salvation → g. rhee

wildfire

"Dad, stop," Aubrey said, her eyebrows raising as the RV behind them stopped.

"Daryl, cut it!" Shane shouted to Daryl, who had pulled ahead of them in his truck, his motorcycle strapped down in the truck bed. Both engines cut and they got out.

"What's going on?" Aubrey asked when the RV's door popped open.

"Can we get a hand in here?" Dale called.

Aubrey moved forward, and Shane cut her off, him and Daryl bounding in. Letting out a puff of air, she pulled herself into the RV anyway. Everyone was sitting around Jim, sweating heavy and delirious with fever.

"Jim, you can't," Jacqui was saying.

"I can. Christ, my bones are like glass...every bump... God, this ride is killing me. Leave me here. I'm done. Leave me to be with my family."

"They're all dead," Rick said pointedly. "I don't think you know what you're asking. The fever - you've been delirious more often than not."

Jim pulled himself up in bed, groaning with the effort. "I'm clear now. In five minutes I might not be. Rick, I know what I'm asking. I want this. Leave me here. Now that's on me, okay? My decision, not your failure."

"It's what he says he wants," Rick said to the people of the group who weren't in the RV.

"And he's lucid?" Carol asked skeptically.

Rick shrugged. "He seems to be. I would say yes."

"We just leave him here? We take off? Man, I'm not sure I could live with that," Shane said, a guilty edge in his voice.

Lori scoffed. "It's not your call. Either one of you."

Partway up a hill just off the side of the road, Rick and Shane set Jim down on the ground and stepped back as he settled his back against the tree.

"Yeah, that's it," Rick said quietly when he was as comfortable as he could get.

Jim groaned, his breathing coming out heavily. "Look at that. Another damn tree," he chuckled lightly.

"Hey, Jim - I mean, it doesn't have to end this way, man," Shane offered.

"No, it's good. The breeze feels nice," Jim panted.

"Okay. Alright."

Jacqui came over and kneeled in front of Jim. "Just close your eyes, sweetie. Don't fight." Crying, she pressed her lips to his cheek and walked back down the hill.

Shane looked over as Aubrey made her way up the hill.

"Hey, Jim, you want this?" she asked, kneeling in front of him and taking the pistol from the waistband of her jeans.

Jim shook his head. "No, you'll need it. I'm fine. I'm fine."

"Okay. No hard feelings?" she asked, giving him a small smile when he nodded, and straightened up, making her way back down the hill. Glenn put an arm around her shoulders as she nibbled on her fingernail. Silently, they watched Dale walk up and say his final goodbye.

"C'mon," Shane said to her quietly when Dale was done, making his way back to the jeep. She gave Glenn a quick see ya and climbed into the jeep with her dad.

"Do we even know where we're going?" Aubrey asked as they pulled away from the side of the road. She turned to the window and gave Jim one last wave before he fell out of view.

"Yeah, Rick and I were talkin' back at the camp. We think it'd be a good idea to see if the CDC is still up and running," Shane explained.

With her face forward, she raised an eyebrow. "CDC? Disease control?"