With his daughter's unconscious body cradled in his arms, Rick runs tirelessly, driven by a surge of adrenaline and a fierce determination. The weight of the situation and his daughter's well-being bores down on him, but he pushes on, knowing that every second counts in his desperate state to save her.
The urgency of the situation and the emotional turmoil he feels were evident, but Rick's fatherly love and unwavering commitment fueled his relentless efforts to ensure the safety and survival of his daughter.
"Come on. Stay with me, stay with me, stay with me." Rick pleads with teary eyes, adjusting the limp body in his arms. "Please, I need you."
"Hey, you move, shithead! Come on, get us there!" Shane demands, dragging the man who shot the women.
Rick glances over his shoulder at the man, yelling out his lungs. "How far? How far?!"
"Another half mile, that way! Hershel. Talk to Hershel. He'll help your girl." The man breathlessly urges out, pointing out the way and Rick doesn't hesitate to pick up his pace.
As Shane drags the man behind them, Rick continues to struggle under the weight of his unconscious daughter, knowing that he has no other option but to keep moving forward for her sake. The urgency and desperation of their situation is tangible, and he presses on despite the physical and emotional toll it is taking.
In the distance, a woman notices Rick, and she calls out for her father. Just as Rick approaches a family whose house he had been running toward, they walk out, creating an unexpected encounter with strangers in the midst of their dire circumstances.
"Was she bit?" The older man loudly calls out to him.
Rick shakes his head, out of breath, "Shot. By your man."
A older blonde women frowns, "Otis?"
"He said find Hershel. Is that you?" The older man steps closer to the man and his daughter, examining her. "Help my daughter, I'm begging you."
"Get her inside! Patricia, I need my full kit. Maggie-." He speaks loud and clear as they enter the house, Rick following behind the older man.
"Yeah?"
"Painkillers, coagulates- Grab everything. Clean towels, sheets, alcohol." He continues, adjusting the bed for the man to lay down his daughter. "In here." Rick lays down his bloody daughter on the bed. "Pillowcase."
"Is-is she alive?"
"Pillowcase, quick." The man speaks with a harsher tone to the people entering the room to aid him.
"Is-is she alive?"
"Fold it. Make a pad." The man demands and Rick follows his instructions, grabbing the pillowcase and folding it to out put pressure on the wound, whilst the man holds up a stethoscope to her chest, merely lifting it a little bit of her shirt. "I've got a heartbeat. It's faint."
"I got it. Step back." The older blonde women speaks to Rick who is in a state of shock at his daughter's state and he stumbles back a few feet.
"Maggie, IV."
"We need some space." Maggie reasons with Rick, attempting to lead him out of the room but the man shakes his head, terrified if he takes his eyes off her, she'll be gone from him.
The older man sighs, "Your name?"
"R-Rick."
"Rick?"
Rick nods, his gaze fixated on her lifeless body. "I'm-I'm-I'm Rick."
"Rick, I'm Hershel, we're gonna do everything we can, okay? You need to give us some room. Now." Hershel speaks with a stern tone as the two women, Patricia and Maggie, prepare the IV drip for the unconscious Madeleine.
As Hershel begins to cut through the young women's shirt to examine her shotgun wound, Rick exits the house. To their shock, they discover a web of scars on the women's arms, shoulders, ribs, and a name carved into her arm. Her body bores the physical evidence of a tumultuous past, marked by burns, bullet wound scars, and other traumatic injuries.
The sight of the scars and markings left an indelible impression on those present, offering a glimpse into the women's traumatic history.
Maggie holds a hand up to her mouth, masking the gasp which involuntarily left her. "Oh my god. What the hell happened to her?!"
Meanwhile, Shane and Otis arrive at the house to see Rick standing in front of the house with a lost and bewildered expression. The events leading up to this moment, including the search for Sophia were weighting down on him even more.
Rick rubs his bloody hand over his face, smudging it with blood. He removes his hat and places it to the side as Otis climbs up the porch steps.
"She's alive? She's still alive?" The man urges for answers, the concern waving over him with the silence.
The lost father ignores every sound surrounding him, stumbling down to the ground as the image of his wounded daughter don't leave his mind.
"It's okay. You got blood, man." Shane states, grabbing a rag to wipe the man's face. "Okay. I'll take it from you." He speaks, handing the rag for Rick to wipe the blood off his hands. "Where is she? Is she okay?" He asks, his voice barely above a whisper as Rick looks pained by the simple question, tears streaming down his cheeks.
