it was twenty minutes later when he heard the other car arrive back. Dallas knew that Tyler would be angry, and would have something to say about the whole situation. hopefully, he hadn't made Glenn too uncomfortable with his aggressive nature.
he walked out of the house, watching as the three stepped out of the car. the two dogs hopped out, and Tyler held them by the leash. they tried to run up to Dallas, but Tyler held them back.
his mother hobbled out of the car, a blanket wrapped around her loosely as Glenn helped her step out. he closed the door, and led her inside. Tyler walked up to Dallas, and he shockingly looked less angry than anticipated.
"they have a doctor," he spoke before his brother made a comment. "i'm sure Glenn told you."
"he did," Tyler responded. he looked over the house, eyeing it from top to bottom. he walked closer, pulling the dogs behind him as he did so. "i'm willing to let mom get help here."
"wouldn't have mattered if you weren't willing," Dallas remarked. "i wouldn't have let mom pass this up. she needs help and Hershel is willing to give it."
"you find that missing girl yet?" he asked. "or is she less important to this group since Carl got shot?"
"Daryl, Carol, Andrea, and Dale all stayed behind to wait for her back at the highway. T-Dog needed proper medical attention for his arm, so Glenn and i drove here. i came because i wanted to find mom help. and i did."
"i'm happy you did," he said. he sat on the porch, and stared off into the fields. "i'm staying out here for now."
Maggie was crying when Dallas returned into the living room. she wiped her eyes with a small cloth as she spoke.
"i've known Otis since i was a kid," she started. "he was on the farm since before my mother died."
Glenn looked over her with a sad expression. Dallas gave her a look of understanding, and walked to find Rick and Lori. they were stood outside the room, looking worried.
"why don't you two come outside for some fresh air?" he spoke. "everyone else is out there aside from Glenn."
Rick nodded, and followed as he led them back outside. they all sat on the porch, Dallas welcoming Atlas into his lap with open arms. Shane was leaning against the blue truck, the same expression on his face as the moment he got here.
they all turned when Hershel, Glenn, and Maggie opened the front door thirty minutes later. everyone started to stand, with the expectation of Tyler.
Hershel was wiping his hands with a towel, and Glenn was stood close to Maggie, as if he wanted to be there for her as much as he could in the moment. she still looked rather upset, but she definitely looked better after having a cry.
"he seems to have stabilized," Hershel smiled at Rick. he let out a sigh of relief, looking at his wife intently. she looked shocked, but it was quickly replaced with a smile. Rick could barely stand, and he reached for the stair railing. Hershel's smile grew.
Rick stumbled up, and hugged him. Hershel patted his back, and Lori started to cry.
"i don't have words," she spoke, voice horse. her smile was wide and tears streamed down her dirty cheeks. she sniffed, the smile seeming like it was a permanent fixture.
"neither do i," Hershel spoke, looking down as his smile fell. "wish i did. how do i tell Patricia about Otis?"
Shane looked away from the man, eyes darting to the ground in what seemed like shame. he seemed lost in thought, as if he was picturing the moment happening again. everyone's smiles fell. Rick nodded, looked behind himself at Shane, and back to Lori.
"you go to Carl. i'll go with Hershel," he decided, looking back to him. he opened the door, and everyone started to head inside expect for Shane, Dallas, and Tyler.
"you alright?" Dallas asked once the door shut. he snapped out of his thought, and looked up.
"yeah," he spoke, voice horse and eyes still wide. he nodded. he held the same expression as he limped inside as well, leaving the two boys outside alone.
"i'm going in, Carl may need some blood," he stood up, stretching his limbs. he felt his fingers crack as he pushed them outwards. his brother nodded, and his eyes closed.
"ask them for a blanket?" he asked, opening his eyes for a moment. Dallas nodded, and stepped back inside. he heard the cries of Patricia, and he made eye contact with Rick. he stepped aside, away from the doorframe. he watched Shane wall into the room with Lori and Carl. he stood there a moment, the look from before softening as his eyes scanned the unconscious boy.
he really seemed to care about Carl.
"stay," he heard Lori tell him. Shane nodded, and disappeared from sight. he was certainly different, his whole appearance seemingly changed.
they were all offered showers, told to go easy on the hot water. when he told Tyler, the boys eyes lit up more than he would ever care to admit. he wasn't even reluctant to come in, as Dallas thought he would be.
he told Hershel he'd be there if he needed to draw more blood. he discussed with the man that he could help his mom by giving her some medication to help slow the infection, but with how late it was in the process, he couldn't do much else to help her.
they were all also offered to stay the night. Hershel said the dogs could come in, only after Tyler informed him that they didn't bark nearly at all. they also didn't shed very much, and they said they would clean up what they did.
most of everyone was in the living room. Lori and Rick had gotten to share a bed in the spare bedroom, while Carol was offered Maggie's bed. she had moved to Beth's room for the night.
that left Glenn, Dallas, Shane, Tyler, and T-Dog. their mother had been in another bed in the same room as Carl. she didn't complain, as she was already bed ridden before, she didn't care where she was able to sleep.
T-Dog and Tyler got the couches. Dallas, Shane, and Glenn all took places on the floor. everyone was provided with a warm blanket and a pillow. overall, Hershel had been very gracious to complete strangers.
he fell asleep pretty fast, snuggled up close to Atlas, while Kara laid by his feet. Tyler had fallen asleep about fifteen minutes before him, but when his eyes closed for the final time, Dallas was out like a light.
his mind drifted to Carol, Andrea, Dale, and Daryl back at the RV. would they be coming here too? they had to stay for a few days, as Carl needed a recovery.
he didn't want to leave this group. he had spent time with a lot of the people, and couldn't find himself feeling okay if one of them was hurt again. he wanted to be there. he wanted to be a part of them. but he also knew his mother needed rest, and that she needed to be laying in bed constantly to do so. if they were traveling, she'd be in the back of the RV as it drove. it would be bumpy, and rough on her.
Dallas tried to focus, but fell asleep mid thought.
