Ages of the kids: Maggie - 18 , Beth - 14, Joel - 10, Luke and Daniel - 8 , Noah - 6
More people started getting sick and just wondering around town. Allan had been gone for a week and Maggie hadn't heard from him. Maggie's friend Erica's husband wasn't doing good, and quarantine in their house, so she asked if she could stay with the Greene's for a while.
It had been 4 weeks since the man in the restaurant had gotten sick. Erica and her baby had gotten sick - she had her baby, while staying with them, and was quarantined to the barn as per Hershel's orders - along with their son's Luke and Noah. It broke Meredith's heart to see them sick, and wasn't allowed to go out to the barn but Maggie and Hershel took care of them - While Beth, Daniel, Joel and Meredith stated busy on the farm with Otis, whom was living in the spare bedroom.
Maggie and Hershel ended up going to town to get supplies, while Meredith took care of the remaining animals they had and the kids. They came back and unloaded everything. Hershel decided to sit Meredith down and talk to her after the kids went to bed. "Nobody is getting better." He sighed drinking some lemonade with her.
Meredith sighed listening to him. "That's awful." she adjusted herself in the chair. "Hope they find a cure soon… What if we get sick?" She was worried.
He shook his head and held her hand, moving her closer. "It'll be okay, Dove." He smiled gently. "We will just try and keep our immune systems up and just do the best we can." He said kissing her softly.
"That's all we can do." She sighed rubbing her side. She kissed him again.
Things hadn't gotten better, they had gotten worse - people started stealing from each other in town, or they left. The started behaving like wild people instead of decent humans. Hershel and his family stayed on the farm as they continued being there for each other while dealing with random people coming to the house and defending their home if it was needed.
Meredith was inside cooking breakfast while Otis came running up to the house with a child in his arms, bleeding. "Mrs Greene!" He hollered, he knew Hershel was outback.
Meredith ran outside, as fast as she could being 32 weeks along. "What happened?" She said seeing the young boy. "Get him inside!" She saw a RV coming up the drive and a man and woman running. "Beth! Get your pa!" She hollered inside. Beth took off out to the other barn were the animals were and came back running with Hershel.
"He shot my son!" The woman started hollered and crying. The man was consoling her, reassuring her it was an accident.
Hershel came in and saw the boy bleeding hard, and laying limp. "How old is he?" He asked as Otis took him to the back bedroom.
"He's 12." The man said gently. Meredith stopped recognizing the voice. "Are you a doctor?"
"I'm not. I am a veterinarian." Hershel said looking over at Meredith. "Get the kit."
Meredith nodded and walked outside to Hershel's truck, he had grabbed all his supplies from the vet clinic in town as well as the hospital when he could.
"Oh great - our son's fate in the hands of freaking Doctor Dolittle!" The woman sobbed.
A short silver haired woman came over. "Come on Lori lets get you outside." She said gently, moving her. "You can't do him any good getting worked up."
Lori cried and nodded, "Alright… Carol." She walked out with Carol.
Hershel got to work, working on the young boy. "What's his name?" He asked the father, "And yours."
"I'm Rick… That's Carl." He said helping him along with Maggie. "The woman sobbing is my wife Lori."
A while later, Hershel came out with Rick. "He'll be okay. Just going to need to rest." He said talking to the group.
Otis was sitting there beating himself up over what happened, Lori had just gotten done ripping him apart for shooting her son. Hershel talked to Lori and Rick about what they need to do to keep him from getting an infection. They came to the agreement with Hershel about staying in the front yard with their group until Carl was doing better.
Meredith came out with a platter of sandwiches the next afternoon for the group, with Hershel. Rick introduced them to the rest of the group.
"This is my wife Meredith - our girls Maggie and Beth, along with out sons: Joel and Daniel... " He paused looking down slightly. "Our other sons - Luke and Noah are gone."
Rick nodded looking at him. "I'm sorry." He figured they died and were not comfortable saying that yet.
"Are you the same officer's that helped me at my car accident?" Meredith asked sitting down. She was close to her due date.