They walk back inside the house, Maggie hearing the footsteps and covering up the girl, her shotgun wound being the only visible part of her body. Hershel and Maggie share a knowing look, his careful and observant gaze falling on the grieving father.
His concern was understandable, as the origins of the women's multiple injuries were unclear, and the presence of such marks could have potentially come from the man in front of him.
"You know her blood type?" Hershel narrows his eyes, applying pressure to the wound for the women not lose more blood.
"O-negative. I'm-I'm A positive." Rick replies, not being able to keep his eyes off his daughter as his tone comes out monotonous.
"That's unfortunate. We're going to need someone with O-negative blood. It's a rare blood type. O-negative can only received O-negative." He snaps his head toward Otis who looks distraught by the sight of unconscious women. "What happened?"
"I was tracking a buck. Bullet went through it. Went clean through." Otis speaks in a state of shock.
"The deer slowed the bullet down, which certainly saved her life, but it did not go through clean. It broke up into pieces. If I can get the bullet fragments out... And I'm countin' six."
Otis walks over to his wife who places a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I never saw her. Not until she was on the ground." His wife gives him a hug, Rick tuning out from their conversation.
"Lori doesn't know?"
"No, she-."
Rick interrupts Shane, Hershel's eyes focusing on the grieving father as he catches his words. "My wife doesn't know... My wife doesn't know." Rick cries out, Shane placing an arm over his shoulders to comfort his friend. "Carl, he's going to be devastated. They need to be here. She'll need to see Carl when she wakes up. They need to be here."
"Any chances any of them are O-negative?"
Rick shakes his head, "Neither my wife or son, I don't know... I don't know about the rest of group."
"One of you need to know and quick."
"I could go." Shane proposes with a determined expression.
"No, we need you for something else. I need you, Rick, to get to the group. She needs blood soon or she'll die." Hershel concludes, the man crying out in agony as he exits the room, Shane following right behind him.
"Why'd I let her come with us?" Rick begins to head toward the door, but Shane steps in front of him, holding him back with his hands on Rick's shoulder.
"You know, you start that, you never get that monkey off your back. Plus, she's stubborn. She won't listen to you. I guess she got that from you."
Rick shakes his head, wiping the tears from his eyes, "Little girl goes missing, you look for her. Simple. You said, 'call it. Head back.'"
"Doesn't matter what I said." Shane argues back.
"My daughter, my only daughter, got shot because I wouldn't cut bait. It should be me in there." Rick attempts to open the door, but Shane gently pulls him back. "I need to get to them."
"No, I'll go, okay?" He reasons with Rick, the man stumbling back and seating on the coach, sobs erupting through him. "You've been there, partner, right? And you pulled through. So will she. She's strong."
Rick glances up at him with glossy eyes, "Is that why I got outta that hospital? Found my family, my daughter... for it to end here, like this? This kind of s-sick joke?" He shakes his head, rubbing a hand through his face. "A little girl goes missing. You look for her. It's plain and simple."
The feeling of something moving inside of Madeleine stirs her awake, the women screaming out and alerting them of their conscious. As Madeleine screams in pain, Rick rushes inside the room with an helpless expression. His thoughts race as he considers how to reunite the group and get them to their location to provide assistance.
"Lori needs to be here. She doesn't even know what's goin' on. I got-I gotta go find her, bring her back. Get someone to give her blood, and Carl... when she wakes up he should be here." Rick wonders off, the women fudging around the bed as Hershel attempts to remove one of the bullet fragments from her.
She yells out in agony, gripping the sheets as Maggie holds her down, ensuring she's covered up and the wound being the only thing exposed, trying to give the women one last bit of dignity. Madeleine grits her teeth, holding back the cries of pain as he attempts to take a deep shallow breath.
"Almost there."
The piercing pain deepens as Hershel removes the fragment of the bullet, the women screaming in complete excruciating agony, before her body falls limp on the bed.
"Stop! You're killin' her!" Rick screams at Hershel, distressed at the sight of his daughter's state.
"Rick, do you want her to live?" Hershel snaps back, turning his head to check on the women's vitals and blood pressure. "She just passed out. One down... Five to go. She'll out of danger when she gets blood, but I need to remove those remaining fragments as well."
"How? You saw how she was." He points at his daughter, the ghost of her skin haunting his brain.
"I know, and that was the shallowest one. I need to go deeper to get the others. There's more." Hershel admits, wiping the blood off his hands as he stands up and Rick follows him out of the room in urgency.
"Tell me."
