Rick continues to become even more deranged, not just endangering Carl anymore.

Rick

I came to, wondering where I was. My face was pounding and my whole body ached. Why was I lying down on the floor of the forest?

I sat up and rubbed my pounding head. I remembered something, Daryl yelling at me and kicking me as I lay on the floor, not even defending myself.

Why had I let him attack me like that and not even fought back? I was a coward, a door-mat.
I shook my head as the memory hit me! Carl! I hit him – beat him up real bad but I couldn't even remember why. 'Carl, I'm so sorry.' I said out loud to no-one in particular and let out a couple of sobs. 'I didn't mean to hurt you. Forgive me, son.' My head was all fuzzy and I couldn't focus and my eyes were blinded with tears. 'I would never hurt you.'
When I heard them shouting for me and coming my way, that got me going and forced me to get control over my emotions.

I knew I shouldn't let them catch me – they were my enemies. Then I saw something white moving in the gloom, something luminous, standing out in the dark and there she was, beckoning to me. She turned round then and put her finger on her lips and motioned me to follow.

I did without question.

Behind me, mixed in with the shouts (sounding angry) of my name, I heard the high wailing of a baby. I nearly went back then because who was looking after Judith?

She shook her head at me. She didn't speak, of course, she couldn't, she was dead. But I heard her voice clearly enough in my head. 'Don't worry, baby. Judith's fine. They'll take care of her.'

Without thinking over it, I staggered after her. 'I'm comin', Lori.' Seeing her again was like a dream come true.

She turned and gracefully led the way and I followed.

…

Stan and Drew came back to camp and the Dixons could hear their conversation. 'Dunno where he's gone, he's jus' disappeared. We saw his boot – must be runnin' around out there with only one shoe on.

'Did ya try to follow his tracks?' That was Carol's voice.

'Couldn't see any, too dark. Pity we didn't have the Dixons with us.'

'Well, maybe they can try tomorrow. We got to get him back.' She said.

Merle cocked his ear. 'Ya hear that, little brother?' He was whispering even though the sleeping boy with them had passed out pretty quickly from the sedatives he'd given him. One stone to kill two birds, he'd told Daryl afterwards, one for the pain he was in and two to keep him calm.

'Good riddance.' Daryl was sleepy. 'Not like we need him. I ain't wastin' time lookin' for that worthless scumbag. Not after everythin' he did to Carl. How could he to his own son?'

The boy stirred and moaned in his sleep and Daryl reached over to brush back his fringe of his face. 'Sh...'

Merle chuckled. 'Shit, ya make a really good nursemaid, Darlena. Ya sure ya balls are still there?' He leered at him and grabbed his own to prove his point.

'Screw ya.' Daryl snarled over his shoulder. 'He's been to hell and back, poor kid.'

'Yeah. And maybe I can turn into Mary Poppins and we can adopt him.'

Daryl chuckled, despite himself.

'Night.' Merle turned his back to his brother and was soon snoring like a hog.

Daryl followed suit but more quietly.

….

The next day, Carl woke up at noon alone and startled when he saw where he was, surrounded by the unfamiliar boots and hunting gear – not his and his Dad's and Judith's stuff. But then he lay back and smiled even though his body began to throb to remind him what had happened with his Dad the night before. Yet there was a delicious, warm feeling of relief spreading through him.

Because he was safe. But where was his Dad?

As if reading his mind, Merle popped his head in the tent. 'Ya awake, Fairy Princess? Ya slept all mornin'.'

'Yeah...' Carl yawned and stretched. 'Head hurts though and the rest of me.'

Merle's face darkened and reached into his pocket to toss him a couple of pills...different to the ones he'd given him last night.

The boy picked them up and examined them carefully. 'I don't want to do drugs...'

'Ain't drugs. Jus' painkilllers. Trust me and take'em, son.' Merle even handed him his water canteen and watched him swallow.

'Where's Dad? Did he come back?' Carl's voice quavered slightly.

Merle's expression darkened. Opened his mouth to answer then Daryl poked his head in too next to him. 'Good, ya awake.'

'Where' s my Dad?' Carl asked a little more anxiously this time. 'Is he OK?'

'He's disappeared. When they went back to bring him here, he was gone.'

'Ya did this!' He was suddenly furious and flew at the younger Dixon, fists flying. 'He's gone because of you!'

'Whoa, boy. Don't ya remember what he did to ya?' Merle dragged him off him. 'He was beatin' the shit out of ya! My brother stopped him.'

Carl shook him off and lowered his head. 'I'm sorry.'

'It's OK. Now why don't ya go and see ya baby sister? Carol's lookin' after her.' Daryl suggested. 'Cheer ya up.'

He smiled but then his face fell. 'But my face...people will see...'

'Ya can't worry about that.' Merle said. 'And live ya life avoidin' people. Ya didn't do nothin' wrong.'