Rick and Shane smiled slightly. "We are.." Rick cleared his throat. "I thought you looked familiar.." He smiled slightly. "I see you're doing good."
"I am." Meredith smiled.
"Ah. Thank you for helping her." Hershel said gently, "Glad someone was their to help her." He said sitting down as Maggie and the kids came out and sat down.
"How far along are you?" Lori asked drinking her water.
Meredith nodded, and bit her lip. "Close to 32 weeks." She sighed softly.
"How many is that for you?"
"Lori." Rick scolded her slightly.
"I don't mind answer… It's my 9th pregnancy." Meredith said leaning against Hershel.
"Damn, got a whole lot of kids." Merle said laughing drinking his beer. "Got a clown car for a vagina?"
Daryl hit Merle and frowned. "Shut up."
"Merle." Rick turned to look at him.
Merle growled and got up and walked back inside the RV.
"Sorry 'bout him." Daryl shook his head. "Doesn't keep a damn thought to himself."
"It's okay." Meredith said sighing. "If you need anything from the garden - please come inside and ask first, we pretty much have everything picked and canned.." She looked up at them. "Please don't destroy my rose bushes."
Meredith said that softly, and got up and walked to the garden to work on it. Hershel got up and went inside to check on Carl. Maggie got up and went for a walk with some guy named Glenn.
Beth sat their and talked with the group members.
The next few days, the group slowly started coming and going into the house as they pleased. Lori even used the kitchen as she wanted - with permission from them, along with cleaning. One night after Carl was slowly feeling better, and sitting up and eating a bit.
Hershel was outside, while Maggie and Glenn were on a run for supplies from the town. Daryl and a few others were out hunting, while Beth and Meredith stayed busy at home with the boys. Beth was making her Ma sit down a lot and rest a lot because she was a few days overdue. During the middle of the night she started having some contractions but they didn't stick.
The following morning, Maggie told Glenn to wait for her somewhere private, but told him the barn - she didn't specify what barn. Glenn went into the barn with all the 'sick' people in it, and told the rest of the group.
A fight broke out with Rick's group, along with the Greene's about the people in the barn. Meredith and Hershel watched in shock as they started shooting the people that came out of the barn. Joel and Noah slowly walked out, fully transformed. Meredith fell to her knees and cried, watching them walk. Hershel held onto her tightly, and let some silent tears fall.
"They are gone." Lori said kneeling to them, watching the young boys walk out.
"They are sick" Meredith cried holding onto Hershel. "Joel and Noah.." She said watching them slowly walk to them.
Rick looked at them, and closed his eyes. "They are not sick. They are turned." He said gently, and shot Noah and Joel. Meredith moved out of Hershel's arms and went over to their bodies and held them close with Hershel and cried.
Carol was sobbing also seeing her daughter come out of the barn, being held back by Daryl. Rick raised his gun again and put her down.
Maggie and Glenn arrived. Maggie started crying seeing her little brothers - along with Beth's boyfriend. She took off to comfort her parents. Beth came out hearing the shooting locking the boys inside. She let out a scream as she saw Jimmy being put down by Shane. She got held back by Merle. She moved her arm and hit him taking off and holding Jimmy.
They all started sobbing over the deaths.
After a few hours, the tears slowly stopped. Meredith kissed Joel and Noah's heads as she laid them down. She got help standing up, and went over to Beth with Hershel. "Beth. It's time honey." She said kneeling beside her.
Glenn and Merle started moving the bodies and were burying them.
"No!" Beth screamed and cried harder, she moved her arms in a way she accidentally hit her mother in the stomach, hard. Maggie saw her and took off after getting a hug from Glenn. She grabbed Beth and carried her away from Jimmy's body, whom was kicking and screaming at her sister and everyone.
Meredith stood there for a minute, as Hershel was trying to talk to her. She nodded and breathed. "I'm…..okay." she looked up and wiped her eyes making her way over to were the men moved the boy's bodies. They started digging.
Maggie carried Beth to the chair beside the RV. "Beth!" She hissed, and shook her slightly. "Stop." She started crying again herself and held Beth as Beth broke down again.
