Chapter 13: Save The Last One and Cherokee Rose
The Farm
Five vehicles pulled up the driveway to the Greene's house. Rick's group were taken aback, seeing that they still had power. The place must have ran on a gas powered generator. They looked at the house in front of them, what looked like the entire first floor had the lights on, as they parked their vehicles. They got out of their vehicles and walked towards the house. As they got to the brick steps leading up to the porch, they looked at the stairs. There were still drops of blood leading to the door.
"So do we ring the bell? I mean, it looks like people live here." Glenn said, looking to them before looking back at the windows, seeing the light shine through.
"We're past this kinda stuff, aren't we? Havin to be considerate." T-Dog said as they walked up the stairs. He was feeling a lot better, but still had the blanket draped over his shoulders. They got to the door as soon as someone interrupted them.
"Did you close the gate up the road when ya drove in?" Maggie asked. She was sitting on the porch in a chair off to the side of the entry way, in the shadow of the wall, making them miss her as they came closer to the house. She had her feet up on the seat with her knees pulled to her chest as she rested her arms on top of them.
"Uh, hi." Glenn said, looking in the general direction of her voice. "Yes, we closed it. Did the latch and everything."
She let her feet back down to the floor as she sat forward in the chair, leaning into the light coming from the window. She rested her arms against her legs as she looked at them.
"Hello. Nice to see you again." Glenn said once he recognized it was the same girl that had come to get Lori. "We, um, met before briefly." Glenn shook his head slightly, almost a little nervous.
"Look, we came to help. There anythin we can do?" Said a tired T-Dog as Maggie got up. He groaned, as he felt his arm throb again. Maggie opened her mouth to say something but stopped when she looked down at the bloody bandage he had taped to his arm. "It's not a bite. I, uh, I cut myself pretty bad though."
"We'll have it looked at. I'll tell them you're here." Maggie said as she walked over to them.
"We have, uh, some painkillers and antibiotics." Glenn said as he reached into the bag he had and pulled out the antibiotics Merle had given them earlier that evening. "I already gave him some. If Carl needs any."
"Come on inside. I'll make you somethin to eat." Maggie said as she opened the screen door, she held it for them as they made their way inside.
Back in the bedroom Carl was in, Lori, Rick, Patricia and Hershel sat around the room. Hershel was taking the boy's blood pressure again as Maggie showed Rick's group to the room. They laid eyes on the unconscious boy. They didn't know how bad the situation was until then.
Glenn took off his baseball hat. "Hey." He said, causing Rick and Lori to look at them.
"Hey." Rick said back to him before holding his head in his hand again and looking back to his son.
"Um, we're here, okay?" Glenn said as Hershel stood up and took the new arrivals in.
"Thank you." Lori nodded to them from her spot in the chair next to Rick.
"Whatever you need." T-Dog added. Rick and Lori both nodded as Rick covered his eyes.
They turned around and walked out of the room with Maggie behind them as she pointed them to the dining room. Rick looked back at his son as they walked out.
Hershel grabbed the blanket that was lying over Carl from his chest and down. He pulled it back, revealing the boy's swollen stomach, almost twice it's normal size. Lori grabbed onto Rick's shoulder as he put his hand over hers.
"They don't get back soon, we're gonna have a decision to make." Hershel said as he looked at Carl's parents.
"And that is?" Rick asked.
"Whether to operate on your boy without the respirator."
"You said that wouldn't work." Lori said.
"I know. It's extremely unlikely. But we can't wait much longer." Hershel said as he glanced down at Carl's stomach before looking back to Rick.
Lori let go of Rick's shoulder and got up from her chair, leaving the room. Hershel put the blanket back over Carl's stomach as Rick slowly got up from his chair and followed her, still light headed from the blood he'd given all day.
"You got here right in time. This couldn't go untreated much longer." Patricia said as she sat at the dining room table with T-Dog and Maggie while she stitched the cut on T-Dog's arm. Glenn stood in the doorway as Maggie held T-Dog's arm to the table. Patricia glanced up at the pill bottle on the table after she pulled another stitch through T's arm. She looked at the label. "'Merle Dixon.' Is that your friend with the antibiotics?"
