AFTER THE SERVICE, MARCIE HELPED T-DOG AND ANDREA LOAD THE WALKERS INTO OTIS' TRUCK,

"We got lucky." Andrea stated as Rick walked over, "If that barn had any more, we could've been overrun."

"Good thing Shane did what he did... when he did." T-Dog grunted as he and Marcie dropped one of the walkers into the truck bed,

"You can't tell me this was right." Dale commented,

"It wasn't. It'll cost us with Hershel." Rick added,

"He's grieving." Andrea replied, "He'll come around, see we had no choice." She placed her hands-on her hips, "Look, I shot too. This wasn't all Shane." 

"Look, I got no qualms about it. Walkers in my backyard?" T-Dog shook his head, "Mhmm."

Marcie sighed, "Look, and I'm not saying that we shouldn't have taken care of the problem, but doing it the way it was done? Creating a panic?"

"There's no point arguing about it. It's done." Lori stated, shutting the conversation down, "There's nothing we can do about it."

She was right. It's over with. Sophia is dead, and there was nothing they could do about it. And if Hershel wanted them gone, there was nothing they could do about that either.

"Better get moving." T-Dog commented, getting into the drivers seat.

Marcie sighed and got into the passenger seat while Andrea sat in the back by the deceased walkers. T-Dog started the truck and they began driving towards an empty field.

Vivian sat on the porch steps, colouring with Liam on the floorboards. Everything was quiet until she heard a loud crash coming from inside the house. Vivian quickly grabbed Liam and rushed inside,

"What happened?" Vivian asked, placing Liam on the couch before rushing over to the kitchen where Maggie and Glenn were hovering over Beth,

"I-I-I don't know! She just collapsed!" Maggie panicked,

Vivian stared into Beth's glazed over eyes as she stared up at the ceiling, "Okay, let's get her to her room. We need to get Hershel and Patricia."

Glenn gently lifted Beth into his arms while Maggie and Vivian made sure she didn't hit her head on the way up the stairs.

He placed her in her bed before going to look for Hershel while Maggie brushed the blonde's hair back, "Sweetie, can you hear me?"

Maggie looked over at Vivian, "What's wrong with her?"

She shrugged, "I... She might be in shock." Glenn walked into the room, "Where's Hershel?"  

Glenn shook his head, "I can't find him anywhere."

Vivian stood up, squeezing Maggie's shoulder, "I'll go talk to Rick." She turned to Glenn, "Can you watch Liam?" He nodded before she left the room,

The brunette found Rick outside, and informed him of the situation. Rick, Shane, and Lori followed them into the house and asked Maggie to show them Hershel's room.

Inside, there was a suitcase and a box filled with a woman's items.

"Your stepmother's things?" Rick asked, looking through the suitcase,

"He was so sure she'd recover." Maggie responded, "They'd just pick up where they left off."

Shane picked up a flask that was on the dresser, "Looks like he found an old friend." He commented before throwing it over to Rick,

The eldest Greene daughter took it from his fingers, "That belonged to my grandfather, gave it to dad when he died." Maggie informed them,

"I didn't take Hershel for a drinker." Rick stated,

"No, he gave it up on the day I was born. He didn't even allow liquor in the house." Maggie replied,

 Vivian sighed, running her fingers through her hair. She had experience with alcoholics, her father was one, and she knew how to handle them,  "What's the bar in town?"

"Hatlin's." She answered, "He practically lived there in his drinking days."

Rick and Vivian shared a look, "Betting that's where we'll find him."

Glenn nodded, adjusting Liam in his arms, "Yeah, I've seen the place. I'll take you."

"All right, I'll get the truck." Rick replied,

Maggie stepped forward, stopping the two, "N... no."

"It's an easy run." Glenn argued, handing Liam back to Vivian,

"Like the pharmacy?"

Rick reached forward and gently grabbed Maggie's arm to get her attention, "Hey, Maggie? I'll bring him back."

Glenn and Maggie began to get into a hushed argument and Vivian quickly left the room, heading towards Beth's room to keep the teenage girl company.

