Jason let out a low sigh, glancing at Rick and Lori for a moment. The two of them seemed burdened with "guilt" over a situation that wasn't under their control, but since they were both the boy's parents, it was obvious they would feel that way. They blamed themselves for not having protected him, forgetting the fact that it was impossible to do so perfectly in this world… Not perfectly…
He took a step forward and placed his hand on Rick's shoulder, squeezing it gently—firm enough to offer the man some comfort.
"Everything's going to be okay," he said, his voice calm and direct. "I'll do whatever it takes to save him…"
Rick lifted his gaze, his eyes red from exhaustion and worry, but he still managed a short nod.
"Thank you…" he murmured, his voice hoarse. "Really…"
Jason simply nodded, not dragging the subject out.
"I'm going to take my things to the room…" he said, turning to Hershel. "I'll be back later. If there's any worsening in his condition, you can come and call me…"
Hershel simply nodded.
After gathering his things, Jason and Maggie left the room in silence. As soon as they stepped into the hallway, Patricia appeared, coming from the kitchen and carrying a pile of clean cloths and a basin of hot water. When she saw Jason, she stopped mid-step, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Jason! You're back…" she exclaimed, clear relief in her voice. "Thank God. Are you okay?"
"I'm in one piece…" he replied, offering a tired half-smile. "Just a little dirty."
Patricia glanced quickly at the weapons and the bow, but made no comment. Instead, she pointed with her chin toward the kitchen.
"Want something to eat? You must be starving after spending the whole day out there."
Jason nodded, grateful.
"If it's not too much trouble, I'd appreciate it."
"I'll prepare something quick," she said, already moving. "I'll bring it to you when it's ready."
Jason nodded and thanked her. "Thank you very much…"
After saying that, he glanced at Maggie, who had remained silent the entire time, and the two of them climbed the stairs together, the steps creaking softly under their feet. When they reached the room, Maggie closed the door behind her and turned to him, her eyes shining with a mixture of pride and admiration.
"You were incredible down there…" she said, her voice low. "My dad had given a general idea of Carl's condition, but you explained everything so clearly, so precisely. Even I understood the severity of it. It was like you had done this a thousand times before. You really are a genius…"
Jason slipped the backpack off his shoulders and carefully leaned the bow against the wall. He shrugged, almost shyly.
"It was nothing special. Your dad is good at what he does. Even though he's not a human doctor and is a veterinarian, he knows the basics. If I weren't here, he would have managed…"
Maggie stepped closer, stopping right in front of him. She raised her hand and touched his chest, feeling the dirty fabric of his shirt beneath her fingers.
"Maybe. But you being here… changes everything. I saw Rick's face when you talked about the chances. He breathed for the first time since he arrived. Not that they didn't trust my dad, but seeing a 'real doctor' must have eased their minds…"
Jason held her hand against his chest, intertwining their fingers.
"Well, that's a luxury few people can have in today's world. Anyway, I noticed your dad didn't remove any of the shards. Can you tell me why?"
Maggie kept her hand on his chest, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the dirty fabric of his shirt as she organized her thoughts.
"He actually tried…" she said, her voice low, almost a whisper. "My dad started preparing everything, but Lori… she wouldn't let him. She got desperate and said she wanted to wait for you. And Shane had left with Otis to get the supplies from the school. She thought that if she waited for both of you to return, she'd feel safer. As if the presence of a 'real doctor' would make all the difference."
She gave a small, slightly sad smile.
"As time passed and neither of you showed up, you could see she was getting more and more anxious. But, impressively, she held on. My dad didn't argue. In fact… I think he wanted to see you in action. To see what you can really do now."