"Yes. That would be me, ma'am." Merle said.
"Not sure I'd call him a friend." T-Dog groaned as Patricia pulled another stitch through.
"He is today. This doxycycline mighta just saved your life. What were you taking it for, Merle?" Patricia looked at Merle briefly before going back to her task.
"Clap." Merle said. Maggie looked at him. "Um..venereal disease. That's what Daryl said." Glenn said.
"I'd say your clap was the best thing that ever happen to him." Patricia looked at T-Dog.
"I'm really trying not to think about that." He said as he groaned again.
Glenn took his cup and walked past them towards the front of the house as Maggie watched. He needed some air.
Few moments later
Hershel had his hand on Carl's wrist and was watching his pocket watch as he checked the boy's pulse. He looked over at Rick and Lori. "He's still losin blood faster than we can replace it. And with the swellin in his abdomen we can't wait any longer or he's just going to slip away." Lori walked a few feet from Rick's side, further into the room. Rick stood up from his chair. "Now I need to know right now if you want me to do this, because I think your boy is outta time."
Rick stood next to Lori as they both looked down at Carl.
"You have to make a choice." Hershel said to them. His voice dripping with urgency.
"A choice?" Lori looked at him.
"A choice." Rick turned to her. He brought his hand up, moving it as he talked. "You have to tell me what it is. You have to tell me what it is." He said quietly to her.
She looked at him for a second before she brought her hand to his cheek. "We do it."
Rick pulled her into him as they hugged. Lori watched Carl over his shoulder as he rocked her back and forth.
Patricia and Hershel were wheeling a metal table into the room they were going to use to put the boy on. They positioned it at the edge of the bed.
"Okay, get that corner of the bed. Let's get the sheets down, everybody." Hershel said as he made his way to his side. "Get the IV bag on the sheet." He pointed to the bag as Rick grabbed it and put it next to Carl. He grabbed the pillow from under the boy's head and gently removed it, throwing it on the ground. "Okay, on three." Hershel said as he, Patricia, Lori and Rick each grabbed a corner of the sheet Carl was laying on. "One, two, three." They all lifted at the same time, bringing the boy off the bed as they moved to the metal table.
Patricia grabbed a tray with Hershel's surgical tools and put it on the table next to Carl's legs as Lori and Rick stepped back. Hershel started putting his gloves on while Patricia went to the corner of the room and grabbed the floor lamp. She took the shade off the top and pulled the thin chains, turning the light bulbs on. Hershel picked up his scalpel as Patricia dipped several rags into warm water.
"Rick, Lori, you may want to step out." Hershel said as he looked to the parents.
Just then, they could hear a vehicle's engine approaching and tires on the driveway outside. Hershel looked towards the window as Rick made his way over to it. He pulled the curtains back and glanced outside, seeing the blue truck Shane, Michael and Otis had left in that evening, pull up.
"Oh, God." Rick breathed. He and Lori started for the front door.
"You stay here with him." Hershel said to Patricia as he took his gloves off and followed them.
Otis pulled the truck up to the house, put it in park and turned off the engine as he and Shane got out of the truck. They reached back in to grab for the bags as Rick, Lori and Hershel walked outside. Glenn, T-Dog, Amy, Andrea, Dale, Merle, Jacqui, Daryl, Carol, Sophia and Maggie followed, seeing them rushing to the door and finally hearing the truck.
They all made their way down the steps towards Shane and Otis who had both bags of equipments. Only Shane and Otis.
"Carl?" Shane panted as he walked closer to them.
"There's still a chance." Rick said as he reached him.
Hershel quickly grabbed one bag from Shane as Otis carry the other bag.
Hershel quickly walked back up the steps to the house with Otis as they both carried the bags.
Amy ran towards Shane and embraced him. "Shane. I was so worry about you." She said as she noticed a small patch of his hair missing, little dabs of blood on the surface where the follicle was ripped out from the roots. "Shane, what happened to you're hair?" She asked as she touches the area of his head where the small patch of hair is missing.
"A Walker. Grabbed and ripped it off when it was trying to bite me." Shane said.
