GRIMES

IV

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"Goddamn it," Judith said, as she tried to make the truck drive for just a bit longer. "How long have we been driving?" asked Rick.

"It's been a few miles away from Wellington. We're far off from it so we're good but I want to just drive a bit more," replied Judith. She hit the steering wheel in frustration. The truck came to a complete stop, as the gas tank was empty.

"Now we go on foot," said Rick. Judith sighed. The two stepped out of the vehicle, as Rick needed his cane. "I hadn't sat for so long," replied Rick and nearly collapsed again.

Morgan watched them from the car window and began talking to himself. "We need to get more gas," said Judith to Rick. "Hold on...I just gotta...oh shit," Rick said. He was panting heavily, his heart racing. "Maybe you're out of blood sugar?" asked Judith. Rick was too busy keeping his stance upwards and making his heart slow down.

"Just...don't worry about me," Rick said. Judith sighed. "We lost Carl and you're not crying for the first time," she said to her father. "I am fucking upset. In fact, I'm so upset that I could fucking kill someone if I had to!" yelled Rick.

The two both shed some tears. They didn't know if Carl had made it out of Wellington alive. "Gabriel's dead, and now my son is missing!" yelled Rick. He sat down on the ground, burying his hands to his grief-stricken wrinkled face. His bushy beard was in the way.

Suddenly, some growls were heard. Judith turned around and saw a few walkers approach them. "Walkers, Dad" she said to him. "Kill them for me. I can't," he replied. Rick picked himself up anyway and placed his cane on the ground, hoping to be able to perfectly stand for a few minutes.

Judith took out a knife from her pocket and stabbed one walker. Rick decided to help out, needing some strength to be able to control his weakened body. He walked to Judith, trying to get ahold of one walker. Judith stabbed another walker, and then saw her dad struggle with the walker.

"Dad!" she exclaimed. "I got this, sweetie!" he yelled back. The walker chomped its rotten teeth at Rick's wrinkled face, trying to take a bite out of him. Rick shoved the walker away, and tried to pull out a knife from his pocket as well.

Judith stabbed another walker through the back of the skull, and watched her father deal with the last infected walker. "I got it!" Rick yelled and then tripped over. He fell onto his back, as the walker pinned him from up top. "Dad! You can't! I have to kill it!" Judith said. She ran over to Rick struggling with the walker.

Rick motioned her to step away, as he tried all his strength to push the walker off of him. With no use of a knife, he then raised his foot up and stepped onto the walker's grey-skinned head.

Rick stomped repeatedly on the walker's head, letting all his anger out. "Gah, fuck off!" Rick screamed in fury as he finished stomping on what was left of the head. As he stepped backwards, his blood-covered boot made him slip off his feet and fell onto the ground.

"Dad!" exclaimed Judith. She comforted a crying Rick, who wiped away his tears. "I lost so much...I lost my son..." Rick said while crying to Judith. She held him in her arms.

"Dad, we have to focus on what's right now," reminded Judith. Rick nodded in agreement. "You're right...okay let's continue," he said with some bit of confidence.

Hope was low in the Grimes family, but today was going to be very hopeful.

As the two returned to the truck, Morgan was already talking to himself. "Who are you??" Morgan bellowed in pain as Rick restrained him. "Stay down Morgan," he said. Judith handed Rick the medicine.

Rick gave Morgan another dose of medicine, helping him get back on track. Morgan panted in exhaustion. "Oh shit," Rick said. He realized that the prescriptions needed for Morgan were extremely low and shallow. "What is it?" asked Judith.

"Running out of medicine. We have to head to a pharmacy nearby quickly before Morgan has another panic attack," replied Rick. He coughed a bit after quickly saying that sentence.

Judith sighed. "Let's go then," she said and loaded her rifle. The two left Morgan unsupervised in the truck, walking around an abandoned road. No walkers, no empty vehicles, no supplies.

Until now. "Look! How convenient," yelled Judith in astonishment. Rick was way behind her, losing energy in his walks. "Pace yourself, Dad. But look at what we found!" Judith exclaimed to her tired father.

A few meters away from them, an abandoned pharmacy was stationed next to a gas station. Judith and Rick approached the door of the pharmacy, pointing their guns and knives inside. It seemed empty, dark, and quiet. "Too damn quiet," Rick scoffed as his daughter shushed him.

Luckily, Judith had a flashlight to help them get through the dark aisles of the pharmacy. Surprisingly to them both, no growls of walkers were heard. Judith shined her flashlight around to see where Morgan's prescriptions were.

"Dad, help me look for Morgan's medicine since I don't know what brand they are," Judith quietly called over to Rick. He coughed a bit more, and staggered over to her. "This one," he replied while picking up a box of the prescriptions Morgan needed.

"Jackpot," she said gleefully. The two left the pharmacy, spotting the next door gas station. "This is fucking perfect," uttered Rick in a joyful mood. As they approached the station, walkers appeared.

"I'll handle them Dad, you go get the gasoline!" Judith advised her father. He coughed and staggered to the store that accompanied the gas station. Inside were a couple of gasoline tanks. "Fucking jackpot," he said to himself and used his strength to lift each gasoline tank under his arms.

Judith stabbed each walker as she even punched one right in the face. "Great job!" she noticed her father's willpower. Suddenly, he tripped and fell onto his chest. "Shit!" he yelled.

Walkers growled, and went towards him. Rick was helplessly on the pavement, struggling to get himself up. Judith stabbed another walker, and tried to face her father. "Dad!" she screamed.

Rick grunted and tried to get a flesh-eating walker off of him. The walker opened its mouth and tried to chomp at him. BANG BANG!

The dead walker fell on top of Rick. "Huh?" he wondered. Judith turned around to see who shot the walker. "Dad?' said a voice. It was Carl Grimes, he had returned.

Rick got up and saw his son, alive and well. Carl lowered his pistol, and ran to Judith and his father. The three reunited, hugging. "Oh my goodness, we thought you never made it out!" exclaimed Judith. Carl shook his head.

"Where's Gabriel and Morgan?" he asked them. Rick and Judith stayed silent, remembering Gabriel. "Morgan's in the truck, we're delivering him the prescriptions we just got from the pharmacy," replied Judith.

"The gang is all here," said Carl and smiled. They helped their father return to the truck, where suddenly they heard screams. "Oh shit!" screamed Rick. He approached the truck window and saw Morgan hollering in pain and then closing his eyes.

Morgan has suffered a massive heart attack!

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