𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 | 𝘙𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴

Rick

[ for you who don't have my tiktok, this is one of the AI photos I created for our babies :') isn't it just- 😩 ]

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- Rick's POV -

"Cass!" I shout, so loud into the silent forest that my throat feels as if it's ripping in half, but I don't care. I don't even know how long I've been out here, searching. It doesn't matter. None of it does.

All that matters is finding her.

My chest heaves with exhaustion as overwhelming worry surges through my veins. Each intake of the frigid air burns my lungs but again, it doesn't matter. Every searing breath is a breath closer to finding her.

She can't be gone. She can't be gone. She can't be gone.

I repeat this in my mind over and over as I tear through the woods, my gun ready, scanning every inch of the forest for a sign of her. The cool metal of my revolver grounds me as I search the lifeless vegetation, determined to find the woman I love.

"Cass!" I shout desperately once again, my voice echoing through the looming trees. It's like I can feel the edges of my hope slowly fading, giving way to a deep dread that I'm terrified might swallow me whole.

What if... I don't find her?

"Rick?" A faint voice calls from the woods, momentarily paralyzing me, my heartbeat lurching.

"Cass? Cass!" my voice thunders into the woods, adrenaline flooding through my veins, fueling my unwavering sprint in the direction of her faint voice.

Dry underbrush crashes beneath my feet as I tear through the forest, every ragged breath I take in scorching my throat. Each second feels like an hour, my world reduced to a singular, burning need to find her.

With a sudden, heart-pounding stop, I whirl around, my senses on high alert as I try to figure out where her call came from. "Rick?" The voice, closer this time, calls out- undeniably Cass's voice.

Relief surges through me, so intense it threatens to break the dam of my held-back emotions as I tear off again, blinded by my hope of finding her. "Cass!" I shout, barely keeping up with my feet as they fly through the forest with a mind of their own.

She's here. She has to be.

But then, her blood-curdling scream pierces the air, a horrifying sound that nearly sends me tumbling to the forest floor, stumbling to a stunned stop.

My heart plummets.

No.

No.

With a newfound frenzy, I cry Cass's name before launching into a full sprint through the woods, crashing through the vegetation in my desperate attempt to reach her. My heartbeat is the only thing I can hear, only slightly louder than the horrific muffled screams of the woman I love, which are only getting louder.

Why is she still screaming? The question gnaws at me, every second of knowing she's enduring pain agonizing.

Finally, I crash past the brush and into a clearing, my chest heaving with exhaustion, my gun raised and ready. My initial panic subsides, and I lower my gun in astonishment because sitting right there, at the center of the meadow, is Cass.

Her unmistakable copper hair shimmers in the suddenly bright sunlight as she huddles with her knees pulled to her chest.

I stare at Cass in disbelief, a mix of deep emotions churning within me, thrashing against my insides as I gape at her. After a brutal week of relentless searching, I finally found her.