"Her belly's distended, her pressure's dropping, which means there's internal bleeding. A fragment must have nicked one of the blood vessels. I have to open her up, find the bleeder and stitch it. And she can't move while I'm in there. I mean, at all. If she reacts the same as before, I'll sever an artery and she'll be dead in minutes. To even try this, I have to put her under. But if I do, she won't be able to breathe on her own. Same bad results."
Rick rubs his hand over his face, a pained expression as he speaks, "What'll it take?"
"You need a respirator. What else?" Otis chimes in.
"The tube that goes with it, extra surgical supplies, drapes, sutures."
Rick locks eyes with the man, his eyes red from crying. "If you had all that, you could save her?"
Hershel nods, "If I had all that, I could try."
"Nearest hospital went up in flames a month ago." Otis points out, the man sharing a knowing look with Hershel, a light bulb lifting up in his mind. "The high school."
"That's what I was thinkin'. They set up a FEMA shelter there. They would have everything we need." Hershel explains, Shane and Rick sharing a glance at each other as if mentally arguing who will put themselves in the position to grab the supplies to save Madeleine.
"Place was overrun last time I saw it. You couldn't get near it. Maybe it's better now."
"This is up to me to do it. I'm gonna handle it..." he nods his head, pointing a finger at Rick. "But you've gotta handle your end."
Rick frowns, "My-my end?"
"Your end is being here, for your daughter when she wakes up." He points over at the body on the bed, placing a hand on his shoulder to show his seriousness of his words. "There is no way I'd ever let you walk out that door. Man, I-I'd break your legs if you tried. I mean, you know that, right? If something happened to her and you weren't here... If-if she slipped away while you were gone, you would never forgive yourself for that, and neither would Lori, man."
Rick holds the bridge of his nose, holding back the tears. "You're right."
"When was I ever wrong? You know, when..." he trails off with a sigh. "When you were in that hospital, the one you were never supposed to leave, man.. You should've seen Lori. She was like... The strength of that woman... You can't imagine it. See, see, that's what you gotta have now. I mean, Carl, he needs that from you too. So, you wire yourself tight, my friend. You hear? You've got the hard part. You just leave the rest to me, okay?" Shane reasons, the man nodding back at him.
"I hate you goin' alone."
"Come on." Shane scoffs, dismissing his words. "Doc, why don't you do me a list, draw me a map?"
"You won't need a map, I'll be there. Ain't but five miles." Otis states, his wide opens her mouth to argue with his decision but he shuts her down. "Honey, we don't have time for guesswork and I'm responsible. I ain't gonna sit here while this fella takes this on alone. I'll be all right."
Shane turns to him, "Are you sure about this?"
Otis nods without hesitation. "Do you even know what any of the stuff he's talking about looks like?"
"Come to think, no."
"I've been a volunteer EMT. I do. Now, we can talk about this 'till next Sunday, or we could just go do it real quick." Otis explains, Rick taking a step closer to him with a sigh and flashing a quick grateful smile.
"I should thank you."
Otis shakes his head, knowing he has to make what he did right. "Wait 'till that girl of yours is up and around, then we'll talk. I'll gather some things."
Maggie sighs, not paying attention as Shane and Otis move away to prepare for their trip, approaching Rick with a determined and cautious gaze. "Meanwhile, we need to get blood in her as soon as possible. Where is the group?"
"I'll show you."
Maggie immediately shakes her head, adverting her eyes to the women on the bed. "You should be here when she wakes up. She'll be freaked out and in pain. A familiar face could really help her. Especially, if we can't get her blood or the supplies... her father should be with her."
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Maggie's arrival on horseback was a welcome sight for the rest of the survivors. Her swift and skilled action in dispatching a walker that had attacked Andrea showcased her competence and ability to handle herself in this dangerous world.
As she surveys the group from her vantage point on the horse, her presence provided a sense of confusion to the others.
"Lori? Lori Grimes?"
Lori rushes over to the women on the horse. "I'm Lori."
"Rick sent me to all of you. It's urgent." Maggie informs them, Lori's eyes widen in horror as she attempts to get on the horse and ride back to them, Daryl holding her back.
"Woah, Woah, Woah. We don't know this girl. You can't get on that horse."
"There's been an accident. Mads has been shot." Maggie states, the man looking visibly affected at her words, and he's not sure why his heart sank at the mere thought of Madeleine dying.
Glenn shakes his head in disbelief, "What? No!"
Daryl steps up to her, his crossbow laying on his back. "Where is she?"