'Ya right. Why not let everyone see that my Dad beat the crap out of me last night?' Carl's tone was sarcastic and bitter. But he got up and trying to avoid eye-contact with anybody, he made his way across the site to her tent.

'Hi.' Carl said when she met him.

'Hi. Ya OK?' That was all she said about his injuries at first. Didn't stare at him like he had two heads after all.

He shrugged. 'How's Judith?'

'Jus' look at her.' She was squirming and holding out her arms to him. 'She wants her big brother.'

Carl smiled and took her gently from her and sat down on a pink cushioned chair in her trailer. She was the only one who didn't live in a tent except for Herschel who had set up a kind of makeshift Infirmary in another mobile home. Probably when it got colder, they would all try to find warmer accommodation. She giggled and pulled on his hair. 'Ow!' He cried and she giggled.

He reached down and breathed in her baby-clean smell before he looked back up at Carol. 'Do ya know where my Dad went? Daryl lost it and beat him up last night.'

He wondered if he should have told her that but she nodded gently and didn't comment on Daryl's business. Or ask him what happened. That's what made him feel so relaxed around her.

'No but I'm sure he'll be back for you and Judith.' He shivered at that and it wasn't lost on her.

'What are you keepin' back? I know it's not the whole story.' She suddenly asked him.

He shrugged. 'I guess I shouldn't have said those things to him.' He dandled his sister on his lap and buried his face in her hair to hide his expression. She babbled, didn't have any recognisable words yet.

'But he hit ya pretty hard, didn't he? There's no excuse for that.' She reached out to touch his face but he recoiled.

'Sorry.' He mumbled.

'Carl...What are ya ain't tellin' me, honey? I know ya told Daryl and his brother and they're helpin' you.' Her voice was soft and understanding. He'd tell her everything his Dad did to him if he stayed and let her hypnotise him with that voice.

He turned his head away to hide his tears and sniffed. 'I should go.' He got up abruptly, handed Judith back to her and left. She babbled at him and stretched her arms towards him.

'Carl...It's alright. Don't go.' She called after him but he left, slamming the door.

…

'Ya gonna go and look for my Dad?' He demanded of the Dixons when he returned to their tent.

'I 'spose we can, while we go huntin'.' Merle replied. 'Drag his sorry hide back here.'

Daryl threw him a hard look.

Carl didn't react. 'If ya find him, I want to be there. I need to talk to him before anyone else.'

But when they came back to the camp, they returned empty-handed. Then they heard the raised voices. Panicky sounded.

'Daryl.' Carol came running, empty-handed at him as soon as she spotted them. 'Is Rick with ya? Did ya find him?'

'No, why?'

'Because Judith's gone. I turned my back for a second, I swear – came back in and she disappeared!'

Carl took in what she was saying with a sinking heart.

'I'm sorry, so sorry!' She kept repeating. His chest felt like it had a lead balloon in it that was sinking to the bottom of his feet.

'Ya think my Dad's got her? No! When?'

About half-an-hour ago.'

'Then we got time to find him. Let's go.'

'Calm down, kid.' Merle put a steadying hand on his shoulder. 'We'll find'em.'

'We can't waste a second! We need to get after him!'

'Why did he take her? He wouldn't hurt her, would he? She's his daughter!' Carol gabbled frantically, clutching at straws.

'That's not what he says!' Carl yelled at her and the colour left her face, making him immediately regret it and he spoke his next words more calmly. 'Did he take any of her stuff with him? Are her toys and blankets gone? She can't sleep without Blackie. (Blackie was Judith's favourite toy – a black puppy dog)

'He...he didn't have time to get them, if it was him. He's left all of that. I told ya I was distracted for a second!' Carol was distraught now.

'Ya don't get it, do ya?' He glared at them all in turn. 'He's gone batshit crazy, he doesn't have any baby milk or diapers, not her toys or blankets...She could die of starvation or from the cold at night!'

'Carl, calm down, son.' Herschel had been listening to all this. 'Getting in a state don't help anyone.'

'Let's go.' Daryl rounded up everybody. 'Supper's cancelled until we get her back safe and sound.'

He didn't add what he was thinking, Rick can go to hell for all I care -he thought that might not be appropriate.

Nobody grumbled and even Dirk looked worried enough and didn't argue.

To be fair, everyone rallied around and the Dixons divided them up into search parties and delegated probably search directions, making sure everybody had torches. 'Any idea from which direction he may have come from?' Daryl asked Carol. She shook her head.

'Probably from there.' Carl pointed to a gap in the forest behind her trailer.

'If ya find him, the priority is Judith. We're pretty sure he's got her so don't fight him if ya don't have to. Grab the baby or if he's in the way, try to negotiate but don't set him off.' Daryl told the search-parties. 'Rick's lost it again.' There were a few gasps of dismay from some people who somehow had missed out on the events of last night.

'Right, let's go. We're losin' the light, people!' He led his search party away headed by Carl in the direction pointed out by Carol while his brother led his group in the other direction.