The Walking Dead: Book Two pages 240-270 (end)

Lori bursts down the stairs, asking what happened to Rick.  She tries to help him stand, but he collapses to the ground.  Andrea suddenly walks in, crying, and Lori asks about Carol.  Andrea tells them that Allen is dead.  Rick gets up slowly and tells them that he'll shoot Allen, knowing no one else would do it.

After Rick shoots Allen, Hershel tells him Carol will be fine, saying she didn't cut very deep and hardly lost any blood.  Michonne helped him patch her up because she was guilty that it might have been her fault that Carol did it.  Rick doesn't respond to any of it and keeps his head down.  Suddenly, Rick falls to the ground, passing out.  Rick wakes up to find Carol by the side of his bed.  She says he was out for 26 hours.  Carol suddenly kisses him, and Rick is very confused.  She explains that it meant a lot to her that Rick stood up for her to Tyreese.  When Rick tells her they can't be together, Carol is obviously hurt and she walks out of the cell.  Dale walks into the cell, telling Rick they need to talk.  He says that Rick is no longer the leader of the group, and that they have formed a decision-making committee consisting of Rick, Dale, Hershel, and Tyreese.  Rick wonders why there are no women, but Dale tells him the group voted this way, and this was how they wanted it.  When Rick asks Dale if everyone thinks he's crazy, Dale says some people definitely do.  They don't know what to think after Rick killed Dexter and cut off Allen's leg.  Dale helps Rick up so he can go talk to everyone.

The rest of the group is out in the field, planting the remaining seeds since it's almost summer.  Lori is still angry at Tyreese and barely speaks to him.  Rick and Dale eventually walk out to the group.  Rick explains that the committee is a good idea and that he, nor anyone else, is fit to be making all the decisions.  Tyreese interrupts him to say that he's gone off the deep end by killing Dexter.  Rick snaps instantly and can't believe they can't get over that.  Rick says times have changed, and that killing Dexter was justified since Dexter would have forced them into the outside world.  Rick's speech builds up until he is yelling, saying they will never be rescued and things will never be the same again.  He says this is all they will ever have, and it's pointless to imagine regular life.  Rick talks about the zombies, how they surround them.  When everyone gives up, they will become them, but the truth is, they are the walking dead.

END OF BOOK TWO