Calm as still water

30 seconds

Carl

Carl was helping Rick grab medical supplies, they lucked out when they found the clinic.

"Hershel will be happy with what we bring back, I hope Merle and Arya got as lucky as we did."

Carl found himself thinking about Arya and the way she smiled at herself after seeing Carl find amusement in her being a smart ass towards his father.

He thought she was brave, maybe even stronger than he was.. Which was an embarrassing thought that he would never admit.

"Have you gotten to talk to her?" Rick asked while handing the bag to Carl and readying his weapon. "I can ask Beth to take over if you'd rather that? You can help Hershel with the garden.."

Like hell

"No, it's okay, Dad. I don't mind."

They walked out of the store and could see Arya and Merle walking towards them. Perfect timing.

"Well Arya got one thing right, this town is even walker free. I wonder how different things would have been if we had found this place first... We could have-"

Rick's words were cut off short when a number of things all happened at once..

The first thing that registered with Carl was a scream, a girls scream. The same girl standing only 15 feet in front of him.

Merle had pushed her to the side and she fell to the ground, he had pushed her away from a walker that had latched on to her hair.

A walker? Where did that come from?

Carl was shoved to the ground and heard the sound of multiple gun shots.

"Carl, in 30 seconds I want you to get up and run to the van, do you hear me?!" Rick asked as he laid on the ground beside him, gun shots still firing through the air.

Carl shook his head frantically and looked around for the source of the gunshots.

25 seconds.

Carl pulled his gun from the holster and turned the safety off.

20 seconds.

He looked over to where he'd last seen Arya and Merle. Merle was fighting off three walkers.

10 seconds.

Arya was still on the ground, and she was holding her arm, it was covered with blood. She looked like she was crying..

5 seconds.

This would be the last time Carl ever saw Arya, she was bit or clawed up by a walker, there was nothing they could do now. He wished he could have gotten to know more about her..

"CARL, NOW!" Ricks voice boomed as Rick jumped up and started firing his gun in the direction Carl assumed the shooters were in.

Carl sprang up and ran towards the van, before he left he saw Merle take down the last walker on his tail and then Merle ran over to Arya.

He jumped into the van without hesitation and then collapsed on the seat.

It took him a minute to register everything that just happened and to catch his breath.

He shouldn't have left them all there. They could all die and it would be his fault.

Carl panicked then and started up the van. He didn't know how to drive but he assumed it wasn't that hard.

He drove the van to where Merle and Arya were, Arya had passed out with blood all over her Merle had ripped off a part of his shirt and tied it around her arm, Carl looked over to where his father was standing but didn't see him.

"Where's my dad?!" Carl asked the moment he got out of the van.

Merle rolled his eyes and growled.

"He chased after the sons of bitches that shot at us."

Carl scratched the back of his head. Is his father okay? Why didn't he stay with him? Why did he run?

Carl shouldn't have listened to Rick.

"Are you going to chop off her arm?" Carl asked looking at Arya, she was as white as a ghost.

Merle looked at Carl like he was the stupidest person he'd ever laid his eyes on.

"It's just a damn gun shot! Take her back to that doctor of yours soon enough and she should be fine."

Carl felt a wave of relief wash over him. Arya wasn't bit, she wasn't going to turn.

Merle picked Arya up like she was a small cat and put her in the van. Merle hopped in the drivers seat and motioned for Carl to get in.

"What? What about my dad?!" Carl couldn't believe Merle was going to just leave without him.

"He left us! You wanna live? You wanna survive?!"

Just then Rick rounded the corner, breathing heavily and covered in blood.

"Get in the van, Carl! Merle, lets go." Carl did as he was told and sat in the back with Arya. She was still passed out and sweating.

Carl hoped she would be okay.

"What happened out there, officer friendly?" Merle asked as he sped back to the prison.

"One of the men, they got away. I killed the other two. One of them got me but I'll be fine.. I think they'll find the prison soon enough. We need to rethink our battle plan."

Arya started throwing a coughing fit next to Carl and Merle drove faster.

Carl didn't know what to do, so he held on to Arya's hand and hoped Merle would make it back to the prison before she lost too much blood.