Broken Realities: What-if

Author note at the end. Enjoy.

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Shane looked like he wanted to argue further, but a sharp look from Rick reminded him of why they were in the farm in the first place. Slowly, the group began to disperse, the immediate crisis averted but the underlying tensions still simmering.

As the argument died down, Maggie appeared on the porch. "Breakfast is ready," she called out, her voice cutting through the lingering tension. "And Daddy, Dale says T-Dog's fever has gotten worse."

This news quickly shifted everyone's focus. Hershel nodded grimly. "Alright, I'll be right there." He turned to the group. "We'll continue this discussion later. For now, let's get some food in us and see to our sick."

"I'll check on him." Alex interrupted, getting an exasperated glare from Hershel, who finally relented. "Fine."

As the group moved towards the house, the rooster crowed again, as if asserting its right to be there. Shane shot a glare in its direction but said nothing.

In the farmhouse, the atmosphere was tense as people gathered for breakfast. Those that could sit at the dinner table, Hershel's family, Duck, Katjaa, who was still uncomfortable with Alex and now the new group, and Clementine. Rick and his wife stayed with Carl back in the room. Everyone else, Carley, Lee, Kenny, Dale, Shane, Shawn, Alex, and Daryle sat on the floor in the living room.

Though Rick's group devoured the breakfast and were too embarrassed to ask for seconds, Daryl didn't care, which Annette gentle nodded. "Of course, dear." With that, another wave of seconds were asked, while Alex noticed the looks her daughters were throwing towards the kitchen.

'Right' He thought to himself. "Lee, Kenny. After you finished, can you help me out with something?" He asked the two, who were eating more slowly, but nodded yes. "Need anything?" Shawn asked, while Shane silently stared. "Um, yeah. Your family helped us immensely, and now, its my turn to return the favor." He told the oldest Greene family.

While plates of scrambled eggs, toast, and some preserved fruit were passed around, and conversation was minimal. Alex's comment had stopped even that, with Annette wanting to refuse, "Please, ma'am." He directed his focus towards her, which she relented.

As soon as breakfast was done, Alex stood up, getting a migraine but shrugging everyone's support. "Just a migraine."

"Anyway, there's some stuff in my truck." He threw the key to Lee, "I want you guys to bring everything in. From cases of water bottles," That took Shane's attention and everyone's else. "To all the emergency food and ratios. Even the med kits."

"What?" Daryl muttered in surprise, alongside Shane who stared at everyone and then Alex. Their groups had survived on nothing but Daryl's hunt and scraps they scavenged from the forest's floor.

Alex ignored them and instead walked towards T-Dog's room. "I'll have to check on your friend, T-Dog." He instead told them, a dumbfounded smile growing on Daryl and Shane's faces and their mouths drying at the prospect of water.

While the two went to help Kenny and Lee, Carley moved to take everyone's plates and head towards the kitchen, distracted by a thought. Dale followed Alex to check on his black friend and to bring him a plate of food.

After a while, Alex, looking pale and tired, emerged from the room where he'd been checking on T-Dog. He made his way to Hershel who was on the porch as he oversaw the four bring everything to the living room, speaking in low tones. "His fever's not breaking. The antibiotics don't seem to be working as well as we'd hoped."

Hershel nodded grimly. "I feared as much. We'll need to keep a close eye on him. Maybe increase the dosage." As they discussed T-Dog's condition, Rick approached them, concern etched on his face. "How's he doing?"

Alex turned to Rick, his expression serious. "Not great. The infection seems to be getting worse despite the antibiotics." He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Can you tell me exactly how he got injured? Every detail might be important."

Rick nodded, recounting the events. "It was during a surprise herd on the highway. We were hiding under cars. T-Dog cut his arm on a broken car door while trying to get to cover. It was chaos... walkers everywhere."

As Rick spoke, Alex's brow furrowed in thought. A suspicion was forming in his mind, but he didn't voice it yet. Instead, he asked, "And the wound? Was it cleaned immediately? Did it come in contact with anything?"

Rick shook his head. "No, we didn't clean it right away. We were too busy trying to survive, then... then Sophia went missing." His voice trailed off, the pain of the lost child evident in his eyes. "But Daryl might know more. Hey, Daryl." He called the long haired man who was eyeing the case of water bottle thirstly.

"You can take one, you know. You guys haven't drunk any water for the past few days, I'm guessing." Alex started, eyes looking at the dry and parched lips, their skin, "But drink it slowly. Take it in sips."

