After things had calmed down, Arthur tried to approach Hermione, but as if sensing him, she briskly went inside the RV. He sighed and gave up. 'I'll catch you lacking one of these days,' he thought, then glanced over at Rick, Shane, and the others discussing their next move. Arthur approached their circle, but not before grabbing a bowl of Rabbit Stew.
He casually sat in their stall, and the group immediately fell silent, staring at him. "What, have you never seen a person eating before?" he challenged, then started stuffing his mouth.
"Alright, as I said, CDC is our only chance to get a cure for Jim," Rick calmly reiterated. Shane immediately rebutted. "It's a suicide mission! Fort Benning is a much better choice, man." Shane took a breath and continued, "Besides, there wasn't any news that Fort Benning has fallen; perhaps they're still standing."
Glenn chimed in, "What about Jim? His bite, if we don't do something, he's gonna turn soon." Rick replied while looking pointedly at Shane, "That's why we will head to the CDC. They locked it down before the military had fallen." Shane stared at them but finally relented. "If the CDC fails, we'll head straight to Fort Benning," he stated before walking away. Arthur stared at Shane's retreating figure, thinking, 'Oh? I wonder what happened to their relationship in the later seasons,' as he sensed a clear shift in Shane's emotions whenever Rick was near Lori.
Arthur put away the empty bowl and went over to Daryl, who was preparing his supplies in his truck, with a motorcycle strapped on the back. Arthur whistled. "Nice bike, is this yours?" Daryl, busy stuffing his things, replied without glancing up. "Nah, man, this bike is my brother's." "Ah, sorry for your loss, man," Arthur said, feigning ignorance. Daryl stopped, turned his head toward Arthur, and scoffed. "Don't be. That bastard is still alive; he won't go down that easily." "Alright, man," Arthur simply replied.
Arthur walked away and made his way to Ravenna. He sat on a boulder as Ravenna munched on grass. He noticed Carl and Sophia giggling while watching the horse. "Hey, uh, I haven't really introduced myself properly, have I?" Amy appeared shyly at his side, her hands linked behind her back. "Uh, yeah, I'm Arthur Kenway. Nice to meet you, miss?" Arthur said, looking her up and down. 'What is she being shy about?'
"Name's Amy, nice to meet you, Arthur, and thank you for saving me and Hermione," Amy replied with a bright smile. "No problem, Amy, just doing what is necessary."
The makeshift funeral service had ended, the group was reeling from their losses, and the remaining survivors were preparing to leave their shattered quarry camp.
Rick approached Morales, who stood with his wife, Miranda, and their two children near a sedan, their faces set with quiet, steely resolve. "So, you're not coming with us," Rick stated, his tone heavy with concern. Morales met his gaze, a decent man torn between new friends and the deep pull of family. "We're not, Rick. We appreciate what y'all are doing, heading for that CDC place... but we can't. We have family in Birmingham." Miranda stepped closer, her hand resting on her husband's arm. "It's our best chance to find any of our people left. We have to try."
Shane, ever the pragmatist, was quick to object. "You go on your own, you won't have anyone to watch your back. We're stronger together." Morales shook his head slowly. "We'll take the chance. This group has been... wonderful for us. But I gotta do what's best for my family." Rick searched Morales's eyes, accepting the finality of the decision. He walked over to a supply bag he'd retrieved from Atlanta, pulled out a small handgun and a handful of rounds, and placed them directly into Morales's hands. "Alright," Rick said, a nod of respect passing between the two men. He then pointed to the walkie-talkie hanging from his own belt. "If you change your minds... Channel 40." They shared a final, hard embrace—the handshake of men who knew they might never see each other again. With that, the Morales family piled into their car and drove away first.
Arthur mounted Ravenna. "Hey, Arthur, gonna ride with that?" Daryl peered at him from his truck window. "Yeah, man, this girl has been my trusted partner, plus fuel efficient too," Arthur chuckled, patting Ravenna's neck. "You think it can keep up?" Daryl asked with a smirk. Arthur replied, "We'll see, Daryl, we'll see."
They set off. Ravenna galloped alongside Daryl's truck. "Shit, you really are serious," Daryl exclaimed, glancing to his left and seeing Arthur and Ravenna keeping pace. "Of course I am. Ravenna's breed is at the top when it comes to endurance; they can travel 100 miles," Arthur replied loudly, coordinating his body with Ravenna's gallop.
After traveling for a while, the RV suddenly broke down. Everyone pulled to the side as Arthur allowed Ravenna to trot to a stop in front of the smoking RV where Dale was inspecting it, and Rick soon arrived. "I told you it would break down," Dale said, looking at the smoke pouring from the radiator. Arthur dismounted Ravenna to give her a rest. "Is there any way to fix that, old man?" Dale turned to Arthur, then to Rick. "Yeah, but at this point, with our limited resources, it'll be more like a duct tape than a hose."
Jacqui stepped out and informed Rick about Jim. Jim was pulled from the van, his skin slick with a death sweat, his body already succumbing to the fever. "Leave me here," he whispered, his voice thin as paper. Rick knelt by the man he couldn't save. Arthur and Daryl exchanged sharp looks. Hermione and the two blonde sisters, along with Jacqui, looked on sadly as the air turned solemn. "I'm clear now, Rick," Jim rasped, a brief, terrifying clarity in his eyes. "I know what I'm asking. I won't come back to hurt my friends." He managed a faint smile. "I saw my family. I want to be with them."
Silence settled around the convoy. Rick drew his small pistol and pressed it into Jim's hands—a final token of respect. He helped the man sit upright beneath a broad, solitary oak, his back against the bark, facing the empty road. "Jim, I can do it, clean and painless," Arthur offered. Rick and Shane shot him a look. "Thanks for the offer, Kenway, you're a good man, but I don't need it," Jim responded weakly.
Soon the RV was ready to drive again. Rick stared at Jim before turning away. Dale patted Jim's shoulder, as did others. Arthur and Daryl only nodded. Arthur then mounted Ravenna, who was already rested, and everyone went back to their vehicle to continue the journey.