The Rest of your Life

Chapter 9

Rory had just finished eating her breakfast with Maggie when they heard it, the rumbling of an engine. Rory almost choked on her last bite of cereal as she shot up from her seat and dashed to the window.

"They're here!" The girl yelled excitedly, having seen Daryls motorcycle, followed by the RV and a few cars. Maggie came up behind her and led the girl outside at the same time that Rick and Lori made their way out too.

Rory stood in the middle of Maggie and Beth as her eyes scanned the small crowd for her father. She had a little disagreement when she had seen him for the first time that morning. She had a shock when she had walked into the kitchen to see her dad had shaved off all of his hair. Why he did it, she didn't know, but she made it clear that she didn't like it.

"How is he?" Dale asked Rick grimly as he stepped forward.

"He'll pull through." Lori nodded with a smile on her face. "Thanks to Hershel and his people and-"

"And Shane." Rick interrupted. "We'd have lost Carl if not for him." It was all quiet for a moment before Dale stepped forward and hugged Rick. Rory looked up to see Carol approaching her.

"Thank god you're okay." She whispered into the girls hair as she hugged her. Rory wound her arms around Carol and hugged back. "We we're so worried." They both pulled apart as Maggie came a little closer to Rory.

"Sophia?" Carol questioned. Rory just shook her head grimly, slightly guilty that she hadn't seen the other girl.

"How'd it happen?" Dale questioned, referring to Carl.

"Hunting accident." Rick clarified. "That's all. Just a stupid accident."

•••

When everyone unpacked, Shane gave his daughter her backpack back. He also gave her his necklace. Why? Rory had no clue, but she wore it with pride. After he had walked away, she reached into the bottom and fetched out her knife holster and slipped the knives inside before strapping it around her leg. Luckily, her shirt was long enough that it was covered.

•••

"Blessed be god." Hershel read. "Father of our lord, Jesus Christ." People began putting stones into Otis's grave. "Praise be to him for the gift of our brother Otis."

Rory leaned against Rick as she lost concentration on Hershel's speech. She never liked funerals. Despite the fact the only one she had been to before the world flipped was one that her father and Rick had made in their back garden for Rory's pet goldfish, but it was a funeral non the less.

"Shane." Hershel spoke, Rory's head popping up at the mention of her father. "Will you speak for Otis?"

"I'm not good at it." Shane denied immediately. "I'm sorry."

"You were the last one with him." Patricia cried. "You shared his final moments. Please. I need to hear... I need to know his death had meaning."

Shane stuttered for a moment before he spoke. "We were about done." He started. "Almost out of ammo, we were down to pistols by then. I was limping. It was bad. Ankle all swollen up." Rory scrunched her face at her dads words and looked up only to meet eyes with Daryl, who held eye contact before scoffing and looking away.

Rory looked down and leant more onto Rick, who gave the child a hug from the side. She didn't listen to her fathers words, but looked up as he limped forward to the wheel barrow. He picked up a stone and placed it onto the grave.

"If not for Otis, I'd have never made it out alive. And that goes for Carl too." Shane stated. "It was Otis. He saved us both.. if any death ever had meaning, it was his."