Aspen's POV:
People say your life flashes before your eyes before you die. Well mine did, except it wasn't my whole life and it wasn't me dying. I thought of all the moments I was with Carl. From when I went to the hospital with Rick to see him being born to when I walked with him to his first day of school.
As his lifeless body fell into my arms and I held him, all I could about was how I would never see his smile again. Or hear his laugh. I heard someone screaming and I thought it was Rick.
Then I realized it was me.
"Carl!" Rick sprinted to us and grabbed his boy from me. I began to sob as a heavy set man ran up to us.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't see him! I was trying to shoot the buck and the bullet went straight through!" He scrambled to explain himself to Rick and Shane.
"Do you have a camp?!" Rick practically yelled at him.
"Yes! Right out of the woods and across a field or two." The man said quickly. "Ask them for Hershel and tell them Otis sent you."
And just like that Rick was off with his son limp in his arms. Shane was right on his heels. I stood there in shock until Otis turned to me. "Are you going to go with them?"
As I snapped back to reality I realized I was standing in the woods alone with a man I did not know. I didn't acknowledge him as I just took off, sprinting after Rick and Shane.
As I ran I thought about how easily it could be me right now lying in Rick's arms hanging onto life by a thread. It should be me. I should have been there to protect Carl, and yet he was shot right in front of me. He's my little brother and he could be taken from me in a matter of hours.
After it seemed like we had run across the continent, I saw a white farm house a couple hundred yards away. I could see Rick struggling with Carl and I ran up to him. "Give him to me." I told him. My voice cracking with emotion.
"What?" He looked at me with disbelief.
"We don't have time to argue. Give him to me." Rick stood there baffled, and I just gently took Carl from his hands and put him on my back. I held his arms around my neck like I was giving him a piggy back ride. My legs and back groaned in protest, but I pushed through the pain. If I didn't do this, Carl might not survive through the night.
I took off sprinting again. Rick tried to keep up, but he soon feel behind. I continued to sprint but the farm house didn't seem to be getting any closer. It was like it was a mirage that was just taunting me. It wasn't until I felt that my legs would give out that I finally passed a gate that surrounded the perimeter of the farm.
I could see lights on in the house, shadows moving around inside. I could almost feel my heart exploding out of my chest as I tried to keep my legs from crumpling so close to my goal.
I pushed even harder and I finally reached the stairs, bursting through the door. I looked around. "Help please! Hershel?! Is there a Hershel here?! Otis shot my... my... brother and he told me to come see you! Please help!" I screamed as I looked around, frantic.
A white haired man burst out of a door. He analyzed the situation quickly, and swiftly started to gather things from around the room. "I'm Hershel, bring him into the room back here." He motioned me to follow him into a room to the left of the door in entered from. I quickly followed him and set Carl down gently on the bed. Rick burst through the door soon after and ran into the room.
"Please... help him... my son... I... need him..." Rick stuttered, trying to get words out between breaths. Hershel turned toward Rick as a blonde haired lady ripped Carl's shirt open.
"Don't worry sir. We're going to do as much as we can to help your son." Hershel turned to the woman in the room and said, "Patricia, can you please find this man a seat?"
"No problem. Sir, would you mind coming with me?" She said, trying to lead Rick out of the room, but he refused.
"No! I need to stay with my- my son! He needs me!" He stated, refusing to leave the room.
"Listen, there's nothing you can do for him right now." Patricia said, trying to convince Rick.
"No. I need to be here for him." Rick retorted.
Patricia sighed, glancing at Hershel. "Fine, I'll bring you a chair." She left the room and came back with a chair. "Here. You can sit over there." She said, pointing to the corner of the room.
Rick followed her and sat in the chair, but barely. He looked like he was getting ready to jump up at any moment. Hershel began to poke around inside and around the wound just as a brown haired girl came in. "Hi Daddy," she said, referring to Hershel. "I had to come see what was happening for myself." She leaned against the doorframe.
Rick looked at her with wide eyes, like he suddenly realized something. "My wife! She needs to know what happened." Rick looked around widely. "They're on the highway a little past where my boy was shot."
