Protective

Five

Rick held Harley as he ran with Carl. Carl was crying till his dad almost dropped Harley. "How far? How far?"

"About a mile that way! Talk to Hershel and he'll help your sister."

"Come on, dad." Carl said as they continued to run.

Rick stopped to adjust Harley in his arm as he ran. "Was she bit." The man asked.

"No. Shot by your man." Rick said.

"Otis?"

"He said find Hershel. Is that you?" Rick asked as he held Harley. "Help me. Help my friend's sister."

"Get her inside." Hershel tells him.

Rick carried Harley with Carl crying. Carl watched his dad help them with Harley. "Is she alive?" Carl asked them.

"We got a faint heartbeat."

Rick grabbed Carl and stepped out. "Damian and Daryl." Carl says as they walked back in.

"What's her blood type?"

"A." Carl tells them.

"Same as ours." Rick said.

"That's unfortunate. What happened?" Hershel asked.

Otis tells them what happened, but Carl looked at with tears. "That should have been me. She pushed me out of the way just as the gun went off."

Rick pulled Carl close as he cried. He looked at Harley and smiled. Harley saved his son's life and now, he will make sure she lives. Not because Daryl and Damian will kill him.
~~~
Carl sat with his dad and Shane as he listened to his dad tell Shane that Harley shouldn't have came. "If she didn't come then that would be me in there, dad."

Rick looked at Carl as the door opened to hear Harley screaming in crying. "Rick..." She said as they walked into the room. "She needs blood."

Harley laid crying as Carl looked at her. "Damian!" She screamed in cried.

"Stop it! You're killing her."

Carl started crying till he heard that she passed out. Carl looked at his dad as they had him sit down as he was giving blood. "Dad, Damian and Daryl don't know."

"They don't even know what's going on." Rick said.

Carl remembered the threat and knew they were going to be upset when they find out about Harley. Following his dad out of the room, Carl stopped at the door and looked back at Harley and hopes she will make it. He heard them talking about going to get Damian and Daryl. Carl looked at Maggie as she knew what the boy wanted. "Will you get Damian Johnson and Daryl Dixon?" He asked. "She needs them here."

"I will."
~~~
Damian walked ahead of the group when they heard Andrea scream. "Of course." He mumbled as they all ran back to her.

They stopped to see a woman on a horse holding a baseball bat and the walker laying on the ground. "Damian Johnson? Daryl Dixon?"

"Yeah." Damian said.

"You two need to come with me. There's been an accident. Harley's been shot."

Daryl and Damian looked at one another. "You get your brother's bike and go there. Give him directions on how to get there."

Damian listened to the directions, but for right now, Daryl needed to be there. They walked away causing Daryl to look at Damian. "Why not you? She's your damn sister."

"She may be my sister, but I feel bad enough that Sophia is out there. She needs one of us and you are the one to be there for her." He said. "Daryl, I will be there if we haven't found Sophia yet."

Daryl nodded as they headed back to the highway.
~~~
Carl sat outside as his dad walked out. He didn't say a word till he saw Daryl's bike. "Daryl's here." Carl said. "Where's Damian?"

"We'll find out." Rick said as he walked down there to tell Daryl what happened.

Carl watched as Daryl shoved Rick out of the way as he marched in. Walking into the room that held Harley, he grabbed her hand and kissed her head. "Why did you let this happen?"

"Daryl, dad didn't. Harley pushed  me out of the way." He said. "I think she saw the gun."

Daryl looked at Harley and walked back to her as he held her hand. Rick knew that Daryl was pissed. "What the hell happened?"

"It was an hunting accident. Otis..."

"The dumbass who shot Harley."

"Yes, but Otis is making it up to us by getting what we need to save her. Shane's with him."

Daryl nodded. "Have you've done this procedure?"

Carl heard him tell Daryl how he can do this surgery, but it was different. Hershel was a veterinarian meaning this will be his first time to do anything on a human. "Will you save her?" Carl asked.

"I'll try my best."
~~~
That night, Hershel was checking Harley's blood pressure. "Pressure's dropping again." He tells them. "We can't wait much longer."

"Take some more. Whatever she needs." Rick says. "Then I'm gonna go."

"Where?" Carl said.

"He said five miles.."

Daryl listened to them. "You're not going anywhere." He tells Rick. "Carl needs you and your the only damn blood source we have to save her."

"You love her."

"So what if I do." Daryl said. "Damnit, Rick. She risked her damn life to protect a child that isn't hers. Your ass better stay here or I will kill you before Damian gets that chance."

Rick nodded as he walked out, but stopped as he heard Daryl. "She better not die." Was all he said as Rick walked out.

Daryl looked back at Harley and sighed as this shouldn't be happening. She wasn't supposed to get shot. She should be out there hunting for Sophia, but she took the bullet for another child. "You had to be the hero." Was all he said as he grabbed her hand.