Jason nodded slowly, his face serious as he organized his own thoughts. So that was it? The first concrete change caused by his presence. In the original story, Hershel would have started the surgery on his own, removing at least one of the shards before Shane returned with the proper equipment. Now… everything had been delayed. Not by chance, but because of his indirect interference. Lori had trusted him—the actual doctor—more than the veterinarian, and that single decision had noticeably altered the rhythm of events…
Speaking of Shane, he had been deliberately ignoring that fact, perhaps for convenience. Otis should already be dead by now—killed by Shane. The realization came cold and inevitable, making his jaw tighten as an uncomfortable feeling began to take shape. Guilt. If he had arrived earlier, he might have prevented Otis from… or simply taken his place. More than that, he would have had the perfect opportunity to deal with Shane, someone he already clearly identified as a future problem…
Still, it hadn't happened. And not because of inability, but because of an indirect choice. He had prioritized eliminating that trash group, which represented an immediate threat to Maggie. Between Otis and Maggie, the choice had never really been a choice. Maggie came first, without hesitation. That group put her at risk simply by existing… so they had to die. But that didn't erase the fact that, in the process, he had been delayed and ended up letting Otis die because of it. And the consequences of his actions were beginning to line up, silently in his heart.
Once again, he felt firsthand that this world was real, not just a distant story from a series he had once watched as a spectator. In this world, people died for real. Decisions had weight. And events moved forward, indifferent to what he knew or what he wished to change…
No matter how much he wanted to save everyone, no matter how much knowledge he carried about what should happen—though it was limited to the beginning of the season and would soon become useless—it didn't mean he would succeed in every situation. There were too many variables, moments that escaped his control. In the end, he was still human. And being human meant having limits, meant failing, hesitating, choosing one path over another. Even possessing characteristics that, at first glance, might suggest otherwise… it didn't make him perfect.
He didn't say any of this out loud. He simply pressed her hand more firmly against his chest.
"Got it," he murmured calmly. "It was better this way… Now help me get this dirty clothes off before Patricia comes up with the food. I stink…"
Maggie smiled lightly.
"You really do…" she teased, already pulling the hem of his shirt upward. "But I still like you dirty."
Jason let out a laugh, raising his arms to help her.
Maggie bit her lower lip, her gaze slowly traveling down his torso as she pulled the dirty shirt over his head, exposing his body: broad shoulders, defined chest, abs marked by deep lines that shifted with every breath. She couldn't hide the desire shining in her eyes.
"I never get tired of seeing this perfect body…" she murmured, her voice rougher than she intended. "It's almost unfair."
Jason let out a low, deep laugh and pulled her by the waist with a firm motion, pressing their bodies together. His large hands slid down her back, descending to the curve of her hips.
"What's unfair is you looking at me like that and then complaining that I took too long…" he teased, his nose brushing against hers. "I almost didn't get out of bed this morning because of you."
Maggie smiled against his mouth, her fingers sliding up his bare chest.
"Then next time don't leave."
The kiss came hot, slow, full of relief and built-up desire. Their tongues met unhurriedly, as if both needed to confirm that the other was really there. Jason tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her closer, while Maggie buried her fingers in his hair, holding on tightly.
When they separated, both were slightly breathless.
"If Patricia comes up and finds us like this, it's going to be kind of awkward…" Maggie commented, amused.
Jason let out a light sigh and nodded.
"Fair enough."
He then stepped back, grabbing clean clothes and starting to change. As he pulled the clean shirt over his shoulders, Maggie sat on the edge of the bed, watching.
"So…" she began, resting her hands on the mattress. "What really happened out there?"
"It was mostly calm in the town…" he said, taking off his pants and putting on a pair of gray sweatpants while explaining everything that had happened in the city, carefully avoiding the part where he had killed an entire group of men by himself…
Maggie listened attentively, sitting on the edge of the bed, her eyes following every movement he made.
Before she could ask anything else, the two of them heard the unmistakable sound of an engine approaching outside.
Maggie stood up immediately.
"It's Shane and Otis…" she said, her tone changing.
They left the room together, quickly descending the stairs. When they reached the porch, Shane was already getting out of the truck, visibly limping. Two heavy backpacks hung from his shoulders, his face dirty with earth and dried blood.
