Forager || Rick Grimes

s e v e n

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Today was the day of Otis's funeral.

His body had never returned to his family.

He'd forever be stuck at the high school.

It had been two day's since Carl's operation and he was recovering remarkably well.

The sun was beating on everyone's back as they stared at the stacks of rock that should've been covering Otis's body.

More of the group had joined them on the farm. They even bought Natalie's car with them.

Each person went forth to place another rock on the stack as Herschel said a prayer.

Together, Natalie, Emilia and Isabel placed it on top of the stack. The two younger girls fell back in line with the rest but Natalie still stood by it.

She rested her hand on it and closed her eyes making a tear flow down her cheek.

She sighed heavily before turning around and making her way back to her girls. She picked up Emilia, who was also crying and placed her on her hip, as Isabel rested her head against Natalie's bicep.

Natalie kept her eyes on Patricia as she sobbed for her husband.

"Shane?" Herschel said once he finished his prayer, "will you say a few words on Otis?"

"I've never been good at that sort of thing." Shane quickly responded.

"You were the last one with him," Patricia cried, making Natalie trail for her. "Please, share his final moments." Natalie rubbed her hand up and down Patricia's arm as she begged Shane to speak. "I need to know if his death had meaning."

Shane looked down, struggling to get his words out, "We were about done," he started avoiding all eye contact, "we were done to pistols by then, I was limping, 'we gotta save the boy' that's what he said." Shane said, his voice breaking up. "He gave me his backpack n' sent me ahead, 'run' he said, and I did, but when I looked back..." he said finally looking up at Patricia, "If not for Otis, I never would've made it out alive and that goes for Carl, too." he persuaded. "It was Otis. If any death ever had meaning, it was his."

The group all head back in one by one, Patricia stayed the longest out.

Natalie sent her girls in with her sisters as she accompanied Patricia out longer.

Eventually, Patricia, too, went in. Sending a long trail of her cries to the house.

"How long has the girl been missing for?" Herschel said as the group approached the hood of the car.

"It'll be the third day now," Rick responded as Maggie came forth.

"This is the county map," she spoke setting it out in front of everyone on the hood, "shows all-terrain and elevations."

"This is perfect, we can finally get this thing organised," Rick spoke impressed. Natalie leaned up against the car, trying to get a good look at where he planning for us to go. "We can start searching in teams."

"Not you," Natalie spoke, pushing herself off the car to stand up straight. "Not today at least. You gave three units of blood, you won't be able to do anything in this heat."

"And your ankle," Herschel spoke up defending his daughter. "You won't last long out there either."

"Guess that's just me then," Daryl said.

"Alright, then tomorrow." Rick urged.

"That also means we can't just go out with knives," Shane stated, "we need to start gun training."