Lovely Bones

bloodshed

bloodshed.

"Will he be okay?" It was a females voice that had brought him to consciousness. It was light and worrisome, the charming southern accent of Maggie Rhee.

"There's no saying how much damage was caused without actual medical help, but the cut seemed pretty deep so I think it's just a waiting game." This was Rosita, he was sure of it. His eyes were closed and every attempt to open them came to no avail. Jude was so, so, so exhausted and his body ached in pain yet it wasn't like before. It was tolerable.

"I thought you said you worked with stuff like this." Sasha spoke, a tone of uncertainty lacing her concern.

Rosita scoffed, hands on her hips as she gave Sasha a quick glare. "I said I worked in an animal clinic. The worse I saw was a dog wrapped in barb wire, this. . . this is completely different." Rosita's jaw clenched when she watched Sasha's eyes roll. "Hey, I don't see you helping any." She snapped with a wave of dismissal.

Sasha stared at her, wide eyed. She was overwhelmed. Her boyfriend was in his death bed only a few feet away, no chance in survival as the bite in his shoulder had already taken him victim. But as of right now, he was alive with one less leg than usual. Sasha found him out on the grass in front of the church an hour before they had come across Jude. And thank god they did or three lives would've been lost that night.

"Excuse me? —"

"— Okay, lets not argue right now please." Maggie's voice cut between them. The tension in the small room was thick, making her feel as if she was moving in slow motion. Her voice was weak and scratchy — a clear sign that she had been crying.

Hours ago the group had been searching above and below for the various missing people. Bob, Jude and Teddy had disappeared from thin air and with Daryl, Prim and Carol yet to come back, their resources to rescue them were low. The worrying never stopped Maggie, instead it sent her on a rampage. Face to face with Rick as she begged him to send a group out there to find the three. Holding Sasha back as she stormed into the church, demanding answers from Gabriel. The priest had crumpled to the floor in a fit of honesty and desperation.

Then Glenn had yelled out to the rest after he saw a body laying in the grass. They all assumed he was lifeless but it was quite the opposite. The group has shoved outside to see a barely breathing Bob. Sasha cried hysterically as they brought him in, begging for answers all the while accepting his fate.

Bob had such little strength left in him to slowly and painfully, so very painfully, tell them that the kids had been with him. He told them about Gareth and the torture they endured. They sat in silence as his words came out in shuddered breaths. He explained how the chances of them being alive were very low and if they were, they wouldn't get to them in time.

Glenn was nearly crying as he begged Rick to send an army out into the woods.

"It's Jude, Rick. We can't just leave him out there," his pleads ripped Rick apart. As much as it killed the former sheriff, Bob's words had registered in his head and he couldn't give consent to loosing more of his people.

"You heard what Bob said, they're gone."

"What about Daryl? Are you going to be the one to break the news that his little brother is somewhere out there? Remember what happened last time."

Rick stared at him, a war flashing through his blue eyes.

"He's our brother too, Rick. And if that's not enough for you to let us do this, then we know where family stands with you."