Convergence

After Hershel returned inside the house, Merle looked at Rick, who was sitting on the stairs in pain, and couldn't help but taunt, "Hey, Officer Rick, long time no see."

Given Merle's previous temperament, he would not have let Rick off easily for nearly getting him killed, even if he didn't kill him. Now, having let it go, though he wouldn't physically attack Rick, verbal mockery was definitely in order.

Rick, hearing this, only lifted his head to give Merle a faint glance and did not argue back. Then, he lowered his head again, sinking into deep self-blame.

"Come on, Merle, give it a rest. Rick's already like this; don't taunt him," Daryl said, feeling a bit sympathetic. Even if they had parted ways, they used to be teammates.

At this time, after handing over the medicine and surgical equipment to the people inside, Shane came out and saw Merle staring at Rick with a hostile expression. Fearing the worst, he hurriedly stepped between them. Shane knew the two didn't see eye to eye and worried about conflict flaring up again.

"Okay, Merle, calm down. Now's not the time for a dispute. Let's save it for after Carl's okay..." With one arm around Merle, Shane led him away from Rick, not fully aware of Merle's recent changes but trying to persuade him to temporarily set aside his grudges.

To Shane, expecting Merle to coexist peacefully with someone who almost got him killed was unrealistic.

"...Set aside the grudges for now; you can have a one-on-one fight later, but let's hold it in for now." Releasing Merle, Shane sighed with relief when he saw no objection and patted his shoulder.

After that, he turned and nodded to Daryl, then sat beside his close friend Rick to comfort him, "Rick, don't worry, it'll be fine. With Doctor Hershel here, Carl will be okay..."

Perhaps the encouragement from his buddy reignited some of Rick's fighting spirit, but the prospect of performing surgery for a gunshot wound without proper medical facilities or even a qualified doctor filled him with anxiety, "How can I not worry? Doctor Hershel is a veterinarian."

"We have no choice. Under the current circumstances, all we can do is hope Carl pulls through..." Shane said helplessly, acknowledging the limitations of their situation.

"Veterinarian?!" Daryl couldn't help but exclaim in horror, "You're letting a vet perform surgery on a human?!"

Upon Rick and Shane's confirmation, Daryl felt a pang of compassion. If it were a stranger, it wouldn't matter, but Carl was someone he knew.

Back when the group was trying to survive together, Daryl got along with everyone pretty well, unlike the old bastard Merle.

Hearing this, Daryl gave Merle a look, indicating they should help Carl, "Merle, help them out."

Merle understood what Daryl meant—using the medical robot to save Carl.

"Sigh, I can't say no to you. This is the trump card the boss prepared for us." Merle sighed, then turned to the truck and shouted, "Medical soldier, go save that poor child."

Selene had authorized Merle with some control over the military robots.

At his command, a medical robot, distinct from the other black military robots, white with a red cross symbol, was activated from its dormant state in the truck.

With a thud, it jumped down from the truck and quickly walked toward the house.

Inside, Hershel had just set up a makeshift operating table and was about to start surgery on Carl.

Suddenly, the bedroom door swung open with a crash. Hershel assumed it was Rick, anxious about his son, and didn't look up, continuing his work, "Rick, I know you're worried... hmm?"

Before he could finish, Hershel felt a strong force push him aside. Annoyed, he was about to curse when he saw it wasn't Rick who pushed him but a white robot with a red cross symbol.

Before anyone could ask questions, the robot quickly moved to the operating table, its headpiece opening to project a red light scanning Carl's body.

Soon, a cold, metallic voice announced, "Preliminary scan results: fragment-induced internal bleeding causing insufficient blood supply, weakened cardiac function..."

Then the robot extended a surgical blade from its finger, cutting open the bandage on Carl's chest, taking out a square medical device, and pressing it against Carl's chest. Several strange metal patterns were etched onto his chest.

"Adrenaline injected, dopamine 70 mg, norepinephrine 110, blood fibrinogen 800..."

"Checking blood type... Confirming blood type... Confirming fragment position... Local anesthesia complete... Commencing fragment removal..."

...

"Y-112 calling the commander, the patient is out of danger, mission complete." Afterward, the medical robot reported through its communication device, leaving behind a bottle of special medicine before quickly leaving.

Staring at the departing medical robot, Hershel was dumbfounded for a moment before regaining his composure, exclaiming, "Is medical technology outside this advanced now?"

Others opened their mouths to speak but stopped when Rick rushed in, throwing himself at Carl's bedside, "Finally, Carl, you're okay."

Outside, Shane watched the medical robot return to the truck, refraining from asking questions, instead offering heartfelt thanks to Merle.

Merle didn't mind. Although he and Rick didn't get along, he wouldn't take it out on a kid.

He turned to Daryl, who had just exited the room, "Daryl, let the boss know we'll head back later."

"Okay, I'll do it now."

...

Carl was lucky. Thanks to the medical robot's intervention, Hershel the vet didn't need to perform the surgery, minimizing his injuries. Carl soon regained consciousness.

Early the next morning, Dale arrived at the farm with T-Dog and the others, reuniting Rick's group.

As they celebrated everyone's safety, Merle extended an invitation, "Want to come to my camp?"

"Want to come to my camp?"

Merle's offer made everyone exchange looks. If possible, they would certainly like to go.

The group had been through the trials of the apocalypse, unlike Hershel's family, who, living on a farm far from the city, had limited knowledge of the apocalypse and hadn't faced large-scale zombie attacks.

Moreover, from Merle and Daryl's current situation, it seemed the camp had abundant resources and strong defenses. Although unspoken, everyone understood that joining Merle's camp meant following his lead.

Glenn and T-Dog seemed interested, even Dale appeared conflicted, weighing the decision. Although Merle was a known scumbag, the choice was obvious when compared to their precarious lifestyle.

When it came to life and death, being ordered around and bullied by Merle seemed a small price to pay.

But there was always an exception.

"I'm not leaving. I have to find Sophia, I can't abandon her!"

Suddenly, Carol stood up, her eyes red and teary, unable to leave without finding Sophia.

Her outburst cast a shadow over everyone's eagerness, guilt washing over them. Sophia was missing, yet their first thought wasn't to search for her but to join a safer camp. They fell silent, unable to meet Carol's gaze.

"Sigh."

Dale sighed, ever the peacemaker, "Let's wait until Carl's fully recovered before deciding."

After patrolling the farm's perimeter and clearing out zombies, ensuring no immediate danger, Daryl and Merle gathered together.

"The farm is relatively safe, but there's an increasing number of wandering zombies nearby, and no defensive structures, not a place to stay long-term." Looking around at Dale setting up tents, Daryl frowned, "They don't want to come to our camp?"

"Sophia's missing, Carl was shot, and the place isn't bad, so they haven't decided, still thinking it over."

"So we just wait? The boss..."

"Twenty-four hours at most. If they're still undecided, we leave," Merle said, then asked, "Did you find Sophia?"

Daryl's expression darkened, "No. But in times like these, a missing person's fate is likely grim. Carol probably can't accept it."