She wanted to go to town and help Rick and Glenn get Hershel back, but she was more needed here, with Liam.

Marcella was walking back to camp after the burning of the walkers. She wanted to change out of her blood splattered clothes. She paused when she noticed the blue tent was no longer in the place it was previously.

What was left behind was her bag, laying in the dirt.

"Seriously?" Marcie put her hands on her hips, "Douchebag."

Just when she thought they were getting somewhere.

Marcie climbed on top of the RV, grabbing the binoculars that were laying on the chair, and looked around the property. It took a moment, but she found him on the very edge of the tree line.

"Seriously?" She scoffed, setting down the binoculars.

She stepped off of the ladder and began stomping towards where Daryl was setting up his tent. It took a good few minutes, but she eventually reached him, where he was kneeling beside a fire pit,

"Seriously?!" She approached the redneck, "You're kicking me out? Is this because of what I said about Sophia? Because I was right?"

He stood, his face red, "Maybe I'm kickin' you out cuz yer annoyin'! Don' wanna be taking care of ya anymore!"

"Taking care of me!?" She raised her eyebrows, a malicious smirk on her face, "Who's been taking care of you since we got to this damn farm!? I wasn't the one who got shot!" Marcie scoffed, "You should've stayed with your brother." She grumbled before turning and heading back to the camp.

They were getting close. Hell, she would've considered Daryl her friend. And now, it's all gone down the drain.

Sophia isn't the only person this group is going to lose.

She spotted Rick leaning against Carol's car, loading his gun, "You going somewhere?"

Rick nodded, "Hershel's missing. I think he's at a bar in town. Glenn and I are going to get him."

"Count me in." Marcie crossed her arms.

She needed to get away from the farm. She needed a break.

"You sure?" Rick asked, "We don't know what's out there. Best case scenario, we get back by nightfall."

Marcie nodded, "I need to get out of here for a while."

"Alright. Got a weapon?" He asked and she lifted her waistband to show the handgun, "Just waiting for Glenn."

They both turned to see Maggie kissing Glenn deeply, "That might take a while." Marcie commented,

"Don't watch." Rick hissed at her with a smile on his face, 

"Oh, come on," Marcie laughed, suddenly feeling better, "They're doing it where everyone can see them."

Once they parted, Glenn sheepishly walked over, "You ready, Prince Charming?"

"Yeah, yeah." Glenn mumbled, getting into the car.

They were silent heading into town. Marcie was snickering and Glenn smacked her to make her shut up.

"Maggie said she loves me." Glenn stated and they both looked over at him, "She doesn't mean it. I mean she can't. I mean... well... She... she's upset or confused. She's probably feeling, like..."

"I think she's smart enough to know what she's feeling." Rick interrupted,

Glenn shook his head, "No. No. No, you know what? She wants to be in love, so she's... she needs something to... to, like... to hold onto."

Marcie leaned forward, "Glenn, it's pretty obvious to everyone Maggie loves you, and not just because you're one of the last men standing."

"So what's the problem?" Rick asked,

"I didn't say it back." He answered, "I've never had a woman say that to me before except my mom, of course, and my sisters. But with Maggie, it's different. We barely know each other. What... what does she really know about me? Nothing. We're practically strangers. But I... I didn't know what to do with it. I just stood there like a jerk."

"Hey. Hey, this is a good thing," Rick calmed him down, "Something we don't get enough of these days. Enjoy it. And when we get back, return the favor. It's not like she's going anywhere."

Marcie sat back and listened to Rick. Maybe... Daryl wasn't saying those things because he meant it. Maybe he was just trying to protect himself. He's pulling away for a reason. He got his hopes up, and they got crushed.

He was heartbroken.

Rick parked the Cherokee outside the bar and the trio got out, guns in hand. Once they cleared the outside, they opened the door, guns at the ready,

The entire room was dusty, making it clear that it had been a long time since anyone had been there. Beer bottles and cocktail glasses were still half full, sitting on the bar counter.

