As we neared the waterfall, Glenn's voice cut through the trees, sharp, broken and wrong.
He was on the ground eyes bloodshot. Face twisted in pain he was barely holding back. His leg… it didn't look right, swollen bad. Skin stretched tight, red turning to a deep, ugly purple blue. Like it was already starting to die on him.
The adrenaline had carried him this far. Now it is gone.
Now pain was hitting him all at once.
He wasn't going to stay conscious for much longer.
Maggie and Carol stood frozen, their faces etched with fear and dread.
"Shit… this looks bad," Daryl said, worry evident in his voice.
"We need to get him back to camp. Now," Maggie said quickly, already dropping to her knees. "Help me lift him...careful with his leg."
"I don't think he'll survive the trip if you don't treat him now," I said.
"Shut the fuck up!" Maggie snapped, raising her hand as if to strike me.
The priest stepped between us. "Back off."
"Then make him keep his mouth shut," she shot back.
Daryl didn't move, but his voice cut through it.
"Let the kid talk."
Maggie hesitated, anger still burning in her eyes...but beneath it, fear.
"How the hell are we supposed to treat him here?" She demanded. "We don't have a doctor. We don't have anything. We get him to camp... there's medicine there. Woodbury has doctors. That's the plan."
Glenn cried out louder as the pain intensified, his body tensing violently. Maggie tried to lift him again, only making it worse.
"Back away. Let me handle this before he dies," I said.
"Don't tell me what to do!" She snapped, reaching for him again.
I pushed her away and knelt beside him, examining his leg.
"What are you doing? Let go of him!" Maggie shouted, grabbing me and trying to pull me away.
My patience snapped. I slapped her, sending her stumbling.
"I'm trying to save his life. You're making it worse."
"Don't touch him!" She yelled, rushing toward me again.
Daryl stepped in front of her without even looking at me.
"Enough."
"What are you doing, Daryl? Get away!"
"Let him work," he said flatly.
Maggie stared at him like she couldn't believe it. Like the world had tilted wrong.
"You're seriously trusting him with Glenn?"
Daryl didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Carol spoke quietly, almost unwilling.
"He won't make it to camp like this."
That was it.
Maggie backed off, shaking with rage she couldn't spend anywhere.
"If he dies because of this… I swear to God" She stopped herself, voice breaking. "I won't forgive any of you."
I ignored her and focused on Glenn, who was barely conscious.
"Can you wiggle your toes?" I asked.
He managed a weak movement, his face contorted in pain.
"You're lucky," I said.
"How the hell am I lucky?...ahh!" Glenn rasped.
"Closed spiral fracture of the tibia," I replied. "If it's treated quickly and properly, it may not require surgery. There are no signs of infection and most importantly, you're lucky I'm here."
I positioned his leg carefully.
"This is going to hurt. Try to bear it."
I realigned the bone in one swift motion.
Glenn screamed loud, raw and then his body went completely limp.
Everyone froze.
"Relax. He passed out from the pain. He'll be fine, if nothing goes wrong. I need a long, sturdy sticks."
Maggie quickly cut down a branch and brought it to me. I used it to fashion a simple splint, then improvised a stretcher.
"Help me lift him...gently," I said.
Carol and Daryl followed my instructions, placing Glenn onto the stretcher. We began moving toward the camp.
After a while, Maggie came up beside me again.
"…Is he going to make it?"
"For now," I said. "But when he wakes up, he'll need painkillers, Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, anything you've got. Without them, his condition could worsen."
She nodded like she was memorizing it.
"Also, watch for swelling, numbness, tingling, or if his foot turns pale or cold. If that happens and isn't treated quickly, it could lead to permanent damage… or amputation...which could be a death sentence."
She swallowed hard, her jaw tightened.
"…Thank you," she said quietly. Then, after a pause. "And… I'm sorry."
I gave a small nod and accepted her apology and just kept walking.
A few moments later, Carol came up beside me.
"How are you doing, Max? Are you feeling, okay?"
Surprised by the question, I frowned. "Why are you asking me? Do I look unwell?"
She studied me carefully. "When I was at my lowest, your father helped me. He understood my pain...losing a child. We talked for a long time. He's one of the few friends I've ever had."
So that was it. Was that why she trusted me? From what I knew, after her daughter's death, she had become someone who didn't trust easily. That's why I'd been suspicious when she revealed the camp's secret so quickly. Even after Daryl warning.
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked. "And why are you concerned about me? I'm not hurt."
She met my gaze, her eyes searching. Then she spoke softly.
"Because you're acting like someone without emotions. I've been watching you and... you don't show panic, anger, fear… not even happiness. Even in the worst situations, you stay calm. Too calm. Enough to unsettle people."
"There's nothing wrong with that," I said. "Why are you concerned?"
She hesitated before answering. "Because you're not acting like yourself… not like how your father described you."
"What did my father say about me?"
"You were delicate... like a flower raised in a garden, cared for with love. Innocent, cheerful… and sometimes naive. That's how he described you."
I stared at her, then burst into laughter.
She looked at me, confusion written across her face. Truthfully, even I did not understood why I was laughing.
After a moment, I forced myself to stop. When I looked around, everyone was staring, especially the priest.
"Excuse me. I lost control," I said, waving a hand dismissively before turning back to Carol.
"Tell me," I said. "How would you describe me?"
She hesitated, then answered quietly, "A boy who grew up too fast."
She paused before adding, "Can you tell me what happened? What changed you so much?"
I gave her a faint smile. It had been a long time since anyone had asked me that.
"Pain," I said. "And the will to never experience it again."
She held my gaze, and from her expression, I knew she understood.
After all, she had changed for the same reason.