Chapter 19: Greene Farm
Time seemed to slow down as Rick burst into the garden of the Greene farm, his dying son in his arms. An old man and two young girls sitting on the porch jumped to their feet in terror. It was Hershel Greene and his daughters, Maggie and Beth.
"Help! My son's been shot!" Rick cried, his voice cracking with desperation.
Hershel shook off his momentary shock and sprang into action. From years of experience, he knew this was no time to panic. "Bring him in! Now!" he commanded.
They guided Rick to a large room inside the house. They carefully laid Carl on a bed. Hershel examined the wound while his daughter, Maggie, and Otis's wife, Patricia, assisted him. The atmosphere was filled with the controlled chaos of a medical emergency.
"The bullet went through him, but it fragmented. There are a lot of pieces of metal. I have to get them out, or the infection will kill him," Hershel said in a calm but serious voice. "We'll need blood. What's your blood type?"
"Take mine," Rick said without hesitation. "Do whatever it takes."
A short time later, Otis brought Jayden and the rest of the group to the farm. They had left the church and followed anxiously. When they arrived, what they saw made them both relieved and even more nervous. It seemed much safer than the quarry and the church. It was a true haven. But at the same time, they were strangers here. They were guests, and that status depended on the life of an injured child.
The group met the Greene family. Hershel was a reserved but just patriarch. His daughter, Maggie, was strong, confident, and knowledgeable about the farm. His other daughter, Beth, was quieter and more vulnerable. Otis and Patricia were the helpers who lived with them.
Jayden's senses were sharp as he stepped into this new environment. He was respectful and quiet to everyone, but his [Perception: 11] stat allowed him to register every detail in his mind. He analyzed the family dynamics, the farm's layout, potential dangers, and escape routes. His eyes kept wandering to the large, red barn that stood just a short distance from the house.
From the outside, it looked like a normal barn. But Jayden could sense a faint "wrongness" emanating from it. Even during the day, there was a silence and darkness surrounding the barn. While the others relaxed a little in the comfort of their new haven, Jayden knew what that barn held. And that secret was a ticking time bomb that could turn their fake paradise into hell.
Carl's condition remained critical. Hershel explained that he needed to perform an operation to remove the metal fragments, but he didn't have the necessary medical supplies. He needed a ventilator, blood bags, and more. The nearest source of supplies was a makeshift FEMA shelter in a nearby high school, teeming with walkers.
It was a suicide mission.
Shane, driven to prove himself and become the hero he once again was in Rick's eyes, rushed forward. "I'm going."
Otis was racked with guilt. "This is my fault," he said. "I'm coming too. I know that place like the back of my hand."
Jayden felt a pang of pain in his stomach when he heard this exchange. He knew this scene: Shane and Otis going on that deadly mission. And only one of them coming back. He faced a moral dilemma. Should he intervene? Could he save Otis? He could have said, "I'll come too, three is better." But what would happen next? If Shane didn't get the chance to sacrifice Otis, perhaps neither of them would ever come back. Then Carl would die. It was a terrible equation: one life versus another.
The user's instructions were clear: Follow the series' plot. This meant Otis had to die. Jayden remained silent. He watched Shane and Otis make preparations, get into their vehicles, and drive off into the night. Shane's eyes held a cold determination. Jayden understood in that moment. Shane would do whatever it took to get those supplies. He would sacrifice anyone he had to. For the first time in his life, Jayden understood how heavy a curse knowledge of the future could be. He was merely a bystander, a silent witness to a murder that was about to be committed.