Andrea was looking around the truck. "Shane, where's Mikey?" She asked.
Shane looked to the ground after she asked him. Andrea's eyes grew wide as she realized something happened. Rick and Lori approach him.
"Shane. Where's Mikey?" Rick asked him sounding terrified.
"He-he said Herschel needs those supplies now. There were Walkers outside. He was going to distract them, so that we can head back to the farm. I-I told him I was going to distract them, but said he was faster. I knew that, but-but I just couldn't leave him behind. Don't worry about me. I'll find a way back. Trust me. That's what Mikey said. I'm sorry!" Shane said as he start crying as Rick and Amy hugged him, crying also.
Lori is about to cry,too. The others stood there, Shocked. Andrea looked like she was about to pass out. They all went back into the house. Unknown to them that a cop car is parked near the side trail that is the driveway.
Morning
It was a quiet morning on the Greene's farm the next day. The group that was on the property were greeted by the songs of birds and bugs as they made their way outside with Hershel and his family.
They were about to move a little ways from the house about to go gathering large rocks so they could build a small memorial for Michael when the sound of a car engine starting made them all stop and look towards the private road that led to the house. They see a cop car approaching. All those that were outside stood where they were as the car parked right next to Otis's truck. The car door opened and everybody gasped when the person stepped out.
Meanwhile Hershel sat on the edge of the bed Carl was laying on. "Fever's gone down." Hershel said as he felt the boy's cheeks and forehead. He brought his hand away as Carl started to stir. He grabbed onto the boy's wrist, giving it a gentle squeeze to reassure him.
At the movement from her son, Lori quickly got up and sat on the other side of the bed. "Baby?" She said as she looked down at him.
Rick stood up and leaned over him. "Carl?" He said as his son finally opened his eyes.
The boy looked between the two of his parents for a second. "Hey." Carl said.
"Hey." Rick said.
"Rest." Lori said as she looked at Carl with a small smile. "We'll be right here, okay?"
As if willed back to sleep by his mother's voice, Carl's eyelids felt too heavy to hold open. "'Kay." He softly said as they fell shut once again. Lori picked up his hand and held it in her's while she rubbed his arm.
Rick sat back down in his seat as they heard the front door open and footsteps coming towards the room. The bedroom door opened a second later.
"Rick. Someone outside wants to see you." Lori heard T-Dog say before she turned to look at the door. She noticed he's smiling. Why is he smiling? Lori thought. They all got up, leaving Carl there to sleep, and headed to the front door.
They made their way to the porch and saw everybody gathering near the cop car. Rick and Lori then saw someone they thought was dead.
"Hi, Rick. Lori. Missed me?" Said Michael.
Rick and Lori are shocked to see Michael standing there, alive. Rick smiled a little, seeing someone he calls his little brother, is alive and unharmed. Lori smiled a little also. They then ran towards Michael and embraced him. Rick is laughing and crying at the same time because his little brother is alive.
"Mikey, we thought you were dead." Rick said.
"Not by a long shot, brother." Michael said.
Earlier, when the group saw Michael step out of the car, they greeted him with hugs and handshakes.
Michael earlier asked, "Where's Andrea?"
Amy went to go get her sister.
The Harrison sisters came outside and Andrea's eyes grew wide as she sees why her sister dragged her outside for.
Michael sees Andrea. "Hey, Andrea." He said.
"Mikey? Is it really you?" Andrea asked, still not believing what she is seeing.
Michael chuckled, "Ah, in the flesh. So, don't I get a hug from you? I missed you." He said as he extend his arms out for a hug.
Tears had fallen on Andrea's face as she ran towards Michael and hugs him really tight. She missed him a lot.
"I thought you were dead, Mikey." Andrea said as she sobbed against Michael's chest.
"It's gonna take more than Walkers to keep me from coming back to the people I care about. Mostly back to you, Andrea. Because, if I remember, I owe you a date." Michael said.
"Ha. Yes you do." Andrea said.
Michael then helped Andrea wipe her face from the tears. Then both smiled at each other.
Everyone is glad that Michael is back and alive. Michael explained how he made it out and everything. He then asked Herschel, "How is Carl?"