Giving him a nod, he went inside, before coming back with a water bottle in his hands, half empty. Alex sighed.

"You helped T-Dog from the herd, yes?" Hershel asked with his squinted eyes and Daryl nodded. "How?" Alex spoke up. With a shrug, Daryl told his version of what happened, how he saved him. "- Killed the closest fucker and put it on top of him. Then, I did the same for myself."

Alex nodded slowly, his mind racing. The possibility that walker blood or other fluids might have entered the wound was high, but he didn't want to alarm everyone without being sure. "I see. Thank you, Daryl. This helps." With that, he went back to Alex's truck and took one of the boxes of emergency food, making his way back to the house.

Hershel, noting Alex's thoughtful expression, pulled him aside. "What are you thinking, son?" Rick stayed and noticing him not moving, he gestured them away from the porch and towards the enforced fence, where no one could hear them.

Alex lowered his voice, ensuring only Hershel and Rick could hear. "I'm worried that some walker... residue might have gotten into the wound. If that's the case, regular antibiotics might not be enough."

Rick's face grew even more concerned. "Walker residue? What exactly does that mean for T-Dog?"

Alex took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. "It means we might be dealing with more than just a regular infection. If walker blood or other fluids got into the wound, it could explain why the antibiotics aren't working as well as they should."

"Are you saying he could turn?" Rick asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Alex nodded his head. "Yes, it's a strong possibility. The fever will kill him if it gets worse, which it showed no signs of decreasing." Rick jerked the fence in frustration, but it didn't budge. "So, what do we do?"

"Two options, really." Alex replied yet it wasn't his answer that got Hershel and Rick's attention, it was the way his tone changed. From worried to steel cold, eyes looked determined.

Already, Rick didn't like the two unoffered options, but it was Hershel who grimly nodded for Alex to continue. "We chop off his arm, see if we can save his life." Rick's jaw clenched. "Or we wait and count every single second."

"For what?!" Rick snapped and Alex patiently stared back at him. "Until how long before he turns." Unknown to them, Shane was watching the trio's discussion from afar and even though he couldn't hear them, he came to his own conclusion. Deciding to confront them, Shane approached the group, he could sense the tension in their hushed conversation. "What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes darting between Rick, Hershel, and Alex.

Rick turned to his partner, his face grim. "It's T-Dog. Alex thinks walker blood might have gotten into his wound. He's suggesting... options." Shane's eyes narrowed. "What kind of options?"

Alex, his voice steady despite the gravity of the situation, repeated his thoughts. "We either amputate the infected arm or we wait and observe how long it takes for him to turn." Shane's hand instinctively moved to his holstered gun. "Turn? You're saying he's gonna become one of them?"

Hershel, ever the voice of reason, interjected. "We don't know that for certain. But we need to be prepared for all possibilities."

Shane shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "You know, Jenner told us something at the CDC. Said the time between bite and turn varies. Could be as quick as three minutes, could be up to twelve hours."

"Huh… That's extremely useful." He muttered to himself before shaking his head as Rick and Shane look at him in different light. "But this isn't a bite. We don't know if the same rules apply."

Shane's patience was wearing thin. "Look, I say we end this now. Before he becomes a threat to everyone here." "No," Rick said firmly. "We're not killing T-Dog unless we're absolutely sure he's turning."

Alex, seeing an opportunity, spoke up. "If... if he does turn, I'd like to run some tests. Observe the process. It could give us valuable information about the infection." The suggestion was met with stunned silence. Rick was the first to find his voice. "Tests? On T-Dog? Are you out of your mind?"

Shane's face hardened. "No way. If he turns, we put him down. End of story." Alex stood his ground. "Think about it. We know next to nothing about how this infection works. I've already tested things on one but I need confirmation. This could be our chance to learn something that might save lives down the road."

Hershel, looking troubled, spoke up. "As much as I hate to admit it, Alex might have a point. Knowledge is power, especially in times like these." Rick looked between them all, conflict clear on his face. "I can't believe we're even discussing this. T-Dog is our friend."

"Was our friend," Shane corrected grimly. "If he turns, that's not T-Dog anymore. It's just another one of those things." Alex, burdened by something, instead meets Rick and Shane's worried and concerned stares. "I think it's time I shared what we know," he said calmly. Hershel tried to speak up, but "We're all infected."

