Save The Last One: Part 1 of 2

Flash forward: Shane is seen taking a shower seemingly after he has returned from the school. When he steps out, there is a bald spot on his head, in which he proceeds to shave hall of his hair off. Then for some odd reason, he looks at himself angrily in the mirror...

(Intro)

As Shane and Otis were running down the school hallway with the walkers and Raptors right on their trail, Rick and Lori were talking about the time Shane stole the principal's car, and that he was strong enough to make it back. Shane and Otis came to a dead end, due to the doors at the end of the hallway being locked. With nowhere to go, they turn the corner and take a left, down to another hallway. As they turn the corner, a raptor jumps right where they were just standing and nearly tackles Otis. The Duo continue to run as fast as they can to try to find a way out.

—

Hershel's Farm

"What you said before, you were right. Shane's gonna make it back with what that doctor needs. He'll make it back," Rick said to Lori. Lori started to tear up.

"Hershel said you need to eat," she said softly.

"Carl's gonna be alright," Rick reassured her. She looked at him with hopeless eyes.

"Please. For me? You've gotta keep your strength up," Lori said. Rick nodded and grabbed the peanut-butter and jelly sandwich that Hershel had left for him and ate some. Lori was caressing Carl's hand, as he still lay motionless.

—

RV

Back in the RV, everyone was asleep, except for Daryl, Andrea, and Carol who was crying over Sophia. Andrea was loading a few clips.

"I need my clip now," Daryl said to Andrea as he got up. She handed him his clip.

"I'm gonna walk the road. Look for the girl," he said. Carol looked at him, and he looked back at her and exited the RV.

"I'm coming too," Andrea said as she got out of the RV.

"Going for a walk. Shine some light in the forest. If she's out there, give her something to look at," Daryl said.

"That doesn't seem like the best idea," Wu said. Andrea shot him a dirty look.

"We'll be fine Wu," she said.

"Many of the dinosaurs are nocturnal. Just be cautious," he said.

"Relax. We'll be fine," Daryl said. Wu nodded but Dale just shook his head.

—

School

Otis and Shane had made it to the gym, but were stuck on top of the bleachers with the walkers down below them. Luckily, the raptors were towards the back of cluster. They both knew how high Raptors could jump, so they had to find a way out soon. Very soon. Shane noticed some windows across the room from them.

"Those windows; what's on the other side?" Shane asked.

"About a 20 foot drop. Nothing to catch you, maybe some bushes, Then the Athletic field," Otis said trying to catch his breath.

"We just need enough time! We gotta get up there, We gotta get 'em open, and get out," Shane said.

"Not me, Maybe you," Otis said.

"Hey, Hey, Hey," Shane said.

"Come on man, look at me! You really think I can squeeze through one of them tiny windows? They'd be all over us," Otis said. Suddenly, they heard an ear-piercing screech as one of the raptors jumped on top of the bleachers. Shane was ready to shoot it, when all of the sudden, the walkers grabbed its leg and dragged it back down. As it fell, Shane and Otis heard a bone snap, as the raptor's leg bone came out of its skin and was unable to walk. When it was on the ground, the walkers began to devour the raptor! As if in retaliation, the other three raptors began attacking the large group of walkers.

"Look. Now the raptors are distracted. We lay down some fire to get a head start. You stay here. I hop down and draw them away. That gives you the chance to get up the bleachers and get out a window," Otis explained.

"And where do you go? Those dinos'll tear you to pieces!" Shane said.

"Locker Room. Down those steps. If I can get ahead of the Raptors, I can make it," Otis said still catching his breath.

"Looks like a good way to get trapped," Shane said.

"It's got window's too. And more my size. I get out through one, I double back, we meet out on the field," Otis said.

"You a crazy son of a bitch ain't you?" Shane said. The raptors had finished their retaliation against the walkers, and were trying to figure out a way to get up to the bleachers.

"Just trying to do right for that boy," Otis said. Shane just looked at him for a second then spoke.

