𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬, 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 | TWD [Book 1]

VII. The Agony of Unending Darkness

With his daughter's unconscious body cradled in his arms, Rick runs tirelessly, driven by a surge of adrenaline and a fierce determination. The weight of the situation and his daughter's well-being bores down on him, but he pushes on, knowing that every second counts in his desperate state to save her.

The urgency of the situation and the emotional turmoil he feels were evident, but Rick's fatherly love and unwavering commitment fueled his relentless efforts to ensure the safety and survival of his daughter.

"Come on. Stay with me, stay with me, stay with me." Rick pleads with teary eyes, adjusting the limp body in his arms. "Please, I need you."

"Hey, you move, shithead! Come on, get us there!" Shane demands, dragging the man who shot the women.

Rick glances over his shoulder at the man, yelling out his lungs. "How far? How far?!"

"Another half mile, that way! Hershel. Talk to Hershel. He'll help your girl." The man breathlessly urges out, pointing out the way and Rick doesn't hesitate to pick up his pace.

As Shane drags the man behind them, Rick continues to struggle under the weight of his unconscious daughter, knowing that he has no other option but to keep moving forward for her sake. The urgency and desperation of their situation is tangible, and he presses on despite the physical and emotional toll it is taking.

In the distance, a woman notices Rick, and she calls out for her father. Just as Rick approaches a family whose house he had been running toward, they walk out, creating an unexpected encounter with strangers in the midst of their dire circumstances.

"Was she bit?" The older man loudly calls out to him.

Rick shakes his head, out of breath, "Shot. By your man."

A older blonde women frowns, "Otis?"

"He said find Hershel. Is that you?" The older man steps closer to the man and his daughter, examining her. "Help my daughter, I'm begging you."

"Get her inside! Patricia, I need my full kit. Maggie-." He speaks loud and clear as they enter the house, Rick following behind the older man.

"Yeah?"

"Painkillers, coagulates- Grab everything. Clean towels, sheets, alcohol." He continues, adjusting the bed for the man to lay down his daughter. "In here." Rick lays down his bloody daughter on the bed. "Pillowcase."

"Is-is she alive?"

"Pillowcase, quick." The man speaks with a harsher tone to the people entering the room to aid him.

"Is-is she alive?"

"Fold it. Make a pad." The man demands and Rick follows his instructions, grabbing the pillowcase and folding it to out put pressure on the wound, whilst the man holds up a stethoscope to her chest, merely lifting it a little bit of her shirt. "I've got a heartbeat. It's faint."