side. Blood was oozing from a hole on the upper left part of his chest. He was gritting his teeth, to keep from screaming. Andrea knew if they didn't stop the bleeding fast, he would die. She ripped off a piece of her shirt and held it to his wound. The blood seeped through.

"Help me carry him, Daryl." Andrea was was trying not to panic. Daryl was already picking up his legs as gently as possible, before Andrea had finished the sentence.

"God dammit!" Rick yelled in pain. "I'm going... I'm goint to pass out."

"No you're not, Rick. Look at me." Andrea had her arms under his, trying not to squeeze him, as she and Daryl carried him.

Rick looked up at her. He winced with every step they took. The pain was unreal, and he felt light headed. He tried to focus on Andrea, he kept looking up at her. All he could see were scared, but beautiful blue eyes. He wanted to hold her, he wanted this to be another nightmare. But the pain, God, the pain. Rick's eyes rolled in the back of his head, and he was gone.

"Glenn!" Andrea was screaming now. "Get Hershel! Hurry!" Glenn saw Rick, and dashed off to find Hershel. Luckily, Hershel had seen Rick go down from across the prison lawn, so he was already running toward them.

"Get him inside, quickly." Hershel said, as they shuffled inside the prison. Daryl and Andrea layed him on a bed, then looked to Hershel for instruction.

Hershel rolled Rick on his side, seeing a hole in his upper left shoulder. The hole wasn't very big, but blood seeped from it. Hershel knew he had to stop the bleeding, and disinfect the wound. Rick would die if it got infected. Hershel went into doctor mode.

"Glenn needs to get the gauze and medical tape from the medical supplies. I need disinfectant too. Hurry." Hershel insructed to Daryl.

"Andrea, come over here. Take these two rags, and push on the wounds. Make sure you keep pressure on both sides of his body." He instructed, showing her what to do. Andrea pushed the rags hard, just as Hershel had told her to. As soon as she applied the pressure, Rick's eyes flew open.

He was on his side, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Andrea over him. He felt like someone was crushing him, his shoulder felt like it was going to just fall off from his body. He wanted to scream. Movement in the doorway caught his attention. Daryl and Glenn rushed inside the room with a medical bag.

Hershel grimaced as he disinfected the wound. Rick howled in pain, and less than a minute later, he was out again. Hershel kept working on him. Finally, he got the gauze and medical tape out of the bag. He wrapped Rick up good to stop the bleeding.

"Will he be okay?" Andrea asked fearfully.

"I can't say yet. If the wound stays clean, he might be okay. We just need to watch him for fever." Hershel said.

"Rick," Andrea spoke to him, as he lay there motionless. "Please, please fight this." She whispered.

Rick could hear Andrea whispering his name, he could see her face. Smiling at him. Then she was torn away. It was dark and black. Then he was in his police car, with Shane, eating. They were talking about Lori and Carl. They got a call.

The car had flipped, and the men were shooting at them. Rick saw the two men go down. Then a shot, and a sharp pain. Shane was telling him to stay with him. Then it was all black, once again. Spiraling through time, Rick knew what was coming next.

He awoke in the hospital. He couldn't breathe, his throat burned. He tried to call for help. No one came. Water. He needed water. He sat up, pain hitting him hard. He gagged. He finally got the strength to walk, and ventured out into the hall.

The hall was empty, lights flickered. Blood was splattered across the walls. Rick walked to the end of a hall and looked through the glass part of the door. There, in the center of another hallway, lay a dead, mangled, torn apart body. Something was wrong and he needed to go.

He crept along, afraid that someone would pop out at any moment. Then he saw it. The door was closed, locked by heavy chains. In red, he could see clearly, 'Don't Open, Dead Inside' written on the door. Dead looking hands suddenly appeared, trying to reach out through the chains. Rick knew it was time to go.

He had made his way to his house, finding it empty. No Carl, no Lori. A few things packed, which maybe, was a good sign. He was sitting on the stairs outside, when he saw someone, stumbling toward him. Then he felt pain in his head, and it all went black.

Then there was Morgan, asking him if he had been bitten. They taught him how to kill the walkers. Morgan and his young son, who sat crying when his dead mother walked onto their porch, looking at the door, but not understanding anything but the need to feed. Then he was ready to find his family, saying his sad goodbye to the people that had saved him.