"You take three shots and you go. After that I fire. I'll lay down a cover for you, try to draw the raptors away as much as I can. I'll get you a lead," Shane said.

"All right," Otis said. Otis wasted no time in taking out three of the walkers. He didn't bother with the raptors. Otis jumped, but landed hard on his foot. Almost in the same manner that the raptor did, only he didn't break his. As he fell on the ground, a raptor pounced on him, but did not eat him. It simply jumped on his back and bit into his vest and kept on tugging it. It was nearly impossible for him to get free. The second he thought he was doomed, Shane was still up in the bleachers and fired his shotgun, and hit the raptor dead in the chest, killing it instantly. The other two raptors were too busy fighting the walkers to help their second fallen comrade. Now there were only two raptors left, but still too many walkers to count. Otis got up, narrowly avoiding the walkers and the last two raptors as he headed for the locker room. Shane was still providing him with cover fire. Taking out as many walkers as he could. Unfortunately, he was unable to take out the remaining raptors. Otis had made it to the locker room, where most of the walkers had followed him. Shane hopped down from the bleachers and made a beeline for the windows. But one of the raptors was smart enough to realize that Otis was merely a diversion for Shane to get away. The raptor vocalized a call for help from the one that was chasing after Otis. This raptor heard the call of the Alpha, and ran back to help her out. Shane heard this and ran as fast as he could to the window while a few other walkers had stayed behind and ran towards him. The walkers went up the stairs, but the Raptors simply jumped up as Shane was breaking the glass on the windows. They were closing in on him fast. He took out the walkers, but the raptors were too fast for him to shoot them. Shane quickly dropped his bag in the bush below the window. When he put his head back in, one of the raptors was right in his face. He kicked it back. As he prepared to jump out the window, a raptor rammed him from behind, causing him to fall into the bushes. Shane had a fraction of a second to shift his body so he landed on his feet rather than his spine. But when he landed, he badly sprained his right ankle. As Shane semi-safely made it to the ground, The two raptors looked out the window. When they realized they could not fit through, they turned around and ran back into the gym to find another way out. Meanwhile, Shane heard gunshots, grabbed his bags and limp-ran to find Otis.

—

Hershel's Farm

Glenn, T-Dog, Jacob and Zachary had arrived on Hershel's farm.

"So do we ring the bell? I mean, it looks like people live here?" Glenn said.

"We're past this kinda stuff aren't we?" T-Dog asked.

"Just because the world ends, doesn't mean you shouldn't be polite," Zach said. Jacob and Glenn chuckled at this.

"Damn right buddy," Jacob laughed. The four of them walked on the porch. Maggie was sitting there.

"Did you close the gate up the road when you drove in?" she asked.

"Uh, hi," Glenn said nervously.

"Yes. We closed it. Did the latch and everything," Jacob said.

"Hello. Nice to see you again. We uh met before briefly," Glenn said.

"Look, we came to came to help. There anything we can do?" T asked, at the same time grunting in pain from his cut. Maggie looked at it worriedly.

"It's not a bite. I cut myself pretty bad though," he said.

"We'll have it looked at. I'll tell them you're here," Maggie said.

"We've got some painkillers and antibiotics. Glenn already gave him some. Maybe if Carl needs any," Jacob said.

"Come on inside, I'll make you something to eat," Maggie said.

"Oh boy! I'm starved!" Zach said. Maggie smiled at him and brought everyone inside. Glenn T-Dog and Jacob went in to see Carl. Zach wanted to come in, but Jacob told him to stay in the living room. Hershel was taking Carl's blood pressure.

"Hey," said Glenn to Rick.

"Hey," Rick said back.

"Um, we're here okay?" Glenn said.

"Thank you," Rick said back.

"Whatever you need, we're here," T-Dog said. Rick nodded and put his hand on his head. Maggie took Glenn, Jacob and T-Dog back to the living room. Meanwhile, Hershel examined Carl once again.

"If they don't get back soon, we're gonna have a decision to make," Hershel said.

"And that is?" Rick asked.

"Whether to operate on your boy without the respirator," Hershel said,

"You said that wouldn't work," Lori said.

