S5E7 · Crossed

Daryl returns to the church with Noah, informing the group of Beth and Carol 's whereabouts. After some discussion, Rick, Daryl, Noah, Tyreese, and Sasha head to Atlanta. They fortify the church by hacking apart the pews and the church's pipe organ to board up the doors and windows and build outer defenses to provide protection for Michonne, Carl, Gabriel, and Judith. Carl gives Gabriel a machete and tries to teach him how to defend himself, but he is unwilling to learn. Troubled by the desecration of his church and the slaughter of the Terminus survivors, Gabriel secludes himself in his office, pries up the floor boards, and sneaks out under the floor boards where he immediately steps on a nail. Gabriel is attacked by a walker in the woods which he impales on a broken branch, but is unable to kill it after noticing it is wearing a cross on a chain.

At the hospital, Dawn is in a heated discussion with O'Donnell over their inability to find Noah. Beth listens in as the subject turns to Carol. O'Donnell feels that she is a lost cause, and keeping her alive is waste of resources. Beth intervenes, and an angry Dawn instructs O'Donnell to take Carol off life support. When O'Donnell leaves, Dawn chastises Beth for forcing her hand but gives her the key to the drug locker so she can save Carol. Dawn admits that she was wrong about Beth's perceived weakness. Beth later confronts Dr. Edwards and convinces him to tell her which drug to use to save Carol. Beth retrieves some epinephrine from the locker and administers it to Carol.

Meanwhile, Eugene is still unconscious and Abraham has become non-responsive. Glenn, Maggie, Tara, and Rosita debate whether or not they should return to the church. Glenn, Tara, and Rosita leave to find water, while Maggie stays behind to keep an eye on Eugene and Abraham. Eventually, Abraham speaks, claiming he still wants to live. Glenn, Tara, and Rosita return with water and fish as Eugene regains consciousness.

As Rick's group arrives in Atlanta, and Rick lays out a vague plan to infiltrate the hospital, capture Lerner and force the whole place to stand down. Tyreese feels that this is too risky and proposes they instead capture cops and make an exchange of prisoners; Daryl agrees with Tyreese, and Rick finds himself out-voted. Noah acts as bait and lures two officers, Sgt. Bob Lamson (Maximiliano Hernández) and Officer Shepherd, into an ambush, quickly capturing them. One of the officers, Lamson, realizes Rick was a cop. The two officers briefly escape when a third officer, Officer Licari (Christopher Matthew Cook), arrives as backup, but all three are ultimately recaptured.

Now in Rick's custody, the officers insist Dawn won't trade for them, as she doesn't like them anyway, but if released vow to oust Lerner and install Lamson in her place. Lamson, however, advises Rick that Lerner will start from a no-negotiating position but will compromise as she always does and ultimately make the trade. Meanwhile, Sasha is still distraught over Bob's death, and her interest is piqued when she discovers that Lamson's first name is also Bob. When Rick, Tyreese, and Daryl leave to make contact with Dawn, Sasha is left alone with the prisoners and Lamson tells her a heart-rending story how his partner, who was killed in the bombings, has come back as a walker, but he never had a chance to put him out of his misery.

Sasha offers to help Lamson put his partner to rest (and get her own closure) and Lamson guides her to a location from which she can shoot. However, when she takes aim, Lamson tackles Sasha and knocks her out, then flees.