digging graves// rick grimes x OC//

Nebraska Part 3

   Rick distracts himself, loading the bullets into his revolver, as he watches Glenn come out from the house. His mind was racing. Rick didn't want to admit it, but the thought of Winona missing was  practically tearing him apart. He looks back over to Glenn, wondering what was taking so long, and sees that he and Maggie were sharing an intimate goodbye. Rick let the couple do what they needed. Glenn begins to walk over, "You ready?" the older man asks.
   "Yeah," Glenn responds, almost dazed.
   Starting the truck, they watch as Maggie walks back inside. 
——
   Cold water rushes out from the pump by the shed as Shane soaks his head. He stops, rustling from the bushes, gaining his attention. The silhouette of a body could be seen through the foliage. Shane readies his weapon, only it wasn't a walker... it was a disheveled Carol coming out from the woods. Shane tucks his pistol back in his waistband, "Hey," he calls softly, "Carol? Carol." The older woman doesn't acknowledge him, "Hey hey hey," he speaks crouching down, "Hey, are you alright?" Carol mutters something unintelligible. He places a hand on her back, "Come here."
   Sitting her next to the pump, he begins to wash off her muddied arms, paying attention to the scratches that the roses left. "I want you to know that I'm real sorry for your girl," he speaks.
   "Thank you," Carol whispers.
   Shane continues to wash her hands off, "When I opened that barn, I had no idea. If I did..." he scoffs, "Everybody thinks that I'm a..." he looks up at Carol, "I was just trying to keep everybody safe. I had no idea she was in there."
——
   Dale straightens his bucket hat, "This place is going to hell."
   "Yeah, I'm trying hard to prevent that," Lori responds.
   "You won't be able to. No, there are people in this group who think that what Shane did was justified."
   "I know you two can't stand each other, but he did something that needed to be done."
   "He's dangerous."
   "Yeah, he's a hothead."
   "No, Lori, he's dangerous. He has hit Winona multiple times," he pauses, "I think he killed Otis."
   Lori looks at the man in disbelief, "Winona's bruises were just from her being clumsy around camp, she probably just said that for attention anyways. And Otis? Otis was killed by walkers."
   Dale shakes his head, deciding it's not his place to tell about Winona, "He knew how to handle walkers. Otis was the one who was putting them in the barn."
   "You need to be really clear with me right now. What are you saying?"
   "I believe that— that Shane sacrificed Otis," Dale confesses, "I can't prove it, but I-I-I— I think that he— I think that he shot him and left him for bait, so that he could get away."
   "Shane may be a hothead, but he's not a murderer," Lori defends, "And— and why would he kill somebody who's trying to help?"
   "I don't know. Maybe he was pinned down. He said— he said it! He all but threw it in my face. I'm telling you— I knew guys like him, and sooner or later he's gonna kill somebody else," Dale finishes his speech, storming off, leaving a baffled Lori in his wake.
——
   Rick and Glenn drive towards town. The ride had been silent, until Glenn suddenly spoke up, "Maggie said she loves me."
   Rick hums, "Mmhmm"
   Glenn scoffs, "She doesn't mean it. I mean she can't. I mean— well... she— she's upset or confused. She's probably feeling, like—"
   "I think she's smart enough to know what she's feeling," Rick interrupts his rambling.
   "No. No," he says shaking his head. Rick chuckles at the boy's denial. Glenn continues, "No, you know what? She wants to be in love, so she's— she needs something to— to, like— to hold onto."
   "Glenn, it's pretty obvious to everyone Maggie loves you, and not just because you're the one of the last men standing. So what's the problem?"
   "I didn't say it back."
   Rick nods in acknowledgement, "Huh."
   "I've never had a woman say that to me before, you know expect my mom, of course, and my sisters. But with Maggie, it's different. I mean— we— we barely know each other. What— what does she really know about me? Nothing. We're practically strangers. But I— I didn't know what to do with it. I just stood there like a jerk."
   "Hey. Hey, this is a good thing, something we don't get enough of these days. Enjoy it. And when we get back, return the favor. It's not like she's going anywhere."
   Glenn gives a small nod, "Thanks... You know, I typically would've gone to Wi for this but, you give good advice too."
   Rick laughs, "Well, when we find her, I'm sure you can ask for her opinion, too."
   Parking the car in front of the bar, they see a familiar motorcycle parked by the side, Glenn speaks once more, "I know about Lori, her being pregnant. I got her those pills. Dragged Winona into it, too."
   "I figured", Rick simply states.
   They get out, weapons at the ready, "Hey, I'm sorry we kept it from you."
   "Don't be. You did what you thought was right. It just so happens it wasn't."
——
   Back at the farm, the group gathers around Beth. Andrea walks towards Lori, "Her heart's racing. She's burning up. We need Winona. She'll know what to do."
   Lori paces and turn back to the blonde, "Would you look in on Carl for me?"
   "Of course."
——
   Lori runs over to where Daryl moved his tent, "Moving to the suburbs?" Daryl ignores the woman, "Listen, Beth's in some kind of catatonic shock. We need Hershel."
   "Yeah. So what? Last I checked, he's a vet, Winona's the nurse."