"I know. It's extremely unlikely, but we can't wait much longer," Hershel said. Lori got up out of her chair and left after hearing this, and Rick went to follow her. In the meantime, Hershel continued to tend to Carl.

—-

Forest

Andrea and Daryl were walking through the woods discussing what might have happened to Sophia.

"You really think we'll find Sophia out here?" Andrea said. Daryl looked at her and paused for a moment.

"You got that look on your face same as everybody else. What the Hell is wrong with you people? We just started looking," he said.

"Well do you?" she asked.

"It ain't the deserts of Montana or the Rockies. It's Georgia. She could be in a farmhouse somewhere. People get lost they survive. It happens all the time," Daryl said as they kept walking.

"She's only 12," Andrea said.

"Hell I was younger than her and I got lost. Nine days, in the woods eating berries, wiping my ass with poison oak," Daryl said.

"They found you?" Andrea asked.

"My old man was off on a bender with some waitress. Merle was doing another stint in Juvie. Didn't even know I was gone. Made my way back though. Went straight to the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. No worse for wear, except my ass itched something awful," Daryl said. Andrea laughed at his tale.

"I'm sorry," she said in between chuckles, "But that is a terrible story," they both laughed.

"Only difference is, Sophia's got people looking for her. I call that an advantage," Daryl said. Suddenly, they heard a cry of what they thought to be a dilophosaurus in a nearby cluster of shrubs. Andrea looked startled. Daryl shot an arrow into the bushes and an infant Dilophosaur ran out of the bushes and back into the woods.

"Damn overgrown lizards. Come on. Let's keep looking a little more then turn in for the night," Daryl said. Andrea nodded and the duo continued combing the forest.

—

Hershel's Farm

Rick and Lori were standing out on the porch, hoping and waiting for Shane and Otis to come back.

"Maybe this isn't a world for children anymore," Lori said.

"Yeah, well we have a child. Carl is here, in this world now," Rick said.

"Maybe he shouldn't be. Maybe this is how it's supposed to be," Lori said. Rick looked shocked that she would say such a thing.

"You can't mean that," he said. Lori just looked at him and they both fell silent for a few seconds.

"Okay. All right. I can understand that thought crossing your mind," he said.

"It didn't cross my mind Rick. I can't stop thinking about it. Why do we want Carl to live in this world? To have this life? So that he can see more people torn apart and devoured in front of him? So that he can be hungry and scared? For however long he has before he..." Lori said, starting to tear up.

"So he can run and run and run and run, and then if he survives he ends up—he ends up just another animal who doesn't know anything except survival? If he— If he dies tonight, it ends for him... Tell me why it would be better another way," she said now near crying. Rick turned away from her and went silent before speaking.

"What changed?" he asked.

"What?" Lori said.

"Jenner offered us a way out. You and Jacob asked him to let us keep trying. You both, begged him 'For as long as we can' you said. What changed?" Rick said.

"The other day. It was just a second but I forgot Jacqui was dead. I turned around, I wanted to tell her something, I almost said her name. It was a second, and then I remembered. But then I realized she didn't have to see any of it. The highway, the herds, the T-Rex, Sophia, Carl getting shot- she didn't... she doesn't have to be afraid anymore. Hungry. Angry. It hasn't stopped happening Rick. It's like we live with a knife at our throats every second of every day! But Jacqui doesn't. Not anymore. And then... I thought... 'Maybe Jenner was right,' " Lori said, venting her anger and sadness. At this, Rick was getting upset, holding his head in his hand.

"I don't accept that. I can't accept that. That man surrendered. It doesn't matt— It doesn't matter what he said. None of it. You really think it'd be better if Carl-?" he said, pausing and looking at Lori who was now crying.

"If we just gave up?" Rick said, trying to get through to her.

"Tell me why, it would be better the other way. Please," she said, as if everything Rick had said meant nothing to her. They both didn't say anything and just looked at each other.