People had left in a hurry.

And sitting at the bar, was the missing man himself, Hershel Greene.

"Hershel." Rick called out,

"Who's with you?" Hershel asked, a glass in between his hands,

"Marcie and Glenn." He replied, holstering his gun and Marcie followed suit,

"Maggie sent him?" He questioned,

"He volunteered. He's good like that." Rick answered and they walked further into the bar, "How many have you had?"

"Not enough." Hershel answered, and Rick glanced back at the two younger group members before turning back to Hershel, 

"Let's finish this up back at home. Beth collapsed, is in some sort of state. Must be in shock. I think you are too."

"Maggie's with her?"

"Yeah, but Beth needs you." Rick insisted,

"What could I do? She needs her mother. Or rather to mourn like she should've done weeks ago. I robbed her of that." Hershel took another gulp of his whiskey, "I see that now."

Marcie stepped forward, "You thought there was a cure." She moved to the other side of the bar so Hershel could see her face, "Can't blame yourself for holding out for hope."

"Hope?" He looked over at Rick, "When I first saw you running across my field with your boy in your arms, I had little hope he would survive."

"But he did."

"He did. Even though we lost Otis. Your man Shane made it back and we saved your boy. That was the miracle that proved to me miracles do exist. Only it was a sham, a bait and switch. I was a fool, Rick, and you people saw that. My daughters deserve better than that."

Rick and Marcie shared a look and he motioned for her to follow him. They walked back over to Glenn, who was keeping watch by the door, and began to whisper, "So what do we do? Just wait for him to pass out?" 

"Just go. Just go!" Hershel yelled at them,

"I promised Maggie I'd bring you home safe." Rick told him,

"Like you promised that little girl?"

Marcie stomped back over to the bar, placing her palms on on the dusty counter, "So what's your plan, Hershel? Finish that bottle? Drink yourself to death and leave your girls alone? You're lucky! You still got your farm! You're daughters! Some of us are alone!" Tears filled Marcie's eyes, "Some of us lost everything, and here you are, having a pity party because we put down your already dead wife and stepson. I'm sorry, but they were already gone. They've been gone a long time now. But Beth is alive and she needs you."

"Stop telling me how to care for my family, my farm!" Hershel snapped at her, "You people are like a plague! I do the Christian thing, give you shelter, and you destroy it all!"

"The world was already in bad shape when we met." Rick interrupted,

Hershel stood and turned towards Rick, "And you take no responsibility! You're supposed to be their leader!"

Rick approached him, "Well, I'm here now, aren't I?"

The older man stopped in his tracks, "Yes. Yes. Yes, you are." He went back to his seat and Rick followed him,

"Now come on. Your girls need you now more than ever." Rick placed a hand on his arm and Hershel ripped it away,

"I didn't want to believe you. You told me there was no cure, that these people were dead, not sick. I chose not to believe that. But when Shane shot Lou in the chest and she just kept coming, that's when I knew what an ass I'd been, that Annette had been dead long ago and I was feeding a rotten corpse! That's when I knew there was no hope. And when that little girl came out of the barn, the look on your face... I knew you knew it too. Right? There is no hope. And you know it now, like I do. Don't you? There is no hope for any of us."

Marcie shook her head, grabbing a bottle of vodka from the rail and wiping a shot glass off with her shirt and poured herself a shot. After downing it and slamming the glass on the bar, Rick gave her a look, "What?"

He shook his head, "Look, I'm done. I'm not doing this anymore, cleaning up after you. You know what the truth is? Nothing has changed. Death is death. It's always been there, whether it's from a heart attack, cancer, or a walker. What's the difference? You didn't think it was hopeless before, did you? Now there are people back at home trying to hang on. They need us, even if it's just to give them a reason to go on, even if we don't believe it ourselves. You know what? This... this isn't about what we believe anymore. It's about them."

Hershel finished his drink and stood. Rick gave him a curt nod, his shoulders relaxing.

Suddenly, the doors swung open and two men stood in the doorway, "Son of a bitch. They're alive."