You're here for another chapter, and I'm here to deliver it. Sorry about the lack of updates, my grandfather passed away, so I've been dealing with the funeral. Currently on season 3, but I forgot how emotional season 2 was with Shane's death, but then following with a few main deaths in season 3, like Lori and T-Dog. Anyways, let's get started!
Disclaimer I don't own The Walking Dead, just my ocs and plotlines.
Josie's POV
She watches her son's breathing, keeping an eye on it at all costs. If she looks away even for a second, he could die. Why did I let him go? What type of mother am I? She knew her now dead husband would be a better protector of her kids than her. Maybe she should have died, and he should be in her place.
"Mom?" His voice asks and she cries looking at him awake.
"Baby." She sobs and he smiles warmly at her.
"Where are we?" He asks, looking worriedly around him.
"We're at a farm. They're helping us out with a few things. They're good people." She explains to him and he nods his head. "How did this happen?" She asks him.
He winced at the memory of looking at his lifted leg. "I stood in a bear trap. Jeremy and Daryl helped me out of it. I could have lost my leg if they weren't there."
"I'll thank them." Josie promises Connor and he smiles before drifting back to sleep.
She was really stressed out from everything. But she's glad that he's awake and there is no fever.
Jeremy's POV
Jeremy jolts up from his sleep. He runs a hand down his face and recognises where he was instantly. You're okay, idiot. Man up. He keeps on dreaming what happened after the fish fry. But everyone dying and leaving him all alone instead of what actually happened. Or his dream turns to the CDC, same result, everyone staying behind with that mad man, and the CDC blowing up with everyone inside, and he was watching it from afar.
But what did Jenner say to Callie? He needed to find out. He wouldn't whisper to her if it wasn't important. He wouldn't have told her at all.
That's when he realises that no one is in the RV. Oh god. Is it real? Did it happen? He hops out of the RV in a hurry, the door slamming into the side of the RV as his feet touch the ground.
"You okay?" Dale's voice asks and he looks up at him relieved. He sees Carol sitting up with him, looking at him in worry.
"Yeah- yeah I'm good. Where's everyone at?" Jeremy wonders. He doesn't want them to think that he's unhinged.
"Looking for Sophia." Dale answers and he nods his head before climbing up the RV ladder to join them.
It was silent for a moment. Peaceful. Or tense. Jeremy had no idea. He was too tired to read the signs.
"You don't need to worry. They're with Daryl. If something happens, he can protect them." Carol assures the older man. Jeremy thought it was kind of her to reassure him. Considering that she's the one that needs reassuring because of her daughter missing. "You hear what I'm saying?" Carol speaks firmly.
Dale blinks a few times. "Sorry, all I heard was if something happens. You mind keeping watch?" Dale stands up and holds the rifle to Carol.
Carol goes pale. "I don't know how to use that."
"I will." Jeremy tells him and Dale hands him the rifle.
"I won't be gone long. If you see anything, call out. I'm not going far. I'll hear you." Dale tells him.
"Alright. Be careful." Jeremy tells him as Dale descends the ladder.
Jeremy checks the chamber and sees a bullet loaded ready.
Carol looks worriedly at the tree line a few times, and Jeremy puts together that it may be where the others went.
"Sophia's a smart girl. She'll be holed up somewhere. We'll find her." Jeremy assures the older woman. She smiles warmly at him, with a few tears in her eyes.
"Thank you." She falls silent for a moment. "I'm sorry."
Jeremy gives her a quizzical look. "For what?"
"For how I treated Callie. Blaming her and Rick for Sophia going missing. It wasn't their fault. They're the ones that went after her in the first place." Carol tells him and he shakes his head.
"You were upset. They don't blame you for acting this way. Callie doesn't blame you." Jeremy assured her and Carol lets out a choked breath before her whole body racks with sobs. Jeremy wraps an arm around her in comfort.
He just hopes he's right about Sophia. Please be alive.
Tabby's POV
T-Dog is getting his arm stitched up by Patricia. He was hissing in pain as she prodded the needle through the skin. It's been some time since Callie has run through to the room where Carl is. Something bad happened since no one has emerged from the room since, so Tabby has taken it upon herself to look after Maya.
"You got here right on time. This couldn't go untreated much longer." Patricia points out and T clenches his teeth as she pulls the thread hard. "Merle Dixon. Is that the friend with the antibiotics?" She asks, not taking her eyes off of T-Dog.
"No, ma'am. Merle's no longer with us. Daryl gave us those." Glenn speaks up, and he adds on. "His brother."
Patricia threads the needle again. "Not sure I'd call him a friend." T-Dog mutters and Tabby knew the hatred he had for the man. Merle was a racist, homophobic, sexist, drug addict alcoholic. He was a horrible man. Tabby wouldn't admit it out loud to anyone, but she was glad that he was gone. Daryl and Callie have contributed to the group a lot more since then, especially Daryl. He's changed, for the better.
"He is today. This doxycycline might have just saved your life. You know what Mere was taking it for?" Patricia asks and both Glenn and Tabby looked at each other nervously. Summer looked between them curiously.
"The clap." Glenn answers honestly and the room falls silent. Tabby groans and puts her head in her hands. Tabby sees Glenn look at the girl, Maggie, nervously. "Um... venereal disease. That's what Daryl said." Glenn still tries to save the situation but it was too late.
"I'd say Merle's clap was the best thing to ever happen to you." Patricia comments and Summer is giggling in the corner.
T-Dog grimaces at the thought. "I'm really trying not to think about that."
"What's clap?" Maya's voice breaks through the room and Summer cackles as she leaves. Tabby looks at Glenn but he shakes his head wildly.
"Nope. All you." He states before running out the room.
The Greene women all look at Tabby who pursues her lips. Tabby holds eye contact with Maya and shakes her head.
