world's end ━ the walking dead

( 𝟎𝟔𝟖 ) an unexpected injury

— DURING THE ALTERCATION, NATE HADN'T noticed the pain across his whole stomach until he stood back up and used the car next to him for support, the man had so much adrenaline inside of him, that he hadn't noticed one of the men beating him up had sliced across his stomach with a knife, attempting to end his life early. The only thing going through the man's mind, however, was Zoe and Carl, the two Grimes' having had to endure those two disgusting men whom were going straight to hell; Nate still felt anger rush throughout his body still at what he had seen happen, being unable to do anything to help — he hated himself for it, and he was ashamed that he couldn't help at all. As he looked over at Zoe holding Carl in her arms, pushing through her own trauma to take care of her brother, he felt his heart break into two, the poor kid that had to go through something at such a young age, and Nate and Daryl were travelling with the man for days, without knowing what kind of man that was. The two brothers knew that the group they were with, were bad, but to this extent, they wouldn't have guessed, and the fact that Zoe had run into the group before the Dixon's even came into contact with them, made Nate feel physically sick.

Zoe held onto Carl and looked up at Nate as she rested her chin on his head, the big shaking uncontrollably as he had suffered the wrath of a much older, and larger man, the girl was afraid to even let go of him, as well as look down at him to see his broken face; she knew that this would be a change for Carl, that he would be growing up faster because of this encounter. Nate seemed distraught, too, the man clutching his stomach as he began to make his way slowly towards Zoe and Carl, Michonne standing by the two Grimes' to make sure that Carl and Zoe were okay after what had just happened and what they had witnessed their father do just now. Daryl was still half on the floor, looking over at the dead man on the floor whom had just been practically chopped up by Rick, as well as his brother limping towards Zoe and Carl. When Carl finally looked up, he saw Nate limping over, and Michonne had pulled the boy gently away from his sister, the kid then clinging onto her and beginning to cry again, he felt just as comfortable with the older woman than he did with his sister, due to the mothering nature she had.

Zoe noticed Nate walking over, and she noticed instantly that something was wrong, the girl pushed up off of the ground, checking that Carl was okay, before rushing over to him by the car, the man unable to hold himself up anymore. "Hey." The girl spoke up, Nate feeling like it was music to his ears hearing her voice again after so long believing that he wasn't going to see her again. Nate fell against the car, his back leaning up against the side as he felt his vision fade in and out, Zoe not knowing what to do, looking over at her father who instantly rushed over, everyone ignoring how he had blood coating his beard and shirt from biting Joe's skin off of his neck, killing him. "What hurts, baby?" Zoe asked, taking both of her hands and placing them either side of his face, looking into his eyes as Nate just looked at her like he was seeing a ghost.

"I found you." Nate whispered, lifting up his own bloody hand and placing it on the side of his cheek, feeling his shirt lifting up with cold hands and a small gasp following, before more footsteps were heard as Rick and Daryl rushed around to check every bag of the groups to see if they could fix the cut along the front of his stomach, because if they didn't, it would just get worse. Zoe kept talking to Nate, telling him to keep his eyes open, but he could barely even register what she was saying anymore, not now that his whole head was buzzing. "Are you okay?" He asked the girl instead, pulling her hands away from his stomach and back to his face, already missing her touch after having been deprived of it for so long.