   "She's missing too. So I need you to run into town real quick and bring him and Rick back. Daryl?"
   He looks up at her, "Your bitch went window-shopping. Wi's not missing, neither. She told me what she was doing, borrowed my bike, and followed after him. You want them? Fetch them yourself. I got better things to do."
   "What's the matter with you? Why would you be so selfish?"
   That struck a nerve, Daryl jumps up, "Selfish? Listen to me, Olive Oyl. I was out there looking for that little girl every single day. I took a bullet and an arrow in the process. Don't you tell me about getting my hands dirty! You want those two idiots? Have a nice ride. Wi, knows how to take care of herself and you obviously don't care about getting her back anyways. I'm done looking for people."
   Lori furrows her brows at the man before walking away.
——
   Rick pushes the door to the bar open, causing Winona to stop softly talking with Hershel and glance back at the two men. "Hershel. Winona," Rick says.
   "Who's with you?" the old man asks.
   "Glenn."
   "Maggie sent him?" Hershel questions.
   "He volunteered. He's good like that." Winona smiles towards the younger man.
   Rick walks up to the bar where Winona and Hershel sat, "How many have you had?"
   "Not enough."
   "Graves?" Rick questions the woman who was grabbing her own glass to fill.
   "Give the man a break, Grimes," she rolls her eyes, "And I've haven't had any, I've been sitting with him the whole time."
   "Yeah, I figured."
   "Yeah, well, I figure you sure as hell didn't care about me missing. Something probably happened back at the farm and you needed Hershel, couldn't find him, went looking for the next best thing and couldn't find me."
   "Let's finish this up back at home," Rick says, referencing the two.
    Winona takes a swig of the whiskey, and mutters under her breath, "I'd rather not."
   Hershel gives a small chuckle towards the woman. Rick sighs, "Okay, Graves you were right. Beth collapsed, is in some sort of state. Must be in shock," he looks at Hershel, "I think you are too."
   "Maggie's with her?" Hershel asks.
   "Yeah, but Beth needs you."
   "What could I do? She needs her mother. Or rather to mourn like she should've done weeks ago. I robbed Beth of that. Like I told Winona, I see that now."
   Rick glances at the woman who paid no mind to him, "You thought there was a cure," he validates, "Can't blame yourself for holding out for hope." Winona gazed into her glass before getting up to stand by Glenn.
   "Hope?" Hershel smiles, "When I first saw you running across my field with your boy in your arms, I had little hope he would survive."
   "But he did."
   "He did. Even though we lost Otis. Your man Shane made it back and we saved your boy. That was the miracle that proved to me miracles do exist. Only it was a sham, a bait and a switch. I was a fool, Rick, and you people saw that. My daughters deserve better than that," he drank the rest of his booze, immediately beginning to fill it once more.
——
    Lori steps out of the house adorning a jacket and a map in her hand. She pulls out the small revolver she also had, making sure she had bullets in it. She gets into a car, getting ready to go into town.
   As she drives, the map and gun sit in the passenger seat. She grabs the map, reading it. Lifting her eyes from the map, she gasps, attempting to miss the walker in the middle of the road. However, it hits the windshield, causing Lori to swerve off the side of the road, flipping the car and rolling twenty more feet.
——
   Rick steps out of the bar, Winona and Glenn are already standing outside. "So what are we gonna do? Just wait for him to pass out?" Glenn questions.
   "Just go," Hershel calls, overhearing the boy, "Just go!"
   "I can stay with him," Winona offers.
   Rick shakes his head, he turns back to the man,  "I promised Maggie I'd bring you home safe."
   Hershel bitterly chuckles, "Like you promised that little girl?"
   Winona's eyes widen as she cringed, she knew that was a soft spot for Rick. And how he felt like it was his fault Sophia went missing in the first place. Rick begins to walk closer to the man, "So what's your plan? Finish that bottle? Drink yourself to death and leave your girls alone?"
   Hershel sets his glass down, standing up, "Stop telling me how to care for my family, my farm. You people are like a plague! I try to take some time for myself and," he aggressively points at Winona, "she comes after me! I do the Christian thing, give you shelter, and you destroy it all!"
   Rick scowls, "The world was already in bad shape when we met."
   "And you take no responsibility! You're supposed to be their leader!"
   Glenn and Winona watch in shock as the two fight. "Well, I'm here now, aren't I?" Rick shouts back.
   "Yes," Hershel nods, "Yes. Yes, you are." He sits back at the bar.
   Rick softens his tone, "Now come on. Your girls need you more than ever."
   He tries to place a hand on Hershel's shoulder, but the older man brushes it off, "I didn't want to believe you. You told me there was no cure, that these people were dead, not sick. I chose not to believe that. But when Shane shot Lou in the chest and she just kept coming, that's when I knew what an ass I'd been, that Annette had been dead long ago and I was feeding a rotten corpse! That's when I knew there was no hope. And when that little girl came out of the barn, the look on your face— I knew you knew it too. Right? There is no hope. And you know it now, like I do. Don't you?" Rick looks towards the other two as Hershel continues, "There is no hope for any of us."
——
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