There was the little girl, eyes vacant and glazed over. He shot her as she tried to run, quite clumsly, at him. He continued on his way into the city. He was on the horse now, braving his way to a place, that probably didn't exist anymore.

Then the horse was being eaten, and he was in the tank, when he heard Glenn's voice call out through that radio. He was soon inside the building, Andrea pushed onto him, with her gun in his face. She finally stood down, panic still in her eyes. Rick told her she might want to turn the safety off next time. She grimaced. Inside, he smiled.

They had escaped, and he was reunited with his family. The walkers attacked, Amy was bitten, and Andrea stuck her gun in his face again, when he came near. Andrea shot her that morning. They had to leave the camp,

A herd of walkers, and no where to go. Everyone hiding under cars. Sophia running away from the walker that was chasing after her. Rick had her, right there in his arms, but he had to let her go to save her.

Searching, searching, searching, Carl getting shot. Running, blood all over him, with his son in his arms. Hershel, and his family welcoming them to stay for a while. Carl getting better, Shane opening the barn, full of walkers. Then, little Sophia comes stumbling out. Shane can't do it, he lets his gun droop and turns away. Rick has to shoot her.

Lori complaining that something needs to be done about Shane. Dale dying. Randall escaping, Shane taking him into that open field. Shane drew his gun, and Rick knew what he had to do. Shane crumbled in a heap, as blood came from his chest. A small part of Rick died.

Carl, gun in hand, walking up. Gun pointed at Rick, then the shot rang out, and walker Shane falls to the ground. Rick, in defeat, takes Carl and they start to walk back to the farm. Then Rick hears a noise, like turns to see walkers coming out of the woods. He and Carl quickly, but quietly, dash back toward the farm.

Fighting off the walkers was not only unreal, but impossible. They had to flee the farm. Rick was in a state of panic and shock when he, Carl, and Hershel reached the empty road. They had briefly talked, Hershel giving up hope, Rick trying to restore it, when the sound of engines could be heard. And there they were, the group, driving up in different cars.

Rick was saddened when he saw Andrea missing. Then they were in the woods, and he snapped. Lori was mad at him for killing Shane. But that's what had to be done. Suddenly, they were at the prison, and he saw Andrea, who's eyes were dark and full of hate. She had later told the group of what happened, and it was a knife in his heart to know he hadn't seen her when he drove away from the farm.

Then Lori, pregnant. All the arguing between them. Her storming off, then coming back, only to die while giving birth. Rick had seen the baby, and knew it wasn't his. He just knew it in his heart. He had tried not to dwell on it, just tried to be the best father he could be to Carl.

Andrea, trudging across the field. Andrea admitting that she was lonely, and sometimes afraid. Andrea pulling him into the shower. Kissing him. Making love to him. Playing a quiet game of tag chase with Carl. Rick and Carl, laying on the boy's bed, reading and laughing. Rick, standing beside Andrea, seeing blood trickle down her arm. His heart pounding. He loved her.

Rick's eyes flew open. He was in pain, bad pain. His shoulder and chest ached, his throat burned. He looked around. Andrea jumped out of the chair she was sitting in, and was at his side. She grabbed his hand, and looked at him.

"Hershel!" She called. "He's awake!"

"What... What happened?" Rick said, but he already knew. He saw the bandage wrapped around Andrea's arm.

"You got shot. Again." Andrea smirked. She wanted to hit him. "Rick how could you have been so stupid? You know better than anyone, you can't let your guard down in a gun fight."

"Your arm? Is it okay?" Rick asked, ignoring her lecture.

"My God, Rick. Yes I'm okay, it was just a graze. You, however, could have died. And don't even think about moving so much as an inch from this bed." She fussed.

"How... How long? Was... I out?" Rick asked, looking into her eyes.

"It's been three days." She sighed in relief that he was awake.

Hershel walked in, and gave Rick a grin. He handed Rick a small cup of water, and watched him gulp it down. Hershel knew that he Rick would make it, as long as his wound was kept clean and disinfected. He helped Rick sit up, and began taking his bandages off.

"Rick, you can't be trying to get up and wander around. You have to stay in this bed and rest. Daryl is keeping things tight and in order. We need you, but we need you healed first. Lucky for you, the bullet did not hit anything vital. You should be okay." Hershel explained.

"I understand. Can I see my son?" Rick asked with pleading eyes.

"Of course." Hershel nodded to Andrea, who immediately left the room to go get Carl.