The statement hung in the air, heavy with implications. Shane's grip loosened slightly on his holstered gun, confusion replacing some of the anger in his eyes. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Alex took a deep breath. "The virus, or whatever it is, it's already in all of us. The bite doesn't spread it - it just speeds up the process." Shane lunged at Alex, grabbing him by his collar. His hand moved to his gun, drawing it and pointing it at Alex's head while Rick and Hershel tried to stop him. "You're lying. You have to be." Shane growled the words, glaring at Alex with his bloodshot eyes.

In a swift motion, Alex pulled out his multi-tool, flicking open the knife and pressing it against his own throat, ignoring Rick and Hershel. "I'm not lying, Shane. And if you're going to threaten me, you better be prepared to follow through."

The tension was palpable. Rick had rotated Shane's arm to make the gun point towards the sky while his mind raced. Jenner's words at the CDC came flooding back to him. Rick's eyes widened with the realization. "How did you…?" he asked, staring at Alex who was glaring back at Shane, even with his pale face.

"I killed a man." The statement had brought Shane down from his disbelief, who looked at the 19 years old with wary now instead of gratitude before his madness. The commotion had attracted everyone else's attention, but Hershel moved telling them to give them some space.

"He could have been bitten." Rick argued but Alex shook his head, finally drawing the knife away from Shane's throat and took a step back. His eyes seemed to look haunted. "He wasn't. I slashed his throat and a few minutes later, he came back as a walker."

The revelation hung heavy in the air, the tension palpable as Rick, Shane, and Hershel processed Alex's words. Shane's grip on his gun tightened, his eyes narrowing with suspicion and a hint of fear.

"You killed a man?" Rick asked, his voice low and controlled, but with an edge of disbelief. His posture had shifted subtly, years of police training kicking in as he reassessed the young man before him.

Alex nodded slowly, his face a mask of grim determination. "I did. It wasn't... it wasn't something I wanted to do. But it happened." Shane scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "And we're just supposed to take your word for it? That this proves we're all infected?"

Hershel stepped forward, his voice calm but firm. "Now hold on. There's more to this story than you know." He turned to Alex, his expression softening slightly. "Tell them the context, son. They need to understand."

Alex took a deep breath, his shoulders sagging slightly as if under an immense weight. "It was in Macon. We were trapped, surrounded by walkers. This man... he was going to leave us all to die. He pushed Lee towards the walkers. I reacted."

Rick's brow furrowed, processing the information. His stance remained guarded, but there was a flicker of understanding in his eyes. "You were protecting your group." "That doesn't justify murder," Shane interjected, his voice hard.

"No, it doesn't," Alex agreed, meeting Shane's gaze steadily. "But it happened. And what I saw afterwards... it confirms what I've suspected for a while now." Rick exchanged a glance with Shane, a silent communication passing between them. Then he turned back to Alex. "At the CDC, Dr. Jenner, the only scientist there, told me something. He said we were all carriers of the infection."

Shane's eyes widened, his grip on the gun loosening slightly. "You never told me that." "I didn't want to believe it," Rick admitted. "But if what Alex is saying is true..." "It changes everything," Hershel finished, his voice grave.

"So what now?" Shane finally asked, holstering his weapon but keeping a wary eye on Alex. Rick ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing. "We need to tell the others. They have a right to know." But Alex shook his head. "Not right now, we have your friend to worry about first."

The mention of their sick friend brought them back to the immediate crisis at hand. Rick nodded slowly. "We monitor him closely. And... and we prepare for the worst."

"I still think we should consider the tests," Alex said cautiously. "The more we understand about this infection, the better our chances of survival." Shane shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping him. "You're talking about experimenting on our group member."

"I'm talking about potentially saving lives," Alex countered. "Including all of ours." Rick held up a hand, silencing them both. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, we focus on doing everything we can for T-Dog."

As the group began to disperse, each lost in their own thoughts, Rick placed a hand on Alex's shoulder, stopping him. "I need to know I can trust you," he said quietly, his eyes searching Alex's face.

Alex met his gaze steadily. "I'm not a threat to your group, Rick. I'm just trying to…" He stopped himself with a sigh. "I gave my blood to your son. If that isn't enough. Then nothing else will matter." Alex gestured towards the last of his supplies that was send to the house.

Rick nodded slowly, removing his hand. "Alright. But I'll be watching you."

