The old school bus lumbered along the deeply rutted path through the woods, those who made it out of the prison clutching onto anything they could as Hershel navigated them as best as he could. The torrential rains the day before had ended just a few hours before, as they were all grabbing what few things they could as they fled. No one knew how the walkers had breached their defenses, but they had and the group had lost the prison.
Rick looked around at those who had survived the unexpected onslaught from the walkers and he cringed. They'd had good numbers just 24 hours ago, and now only a handful of them had made it out on the bus. Only a few people from Woodville had managed to make it out. Rick felt guilty at the fact that he was happy that his group had come out with all of their people still intact. No casualties among them, not even any serious injuries. He got to his feet and steadied himself as he walked down the aisle to look out the backdoor at Daryl deftly avoiding the large potholes and giving him a quick wave.
He wasn't thrilled having the motorcycle, it's loud engine and lack of storage made it pretty useless in Rick's opinion, but Daryl would not hear of losing the bike, and Rick needed Daryl more than he wanted to see the bike gone, so he just kept quiet about it. He knew he had to pick his battles, and that was one that never even needed to begin. A sudden jolt as the bus bounced out of a large pot hole nearly took Rick's feet from under him, sending him tumbling into Carol.
"Watch it." she said as she put her hands up, not only to steady him, but to help keep his weight from coming down onto her.
"Sorry." he mumbled. "You look tired."
"Same goes for you." she smiled. "That was a long night. I just wish we could have made it out with more of us." she looked around.
"Me, too." he sighed as he took a seat next to her. "I hope the others got to the cabin safely."
"You're not the only one." Carol glanced out of the small window and wished to herself that they could somehow go back in time.
"Rick!" Hershel called out as he slowed the bus down.
"What is it?" Rick asked as he saw Daryl suddenly pass the bus and go on ahead.
"It isn't good." Hershel stopped and flung the hydraulic door open, hobbling down the steps.
Rick got to his feet and looked in horror at the sight before him. The remains of the SUV that Glenn had been driving sat to the side of the path, still smoldering. "No, no!" he screamed as he ran.
"What in the hell happened?" Hershel tried to get close to see if he could make out if anyone was still inside, hoping against hope that it was empty.
"Get back." Daryl snapped. "Damn things still got some flames goin'." he nodded to a spot where the hood once was. "Don't know exactly what happened, but your girl got one of 'em." he said as he pulled a bolt that he recognized as one of Beth's from a stocky man who lay in between two trees.
Rick couldn't speak. He just stood there staring at the wreckage, trying to keep from bursting into tears. "We'll get to the cabin." he finally muttered. "They must be there."
"Yeah." Hershel nodded in agreement. "Those kids got away."
Daryl looked back and forth at the two men as he placed Beth's bolt with his own. He knew that each of them had damn good reason to be hoping for the best, but looking around at the bullet holes in the trees, and the smoldering wreckage, he had his doubts as to whether or not they'd find anything good at the cabin. "Let's get goin' then." he said as he headed back to his bike. "We just need to keep an eye out for whoever did this."
Hershel and Rick walked slowly, numbly, back to the bus, neither of them saying a word. Both of them had children in that car and they couldn't stand the thought that any of them had been lost in that fire.
"I'll drive." Carol said as she moved aside for the two men to climb back on.
"They'll be okay." Hershel mumbled as he took a seat next to Rick. "They're all strong and smart...they're okay."
"Yeah." Rick replied, his voice hoarse from unshed tears of fear and panic.
Glenn looked out of the cabin window, pulling the old faded curtain aside just a bit, hoping that he'd see the others coming soon. He had no idea how he was going to break the news to Rick. How does someone tell another person that their child is dead? Would Rick feel better knowing that Carl never suffered any pain? He didn't think it would make him feel that much better. Dead was still dead.
"She needs to eat." Beth whispered as she bounced Judith, hoping to stop the little one from crying.
"We didn't get a chance to get any supplies." Maggie sighed as she stroked the little girl's hair.
"I tried grabbing her bag, when you pulled me out." Beth informed her sister.
"That's what you were..." Maggie groaned. "Damn it!"