Otis was not with him.
Rick and Hershel were already outside, waiting.
Shane stopped in front of them, breathing heavily. He dropped the backpacks on the ground with a dull thud.
"I brought what I could…" he said, his voice hoarse. "But… Otis…"
He swallowed hard, looking at the ground for a second before raising his gaze again.
"Otis didn't make it. He… he died a hero. He sacrificed himself so I could escape with the medicine. He was the one who held off the walkers so I could get through."
The silence that fell over the porch was heavy.
Maggie felt her stomach tighten.
Jason, beside her, remained silent, his face serious but unsurprised. Deep down, he had already expected something like this. Still, a part of him had clung to the possibility that it might be different—that, because this was a real world, maybe Otis could have survived. But it hadn't happened. Reality hadn't bent to expectation, nor to desire. It had come straight and heavy… like a punch to the gut.
Otis was dead. And, in a way, it had passed through him.
Not because he had pulled the trigger, nor because he had been there at the final moment. But because he had chosen. He had chosen to eliminate a more distant threat instead of returning immediately. He had chosen to prioritize Maggie, the safety of the farm, the future he wanted to build in that place. It was a logical decision, even justifiable from certain angles… but that didn't erase the outcome. An innocent man was dead—the same man who had carried him unconscious, who had offered food, shelter, and trust without hesitation.
A knot formed in his stomach, tightening slowly. It wasn't guilt in the simplest, most direct sense. It was something more complex, harder to ignore. Because in that world, choices didn't disappear after they were made—they had consequences.
A part of him even considered killing Shane right there. Deep down, the idea of revenge seemed simple, direct, almost fair. Otis deserved that. He deserved for someone to answer for his death. But he wasn't impulsive enough to ignore the context. This wasn't the moment. There was a boy on the brink of death who needed to be saved, and he was standing beside the father of his girlfriend—a man who despised violence above all else. Acting now would solve nothing… it would only create more problems.
Still, the thought didn't disappear.
He let out a low sigh, pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind as he took a step forward.
"Bring that inside…" he said, his voice taking on a more professional, direct tone. "We can't wait any longer. I'm going to start the surgery now."
Shane, who until then had seemed trapped in his own account, finally shifted his gaze to Jason. He frowned, looking him up and down, clearly confused.
"Who is this guy?" he asked, his voice still hoarse but laced with distrust.
Rick didn't waste time. He was already bending down to pick up the backpacks, his movements quick and urgent.
"He's the doctor," he answered directly, without even looking at Shane. "The one they said had gone into town…"
At the end of his words, he lifted one of the bags, then the other, the weight evident… but ignored.
"And thanks to you, now he has what he needs," he added, finally glancing at Shane for a brief second. "Thank you… really."
Without waiting for a reply, Rick turned and hurried into the house, carrying the equipment.
Hershel let out a heavy sigh, running his hand over his face before looking at Maggie.
"Maggie…" his voice came out lower, but firm. "Go to Patricia. She's going to need you now."
He then looked at Jason, his expression hardening slightly, focused.
"I'm going to help with the surgery."
Jason simply nodded.
Maggie hesitated for a moment, clearly torn. Her gaze went from Jason to her father… and then to the house.
Finally, she took a deep breath and nodded.
"Okay… I'll take care of her."
Before leaving, however, she held Jason's arm for a second, drawing his attention. Her eyes carried worry… but also trust.
"Save him…" she murmured.
Jason held her gaze for a brief moment.
"I will."
Maggie nodded one last time before walking away, entering the house in another direction.
Outside, only Shane remained, still standing there trying to process everything… and Jason, who was already moving without wasting time, heading back into the house to save Carl.
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(A/N: I want to leave a quick notice for you all!
The TWD story is progressing well, and starting tomorrow, there will be chapters released daily on Patreon. On some days, there may also be double chapters for those who want to stay even further ahead.
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If you enjoy reading ahead and getting access to more content, this is a great time to subscribe to Patreon.
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