Greene Family Farm
After Marshal and Sophia were taken in by the residents of the house, Hershel Greene and his family. The two were provided with a shared bedroom, and the former lays down as he rests on the soft bed rather than a branch after a quick change of clothes.
Sophia is seen sitting on the chair with a book in hand, and she often glances at Marshal due to the bond they now share together.
As Marshal rests his eyes, he reminiscences his past once more...
Flashback...
Inside Marshal's home residence, a small cabin near the highway. Young Marshal is seen doing some maintenance checks on his rifle with his father when they soon heard helicopters flying overhead the cabin.
They stopped for a moment and headed outside the cabin. The two soon spotted a couple of military choppers flying their way toward town and Marshal's Father rushed back into the cabin while Young Marshal follows behind.
He then sees his father grabbing his car keys, his Service pistol, a SIG Sauer M17, onto his right holster, and two magazines on his left waist.
"Where are you going?" Marshal questioned,
"I'm going into town and see what's going on," Marshal's Father said,
"Can I come?" Marshal inquired,
"No, you stay put and watch over the house," Marshal's Father ordered, then hands him the keys to the house, "Lock the door, don't let anyone in, and wait for me. If they force their way in here, you mustn't hesitate to defend yourself, okay?"
"But what if you don't come back?" Marshal asked worryingly,
Marshal's Father bends down to his level, and held onto his shoulders, "You remember what I taught you, right?"
Marshal nods in response, and his father continues, "Then I ask you to never forget them... For they will be a necessity to your own survival,"
Marshal was hesitant to ask any further questions. But rather than ask him, he stood there and watched as his father walks out the door.
"Take care of yourself, Okay?" Marshal's Father requested, and his son nods in response,
He then shuts the door, locks it with a spare key he carries around, and heads towards his car before driving off to town. Marshal goes to the window and watches him until he was no longer in sight...
End of Flashback
Marshal soon wakes after his nap and notices that a couple of hours have passed as the sun was setting down. He then sits up the first thing he finds was Sophia sleeping on the chair with the book on her lap.
He smiles at the sight of her, gets off of the bed, and carefully carried her onto the bed. As he tucks the blanket onto her, he soon heard Maggie, Hershel's other daughter, crying out for her father's name from downstairs.
He went on to grab his tomahawk, hung it onto his right waist, and marches his way down the stairs. When he joins Hershel and the others, he sees a man in a sheriff's uniform carrying a young bleeding boy in his arms. Presumably, his son...
"Was he bit?" Hershel questioned,
"Shot," The officer replied, "By your man,"
"Otis?" Patricia said, and steps down the porch,
"He said to find Hershel. Is that you?" The officer questioned, and Hershel nods in response, "Help me. Help my boy,"
"Get him inside," Hershel ordered, and everyone headed inside the house, "Patricia, I need my full kit. Maggie,"
"Yeah?" Maggie asked,
"Painkillers, Coagulates- grab everything," Hershel listed, "Clean towels, sheets, alcohol,"
Then Hershel pushes one side of the blanket off of the bed, "In here,"
Marshal then enters the room and sets his eyes on the boy's injury. The Officer was asking if he was alive while Hershel remains focused as he ordered the officer for a pillowcase.
"Can I see the wound?" Marshal questioned,
"Sure," Hershel replied and Marshal went to the right side of the bed,
He then examines the bullet wound, disinfects his hand with alcohol, and momentarily slid his hand under the boy's back while the officer was told to put pressure on the wound.
A moment later, he pulls his hand away and turns to Hershel, "Whatever hit this boy, it looks like it didn't go all the way through,"
"Are you sure?" Hershel questioned,
"I'm certain," Marshal confirmed then turns to the Officer, "But I would like to know what he was shot with,"
"He was shot by a rifle," The officer explained, "But a buck got in the way,"
"Then I'm positive that the bullet must have been slowed down by the buck before hitting your son's stomach," Marshal concluded, "But there's also a likely chance that the bullet fragments are scattered inside the stomach area. It would also nick a blood vessel if one of those fragments got lucky,"
"Are you a doctor?" The officer questioned,
"No, but I have some medical experience for being a hunter," Marshal revealed,
Patricia then asks Rick to move as she takes over while Maggie comes in with an IV drip. Hershel then asks for the officer's name and he tells him that his name is Rick.
