All Alone

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕

Allison's POV

My ears rang as I looked at the pair on the horses. The words repeating in my head. Daryl tried to get my attention but I wasn't listening as I got on the back of male's horse holding g onto his waist. I watched as Lori did the same and we rode off.

I was in a state of shock. I had no words no emotions. As I looked ahead I could see a farm house in the distance and a barn not too far away. As we stopped I could see Rick and Shane sitting on the steps. Lori and I got off the horses looking at the two men.

"Allison they need your blood as you're also the same blood type as Carl." Shane said walking closer as I nodded walking past him and inside the home.

I looked to see a room with an old man, a blonde older woman and a girl a little older than Carl surrounding his bed. I looked to see Carl not moving as I was brought to my attention b the old man.

"Are you Allison?" He asked.

"Yes that's me. I'm Allison." I spoke quietly.

"What's your blood type?"

"A positive just like Rick and Carl."

"Okay both you and Rick don't wonder off too far I will need the both of you so I am able to give him blood. Can you do that for me? Both you and Rick?" He asked looking up at me.

"Yes we can do that." I say looking back at him.

"Alright we'll start with you." He says as the older blonde woman got me all set up as they started to take my blood.

"What are your names?" I asked out of curiously.

"I am Hershel, this is Patrica, my daughters Maggie and Beth and our neighbor's son Jeremiah. There's more around this farm but they're out either hunting or tending to the farm." He explains.

"Who was the one who shot my nephew?" She asked softly.

"His name is Otis. He's a hunter as well: by the looks of it so are you."

"I was never a hunter. I was a cop like my brother but I knew how to get my hands dirty and play undercover. The tracking made being undercover the easy part." I tell him.

Patrica looked at me. "Okay sweetie we took a pint from you. Take it easy and go sit down outside. Make sure to keep pressure on that little poke for about ten minutes and you'll be good." She explained s kindly.

"Thank you." I say quietly before getting tip slowly heading out of the room and outside to see everyone look at me. "He's okay. He just needed blood is all and I was able to give it to him." I told them as I felt a little dizzy and a hand grab my arm keeping me steady.

I looked over at the younger man assuming this was Jeremiah and accepted his help as I sat down. I watched as Rick and Lori went inside the home to look over Carl.

"Here." I heard as I looked up to see Jeremiah hand me some water and an apple. "It'll help you feel better and get you feeling better and brand new again."

"Thank you." I say quietly as I sipped water and took a bite of the apple.

The man sat next to me. "I'm Jeremiah. Jeremiah Forest." He introduced himself.

"Allison. Allison Grimes." I said looking at him as he held his out for me to shake and I cautiously took his hand shaking it. I watched as Shane was pacing in front of the steps. The worry was written all over it.

Hershel walked outside to all of us. " I have to put Carl under to get the rest of the fragments out. He has internal bleeding and I can't have him react the way he did with the first one. If he moves at all I would sever an artery and he would be dead in minutes." He explains.

"A respirator." Otis says. "What else?" He asked.

"The tube that goes with it, extra surgical supplies, drapes, sutures." Hershel listed off.

"If you had all that you could save him?" I asked.

"If I had all that I could try." He says honestly.

"Nearest hospital went up in flames a month ago." He paused as him and Hershel shared a look. "The high school." Otis says.

"That's what I was thinking. They set up a FEMA shelter there. They would have everything we need."

"Place was overrun last time I saw it. You couldn't get near it. Maybe it's better now."

"I said leave the rest to me. Is it too late to take that back?" Shane asks.

"I hate you going alone." Rick says looking at him.

"Come on. Doc, why don't you do me a list and draw me a map?"

"You won't need a map. I'll take you there." Otis says looking at Shane. "Ain't but five miles."

"Otis, no." I heard Patrica say from behind Hershel.

"Honey we don't have time for guesswork and I'm responsible. I ain't gonna sit here while this fell take this on alone. I'll be alright." He says now looking at Patrica.

"Are you sure about this?" Shane asks.

"Do you even know what any of the stuff he's talking about looks like?"

"Come to think, no."

"I've been a volunteer EMT I do. We can talk about this till next Sunday or we could just go do it real quick."

"I'll take right quick."

"We should thank you." Lori tells Otis with a small smile.

"Wait till that boy of yours is up and around. Then we'll talk. I'll gather some things." Otis says walking away.

After some time, I watched as Shane and Otis walked to a blue truck putting their bags in the bed of it. Rick followed him as they were talking and Otis was saying goodbye to Patrica. I leaned my head on my heads feeling nauseous. Giving blood and not eating is worse than hangover. 

I heard the truck pull off and all we could do was wait for them to come back.

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As night approached the group had come to the farm. Daryl took the spot of comforting from Jeremiah. I watched the road the blue truck went down and waited for the return. I heard mumbling aside me until I looked at Daryl.

"A you need to eat something. You have blood we need to replenish that." He tells me.

"I ate an apple." I tell him.

"You need to eat more."

"Why do you care how much I eat? I remember one time back in Atlanta you told me I ate too much of the deer that I got for the whole camp."

"That was different. That's when Merle gave me shit about you."

I looked at him. "Merle gave you shit about me? What did he say?"

"It doesn't matter now. What matters is he's gone and I'm here now. Let's not worry about the past and worry about now. Let me take care of you Allison."

I looked in the eyes to see some sincerity behind them. I nodded as I took a plate that was sat next to me and ate it all.

As I finished I saw the blue truck approaching. "They're back." I said which made Daryl look as well. He helped me stand up but as the truck got closer I only saw one figure. Shane.

We watched as he stepped out with the two bags filled with medical supplies and Otis' rifle in the other hand. I watched as he limped towards the house and into where Carl was.

"You saw it too right?" Daryl asks softly.

"Yeah. Dead man's rifle and a piece of hair missing." I say looking at Daryl. "I think Shane killed him."