"Hopefully they'll be here soon." Glenn left his spot by the window and sat down at the worn, wooden table where Maggie and Beth were huddled.
"What if they don't come?" Beth asked, saying out loud what all of them had been fearing since they set out the day before.
"They will." Maggie insisted.
"Rick will show up and we tell him..." Beth choked back tears and held Judith a little closer.
Glenn got to his feet and headed back to the window, not wanting to wait to see if Beth was going to finish her thought.
"It wasn't your fault." Maggie stepped up behind and wrapped her arms around him. "There was nothing any of us could have done."
"It doesn't feel that way." Glenn took a deep breath, feeling Maggie rest her head on his back. "He trusted me with his kids, your dad trusted me with you and Beth, and look what happened!"
"We didn't know those guys were going to be there." she insisted. "Daryl never knew about them, none of us knew."
"That's not gonna make it any easier to tell Rick." he turned around to face her. "Look what happened when Lori died. That's gonna happen again."
"We don't know that!"
"Sure, losing your wife, that's one thing, but your only son, that's no big deal!" he moved away from her.
"I hear something." Beth said as she adjusted Judith's weight to her other hip and moved closer to the window.
"What?" Maggie asked, straining to hear. "I don't hear anything." she looked to Glenn who shook his head.
"It sounds like Daryl's bike!" she slowly pulled the curtain back. "It's him!" she said, relief evident in her voice as she moved to the door.
"Anyone in there?" Daryl killed the engine of his bike and called out.
"Daryl!" Beth ran out and gave him a hug.
"What the hell happened out there?" he asked as he quickly and rather uncomfortably returned the hug. "Rick and your daddy aren't far behind."
"We were ambushed." Glenn spoke up. "Bullet hit the gas tank."
"Where's the boy?" Daryl looked around and noticed they were short one.
No one said anything, none of them wanting to be the one to utter the words. Daryl understood and there was no need for them to say anything. "Shit." he hissed as he turned to see the bus rumbling its way towards them.
"Bethy! Maggie!" Hershel hurled himself off the bus and ran as fast as his one good leg and crutch could handle. "My girls." he hugged both of the young women close to him, not wanting to let go.
"Daddy, the baby." Beth squirmed a bit, making sure Judith was getting some air.
"Oh, of course." he laughed as he looked back and forth at his girls. "Sorry."
"Glad to see you all are okay." Rick said nervously as he took the baby that Beth held out to him, giving Beth a fond smile. "Where's Carl?" he asked.
They looked each looked at one another as if urging one of the group to say something. Who would want to break that news to a father?
"Where's Carl?" he asked again, dread filling him as he clung to Judith as if she would give him strength to face what he knew was coming. "Carl!" he called out.
"Rick, no..." Glenn stepped up. "Rick, I'm sorry..."
"Where's Carl?" he repeated.
"We were ambushed." Beth whispered.
"He was just injured, right?" he asked as he felt his legs become weak.
"It was quick..." Beth said the only thing she could think of. She knew it'd had been quick. Carl must never have seen it coming. None of them had.
"No." he sank onto the wet, wooden porch, allowing Carol to take hold of Judith. She hated to see him go through what she knew to be the most painful experience a parent could face. "Carl's...he's..."
"I'm so sorry." Glenn broke down. "We got stuck, he, he jumped up front to give the car gas while Maggie and I pushed..."
"We never saw it coming." Maggie added as he started to cry, too. The more they spoke about it, the more it felt as if she was reliving it.
"Where is he?" Rick stared at the three. "Where's my son?"
"Glenn tried to pull his...his body out." Beth bit her lip after the words came out. "But a bullet hit the gas tank..." she started to shake as she relived those moments.
Rick got to his feet and began to wander off. He didn't know where he was going, but he just had to move, to get away from there...from them!
"Rick!" Carol called after him.
"Let him go." Daryl whispered as he moved to stand next to her. "He needs to be alone for a bit, I don't blame him."
"There was nothing we could do." Glenn sobbed. "Nothing..."
"We know, son." Hershel hugged the younger man. "We know."