Rick Grimes' Daughter ~ Born a Survivor

9. The flower of hope

Ruby's P.O.V.

- Fever's gone down, I hear a man saying to people as I slowly wake up. I feel so weak and my belly hurts. I wriggle, trying to move a bit despite the pain. I can feel someone sitting next to me and another weight, near my head.

- Baby? Ruby? I hear my father's familiar voice. It is so full of worry and relief at the same time. I open my eyes and see my mother sitting next to me and my father kneeing beside the bed as he is leaning in to look into my eyes. I remember everything that happened before I arrived here... well, before the deer, at least. Oh no... Sophia!

- Sophia? Is she okay? And Carl? I ask worried as my voice barely gets out. I'm thirsty.

- Fine. They're fine, answers my father while nodding and faintly smiling.

- Rest. We'll be right here, okay? suggests and tells me, mom. I glance at her tiredly and then my father before faintly nodding and closing my eyes again.

Rick's P.O.V.

I sit back in the chair next to Ruby's bed as I let a sigh of relief. The worst is behind us now. We just have to wait for her wound to heal completely. I never thought she would be this strong. She's a true little fighter. I look up at my wife who is still staring at Ru's face when T-Dog enters the room. Lori turns around to look at the man as we wait for him to tell us what is going on. T-Dog informs us that the rest of the group has arrived with the RV, the car and Daryl's motorcycle. My wife and I stand up and walk out of the room to go outside. Hershel and his family follow us behind.

- How is he? questions, Dale to us while looking worried.

- He'll pull through, thanks to Hershel and his people, responds my wife as I see her faintly smiling to the Greene family behind us.

- And Shane, I add. We'd have lost Ruby if not for him, Dale nods before stepping forward and giving me a friendly embrace.

- Thank God. We were so worried, I hear Carol whispering as she hugs my wife.

- How'd it happen? questions the old man of my group with confusedness.

- Hunting accident. That's all Just a stupid accident, I answer, remembering that horrible moment. Dale nods and doesn't ask anymore questions at the sight of my eyes watering lightly. Even though Ruby is fine now, that moment will never get erased of my memory.

Shane's P.O.V.

After the group arrived, asked to the Grimes couple if Ruby was alright and did the introduction with the Greene family, everyone went to the back where, earlier, I helped picking up rocks to put on top of Otis's grave. The family wants to give a memorial to the man which is understandable. I still get forget what I did to that chubby man. He only wanted to do right. He went with me at the school to help me find and get the stuffs that Ruby needed to be saved, and what did I do? I shoot and hit the man until getting the bag before leaving him there, dying in the worst pain nowadays. I was scared to be killed by those walkers. I was a coward and I still am.

- Blessed be God, father of our lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to him for the gift of our brother Otis, for his span of years, for his abundance of character; Otis, who gave his life to save a child's, now more than ever, our most precious asset. We thank you, God, for the peace he enjoys in your embrace. He died as he lived, in Grace, says Hershel, standing in front of the grave of his close friend. People goes one by one, taking a rock out of the wheelbarrow and putting it on top of the grave. I look down as flashes of what happened back at the school cross my mind. I keep seeing Otis in pain and hearing him screaming. I can't forget him. I can't forget that I killed a man to gain some time and survive. Shane, I look up awkwardly and nervously at the old man who is staring sadly at me.