"Something that we're not talking about. Adults only." Tabby tells her and Maya accepts the answer. Tabby makes eye contact with Noa who is grinning, Patricia was smirking while finishing T-Dog's arm, she was wrapping it up. Maggie quickly leaves the house, following Glenn.
Tabby was done with that man. She's gonna have a talk with him about bringing up subjects and not explaining them.
Callie's POV
She is resting on the chair while Rick and Lori were on the floor by Carl's bed. They've been sitting in silence ever since the seizure. Hershel is still by the bedside, not venturing very far from him.
"Can I talk to Lori for a moment?" Rick asks and Callie nods her head and leaves the room. She enters the kitchen where T-Dog is sitting nicely, Maya touching his arm much to his dismay. Noa, Patricia and Beth were cleaning the kitchen when Maggie and Glenn walk in through the front door.
"Hey." Glenn perks up at the sight of her. "How is he?"
Callie shakes her head. "Not good. Rick and Lori are gonna make a choice."
Glenn looks confused for a moment. "What choice?"
"Whether to do the surgery with or without the equipment if Shane and Otis don't turn up soon." Callie tells him and all of their faces pale. At that moment, Callie don't mind Maya hearing this. It was serious.
"Where's Josie?" She changes the subject and Glenn points to another room.
The door where Carl is staying in opens and Hershel peaks his head out. He looks at Tabby and Patricia. "I need you both now." They both hurry into the room, closing the door behind them.
Callie knocks on the door and opens it, seeing Josie wiping her face. She looks at Connor.
"How is he?" She asks the mother.
She smiles. "He woke up just now. A bit confused and his foot in pain but he went back to sleep."
Callie smiles. "That's good."
Why is everything happening at once? First Sophia going missing, then Carl getting shot, now Connor with his leg. They can't catch a break.
"How are you?" Callie asks the woman, after hearing that she had heatstroke.
"Tired. Thirsty. Hungry." Josie lists and Callie snorts.
"Aren't we all?" Callie jokes and Josie smiles. "I'll get you something." Callie tells her before walking off. She didn't want to hear any protests from the mother. She needed some refreshments and to be taken cared of. Especially for the growing little one.
Tabby's POV
She was standing behind Hershel as he checks over Carl once again. This was the first time that she was with the man he seems like a good man to her.
"He's still losing blood faster than we can replace it. And with the swelling in his abdomen we can't wait any longer or he's just going to slip away. Now I need to know right now if you want me to do this, because I think your boy is out of time." Hershel explains and Tabby has tears in her eyes. "You have to make a choice." Hershel orders them and Lori looks at him with wide eyes.
"A choice?" She snaps. Hershel doesn't take it personally due to the woman under a lot of stress.
Rick looks like he hasn't had much sleep at all. He looks ready to drop. But maybe it's due to the amount of blood that he has given already. "A choice." He repeats under his breath before looking Lori right in the eyes. "You have to tell me what it is." Lori looks hesitant and ready to bite back. "You have to tell me what it is." He repeats steadily this time which gains her attention.
Hershel, herself and Patricia look on in anticipation.
"We do it." Lori finally says and they look at Hershel. Patricia quickly runs out of the room.
"Okay. Get the corner of that bed. Let's get the sheets down." Hershel instructs and they gather everything. Patricia rolls in a table and Tabby grabs the other end and they turn it to match the bed. They didn't want to turn Carl in any direction whatsoever. Technically this was her first ever surgery that she is needed, only took an apocalypse to be a part of one. "Get the I.V bag on the sheet." Hershel orders and Tabby grabs it, carefully unhooking it from the pole and laying it down next to Carl. "Okay, on three. One. Two. Three." They hoist him up and carefully place him down on the table.
Patricia grabs the bedside lamp and puts it overhead, so they have enough light for the surgery.
"Rick, Lori, you may want to step out." Hershel tells them.
They hear a vehicle approaching the house and stop what they're doing. Rick rushes to the window, and peeks through. "Oh god." Rick cries and runs out of the house followed by Lori.
"You stay here with him." Hershel instructs both herself and Patricia.
"It's gonna be a long night." Tabby comments and Patricia hums in agreement.
Callie's POV
Callie sees Rick, Lori and Hershel run out of the house and everyone follows them. They see Shane exit a truck. Thank god!
"Carl?" Shane asks, his eyes wild and he looks shaken up.
"There's still a chance." Rick answers immediately and Shane hands the bags over to Hershel. Hershel takes a step towards the house before turning back once again.
"Otis?" He asks.
Shane looks like a deer caught in headlines for a moment, it was so quick that it can be easily missed. But Callie saw it. She saw that look.
"No." Shane finally answers. He's lying. Callie knew that. But about what?
"We say nothing to Patricia. Not till after. I need her." Hershel states before running back into the house.
It falls silent amongst the group. Maggie and Noa are crying, while Lori consoles them.
"They kept blocking us at every turn. We had nothing left. We were down to ten rounds. Then he said... he said he'd cover me and that I should keep going. So that's what I did. I just... I kept going. But I... I looked back and he... I tried." Shane manages to get out and Rick grabs him into a hug.
"He tried to make it right."
But one thing that Callie read on the man, is that he was lying. But she saw Shane hand Rick his colt python. What? If Otis told Shane that he would cover him, why the hell would Shane have his gun?
Ooo I'm evil for leaving it there. I thought that it was weird Rick didn't pick it up that Shane killed Otis, or that it wasn't shown in the show much. The only ones that were very suspicious of it was Dale and Daryl. But I wanted Callie to be her usual observational self and see it. I mean, it doesn't take a detective. It was very obvious from the start. I also wanted Carol to have some support from the characters, and I hope this redeems Jeremy in any way. But anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you think.