Hershel then assures him that they'll do everything they can, and asked to give them some room. Rick soon leaves the room as Hershel continues with the boy.
Marshal follows behind and notices that Rick didn't come alone as Otis and a possible member of Rick's Group were rushing their way towards the house.
A few minutes later, Rick, Otis, and the other guy enter the room while Hershel took a quick look at the bullet wound.
"You know his blood type?" Hershel questioned,
"A+, same as mine," Rick answered,
"That's fortunate. Don't wander off too far, I'm going to need you," Hershel said, then he turns to Otis, "What happen?"
"I was tracking a buck," Otis tremblingly said, "Bullet went through it. Went clean through"
"Just as Marshal said, the deer slowed the bullet down, which certainly saved his life," Hershel said, "But it did not go through clean. It broke up into pieces. If I can get the bullet fragments out... And I'm counting six,"
"Shit..." Marshal muttered while pinching his nose for being right in such dire situations,
Otis then went to his wife, and bitterly regretted his mistake before being comforted by his wife's embrace.
"Lori doesn't know," Rick muttered, "My wife doesn't know, My wife doesn't know,"
As Rick sobbed, his friend wrapped an arm around him and tells him to stay with his son.
Rick and his friend then went into the other room while Marshal stayed by the other side of the bed. As Hershel tries to extract the first bullet fragment, Rick's son momentarily regains consciousness and struggles as he was groaning and crying from the pain.
"Marshal, Hold him down," Hershel ordered,
"Right," Marshal responded, and kept the boy from making any unnecessary movements,
"Maggie, call him here, Now," Hershel demanded and Maggie nods in response,
Moments later, Rick and his friend enter the room while Maggie prepares the instruments for the blood transfusion. As Hershel kept digging in, the boy's cries were getting louder to the point that Rick shouted, "Stop! You're killing him!"
"Rick! If the fragment is not removed, He's good as dead!" Marshal yelled as he held the boy down,
"He needs blood," Patricia reminded,
"Do it now!" Rick's friend yelled,
With that, Rick remains still as Patricia inserts a needle through Rick's arm and prepares the tube. As for his son, he stops crying and passes out from the pain.
Rick was concerned while Marshal pulled himself away from the boy, "He passed out,"
With that, Hershel pulls out the first fragment of the bullet and places it into a tray, "One down, Five to go,"
Marshal sighs and wipes the sweat off of his forehead.
Then, someone, in particular, shows up...
"Marshal," Sophia called out, and said person turns to her, "Is everything okay in here?"
Rick and his friend soon turned to the doorway and they widen their eyes at the very sight of her.
"Sophia?" Rick called out,
Sophia turns to him, and she gasps in recognition of the two, "Mr. Rick? Mr. Shane?"
Marshal glances at the two then back to her, "You know these people?"
"They're in a group with my Mommy," Sophia admitted,
"You've been here this whole time?" Rick's friend, presumably Shane, questioned,
Sophia shook her head, then turns up to Marshal, "He brought me here,"
Rick and Shane shifted their attention to Marshal and nodded in confirmation. Soon enough, Sophia turns to the bed and finds Rick's son lying on the bed with blood on his stomach, "Carl?"
Marshal whipped his head to Rick's son, then back to Sophia before bending down to her level, "Sophia, you need to listen to me very carefully,"
"Is he hurt, what happened to him?" Sophia demanded,
"Carl got shot, but Hershel is doing whatever he can to help him right. So why don't you go to the other room for a moment," Marshal explained,
"Is he going to be okay?" Sophia asked with tears in her eyes,
"He'll be fine," Marshal assured, then stands up, and gently pushes her out of the room, "Now come on..."
As Sophia was brought out of the room, she briefly glances at Carl before being taken away from the room for some space.
An hour later, Sophia was sitting on the chair with Marshal's hand on her shoulder. Otis and Maggie sat by the other chairs and prayed for Carl well being.
Eventually, Rick and Shane come into the room and everyone turns their attention to them.
"He's stable for now," Shane revealed, and this brought some relief to the people,
Out of all of them, Sophia was the one who was the most relieved as she wiped her eyes and laid her head against the other side of the chair. Just near Marshal.