"And I'll tell your wife. Pervert." Alex shot back, walking towards the house, as Rick stood frozen, brain crushed by the unexpected comment as he tried to make sense of it, before his tension disappeared, a laugh escaping him. Something that he thought he would never have the chance to experience in the apocalypse.

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In the barn, Rick gathered his core group – Shane, Dale, and Daryl– to discuss their next steps. The tension in the room was heavy as Rick relayed what they had learned.

"So you're saying this kid killed a man, and that proves we're all infected?" Daryl asked, his voice skeptical. Rick nodded grimly. "That, combined with what Jenner told us at the CDC. It all adds up."

Carol, her face pale, spoke up. "But... but how? How can we all be infected and not know it?" Dale shook his head. "I don't believe he is lying either. I've seen the look in his eyes. That's not the face of a liar, it's the face of someone carrying a heavy burden and doing everything he can to make up for it."

"It doesn't matter how," Shane interjected, his voice hard. "What matters is what we do now." The group fell into a tense silence, each person grappling with the new information. Finally, Rick spoke again, his voice steady despite the weight of leadership pressing down on him.

"We need to be practical about this," he said. "Whether we like it or not, Alex has knowledge that could be valuable to our survival. We keep a close eye on him, yes, but we also listen to what he has to say."

"So, does that mean, we're staying here?" Daryl asked with narrowed stare as everyone waited for Rick to confirm or deny. "The least we can do is ask. And listen." Rick started, as everyone showed an expression of relief other than Shawn.

He continued. "In this world, the lines between right and wrong aren't as clear as they used to be. We've all done things we're not proud of to stay alive. The same can be said about Alex."

"What about T-Dog?" Dale asked, bringing them back to the immediate crisis. Rick sighed. "We keep him comfortable, do everything we can. But we also... prepare for the worst. And yes, if it comes to it, we consider Alex's suggestion about observing the turning process."

The idea was met with mixed reactions, but nobody outright objected. They all understood the potential value of such information, even if the thought of it made them uncomfortable.

As the meeting dispersed, Rick pulled Shane aside. "I need you to keep an eye on Alex," he said quietly. "Not just because of what he's done, but because I think he might be our best shot at understanding these things better."

Shane nodded, his expression grim. "You got it. But Rick, if he so much as looks at anyone funny..."

"We'll deal with that if it happens," Rick said firmly. "For now, we focus on keeping everyone safe and finding out everything we can about this infection."

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Author Note:

I havent gotten any feedback on my rant down here. So, I'll take that as you guys liking it or straight up skipping it. Which is understandable. Another thing that I've noticed about myself is that, I reply to almost all comments and stuff to start a conversation or make jokes. Which, I haven't seen much in this website. This also helps me stalk you guys to see what you are reading and see if they are interesting. 

I'm stalking you MEME here.

Anyway, this chapter is served to slowly make Rick's group a part of the farm whilst also show Alex's medical skills to the group. Which is understandable if you guys are starting to finding it slow. But I can't just say, "Oh, yeah, now they are part of the group." I also wanted for Rick's group to see that they aren't as perfect as they appear. With Alex being a killer, something that Rick's group havent done yet, killing in cold blood or for survival, I wanted to put them on edge.

Because if one of their youngest, a 19 years old, as already killed at least 1 person, then that means, when shit hits the fan, he will be able to do it again.

I really need to make a list of the characters so far, because I'm starting to forget them and struggle in my writing. Time to kill half of them, I guess.

.

.

.

Just kidding.

Anyway, next chapter will mostly be about:

What they're gonna do about T-Dog. Reaction of Greene and Kenny's group regarding all the supplies that Alex decided to give them. Duties roles, chores to do, animals that Hershel own so I can make a list of them and not forget it for future instead of making them appear from my butt, some plans that will be thrown around by the group.

I'm also planning to make Alex's promise to Clem come true. Meaning, it's time for them to bond a little since Alex has been busy all the time and this goes well with Alex feeling weak due to blood donation to Carl.

A little scene of Lori and Alex as well, since he did save her son.

Maybe even a small scene of Beth and Alex. Reminder, this'll be slow. But I'm really curious as to how you guys find it so far. I kinda spoiled it early when I confirmed it in early chapters. But it will not happen again in the next simulation.

This rant is getting pretty long, so I'll stop here. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Stay safe.

Author out.

PS: I bet that one reader will be happy with Alex and Clem moment.