"She's barely alive, she needs blood. Any chance one of you is O-negative?" She questions, her eyes adverting around the group.
Daryl clears his throat, "I am."
"You've gotta come now."
Daryl's swift response to the news that Madeleine needed his blood reflected his deep concern for her. Despite his gruff exterior, his feelings for her had become a force he couldn't grasp, emotions he hadn't expected or experienced.
As he mounts the horse, the urgency of the situation is palpable, and the group's shared determination to save Madeleine is evident.
Maggie looks back at Lori, "Rick wants you and Carl there... for her. If she doesn't make it. Backtrack to Fairburn road. Two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mailbox. Name's Greene."
They ride away on the horse and Daryl's emotions heighten as they approach the farm. Daryl doesn't give the women the time for her to stop the horse before he jumps off and rushes inside the house.
Rick snaps his head up as he seats on the couch, unable to watch the state of his daughter anymore. He notices the man and points toward the room, Hershel nodding his head as they enter the room.
Daryl's gasp echoes through the room as he enters the room and witnesses Madeleine in the midst of intense pain and distress. Her struggles had caused the covers to slide off, revealing the battle scars that marred her body.
"You O-negative?"
Daryl nods and doesn't hesitate to seat down and extend his arm for Patricia to take his blood, rolling up his sleeve and the blonde women pricks a vein on his arm as he seats back on the chair.
Daryl's willingness to offer his blood for Madeleine's transfusion demonstrated his care for her well-being. He can't even begin to understand it as they are supposed to hate each other and they usual bickering was a proof of it.
As her heart rate stabilises with the infusion of blood, a collective sigh of relief swept through the room. It was a moment of respite and hope in the midst of her ongoing state.
The visible scars on Madeleine's body served as a testament to her resilience and strength in the face of adversity, at least in his eyes. He places a hand under his chin, taking in every scar on her body, endless questions and what ifs flooding his brain.
He wonders in what situation she might've wound up in the old world which marked her for life. He knew the way his scars made it to his body, but he knows her father even if he was a prick in his eyes, he would never lay a hand on her.
Most of scars seem to come from elsewhere, not from someone. His eyes land on the name carved on her arm, narrowing his eyes at it, he wonders if he's wrong and in fact someone hurt her.
'Elijah', you can clear read as if it was a mark. He wonders who this person could be and how the women he knows to put up a hell of a fight would wield back.
"Seems like she's been through a lot." Maggie's voice booms through the room as she walks over to the women and covers her older scars with the bed sheet.
"Yeah, it does."
Daryl's guilt and pained expression at seeing Madeleine in her vulnerable state with her scars exposed don't go unnoticed. Maggie's observant gaze falls upon him, and it is clear that she could senses his inner turmoil and the depth of his feelings for the young women.
"You know how she got these scars?" Maggie questions, not removing her eyes from him.
Daryl shakes his head, "No. I doubt her father knows either."
Maggie narrows her eyes in suspicion. "He didn't do this to her?"
"Nah, no way he did this." Daryl states, adverting his eyes back to the women on the bed.
"Guess it's best to keep her covered up if they come in."
"Yeah, they have enough to worry about, I think we should keep it this way. She's suffering enough, she doesn't need to be thrown questions at when she wakes up." Daryl nods, understanding the situation and the need for discretion, especially given the inquisitiveness of some members of the group, such as her father and Glenn.
The state of Madeleine's body is a testament to the trials she had most definitely faced, and it is a personal matter that she might not be comfortable discussing with others.
Maggie's perceptive nature allows her to pick up on Daryl's concern for Madeleine. While she has questions about their relationship, she respected the delicate situation and chooses not to press further.
"Best to let her rest until the surgery. I'll try to find her some clothes, I think we're the same size."
As she leaves the room and closes the door, it was a moment that underscored the delicate nature of his feeling growing for the women in front of him.
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Daryl walks out of the room, noticing Lori and Carl speaking to Rick, both of them making a move to enter the room, but he shuts the door after him.
"I think it's best we leave her to rest until she gets the surgery."
He understood that exposing her scars, both physically and emotionally, could be a sensitive matter for her, especially with her father, who may not have seen them before.
He takes a seat next to Rick, the man shooting an expressive grateful glance."Thank you."
Daryl shrugs, "Didn't want her to die."
"I want to see her." Carl cries out in his mother's arm who wipes away his tears.
"It's okay. Mama's here." He hushes in his ear. "Mads isn't going anywhere. You're gonna be okay. She's gonna be okay. We're gonna make her okay. We just need to give her some space." She indicates over to Daryl who leans his head back at the sudden wave of dizziness. "How many transfusions?"
