Dad didn't even move. He couldn't.

He shook his head "I-i don't..."

Carl" Dad."

I shook my head in tears "How.."

Carl "Ken..Dad.....it's all right. It's gotta be. I wasn't sure if you'd make it back before... But just in case, you know... ...i wanted to make sure i was able to say goodbye."

He handed Michonne some letter.

Dad shook his head "No. It's them. It's them. They -- they don't -- it wasn't..."

Michonne started to cry " Carl."

I shook my head sobbing "no no no"

Carl "I got bit. I was bringing someone back. His name's Siddiq.We saw him at that gas station, before... It wasn't the saviors. It just happened. I got bit."

My hands were shaking.

...

We laid Carl down.

He was already started to heat up.

Michonne "Is that better?"

Carl nodded " Yeah..."

Siddiq walked to us " I, um, I got these. They're over-the-counter, non-steroidal

anti-inflammatories. They'll, um -- they'll help a little with the fever. They did for my mom and dad. Please take them. Your son... He should have them."

Dad "You're a doctor?"

Siddiq "I was a resident...Before.Yeah."

Dad "Your name is Siddiq?

Siddiq nodded "Yes. "

Dad asked Carl "Did you know he was a doctor? Is that why you brought him back?"

Carl "He wasn't gonna make it alone. He needed us. That's why."

Dad " He was the one at the gas station."

Suddenly there was a loud explosion heard.

Carl started to couch.

Michonne " Water. Give him water."

I helped Carl drink from a bottle " Easy. You got it? Slowly, slowly."

Michonne walked to Dwight and showed him against the wall "Make it stop. Make them stop."

Dwight "I can't."

Michonne "You can. You're one of them. They'll listen to you. Please. Please."

Rosita " You said that hilltop's safe, right?"

Dwight nodded "Yeah."

Rosita nodded "We need to get everybody there. We can get Carl there."

Dwight " And they think all of you got away in the woods. They're out there, looking."

Rosita "They saw us go west, so we won't go west. "

Dwight "Your best chance is to stay here until they're gone."

Daryl shook his head "no. They find us here, we're dead."

Dwight "They're almost done. They gotta be. It wasn't about destroying the place. They don't have the ammo for that. After they let up, after they're gone, that's when we go."

Michonne "Okay. We wait."

Daryl was holding Judith.

Dwight "You sure going to hilltop's the best plan?"

Rosita " You got a better one?"

Dwight " All of you in one place, together..."

Daryl nodded "All of us together... ...we'll be their worst damn nightmare."

--

Carl reached for my hand "You were supposed to be resting,"

I shook my head ""I'm not tired."

Carl "you look great"

I chuckled, in tears.

Carl "It's gotta stop, sis. It's not supposed to be like this. I know it can be better."

Scott " Sounds like they're letting up."

Rosita "Looks like you were right. They're leaving."

Daryl" Maybe."

Then he walked to us "Want me to go take a look?"

Dad nodded and grabbed the sleeping Judith.

Daryl looked at me.

I tried to force a smile.

He nodded and walked away.

--

Michonne "the saviors are gone. We can get everyone to hilltop. We can get Carl there."

Dad " Carl? No."

Michonne "Daryl can get one of the cars."

Dad shook his head "Carl won't make -- he can't leave here. I have to stay with him."

I nodded "and so have i"

Michonne "Rick."

Dad " He can't. I have to stay."

Michonne " We'll both stay. "

I walked to Daryl "Will you -- Will you take Judith? She needs to be there. If she... If... Happens..."

Daryl nodded " I'll take her. I'll get her there. I'll keep her safe. I got this."

I nodded in tears.

Carl "Let me say goodbye."

Michonne helped Carl sit up.

Dad grabbed Judith and sat her down on Carl's lap.

Carl "You be good, okay? For Kenni. For michonne. For dad. you gotta honor him. Listen when he tells you stuff. You don't have to always listen. Sometimes, kids got to show their parents the way."

I shook my head in tears.

Carl took his head off and handed it to Judith "This was dad's before it was mine. Now it's yours. I don't know...Just -- just having it and... It always kept dad with me. It made me feel as strong as him. It helped me. Maybe it'll help you, too. before mom died... ..she told me that I was gonna beat this world. I didn't. But you will. I know you will."

He stared to cry.

I wiped the tears away from my cheeks.

Daryl put an arm around me and kissed my hair.

Judith reached for Carl, crying.

Dad handed Judith to Daryl.

Daryl " Here we go, babygirl. shh"

Then he looked at Carl " These people. You saved them all. That's all you, man."

Carl nodded.

Daryl left.