Marshal then overhears Rick and Shane's conversation about Lori, Carl's Mother, and the urgency of bringing her here to learn about his condition.
Though Rick insisted that he and Shane should go, the latter told him that he won't let him as Rick had undergone a blood transfusion and is in no condition to move far. He also promised Rick that he'll take things from here and Marshal couldn't help but feel a bit envious of them.
Then, Hershel enters the room and gives a summary of Carl's Condition, "He's out of danger for the moment. But I need to remove those remaining fragments,"
"How?" Rick questioned, "You saw how he was,"
"I know, and that was the shallowest one," Hershel admitted, "I need to go deeper to get the others,"
"Oh, man," Shane muttered,
"There's more," Hershel added,
"Tell me," Rick insisted,
"His belly is distended, and his pressure is dropping, Which means there's internal bleeding. As Marshal said, a fragment nicked one of the blood vessels. I have to open him up, find the bleeder, and stitch it," Hershel explained, "And he can't move while I'm in there- I mean, at all. If he reacts the same as before, I'll sever an artery and he'll be dead in minutes. To even try this, I have to put him under. But if I do, he won't be able to breathe on his own. Same bad results,"
"What'll it take?" Rick asked,
"You need a respirator," Otis said, "What else?"
"A tube that goes with it, extra surgical supplies, drapes, sutures," Hershel listed,
"If you had all that you could save him?" Rick inquired,
"If I had all of that, I could try," Hershel said,
"Isn't there a hospital that we can scavage?" Marshal questioned, "Maybe we'll find what we need there?"
"The nearest hospital went up in flames about a month ago," Otis revealed, then Hershel turns to him with a knowing look on his face, "The high school,"
"That was what I was thinking," Hershel said, "They set up a FEMA shelter there. They would have everything we need,"
"The place was overrun last time I saw it," Otis said, "You couldn't get near it. Maybe it's better now,"
That's when Shane steps up as he jokingly questioned if it's too late to take back what he said. Rick retorts that he hates Shane going alone, But Shane still insisted on a list and a map of the location.
That's when Otis volunteers to take him there as he knows the way, and knows what Carl needs for his operation. His wife tries to object, but he interjects with the responsibility he made with Carl's accident and wishes to set things right.
Then Maggie stands up from her chair and approaches Rick with a question, "Where is she, your wife?"
A Couple of Minutes Later...
Maggie is seen by the stables and readies Nelly for her departure. But standing by the doorways was Marshal with his pistol in its holster, his tomahawk hanging on the opposite of the pistol, and a small bag carrying a few of his supplies.
"You planning on finding his wife?" Marshal questioned,
"Yeah, why?" Maggie replied,
"Do you mind if I tag along?" Marshal requested,
"Why?" Maggie inquired,
"After learning Sophia is a part of Rick's group. I assumed that her mother is among them as well," Marshal said, "She misses her dearly, and I want to be the one who brings her back,"
"You sure? Cause when I pick up Rick's wife. I'd be leaving you with the rest of their group," Maggie said, "They might hurt you,"
"I'll take my chances. After all, I've learned to trust some people," Marshal said, "It tends to pay off when luck is by my side,"
With that, Maggie agrees to his requests and both get on Nelly before heading to the woods in search of Rick's wife.
Moments Later...
They were on their way to the highway where Rick's group is possibly located. But before they could go any further, they soon heard a woman screaming and both glanced at each other before ordering Nelly to go towards the scream.
As they got closer, Maggie held her baseball bat at the ready and swings it right across the walker's head as it was getting close to devouring its next victim.
When the horse stopped, Marshal dismounts from the horse and promptly stomped Walker's head hard to ensure that it'd stay dead.
Moments later, several more people came along and Maggie speaks to them, "Lori? Lori Grimes?"
"Whoa?" An Asian guy exclaimed,
"I'm Lori," A black haired woman said,
"Rick sent us. You've got to come now," Maggie demanded,
"What?" Lori asked in confusion,
"There's been an accident. Carl's been shot," Maggie revealed,
"He's still alive but you've got to get there now," Marshal followed, and Lori turns to him, "Rick needs you, they both do,"
Convinced, Lori goes to Maggie and a redneck with a crossbow seemingly disagrees as he sees Lori removing her backpack, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. We don't know these people. You can't get on that horse,"
"Rick said you had others on the highway, that big traffic snarl?" Maggie inquired, "
"Uh-huh," The Asian Guy replied,
"Marshal's here to stay with you. He'll guide you to Fairburn Road, and Two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mailbox," Maggie explained, "The name is Greene, Hyah!"
