The Grimes Sisters

Bloodletting

It was months before the outbreak and Lori Grimes was outside waiting for her kids to get out of school.

"I know that look. Then you get really quiet. So, are you gonna tell me?" A friend of Lori's said looking at her

"We had a fight this morning. It got ugly, hurtful." Lori tells her

"I'm sorry, hon-- Men can be jerks."

"Thing is, if we're being honest, he wasn't the asshole." Lori informs

"Ah, got ya." She nodded her head

"He was trying so hard to be reasonable. It just pushed my buttons all the more. God, I sometimes wish he would just have it out with me.. And blow up, tell me I'm being a bitch, if that's what I'm being. Instead, he's just so.." Lori says

"Don't beat yourself up."

"No? You can't tell me that being pissed at your husband because he doesn't yell at you is even close to being rational." Lori laughs

"That's one problem I don't have with Tom." The friend says

"But you still love him." Lori tells her

"Sure, I do- Might as well. We're lifers." The friend informs her

"I admire your pragmatism." Lori smiles

"You still love Rick?" The friend asks

"I've been asking myself that a lot, and-and I-I think the answer's "yes." It's just, I'm trying to remember how that works. Maybe the only real problem we have is we got married so young. It's-" Lori is cut off by the sounds of sirens, coming closer to the two women. "Excuse me. Is he alive?" Lori asks Shane as he gets out the car and walks towards her

"He's in surgery." Shane tells her as the school bell rang

"How?" Lori questions

"There was a radio call that said that there was two suspects in a car, but there was a third man. Somebody screwed up. I screwed up. I ju- I did not see him in time- Lori, it's my fault." Shane tells her

"I-I don't believe that. What do I say? How do I tell my son and daughters their father's been shot?" Lori says watching as Logan, Carl, and Aria walk out of the elementary and high school. Lori raises her arm and waves at them while the twins wave back and Aria smiles.

"You don't have to do it alone." Shane says "Okay." Lori heads over to the twins and Aria holding their hands as she tells them the news. The three start to breakdown and Lori immediately hugs them.

ʚɞ

Now

Rick runs with Carl in his arms with Logan, Shane and a man they met named Otis who shot Carl running behind them

"Come on." Rick says as he lifts Carl up more

"Hey, you move, shithead! Come on, get us there!" Shane yells at the man

"How far? How far?" Rick Shouts

"Another half mile, that way! Hershel, talk to Hershel- He'll help your boy. I'm sorry." Otis apologizes again as he falls down.

Rick runs faster with Logan running as fast as she can right behind her father still crying.

"Let's go- Come on!" Shane yells at him

"Dad!" A woman shouts on the porch they saw in the distance

"Was he bit?" The old man asks Rick

"Shot, by your man."Rick tells the man