Siddig walked to Carl" you were helping me honor my mom... Not just yours. Mine, too. you brought me here.You gave me a chance.I know I can never repay you... But I can honor you by showing your people, your f-friends, your -- your family that what you did wasn't for nothing. That it mattered. That it -- that it meant something. because it did. So that's what I'm gonna do.I'm gonna honor you, Carl.""

Carl nodded, smiling "Congratulations. You're stuck with us."

Siddiq walked away.

--

Michonne "you okay?"

Carl "I don't want you to be sad after this. Or angry. you're gonna have to be strong. For my dad. For Judith. for yourself."

Michonne nodded "I will."

Carl "don't carry this. Not this part. you're my best friend, michonne."

Michonne sobbed out, smiling "You're mine, too.You're mine."

Rick "I need your help."

Michonne "With what?"

Dad " Getting him out of here."

--

Dad and i were carrying Carl through Alexandria to our house.

Carl was getting weaker though.

Carl "we need to stop. "

Dad "The house up ahead. We can make it."

Carl " It's okay. Just put me down here. It's okay."

Dad "No. We'll make it."

Carl "Please."

We walked into another house.

We laid him down.

Carl reached for my hand "Kenny"

I shook my head, crying "Champ, don't"

Carl "Kenny, thank you for pr-protecting me all these years. Thank teaching me how to survive, for not only being a older sister but also a mom for me"

I looked down in tears.

Carl "you're the best role model i've ever had, and i love you for that"

Me "i love you too, Champ

Carl "you'll push Daryl away after all this, i -i know you will. but..but you gotta promise me that won't shut him out...you'll need him"

I nodded "i promise"

Carl "and ..and keep an eye on the old man..and i'm talking about right now"

I laughed a little while crying "i promise"

Carl "you..you did right by me. Teach Judith everything..everything you've taught...she's gonna need you...tell her..let her know that there was a time before all this...were..were i just was your annoying little brother. tell her...tell her stories about us. You gonna have..have to step in as the overprotective sister when Judith's old enough and..and somehow finds a boyfriend in all this mess.. you gotta scare that guy away now that i won't be there to do that"

I nodded, crying "i will, Carl, i promise"

Carl "i ..love love you, older sister"

I nodded, crying " i love you too, little brother"

Dad put an arm around me and pulled me into his side.

Carl looked at dad "Thanks...For -- for getting me here. "

dad"I'm -- I'm sorry. I didn't --i didn't want you out there. I-i --"

Carl "no.No...For getting me here. For -- for making it so I could be who -- who I wound up. Back at the prison... When we got attacked... ...there was a kid, a little older than me. He had a gun. He was --he was starting to put it down, and i-i s--I shot him. He was -- he was giving it up, and I...I just...I shot him. I think about him. What I did to him and how -- how easy it was to just...Kill him."

dad sobbed out "Carl, no, no. what happened... What you'd lost... All those things you had to... All those thing you had to do... You -- you -- you -- you were just -- you were just a boy. "

Carl "And you saw it. What it did. How -- how easy it got. That's why you changed... Why you brought those people from woodbury in... You brought them in, and we all lived together. We were enemies. You put away your gun. You did it so I could change, so I could be who I am now. what you did then... How you -- how you stopped fighting... It was right. it still is. it can be like that again. You can still be like that again."

Dad shook his head " I can't be who I was. It's different now."

Carl "You can't kill all of 'em, dad. There's gotta be something after. For you...And for them. there's gotta be something after. I know... You can't see it yet......how it could be. but I have... You have a beard. It's -- it's bigger... And grayer... Kenny has a wedding ring on her finger...Michonne's happy... Judith is older, and she's listening to the songs that I used to before... Alexandria's bigger. There's -- there's new houses... Crops... And people working. Everybody living... Helping everybody else live. If you can still be who you were... That's how it could be It could."

Dad "Carl. It was all for you and Ken. Right from the start. Back in Atlanta, the farm -- everything I did, it was for you and Ken. Then, at the prison, it was for you, Ken and Judith. It still is. It's gonna be. And nothing -- nothing is gonna change that."

Carl "I want this for you, dad."

Dad "I'm gonna make it real,Carl. I promise. I'm gonna make it real. Carl...I'm sorry. I'm sorry i couldn't protect you. A father's job is to protect his son."

Carl" Love. It's just to love."

His breathing started to change.

Carl reached for his gun.

Dad " No. No."

Michonne: Carl... It -- it -- it...It should be --"

Carl "I know. I know. Somebody you love. When you can't do it yourself. But I still can. I grew up. I have to do this. Me. I love you. i love you"

Michonne sobbed out "I love you, too."

Carl "I love you, dad."

Dad sobbed out " I love you, Carl. I love you so much."

He kissed Carl's forehead " I'll make it real. I will. I will."

Morning.

I heard the gunshot.

Dad hugged me and i hugged him back.