Carl is young but old enough to understand what the papers he had found on the kitchen table mean. "She left me, didn't she?"

"Carl, she..." Shame stutters out trying to find the right words.

"She didn't love me. She didn't love dad either. They yelled a lot. She yelled a lot. Is that why she left? Because she was unhappy? Was I not enough?" Carl whispers taking a sip of his chocolate milk.

"Carl, I don't know what your mom feels. But I do know what your dad and I feel. I love you, he loves you and so does Judith." Shane hugs the crying boy gently.

"I want her to love me..."

"I know, baby. I know." Shane picks up Carl who snuggles into his chest and takes him to his bedroom where Judith is fast asleep.

"You two can both sleep with me tonight." Shane states hugging sniffing Carl.

"Thank you uncle Shane."

"No problem kiddo. Now let's turn on some SpongeBob, yeah?"

•••

Two weeks pass with Rick being still in a coma and Lori being gone. Carl is broken. He feels as if everyone has abandoned him, everyone expect Shane. Shane reminds the boy how loved he is by both sherif deputies. And Judith keeps him distracted with all kinds of games and fun. Carl slowly goes from being sad about his mom to just wanting his dad to wake up. Carl slowly starts to resent the one he use to call mother.

"Uncle Shane?" Carl asks from where he is holding Ricks hand in the hospital.

"Yeah kid?" Shane asks playing patty cake with Judith.

"Is it okay that I hate her?" Carl the eleven year old kid questions.

"Yeah, Buddy. You are allowed to feel however you want. Just don't take that hatred out of anyone or anything around you, okay?" Shane explains softly.

"I won't, Uncle Shane." Judith slowly climbs down from her dads lap and crawls into Carls.

"Don't be sad, bubba. My mommy left too." She states matter of factly.

"Mommies shouldn't leave, Judy." Carl says slowly to the five year old.

The girl tilts her head to the side, "But ours did. They go bye bye."

Carl and Shane share a heart broken look before picking up the young girl and saying goodbye to a unconscious Rick. The last few weeks have been hard in everyone. Especially Shane, he went from being a single father of one to a father of two. And he gets more worried each day that Rick won't wake up. Carl cannot loose another parent but Shane knows he has no control over it when a virus breaks out throughout the country.

Dead, the dead are walking. It's all he can think as he hurries Carl and Judith into his pickup truck. He double checks he has everything, every gun and weapon from his house along with Ricks. He turns up the radio and listens to it tell everyone to head to Atlanta. Carl cries out for his father and Shane promises not to leave him. Judith cries loudly as Carl struggles to calm her with toys. Finally he unbuckles her and pulls the young girl into his arms.

"Stay in the truck. The safety is off if anyone but me or your dad come up to the truck, you shoot. You here me?" Shane states handing Carl a small hand gun.

"Uncle Shane, I-I can't..."

"You can, you protect yourself and Judy." Shane orders as Carl gives a teary nod.

Shane runs into the hospital up the stairs to the third floor where Rick remains. He ignores the blood smeared onto the walls, he doesn't question the gunshots only hurries to his best friends room. Rick is still dead asleep when Shane enters the room. All the medical equipment is shut off. Shane leans down to listen for a heart beat and only sobs stepping back when he finds none.

"No, no, no, no, you can't do this Rick. Damnit! Wake up." He cries but the man doesn't answer. Shane shakes off his emotions throwing a grunt into front of Ricks room before heading back to the children inside of the truck. He returns to find not dead body outside the truck and a perfectly fine Carl and Judith.

"Dad? Where's dad?" Carl questions.

"He's...I couldn't find a heart beat, Carl. I'm sorry." Shane whispers starting the car and heading to Atlanta. Carl silently cries in the back as Judith holds onto him. The two kids feel absolutely hopeless in a world full of blood.

The roads are packed on the highway are packed and soon not moving at all. After an hour of nothing many start to leave there cars to discuss plans with the others waiting. Shane in his sheriffs deputy uniform leaves the truck running with the kids to beside though he locks the door. He's approached by an elderly man who asks if he knows what is going on.

"I'm as clueless as the rest of you."

Shame admits. Him and Dale walk off to the side to get a better view of the city and soon they see it. Bombs. Bombs are thrown done upon the city killing anyone unlucky enough to be inside. Shane looks Dale with wide eyes before heading back to the highway. "I know a place we can go. A quarry not to far from here." Dale admits.

Shane nods, "Okay, listen up people. I am Deputy Shane Walsh. The city is not safe, I repeat the city is not safe. My friend Dale here bows a quarry we can go and regroup at. Who all wishes to go?"

They end up making camp at the quarry with Dale's RV as the lookout set up. Two weeks pass and the group has found a routine. The woman take care of the kids and cleaning while the men protect the camp and gather food. Both parties partake in the cooking though it is usually the woman. Carl and Judith settle in with the other kids nicely. Shane becomes the leader of the group and does his best to keep everyone safe but he can't help but feel that Rick could do better.