"He'll pull through, thanks to you, Shane and Otis." said Herschel.
Michael smiled. A sign of relief that Carl will live.
1 hour later
After everyone was setting in, some of the group members were standing at the front of Carol's Cherokee. Rick was beside Hershel as Shane, Amy, Michael and Andrea leaned on the hood. Daryl had finished putting his tent up, glancing around the camp.
"Alright. We're gonna need to know where we're gonna go for supplies." Michael said as Maggie walked back to them with a large rolled up paper in one hand and a couple rocks in the other.
"County survey map." She said as she reached them. She spread the map out onto the hood of the car and set the two rocks down on the top corners to hold it there. "Shows terrain and elevations."
"This is perfect." Shane said as he looked down at the map with the others.
"We can finally get this thing organized." Rick said.
"Great. We'll figure out who's going where, get familiar with the area, etc." Michael said.
"We'll grid the whole area, start going in teams." Rick said.
"Not you. Not today." Hershel said as he looked at Rick, causing the man to look at him. "You gave three units of blood. You wouldn't be hiking five minutes in this heat before passin out." He said.
"While you guys take care of this, Me and Merle will do some hunting here by the creek." Daryl said as he pointed to the creek area on the map.
"All right, tomorrow then. We'll start doin this right." Rick glanced down at the map again.
"That means we can't have our people out there with just knives. Need the gun trainin we've been promisin em." Shane said.
"I'd prefer you not carrying guns on my property. We've managed so far without turnin this into an armed camp." Hershel said.
"All due respect," Shane told him, "we get a crowd of those things wandering in here..."
"We're guests here. This is your property," Rick told Hershel with a nod, "and we will respect that." He removed his Colt Python from it's holster and set it on the hood of Carol's Cherokee, on top of the map. Shane sigh and nodded as he did the same with his Glock 17. Michael last did the same with his Beretta 92FS.
"First things first: set camp."
Shane grabbed his Glock from the hood before taking Rick's and Michael's. "I'll gather and secure all the weapons. Make sure no one's carryin till we're at a practice range off site. I do request one rifleman on lookout. Dale's got experience." Shane said as he looked at Hershel. Everyone waited in silence for a few seconds for the man's reply.
"Our people would feel safer, less inclined to carry a gun." Rick said as he turned to face him. Another couple seconds passed before Hershel nodded. "Thank you."
Daryl slapped his hand on the hood of the car to let them know he and Merle was leaving to hunt as he walked away. Shane also departed to go on gun-collecting detail. So did Michael.
"That stuff you brought, got more antibiotics, bandages, anything like that?" Maggie asked Rick.
"Just what you've seen." Andrea answered her before leaving. Along with Amy.
"We're runnin short already. I should make a run into town." Maggie said to her father.
"Not the place Shane, Mikey and Otis went?" Rick quickly asked, concern etched on his face.
"No, there's a pharmacy just a mile down the road. I've done it before." She said as she looked back at her father.
Rick turned and looked behind him, several feet away where the group was setting up their camp. His eyes were searching for the person he knew he could depend on for this little errand. "See our man there in the baseball cap?" Rick asked as they looked towards the young man. "That's Glenn, our..go-to-town expert. I'd ask him along just to be cautious."
Hershel looked from Rick to Maggie as he tilted his head in Glenn's direction. Maggie nodded her head as she leaned off the car and walked over to the young man.
Shane and Michael had quickly collected the few guns that were floating around the camp and was now laying the gun bag out on the picnic table that was near the RV as Andrea and Amy walked over to them. Shane ejected the clip from his Glock as the Harrison sisters came to a halt at the table.
"Give up our guns?" Andrea asked.
Shane took his hat off before he set it down on the table. "You heard Rick. We're guests here."
"And you guys are okay with it?"
"Andrea, these folks don't want violence. Their peaceful people. They saved Carl. It would be disrespectful to not abide their rules." Michael said.
"I don't want to disrespectful them after they saved Carl. I just don't feel safe without having a gun." Andrea said.
"I know." Michael said.
"Look, we have to strip and clean em anyway. You two still wanna learn?" Shane asked.
