The Mini Badass

Chapter 14

With Rick's blood, Carl's  stable but without Shane and those supplies he wont be for long. 

I'm resting my head on the mattresses', sleeping.

I'm quickly awaken when Hershel takes Carl's hand out of mine. "Sorry, honey." He says and I sigh before resting my head down again, now watching Hershels work.

He holds up Carl's wrist along with a pocket watch. "He's still losing blood faster then we can replace it." Hershel tells the married couple, placing Carl's hand back in mine. 

"And with the swelling in his abdomen we can't wait much longer." Hershel says making Lori stand up and start pacing. "Or he's just going to slip away."

I sigh, squeezing Carl as Rick tries comforting Lori. "I need to know right now if you want me to do this, because I think your boy is out of time."

Hearing that, my eyes fill with tears as I look to Rick and Lori. "You have to make a choice." 

"A choice?" Lori scoffs and Rick turns to her. "A choice."

The two talk in hushed whispers that I can't hear but Lori finally says. "We're doing it."

"Patricia!" Hershel shouts and the older blonde comes running in. "We're doing the surgery." He explains as Maggie enters too.

Patricia runs out, bring back a steel table while Maggie gently holds my shoulder. "Come on, you shouldn't see this."

Maggie tries dragging me out of the room, despite my pleas to stay, as the other adults move Carl from the bed to the table.

My cries are cut short as the sound of a truck approaching is heard. I shake myself out of Maggie's grasp running to the window.

I pull back the curtain to find a blue truck driving up. "It's Shane."

I run out of the room -gaining the attention of Glenn and T-Dog- before rushing out the front door. 

"Shane!" I shout sprinting towards the man as he grabs three bags out of the truck.

"Carl?"

"There's still a chance." Rick says from behind me while Hershel takes a bag from Shane.

"Otis?" Hershel asks and only now do I notice the missing man.

Shane looks down at the ground, shaking his head. "No."

The group takes in the news for a second before Hershel speaks up. "We say nothing to Patricia. Not till after. I need her."

Hershel marches back to the house as I take the other two bags from Shane, before following after the old man.

I barely manage to put the bags down before Glenn takes me out of the room. I don't bother fighting him off as he sits me down at the kitchen table. 

Maggie walks in, clearly distraught about Otis with tears streaming down her face.

I watch as her and Glenn talk. Glenn stares at the crying girl and I can see he's contemplating how to comfort her.

The way he looks at her.

It's how my dad used to look at my mom.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts as Hershel leaves Carl's room, making his way to the front porch. The three of us hot on his trail.

"He seems to have stabilized." The doctors tells Rick and Lori. The pair obviously thrilled with the news.

Rick walks forwards, bringing Hershel into a hug and Maggie holds onto my shoulders. "I don't have words." Lori says, trying her hardest to keep it together.