They buried the bodies and Rick and the group were outside eating around the campfire.
During the early morning, Meredith got up, went to the barn to collect eggs. She came back with about 30 eggs, and sat down cleaning them off in the bucket of water. Lori came over and sat down to help.
"I'm sorry for intruding in your home - you and your husband have been helping us so much. Thank you so much." Lori smiled slightly working on peeling potatoes with her.
"You're welcome. It's alright, Just feels good to have people around." Meredith said gently, she sighed looking down. "I'm sorry about that little girl. We really didn't know about them being…" She paused. "Gone. We truly thought they were sick." She stopped and wiped her eyes.
"I'm sorry about your two kids being in there, along with your friends." Lori said softly. "I couldn't imagine….losing…." She stopped. "I'm sorry for your loss."
Meredith nodded and sighed. "I'll see them again." She said gently, and washed off the potatoes. "Come help?" She said getting up.
Lori nodded and got up going inside with her.
Hershel woke up and hour later and had Rick walk with him outside ot the barn to check on the cows. "Carl is doing much better." He said sitting down and began to hand milk the cow. "Grab that other one and get her milked." Hershel smiled slightly.
"Hershel… I know it's been hard having us here.." Rick said doing what he said and watched him milk for a minute, and then followed his lead. "What if we helped out here? We could build a strong homestead for all of us.."
Hershel kept quiet and concentrated. "Well… Let me talk it over with Meredith." He said grabbing the bucket. He poured it into the other bucket and got started on the other two cows. They carried the buckets inside and showed him how to strain the milk using a double straining method and storing them. He put them in an ice bath to chill. Meredith had rinsed off the eggs she needed for breakfast, the others she kept them on a egg holder, that kept them in a tower formation.
Meredith smiled. "Morning, Bear." She said softly kissing him.
Hershel smiled and kissed her back. He rubbed her back for a minute, and watched them. "Can we talk after breakfast?"
"That depends Mr Greene - Are you breaking up with me?" She teased kissing his neck.
Hershel chuckled. "Heavens no. Wouldn't dare to release you back into the ocean." He kissed her again on the neck
Meredith smiled and giggled. "Good." She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment. "Yes we can talk."
Hershel nodded and smiled, he saw Lori and Rick trying to not laugh nor watch. "Good." He stole a quick kiss and walked upstairs to check on the kids, and to also check on Carl.
Rick followed him, keeping quiet.
Beth was downstairs upset about Jimmy still. Maggie was outside talking with Carol, and Daryl.
Daniel and Joel were in the bedroom with Carl, playing with some toys keeping him company.
Hershel popped his head in. "Boys. Go help Maggie." He ordered and smiled. "You can come back later. Carl needs his rest."
They looked up and nodded, and quickly left. Rick and Hershel walked inside and Hershel looked his wound over and applied a salve to it. "Keep applying it 3 times a day until it's healed completely." Hershel said handing Rick the container.
Rick nodded. "Thank you Hershel." He said gently.
Carl smiled slightly. "Thank you sir." He said sitting up more.
"If you feel up to it, come downstairs for breakfast.." Hershel smiled, and nodded at Rick. "Of course." He said leaving the room.
"Beth, please come help." Meredith said walking into the living room.
Beth nodded sadly and got up walking into the kitchen. "Yes Mama." She said quietly.
Meredith stopped her and hugged her tightly. Beth sniffled and hugged Meredith back hard and burried her face into her mothers neck.
"I'm so sad mama.." Beth sniveled and held tightly.
"I know honey. God decided to call him home early." She said softly, reassuring her, rubbing her back.
Beth wiped her eyes and sighed. "I miss him mama."
"I know the feeling." Meredith said pressing her forehead against Beth's. "I'm sorry you went through this. It will get better, and one day - when you are healed. You will love again."
Beth nodded pressing her forehead against Meredith's. "I hope so mama." She hugged her again before letting go.
Meredith took out a napkin, and wiped Beth's face clean. "I love you Beth."
"I love you too Mama." Beth smiled slightly. She went into the bathroom and washed her face, then came out to help.