Both Andrea and Amy nodded.
"Mikey, you teach Andrea how to do it and I'll teach Amy." Shane said as he and Amy went into the RV.
Andrea reached into her bag and put her Smith & Wesson 3913 "Ladysmith" on the table in front of them. "All right. Sit down." Michael said as they both sat on the benches across from each other. "Unload your gun."
Andrea picked up her gun and started to eject the clip as Michael put his hand on the barrel she had facing towards him. "Hey, hey." He said as he lightly pushed it off to the side. She held it facing away from him as she took out the magazine and set it on the table.
"Sorry." Andrea said.
"It's okay." Michael said. "Check the chamber. Pull it back." He said, motioning with his hands. Andrea did as she was told, showing that it was empty. "See, push that lever out." He said as she once again followed his instructions. She pulled the take down lever out and set it on the table. "It'll slide off." He said. She pulled the slide and it did just as he said. She smiled to herself as she looked down at the gun she was taking apart. Michael smiled also. "You're halfway there."
Moments later
T-Dog, Jacqui, Andrea, Amy, Glenn, Lori, Shane, Michael and Maggie all made their way to a waiting Dale at the well. As they got closer, they all either knelt down or bent over to see into the hole, finally seeing the cause of concern as Dale shone a flashlight towards the bottom. A large Walker had busted the boards when it wandered on top of the well. It was moving around at the bottom, knocking into the pieces of wood floating on the water. It hissed and growled as it looked up at them.
"Looks like we got us a swimmer." Dale said.
"How long you think it's been down there?" Glenn asked as they looked through the now open well.
"Long enough to grow gills." Andrea said as she looked down at the waterlogged Walker. It's color was gray and decaying like most of them were, but the skin covering it was almost transparent from being in the water for so long.
"We can't leave it in there. God knows what it's doin to the water." Lori said.
"We gotta get it out." Shane said as he looked down at it with everyone else.
"Easy. Put a bullet in it's head." T-Dog said. "I'll get a rope."
"Whoa, whoa, guys. No." Maggie said, putting her hands on her hips.
"Why not? It's a good plan." Glenn said as he stood up from his bent over position and looked at her.
"It's a stupid plan." Andrea said as she looked at Glenn before peering back into the well. "If that thing hasn't contaminated the water yet, blowing it's brains out will finish the job."
"She's right...Can't risk it." Shane said.
"So it has to come out alive?" T-Dog asked, looking down at the Walker again.
"So to speak." Shane smiled a little.
Glenn bent back over the well, resting his hands on his knees. "How do we do that?" He asked as he looked around at everyone.
Michael had wrapped the large chunk of ham Maggie brought him from the fridge with twine and tied it to a piece of wood that Dale was holding. He was lowering it down into the well as Shane had a hold on the rope that they had made a noose out of. The plan was to put it around the upper half of the Walker when it reached for the ham. But as they dangled the meat in front of the Walker's face, it acted like it wasn't even there.
"He's not goin for it." Dale said as he and Shane stood side by side, looking into the well.
"Maybe cause a canned ham don't kick and scream when ya try to eat it." T-Dog said, shining the flashlight on the Walker as he leaned against his knee while they all watched.
Dale bobbed the ham up and down in front of the Walker's face again but it turned away from it.
"He's right. There's a reason the dead didn't come back to life and start raiding our cupboards." Lori said.
"We need live bait." Andrea said, then looked at Glenn who was standing next to her.
Glenn felt everyone's eyes on him all of a sudden and stood up straight as he looked around. Maggie, unaware of what they all had in mind, finally looked up, seeing everyone staring expectantly at the errand boy.
"Have I mentioned that I really like your new haircut? You have a nice shaped head." Glenn said as he was sitting on the edge of the well, Shane tightening the rope around him. They'd made a makeshift climbing harness that fit around his thighs and waist.
"Don't worry about it, bud. Hey, we're gonna get outta here in one piece." Shane said as he stood up and handed Glenn the noose that was to go around the Walker.
"Living piece." Glenn said as he took the rope from Shane, shouldering it as he held his flashlight in his hand. "The living part is important."