Hershel turned toward the girl. "Maggie, how about you take a horse and go find this man's wife and bring her here."
Maggie looked to Rick. "And what is your name and your wife's name?" Rick looked at her with wide eyes, not registering what she asked.
"His name is Rick and his wife's name is Lori." I said, helping him out. That poor man might lose his son, the least I could do is help out with his wife. "I'm Aspen by the way."
Maggie looked at me like she just realized I was there. "Thanks." She said in her sweet Georgia accent.
"No problem." I gave her a small smile.
I think we'll become good friends. Somehow you just know that when you meet people. I knew Rick was a good man from the moment I was first old enough to make conscious thoughts, and I knew Maggie had a kind spirit.
She turned and walked out of the room as I began to feel light headed. I walked out of the room soon after her, thinking I needed some fresh air. As I walked out onto the front porch, I could see the sun getting low in the sky. We didn't have much time. I hoped Maggie knew what she was doing, and knew how to find the highway quickly.
I had to lean against the railing as a wave of nausea hit me. I managed to make it to the steps until I felt my legs give out. I hit my head hard on the wood. Just as I was about to pass out, I heard a voice I never thought I would hear again. "Aspen?" He said, running over to me just as I blacked out.
Daryl's POV:
We heard one gunshot go off. I turned toward Glenn. "What the hell?"
He looked at me eyes wide. "We need to get back to the group."
"Nah, they're fine. It might not have even been one of us." I might have sounded like I didn't give a shit, but inside I was freaking out. What if it was Aspen? Was she hurt? Did they get surrounded by walkers? Why just one shot though? Was she so close to death that she ended her life before she could be torn apart?
Images rushed through my brain of her being bitten into by walkers and her bloodcurdling screams. It was worse than any nightmare I could ever have. I stopped walking as Glenn continued, until he realized I wasn't following.
"Yo dude, what's up? I get you don't want to go but we need to go somewhere." He looked at me, puzzled.
I shook off the images. I couldn't believe I let her get to me that much. "Hell. Nothing's wrong. Mind ya own business." I stalked past Glenn toward the highway.
I sure as hell wasn't going to let him know what was really on my mind. Especially since he was best buds with Aspen. In fact, maybe they were more than friends. I thought back to Atlanta. She had kissed him after all. Was there something going on with them and I just couldn't se it?
They did have something. I couldn't believe I didn't see it sooner. Of course, they were drawn to each other from the start. Well, screw off. I couldn't care less. It's not like I wanted her anyways.
I was still stewing as we came up on the highway. No sign of Aspen, Rick, Carl, or Shane. I looked around, seeing if anyone knew anything. It didn't look like it.
Just then, a girl rode up on a horse and another tethered to her. We all immediately drew our guns. "Woah! I'm not an enemy. Rick sent me."
We all stood there, stunned. How did she know Rick? "That's right. I know Rick. In fact, he sent me to get Lori."
Lori stepped forward. "I'm Lori. Is anything wrong?" She questioned.
Maggie gulped. "Well, in fact, Carl was shot, in the side. It's not deadly, yet. But Rick told me to get you." Lori froze in place as the shock hit her. She quickly ran up to Maggie and got on her horse.
I know I shouldn't feel relief that Carl was shot, but to know that the one gun shot was not deadly, and it wasn't Aspen, it was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.
But Maggie wasn't done yet. "Oh, one more thing Rick asked. Right before I left, Aspen collapsed. Rick told me to come get Daryl?" It took all my power for my face not to turn beet red at that. Rick asked for me? Why? I stood there stunned.
"Is he here?" Maggie asked.
I heard many snickers go through the group as Glenn shoved my forward. "He's right here." I turned around and glared at him. But then I walked up to Maggie. She motioned to the other horse and I got on.
She looked at me. "I guess there's something between you and Aspen?"
I just glared at her and huffed. "No. There's nothing."
Maggie smiled, like she knew something I didn't. "Oh, okay." She said. "Let's go. And for the rest of y'all, Rick told me you could follow in the RV whenever you were ready. We're just a little ways down the highway, and the you take the first right and then the second left."
And with that, we headed off. Many thoughts clouding my brain.