𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝

𝟎𝟗. 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐬

━━━Wildfire

Grace, Rick, and Glenn step inside the empty bar. Grace's eyes lock onto Hershel sitting at the counter with a glass full of bourbon in front of him. A frown tugs on her face and the door slams behind her.

"Hershel," Rick calls out, his voice echoing in the dead silent bar. Grace's eyes dart around the deserted bar and she gulps.

"Who's with you?" Hershel asks, not even bothering to look back.

"Glenn and Grace," Rick replies dryly.

"Maggie sent them?" Hershel asks curiously, shifting his weight on the chair.

"They both volunteered. How many you had?" Rick asks, walking up beside Hershel.

"Not enough," Hershel snaps back at him and Glenn glances over at Grace.

"Let's finish this up back at home. Beth collapsed, is in some sort of state. Must be in shock. I think you are, too," Rick suggests and Hershel finally turns his head, meeting Rick's eyes.

"Maggie's with her?" Hershel asks, a tinge of concern in his voice.

"Yeah, but Beth needs you," Rick points out and Grace nervously chews on her bottom lip.

"What could I do? She needs her mother or rather to mourn, like she should've done weeks ago. I robbed her of that. I see that now," he sighs out, lowering his head.

"You thought there was a cure, can't blame yourself for holding out for hope," Rick comments with sincereness. 

"Hope? When I first you saw running across my field with your boy in your arms, I had little hope he would survive," Hershel admits and Rick's eyebrows slightly furrow.

"But he did," Rick assures him.

"He did, even though we lost Otis. Your man, Shane, made it back and we saved your boy. That was miracle that proved to me miracles do exist, only it was a sham. A bait and switch. I was a fool, Rick and you people saw that. My daughters deserve better than that," Hershel announces and Grace lowers her head with shame.

Rick scoffs quietly and walks back over to Glenn and Grace. Grace glances outside the dust covered window as the rays of sun shine in, hitting her face.

"So what do we do? Just wait for him to pass out?" Glenn lowers his voice and Hershel glares back at them.

"Just go!" Hershel raises his voice and Grace's eyes widen. 

"I promise Maggie I'd bring you home safe," Rick explains, marching back over to him with clenched fists.

"Like you promised that little girl?" Hershel chuckles out and Rick's heart drops.

"So, what's your plan? Finish that bottle, drink yourself to death and leave your girls alone?" Rick retorts harshly with annoyance.

"Stop telling me how to care for my family, my farm. You people are like a plague! I do the Christian thing, give you shelter and you destroy it all!" Hershel slams his fist down on the counter, his voice roaring.

Grace gulps and shifts her weight uneasily.

"The world was already in bad shape when we met," Rick speaks through gritted teeth, clearly pissed off.

"And you take no responsibility and you're suppose to be their leader!" Hershel screams back at him and Grace lowers her head with shame. Rick runs his tongue over his bottom lip and shakes his head.

"Well, I'm here now, aren't I?" he retorts harshly.

"Yes, yes you are," Hershel replies dryly, his eyes wrinkling at the sides.

"Come on. Your girls need you now more than ever," Rick lowers his head, calming himself down.

"I didn't want to believe you. You told me there was no cure, that these people were dead, not sick. I chose not to believe that, but when Shane shot Lou in the chest and she just kept coming, that's when I knew what an ass I'd had been. That Annette had been dead long ago and I was feeding a rotten corspe. That's when I knew there was no hope and when that little girl came out of the barn, the look on your face...I knew you knew it, too, right? There is no hope and you know it now, like I do. Don't you? There is no hope for any of us," Hershel announces, his eyes flashing with a certain darkness.

"Rick, we need to get back home," Glenn points out with a hushed voice.

"Look, I'm done. I'm not doing this anymore, cleaning up after you. You know what the truth is? Nothing has changed. Death is death. It's always been there, whether it's from heart attack, cancer, or a walker. You didn't think it was hopeless before, did you? Now there are people back at home trying to hang on and they need us, even if it's just to give them a reason to go on, even if we don't believe it ourselves. You know what? This isn't about what we believe anymore. It's about them," Rick rambles on, gazing into Hershel's eyes.

Silence takes over for a moment and Grace lets out a defeated sigh.

"Hershel please," Grace begs him with a deep desperation. Hershel lets out a tiny sigh and sets his empty glass upside down. He starts to stand up from the stool and a faint smiles forms along Grace's face. 

Suddenly the front door swings open and panic sets in with the entire group.

Hershel, Glenn, Grace, and Rick all spin around, facing the door as two strangers enter the bar.

"Son of a bitch, they're alive."