—-

School

Shane was sneaking around the outside of the school still limping. There were walkers, and the two raptors that were in the gym, as they had very swiftly found a way out of the school. Shane ducked down behind a chain-link fence to avoid detection. He slowly began to creep away from the cluster of flesh eaters. He came to the top of a stair way where two other raptors were waiting for him.

"They set a trap," he said to himself. Shane wasted no time as he shotgunned one of the raptors in the head, killing it instantly. The other raptor noticing this, called for help. Within the minute, the two raptors from the gym came up behind Shane, and two more came out of the woods. With a total of five raptors surrounding him, he knew he couldn't shoot his way out. The cry of the raptor not only attracted the raptors, but the walkers as well. As they were about to pounce on him, Shane saw an opening and literally tackled the raptor directly in front of him and made a break for it. Miraculously, he sustained no injuries from the raptors, though they, as well as the walkers were hot on his trail. He realized he was cornered and limped as fast as he could to escape the threats closing in on him. He came to a dead end with a fence and loaded his gun as fast as he could. Just as one of the five raptors was about to attack him, a shot from behind it plunged into its back, killing it instantly. It was Otis! The remaining raptors went for an attack on him, but Shane shot one in the leg, so it decided to retreat. The other three did the same, following their alpha, and ran off somewhere. Now all they had to deal with were the walkers. Shane shot two and, and Otis used his last bullet to take out a walker that was cornering Shane. Shane limped over to Otis.

"Man I thought I lost you," he said.

"That was my last rifle round," Otis said

"Mine too. Come on. Come on!" Shane said as Otis helped him walk. The two carried on as fast as they could to escape the school.

—

Farm

Rick and Lori were sitting outside of the bedroom Carl was in not saying anything. Suddenly they heard Carl coughing and went in to see what the problem was. Billy was in the room with Hershel and Carl.

"Where are we?" Carl asked. Lori went to his side and comforted him.

"Hey there little man. That's Hershel. We're in his house. You had an accident," Rick explained to him.

"It hurt a lot," Carl said as he winced.

"Oh baby I know," Lori said.

"You should have seen the dinosaur mom," Carl said. Lori smiled at him.

"It was so pretty mom; it was so big, and so close. I've never been-" suddenly Carl started to pass out.

"Carl?" Rick asked? All of a sudden Carl started shaking violently.

"What is happening?!" Lori sobbed as she and Rick went to hold him.

"Wait! It's a seizure!" Billy said.

"If you hold him down you could hurt him," Hershel added.

"You can't stop it?!" Lori asked alarmingly.

"He has to just go through it," Hershel said. Lori and Rick watched helplessly as their son shook violently one the bed. When Carl finally stopped shaking, he relaxed and Hershel touched his head.

"His brain isn't getting enough blood," he said. "He needs another transfusion,"

"Okay I'm ready," Rick said looking pale.

"I can't take anymore out of you. Your body could shut down, you could go into a coma," Hershel explained.

"You're wasting time," Rick said. Hershel didn't agree but he prepared to do the transfusion anyway.

"Wait," Billy spoke up. "Let me do it. We have the same blood type. I'm sorry I never said anything before, but I'm willing to do this,"

"Are you sure? You know you don't have to do this," Rick said.

"And if you do this, you'll wind up passed out on the floor. I've got this Rick. It's the least I can do until Otis and your friend come back," Billy reassured him. Rick nodded in appreciation as Billy prepared to give blood to Carl. Lori gently touched Billy's hand.

"Thank you," Billy nodded back at her as he transferred his blood to Carl.

—-

School

After Shane and Otis had escaped the walkers, they headed down a staircase to look for a way out of the school grounds.

"Come on man we need a way out!" Shane said. Otis was gasping for air.

"Just let me catch my breath," he said. Shane rolled his eyes out of view of Otis. Suddenly, in the distance, the heard the cry of the raptors and knew it was only a matter of time before the beasts caught up to them. To make matters worse, several dozen walkers came at them from behind the fence they were resting on. Otis helped Shane limp away to find an exit. Little did they know that the Alpha Raptor was hunting them...