Shane walked over to the front of the line they'd formed, everyone holding onto the rope. They had it looped around the water pump for support and then leading to Glenn.
"Nice and slow, please." Glenn said as he leaned forward, holding onto the iron bar that went across the length of the well at the top. They had the rope wrapped around it once so it would lower him down smoothly.
"We got you." Andrea said as they all tightened their grip on the rope.
"Oh, you people are crazy." Maggie said from behind them as she stood there with her arms crossed over her chest.
"You wanna get it out of your well or not?" Shane said as he looked back at her.
"Give us an eye there, Maggie." Dale said as he looked at the well.
Maggie uncrossed her arms as she walked to the well and stood next to Glenn. He looked back at her as she shook her head. Glenn let go of the edge of the well as they started to lower him down. He started breathing heavy as he looked from the rusty iron bar that held the rope that was now his lifeline, to the growling Walker below him.
Maggie leaned in over the well to look down at him. "Doin okay?"
"Yup, doin great." He smiled up at her before he looked back down at the Walker. "Livin the dream." He said quietly. He held his flashlight and shone it on the Walker as he took the noose off his shoulder. They kept lowering him down slowly.
"Little lower..Little more." Maggie was coaching them as she watched Glenn get closer and closer to the growling Walker. It was getting more and more agitated the further down Glenn got.
The old rusty screws on the water pump couldn't take the weight anymore as they slowly started separating from the old boards holding it in place. Shane looked from Maggie leaning over the well to the pump when he heard a bang and saw the pump falling to the ground.
Glenn screamed as he felt himself fall a couple feet.
"Get it! Get it!" Maggie yelled as she ran behind Dale and grabbed for the rope.
"Grab it!" T-Dog yelled as Shane let go of the rope and ran to the water pump before it could be ripped away. But he was a second too late. The pump completely separated from the pipes and flew towards the well, Glenn's weight pulling the rope. He fell several feet further into the well as T-Dog and Shane both jumped at the pump.
Glenn's feet were inches from the snarling Walker as it grabbed for him. "Get me out of here!" He yelled between screams.
T-Dog was lying on his back, holding the pump to his chest, his feet planted on the slightly raised sides of the well as he pushed against it, trying to pull Glenn up. Everyone was grabbing for the pump and rope, trying with everything they had not to let Glenn fall further down.
"Get it off. Get off." Glenn said as he looked down at the Walker, grabbing at his feet. He kicked at it's hands and grabbed for the wall trying to pull himself up. "Get off! Get me out!"
Everyone topside was straining as they tried to pull him back up. Without the support from the pump, it felt like he weighed twice as much. "Hang on, Glenn!" Lori yelled.
"Get off me! Get off me!" Glenn screamed at the Walker as he felt it grab onto his foot again. "This is bad. Oh, my God. Guys, get me out! Come on you guys. Get me out of here!" He kicked at it's face again as he dropped his flashlight into the water. "Oh, God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God! Get me out of here!" He yelled to the top of the well.
Everyone on top was yelling at each other to 'pull' as they struggled to get to their feet.
"Get me up. Get me up. Come on, guys. Oh, God." Glenn said as he felt himself slowly being lifted.
"Glenn!" Lori yelled.
"Pull him up! Come on! Pull him up!" Shane yelled as they all started pulling harder.
"Oh, my God. Oh, my God! Pull me up! Pull me up!" Glenn said as he saw the Walker getting farther away beneath him. "Get me out of here!" He yelled as he got to the top. He grabbed onto the iron bar as soon as he was able and pulled himself to the top, launching himself onto the dirt beside the well. Everyone ran to him as he fell to the ground and crawled away on his hands and knees.
Lori put her hands on his back and knelt down in front of him. "Are you okay? All right?" Glenn hung his head to the ground as he tried to catch his breath. He slowly sat up on his knees as they all looked from him to the well.
"Back to the drawing board." Dale said from next to Glenn.
Glenn looked up at him as he got to his feet. "Says you." He said as he handed Dale the other rope. He walked away as he started taking the harness off himself.
