S2E5P3

"Walker. Walker!" Andrea yelled, drawing Ricks' attention. He ran out to the camp.

"Just the one?" He called to Andrea.

"I bet I can nail it from here." She said.

"No." Rick said. "No, Andrea. Put the gun down."

Shane and T-Dog moved out from the shade of the tree and headed towards the field.

"You'd best let us handle this." He said.

"Shane, hold up. Hershel wants to deal with walkers." Rick said, trying to stop him.

"What for, man?" Shane frowned, shrugging. "We got it covered."

Rick cursed and raced into the RV grabbing his gun before heading after the others. He, Shane, Glenn and T-Dog raced through the grass towards the walker. It was an odd one, limping and hunched over to one side. It looked huge from a distance, but as they got closer, it became apparent that it was carrying something over its shoulders.

"What the hell?" T-Dog said as they slowed near the walker.

Only it wasn't a walker, it was Daryl, limping, wounded, and carrying a body over his shoulders.

Rick immediately knew it was Ava. Her clothes were dirtied and torn, but he knew them. His knees almost gave way.

"Is she dead?" Glenn said, staring in horror.

"She wasn't when I put her on my back." Daryl slurred, struggling under the weight. He listed to one side just before a gunshot blew past them and sent Daryl flying backwards, Ava sprawling out behind him.

"No!" Rick yelled, racing forwards. Daryl groaned and shifted, grabbing Shane as he knelt beside him. Rick grabbed Ava and turned her to face him. She was so pale, just like Carl had been, and for a moment he thought she was dead. His stomach dropped.

"No, no, no." He muttered, pressing his fingers to her throat and staying deathly still, waiting.

He felt a pulse, her heartbeat weak but there. He let out a sigh.

"She's alive." He said, pulling her close to him and picking her up while Shane and T-Dog grabbed Daryl.

"Oh my God, is he dead?" Andrea said as she and Dale raced over. They both stopped and stared when they saw Rick carrying Ava.

"Unconscious." Shane said. "You just grazed him."

"Is that Ava?" Dale said, falling behind them as they headed back to the farm house.

"Guys," T-Dog said, drawing back their attention. "Isn't this Sophia's?"

He held up the small raggedy doll the little girl Eliza had given her all those weeks ago. Rick turned back to the house, spotting Hershel and the others waiting, confused. He tightened his grip and Ava and ran her back to the house.

Hershel guided them inside, putting both Daryl and Ava in the same bed as they were running out. He went to Ava and looked into her eyes.

"It was her leg." Daryl said. "That's what was hurting her."

Hershel immediately went to the knotted jacket and cut it away. Rick held her hand and watched, horrified, as Hershel pulled the material back to reveal a clearly infected wound. The flesh around it was angry and red, the wound itself deep and leaking yellow pus.

"Maggie," Hershel said. "Get me an IV and the antibiotics. This infection may just clean us out." Hershel warned Rick.

"Do it." Was all he said.

They rushed around him, setting Ava up with the IV and antibiotics without her even stirring.

"Rick." Hershel said, preparing an array of bandages, pads, and water. "I need you to hold her leg still for me."

He nodded and grabbed her upper thigh and her knee, holding it steady at Hershel grabbed a scalpel. He took a breath before very quickly cutting down the line of her wound.

Ava immediately shot upright, screaming in pain. Rick grunted as she punched and battered his back, trying to get him to let go, but he didn't. Despite the pain he felt at hearing her scream and the tears streaming down his face, he kept a hold of her leg while Hershel squeezed and swabbed and washed the wound clear of any infection. By the time he finished, Ava had fallen unconscious draped across Ricks back. Maggie laid her back when she returned with the needle and thread and Hershel went about sewing the wound together.

When he was done, Rick let go of Ava's leg and turned to look at her. Her face was white and covered in sweat.

"We may have to drain the wound again in a few hours but for now there's nothing we can do but pray the antibiotics are enough and pray she doesn't have septicaemia."

"Septicaemia?" Rick said, looking up, still dazed.

"Blood poisoning. Once it gets to that stage, it was difficult for even hospitals to cure."

Rick swallowed and nodded, perching on the edge of the bed as Hershel turned to Daryl. He assessed the wound, then pulled the arrow free.

"Where did you find her?" Rick asked as Hershel sewed him up.

"Down a cliff. She said she chased after Sophia and some walkers, managed to kill them before falling down into the creek. I only found her cause I fell into the same one. It's also where I found the doll."

"And Sophia?"

"Ava said she didn't fall."

Rick nodded. It was good news in a sense, but it also meant Sophia had been out there alone since the very beginning.

"How's he looking?" Rick asked Hershel.

"I had no idea we'd be going through the antibiotics so quickly." He said, almost accusingly. "Any idea what happened to my horse?"

"Yeah, the one who almost killed me? If it's smart, it left the country." Daryl said.

"We call that one Nelly, as in nervous Nelly. I could have told you she'd throw you if you'd bothered to ask." Hershel moved over to Rick. "It's a wonder you people have survived this long."

He quickly told the two of them to leave him be and though Rick was desperate to stay by Ava's side, he obliged. She looked so weak that he doubted she'd be awake for a while, but he kept his eyes on her as he moved to the door, taking one final look before stepping out. Lori was sat on the floor outside and stood when they emerged.

"They'll be all right." He told her, choosing not to think about what Hershel had said.

"I hate to say it," Shane said as Rick went to leave. "But I'm with Hershel on this one. Can't keep going out there, not after this."

"You'd quit now?" Rick said. "You thought yesterday that they were as good as dead but we found Ava alive."

"Barely. You heard what Hershel said. She'll live if she doesn't have blood poisoning but if she does she'll just clear out our antibiotics and die anyway."

"What're you saying? Are you suggesting we let her die?" Rick yelled, getting into Shanes' face. Lori stepped between them and pushed Rick back, giving him a look.

"Daryl just risked his life to bring back Ava." Rick said, managing to calm himself.

"That is one way to look at it." Shane admitted. "The way I see it, Daryl almost died today for a woman who looks dead already."

Rick had never felt pure loathing for his friend, but in that moment he did. He hated Shane. How had things changed so much that could think that?

"Yeah," Rick said, nodding. "I know how you see it."

He turned away from Shane and headed out of the house. Later he returned to sit by Ava's side. The moment he sat he had to check her pulse, just to be sure. Daryl dozed next to her and though he could think of no reason why he would sit by her side until she woke up, he didn't care. He would be there for her.

Eventually, when the sky had gone dark, she did.

At first he felt her fingers twitch, then she shifted and groaned.

"Ava?"

She blinked, frowning up at him before realising who it was she was looking at. Her jaw dropped.

"Rick?"

Rick couldn't help it. He started laughing and crying, pressing the back of her hand to his lips. She giggled too.

"Oh Christ, don't get her started." Daryl grumbled, turning over with a groan. Ava chuckled again.

"Oh yeah." She said, grinning sleepily. "In the woods. I couldn't stop laughing."

"Why?" Rick said, staring deep into those beautiful blue eyes when she looked up at him.

"I…I don't know." She chuckled. "I must've been delirious of something."

She shifted, trying to sit up but not getting very far.

"Easy." Rick said, "You need to rest."

"Where are we?" She said, frowning.

"Well, it's kinda a long story."

"I've got time…" Ava said, trailing off, her eyes already dropping. Rick smirked.

"Do you?" He said, but she was already gone, breathing deeply and strong. Rick kissed the back of her hand again.

"We'll have time." He promised, squeezing her hand one last time before leaving the room to join the others for dinner.