Safe haven | Rick Grimes

010. GET BACK TO FINDING SOPHIA

Chapter ten

"Get back to finding Sophia."

For the rest of the night, Scarlett slept in a chair inside Carl's room. As the only trained medical doctor on the farm, she trusted only herself to monitor him for post-surgery complications. Carl slept soundly, and her periodic check-ins throughout the night showed steady improvement.

By the next morning, Rick and Lori joined her at the bedside. Rick's eyes kept drifting to Scarlett's newly cropped hair, but she remained entirely focused on her patient. Restating her hand on the boy's forehead, she offered a reassuring smile. "Good news is, his fever's gone down."

Carl began to stir, his eyelids fluttering. Lori and Rick stepped closer, leaning over the bed.

"Baby?" Lori whispered.

"Carl?" Rick added.

Carl opened his eyes, squinting against the morning light. His first thoughts were immediately with his friend. "Sophia? Is she okay?"

"Don't you worry about her, okay?" Scarlett interjected gently. "You just get lots of rest. Doctor's orders."

"Okay," Carl murmured, his eyes drifting closed as he slipped back into a peaceful sleep.

The bedroom door creaked open, drawing their attention. T-Dog stood in the doorway, his expression serious. "They're here."

The group headed outside, joining Hershel and Patricia on the front porch. Near the edge of the property, Maggie, Beth, Jimmy, Glenn, and Shane were already preparing the burial site for Otis's memorial service. Down the driveway, the vehicles from the highway pulled in, and Daryl, Carol, Dale, and Andrea stepped out.

"How is he?" Dale called out anxiously as he walked toward them.

0He'll pull through," Lori shared, a wave of relief washing over her face. "Thanks to Hershel and his people."

"And Scarlett and Shane," Rick added, looking toward his friend. "We'd have lost Carl if not for them."

Dale stepped forward and embraced Rick. Carol bypassed the men, wrapping Lori in a tight, emotional hug. "We were so worried."

"How'd it happen?" Dale asked.

Rick shook his head grimly. "Hunting accident. That's all... just a stupid accident."

They walked over to the cluster of trees where a wheelbarrow full of rocks waited. One by one, they began piling the stones in honor of Otis. Hershel stood before them in a full suit, holding his Bible.

As Beth placed her rock down, Hershel spoke. "Blessed be God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Jimmy stepped up next, gripping a stone.

"Praise be to Him for the gift of our brother Otis," Hershel continued, his voice steady. "For his span of years, for his abundance of character. Otis, who gave his life to save a child's—now more than ever, our most precious asset. We thank you, God, for the peace he enjoys in your embrace. He died as he lived, in grace."

Hearing those words, Scarlett's mind flashed back to the high school. She remembered the brutal reality: Shane shoving her aside, firing a bullet into Otis's leg, and the desperate, horrific struggle that followed. And because of it, the memory was a blur. She still wasn't entirely sure if her final act was cold-blooded murder, or a twisted mercy to keep Otis from being torn apart alive by the horde.

"Scarlett. Shane." Hershel's voice broke her out of the flashback. The two looked up at him. "Will one of you speak for Otis?"

"I'm not good at it," Shane muttered. He wrapped an arm around Scarlett's shoulders, pulling her close. "Scar, why... why don't you give it a go?"