Dale took the rope and gave it a tug, noting the weight on the other side that was pulling back. They all quickly walked back to the opening of the well and looked down at the roped Walker.
The Well Walker was growling and snarling as it was being hauled to the surface. Glenn had managed to loop the rope around the Walker as it was grabbing at him in the well. They had a good grip on it, the rope under the thing's arms as they pulled it up. And it was a lot heavier than Glenn. Maggie had gone to get one of the horses and tied the end of the rope to the horn of the saddle, using the horse's power along with theirs to help.
"Come on, guys, pull!" T-Dog shouted. He was standing at the opening of the well, letting them know how much farther they had,. He had the handle of the pump in his hand.
"Come on, y'all!" Shane yelled. "Come on, now."
"Almost there." T-Dog said. "Come on, pull, guys."
"Come on." Shane said as they all pulled on the rope again. "Come on, y'all. Together."
T-Dog looked in the well, hearing the growls getting closer and closer. "Almost there. Come on, pull. Keep it comin."
"Come on, pull. Watch out, Dog." Shane said as he saw the Walker's ugly head come out from the top of the well.
"Nice and easy. Just a little more." T-Dog said as they pulled it out farther. The Walker grabbed at T-Dog's feet as it got out onto the top, causing T to jump out of it's reach. It started growling as he moved away. "Come on, almost there." He said as he brought his hand up to his mouth and nose. "You've gotta pull it, guys. It's stuck! Come on."
"Stop!" Michael said.
"What?" Andrea asked.
"He's caught," Michael observed, "We pull him anymore and that weak skin is gonna break and then we got a bigger contamination problem."
"Then what do you suggest, Mikey?" Andrea asked.
Michael grabbed a two-by-four plank and placed it under the walker's lower half. Then he leaned on the plank like a teeter-totter and the lower half of the walker raised, "Pull!" he grunted. The others obeyed and the walker was on the ground, whole, and struggling to get up.
"You're welcome," Michael said, leaving T-Dog to do the honors of putting the thing down as he slammed the pump's handle into the Walker's head several times.
Maggie, who had walked closer to the group, turned away as she let out a whimper and brought her arm up to her mouth. She walked towards the horse as Glenn turned and watched her.
"Good thing we didn't do anythin stupid like shoot it." T-Dog said as he looked at them. He threw the handle on the ground as he turned and walked away.
After the well mess was cleaned up, Michael decide to go with Glenn and Maggie on their run to the pharmacy. Before he left, he told Andrea that he was going on a run with Glenn and Maggie and to get ready for tonight. Why? Because tonight, they are gonna have their date outside at the bench near the RV. Michael decided that the farm was a perfect place to have their date. It is a beautiful and peaceful place. Just how he wants it.
Glenn had listened to the clapping of the horse's hooves on the road for the last few minutes and couldn't take the silence anymore as he kept stealing glances at the pretty stranger accompanying him. Michael is riding on the same horse with Maggie.
"You know, normally, uh, this is the kinda thing I do on my own. Solo." He laughed. Maggie grimaced at his attempt at small talk. "It's sort of my thing, you know? I'm a loner." He finished, waiting for her to talk to him. She hadn't said a word since they'd left the farm. She kept her eyes on the road in front of them as they entered the town. "You all right?" Glenn asked.
"I'm fine."
Glenn didn't have much experience with women, but he knew enough to tell all was not 'fine'. "I saw the look on your face..back at the well...Never seen one killed up close before?" Glenn looked at the back of her head for a reply as he followed her horse towards the pharmacy. She didn't answer again. In all honesty, it was the first she had seen killed at all. "Guess it's kind of a shock...You know, being out on the road, we've seen a lot. Guess we've gotten a little numb to it." Glenn furrowed his brow.
"Whoa." Maggie pulled the reins, bringing her horse to a stop. "I guess so." She said to Glenn as she and Michael got off their horse. He followed their example as Maggie started tying the reins around the pole that held up the awning above the pharmacy.