They ate fried eggs, potatoes, bread, fresh milk, and some salt pork that they had kept.
"Thank you fer breakfast, Mrs Greene." Daryl said after eating.
"You're welcome." Meredith smiled, finishing her plate.
Daryl grabbed his crossbow, he walked off to the woods. He was hopeful he could hunt a deer.
Everyone thanked them for breakfast. Meredith and Hershel had a talk in the garden.
"Well… It would be nice.." Meredith said softly. "Can we trust them?"
"I believe so." Hershel smiled slightly. "It'll be okay, Dove." He hugged her.
"Alright, Bear. I'll follow your lead." She smiled hugging him back.
Hershel went and talked to the group. If they wanted to stay, they had to all work together and rebuild - reinforce everything. They all had to do chores.
The stopped and looked at each other and slowly but surely came to the agreement with the farmer.
Meredith came out of the shed with a shovel, and 7 new growing rose bushes.
"Whats going on?" Rick asked walking over as the group came also.
"Shes going to plant Rose's." Hershel said, walking over and started digging.
"Why is she doing that?" Carol asked watching.
Maggie sighed softly. "They do it in memory of someone that died - that they loved..." She looked over. "Mama started it after losing every baby she carried, some early, a few were still born.." She sighed softly. "She's lost 5."
Carol watched tearing up. Lori put a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it softly.
Hershel held one small rose bush. "This one is in memory of our son - Luke.. He was a energetic, sweet, good heart - little boy." He said planting it and pushing the dirt around it.
"This one is for, Noah." Meredith said closing her eyes. "He was such a sweet boy - He loved everyone." She said softly. Beth was watching on the other side of the fence. She walked in and took the other rosebush and held it.
Maggie opened the gate, for the others to come in. She walked over and put a hand on her mom's back and spoke softly. "Both were great kids. They are probably raising heck and keeping Patty on her toes.."
Meredith smiled and nodded, Hershel chuckled slightly. "They would be keeping her on edge."
Maggie took a bush and handed it to Otis. "go ahead."
Otis nodded and sighed taking it. "Patty...You were the love of my life. Thank you for 30 amazing years together." He said planting it. "I'll see you soon honey."
Beth held hers tightly, making her fingers bleed. She started crying. "I'll miss you Jimmy.." She planted it and turned to Maggie for a hug. Maggie held her close.
Meredith rubbed Beth's back and closed her eyes. "Thank you for giving us Patty, and Jimmy. Patty you were a wonderful friend. Jimmy, thank you for treating my girl like a young man should. You are considered a son to me."
Hershel rubbed her back. "Thank you for being so good to her, even when I got slightly over protective of Beth. Patty - Thank you for all the things you did on the farm, and for my family."
Maggie closed her eyes taking her's. "Erica - You and Baby Jacob might have not been here long - but you were a great friend growing up. I loved getting to know you in a new light after you had Jacob. I'm sorry you got sick and died." She said planting it.
Meredith held them both close and closed her eyes. "Carol."
Hershel held a hand out to Carol, and she hesitantly took it. She walked over. Meredith picked up a bush and handed it to her.
Carol closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. "My beautiful Sophia. You were my light, and my sweet girl." She said softly, Ed had killed himself the night after they discovered the barn. She let out a sob. "Thank you for making me stronger. I'm sorry I wasn't their when the monsters got you." She said planting it. She started crying more. Meredith grabbed her and hugged her tightly.
Hershel finished planting them, and put the shovel by the fence. "Lord, please watch over our babies: Jasmine, Mark, Luke, Noah, Adrian, Matthew, Heaven..." He paused. "Also our friend Patty, and Erica, along with Jimmy and little Sophia. Please keep them company." He said with his eyes closed. "Please give us comfort - and help us through this time Lord. Amen."
"Amen." Everyone said quietly.
Carol sobbed holding onto Meredith. Meredith rubbed her back. Maggie and Beth held each other, Hershel turned and gave them a hug. Daniel and Joel walked over keeping quiet, hugging them softly. Carl was out of bed for this, and holding on tightly to Lori.