"Two. He gave her blood two times now." Rick answers.
"Thank you, Daryl." Lori speaks, the man not looking at her as Hershel enters the room with a glass of juice and a contemplating expression.
Daryl grabs the drink from his hand, seating up straight to drink it as Lori snaps at the older man who entered the room.
"Okay, so I understand, when Shane gets back with this other man-."
Hershel cuts her off, "Otis."
"Otis." Lori scoffs. "The idiot who shot her."
"Ma'am, it was an accident."
"I'll take that under advisement later. For now, he's the idiot who shot our daughter." Lori argues back, Rick standing up and giving her a pointed look.
"Lori, they're doing everything they can to make it right." He turns back to Hershel. "Okay, as soon as they get back you can perform this surgery?"
Hershel nods, "I'll certainly do my best."
"Okay... I mean, you've done this procedure before?" Lori asks him.
"Well, yes, in a sense."
Lori frowns, clarifying his words. "In a sense?"
"Honey, we don't have the luxury of shopping for a surgeon." Rick attempts to reason with his wife.
"No, I understand that. But, I mean, you're a doctor, right?"
Hershel nods again, "Yes, ma'am. Of course. A vet."
"A veteran? A combat medic?" She confirms.
"A veterinarian." Hershel corrects Lori.
Lori chuckles in a non amused manner, "And you've done this surgery before on what? Cows? Pigs?" Daryl's head shoots up at the man, worry waving over him. "Completely in over your head, aren't you?"
"Ma'am, aren't we all?"
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As Hershel examines Madeleine and Daryl remains seated nearby in case she requires any more blood from him to help her, Lori and Rick lean against the doorframe. Meanwhile, Maggie and Patricia had volunteered to keep Carl away from the room until her surgery, both of their parents not wanting the young boy to see the state of his sister.
Lori holds back a sob as she walks closer to her, caressing her face before placing a kiss on top of head. Her heart races at the possibility of losing her, not having had the enough time to make amends and their family whole. On the other hand, Rick holds similar emotions back but above it all he doesn't care if she'll hate him forever as long as she makes it through.
"Pressure's dropping again. We can't wait much longer."
Daryl extends his arm back out, rolling up his sleeve. "Take some more. Whatever she needs."
"I'm gonna go." Rick states, his wife snapping her body toward him in confusion. "He said five miles. They should be long back by now. Something's gone wrong."
Lori shakes her head, "Are you insane? You're not goin' after them."
"Rick, listen to your wife."
"If they got into trouble-."
Hershel cuts him off, "She'll need you here. If something happened... it wouldn't be smart to get yourself in trouble as well."
""Something happened"... that's the more reason I have to go." Rick argues back.
"No, your place is here. If Shane said he'll be back, he'll be back. He's like you that way." Lori demands with a stern tone, Daryl finding himself tuning out of the argument as he observes Madeleine.
"I can't just stay here."
"That's exactly what you do!" Lori exclaims with a pointed look. "If you need to pray or cry or tell God he's cruel, you go right ahead, but you're not leavin', Rick. Mads needs her father. Here. Your face should be the one she sees when she wakes up, your hand and Carl's should be the ones holding hers when she wakes 'cause she will survive this."
"Mom, she's not going to die." Carl's voice questions from behind them, the young boy having managed to slip away when Patricia and Maggie were distracted.
Carl stares over at his sister as his parents share a knowing concerned expression. The young boy walks to the bed and climbs up, running a hand over her cheek before laying his head on her shoulder.
Lori nods with a sniffle, "She would never leave you behind."
"I know. I know she's strong and she's the warrior from dad's story. Tomorrow she'll be back with us and she'll be teaching how to use the bow again. Until then... I'll keep it safe for you, Mads." He glances up, pressing a gentle kiss to his sister's cheek. "I love you, captain Mads."
Rick sighs, watching his son shut his eyes as he manages to find peace in the chaotic moment. The man walks over to his daughter and holds her hand, bringing it up to his lips to kiss it.
"I love you, Madeleine. I can't bare to lose you again. I did you wrong and I'll understand you never forgive me, and in this exact moment, I know I'd rather you hate me and curse me everyday than having to bury you. I can't do it." Rick wipes away his tears, bringing his hand to his cheek. "This is not fair. This is not your end, sweetheart. Life was never fair with you, but something has to change. I'll make sure of it. You just have to wake up. Please, come back to me."