Love and Death (The Walking Dead - TWD)

A Good Man's Fate

Hershel burst into the room nearly knocking me over with the door but Daryl caught me, Rick rushed to Lori's side holding Carl's hand.

'We don't have time' Hershel stated 'you need to decide whether to operate or not!'

Rick looked at Lori, she nodded and Rick looked back at Hershel who started to prepare for surgery.

Just as Hershel was setting up a trucks engine sounded outside, Rick, Hershel, Daryl and I rushed off outside to help get the supplies. Once we were outside Shane stepped out of the vehicle and started running to the house.

'Wheres Otis?' I asked noticing Shane was missing a patch of hair, Shane looked at me and then at Hershel and shook his head. I didn't trust Shane at all I had a very bad feeling something happened to Otis and it had something to do with Shane.

'We don't tell Patricia until the operation is over' Hershel told us before taking the supplies off Shane.

Rick, Hershel and Shane rushed back inside to get started on Carl's operation I decided to stay in the fresh air for a bit and sat on the porch.

'You okay?' Daryl's gruff voice asked from behind me

'Yeah, I just don't think Shane's telling the truth about Otis' I told him

'Ya saw that too? I don't neither, never trusted that son ova bitch' he stated sitting beside me

'Do you think he killed him?' I asked looking at into his eyes

'I think he did somethin to make sure he wasn't killed himself' he said looking out over the fields.

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Carl's operation went better than expected, all the shards of the bullet had been taken out successfully and Rick had given him more blood, he was now resting comfortably with Lori and Rick by his side.

After the operation was complete Hershel had told Patricia about Otis' death, the poor woman broke down in tears in front of us all and begged Hershel to give a memorial service to which he agreed to do the next morning. I stared at Shane, he had the look of guilt in his eyes as he tried hard to avoid my gaze, Otis was a good man he didn't deserve his fate, Shane on the other hand, well he was a liar.

'Ruby?' Rick's voice snapped me out of my thoughts about Shane and Otis 'Carl's awake, he wants to talk to you'

'Okay, one minute' I replied walking outside towards the RV, I wanted to get Carl a chocolate bar we had picked up on a run, he deserved some sort of treat after everything he's been through. As I neared the vehicle I heard voices, Carol and Daryl were in the RV.

'This is a Cherokee rose' Daryl told her

'Its beautiful' Carol replied

'Native Americans believed that where this flower grew it was a sign from God tellin' mothers that the children were protected, I'm not fool enough to think there's any flowers blooming for my brother, but I believe this one bloomed for yer little girl' he stated.

I could see the shadows in the RV Daryl handed the rose to Carol and she wiped a tear from her eye, then she leaned in and kissed him. I gasped, and ran back to the house, I wiped away tears falling down my cheeks and I knew that I couldn't stay in this group. I walked inside the house and into Carl's room.

'Hey kiddo' I said forcing a smile

'What took you so long?' He asked me

'I was going to get you some chocolate from the RV but I don't think we have any left' I lied