While Glenn and Maggie went into the pharmacy, Michael went to a jewelry store next door from the pharmacy. He wanted to get something for Andrea. He told Glenn and Maggie he'll meet back with them in 5 or 10 minutes. He took out his dagger and went into the store. Once inside, he scanned the store for any Walkers. Safe to say, No Walkers to be found. He saw a Jewelrey counter and walked over to it. He looked at the types of jewelreys. He didn't know what to get Andrea. He saw a ring that was really nice. The sign on it said 'Diamond Engagment Ring'.
"No not that." Michael muttered to himself. He continued staring at it those. He closed it in its box and slipped it into his pocket. "Maybe one day."
He then saw a necklace. It was a gold heart necklace. It was beautiful. Just like Andrea. He picked it up and placed it in a box. After that he left the store and met up with Glenn and Maggie.
Moments later
They got got back to the farm and Michael went to go set things up for his and Andrea's date. First, he went to see how Carl is, then with help from the ladies with the food.
Night time
We see Michael and Andrea having their date dinner. An oil lamp for candies. As they are eating, Michael takes out the box.
"This is for you, Andrea." He said as he hands the box to her.
"Aw, Mikey you shouldn't have." Andrea said as she takes the box and opens it. She then pulls out the gold heart necklace. When she saw it, she loved it. "It's beautiful, Mikey. I love it."
Michael smiles. "May I put it on for you, Andrea?" He asked.
"Yes." Andrea said as Michael takes the necklace and puts it on her.
"How does it look on me?" Andrea asked.
"It looks beautiful on you, Andrea. Just like you." Michael said as they looked at each for a moment. Then both lean towards each other. Then the unthinkable happen. They shared their first kiss. It was a passionate moment for them. They broke the kiss and smiled at each other. They continue finishing their dinner.
After they finish their dinner, they cleaned up and everything. Michael walks Andrea to the RV.
"Tonight was amazing." Andrea said.
"It sure was."Michael said. "Well, off to bed now."
They shared one more kiss before going to bed.
"Goodnight, Mikey." Andrea said.
"Goodnight, Andrea." Michael said.
Andrea went inside the RV while Michael went inside his tent.
Just when Michael was asleep, he woke up to the sound of footsteps. The sound stop awhile. Then the sound started again. He got out to see who or what was making that sound. He is carrying binoculars. He stopped near the RV, peeked from there and saw it was Lori making those sounds.
"Why is she out here and where is she going? Michael thought as he hides as Lori looked behind to see if anybody is around.
Lori walked until she came to a log laying in the tall grass that would provide her with a little more privacy. She looked around her, making sure the immediate area was clear, from anything both living, or dead. Unknown to her, Michael hidden behind the RV.
Michael uses the binoculars to see what she is doing.
He sees Lori jammed the knife into the dead log as she reached behind her, pulling a bag from the waistband of her pants. She threw the bag on the ground and she undid her belt and pants. She squatted down behind the log and held something under her.
Three minutes later
Michael sees Lori burying something in the ground. He saw Lori was about to head back to the house. He quickly and quietly hid behind the back of the RV. He waited until she got further to the house. He quietly moved to the left side of the RV. He waited a moment until he heard the house door close. He knew Lori was inside now.
He went to the spot Lori was at. Saw a footprint that shows where she burying whatever she burying. He took out his dagger and jammed it into the footprint area. Then dragged it across the ground until it hit something. He pulled his dagger towards the object and then the object popped out of the ground. He picked it up and flick some of the dirt off it. Then looked at it and realized what it is... a pregnancy test.
He saw it was tested positive, meaning one thing.
"Lori, you're pregnant." Michael thought.
He's the only one that knows Lori's pregnant. But what confused him is why would she used the test out here and not in the bathroom? And then try to hide it? Lots of questions going through his head. He decided to keep it to himself and wait until he decide when to confront Lori about it.
He refilled the spot that the test was buried so Lori doesn't know that someone dug up the test. Found the bag it was in and puts the test in and went to his tent to hide it. After that, he decided to go to sleep. But he told himself that he'll get to the bottom of this.
That does it for this chapter. As always, Read and Review! Please give me some feedback! Next chapter will take place during episode Secret. Also, I want to give my respect to the Late Ultimate Warrior. RIP. 1959-2014. "Always Believe!"