Maggie then takes Lori back to the farmhouse while Marshal watched her go before turning back to Rick's group. He then turns to the blonde girl on the ground, and lends her a hand, "You okay?"
The girl nods in response and takes his hand before being pulled up on her feet.
"Did it bite you?" Marshal questioned,
"N-No," The blonde girl responded,
"Good to know," Marshal said, "Now take me to the others you have at the highway and I'll take you to that farmhouse,"
"Now, hold on a second," The redneck said, "Why don't you start talking to us about what the fuck's going on right now? And who the fuck are you anyway?"
"Didn't you hear her? My name is Marshal and I'm here to get you guys to the farmhouse," Marshal explained, "You can save the introductions after we've reached the farmhouse. Also, I came here for another reason,"
"What's that?" The Asian Guy questioned,
"Is any one of you, Carol Petelier?" Marshal questioned,
"Y-Yes?" A shave-haired woman spoke,
"Good, 'cause the reason why I came is that your daughter's waiting for you at the farmhouse," Marshal revealed,
"Sophia?" The Asian Guy inquired, and Marshal nods in response,
Before long, three out of four of them trusted Marshal and the redneck with the crossbow still has his doubts about him. Though the majority allowed Marshal to meet up with the rest of the group.
As they make their way to the highway, the remainder of the group introduced themselves to Marshal. The Asian Guy's name is Glenn Rhee, The Blonde Haired Girl's name is Andrea, and the redneck with the crossbow's name is Daryl Dixon.
Marshal is soon greeted by an old man with a rifle and a large black man sitting against an RV. He learned that their names are Dale Horvath and T-Dog.
"Who is this?" Dale questioned,
"This is Marshal, he said he'll take us to a farmhouse where Rick and the others are," Glenn explained,
"Where's Lori?" Dale questioned,
"Lori took off with some chick who rode out of nowhere like Zorro," Glenn summarized, "She also said that Carl's been shot,"
"Shot? What do you mean shot?" Dale questioned,
"Rick's son was brought in after a hunting accident," Marshal explained, "The bullet went through the deer, but it slowed down when it hit Carl on the stomach. The problem is that the bullet broke into pieces and one of those pieces nicked a blood vessel. Right now, he's being treated by the owner of the Farm House,"
Marshal then turns to T-Dog and widens his eyes when he noticed the bandaged arm.
"What happened to that," Marshal questioned, and his hand reaching his tomahawk,
Dale notices and then provides an explanation, "It's not a bite, he got scratched on one of those cars,"
At first, Marshal was highly suspicious of this, and Daryl was slowly raising his crossbow. After a brief moment, Marshal nods his head a few times and accepts Dale's explanation, "Okay, I believe you. But do you mind if see the wound? Cause it looks bad to me,"
Dale nods while Daryl lowers his crossbow. Marshal then kneels and examines the wound.
A few moments later, he places his hand on T-Dog's forehead and notices the fever on him, "Looks like your friend's going through some blood poisoning. If we make our way back to the farm, I'm sure Hershel will fix you right up,"
"Then let's get going," Andrea said,
"Hold on, what about Sophia? Are we just going to leave her out there in the woods?" Dale questioned,
"You don't have to worry about her. She's safe and sound at Hershel's Farm," Marshal stated, much to Dale's surprise
Thus, the group prepared their vehicles for departure and made their way towards the Greene Farmhouse under Marshal's direction...
That's it for this chapter, folks. Let me know if the chapter feels right or now, and I will tell you all that I have a lot of ideas in store for this story. Some, I will show you in this season and the rest are for future chapters
Also, please know that not all of the characters will be saved by my OC. I know some of those characters of the series are possibly your favorites, but please understand that their deaths often land a large impact on the group.
And I tend to keep it that way to move the story's progress forward.
Lastly, if some of you questioned the interactions of my OC with Sophia. Please be aware that's more of a sibling relationship than a ship. Cause she's young and I plan to have my Character paired up with some in the future.
That is all I have to say, stay safe from the virus, and I will see you all in the next chapter!