Walker || Daryl Dixon

Chapter 5:

"

Last one." Hershel stated from the stool he sat on finishing up Carl's sutures. Patricia let out a breath of relief and Kate finally felt the knot in her shoulders ease as she relaxed them slightly.
Carl's surgery had gone well thanks to Otisnand Shane coming back with the respirator and all the other equipment on time.

Smiling softly, Katelyn looked down at the small boy laying on the table she sat next to as he began to breathe on his own again. Holding a bandage to her arm as Patricia slipped the transfusion needle out of her arm. Kate felt hope blosson in her chest.

He's gonna be alright.

After tying off the last stitch Hershel set down his equipment, gently wiping his hands on a clean towel giving the two women small smiles of thanks as he glanced at them. Kate studied him concerned, yet returning the gesture with a smile of her own.

Hershel looked tired. Katelyn knew performing surgeries drained him of energy. She was used to seeing that. Even today, after a small procedure she'd assisted him withon that cow he looked wore out but this, this was different.

Hershel's blue eyes which were usually full of wisdom now stared at her with what looked like sadness. His smile slowly melting off his face. He blinked, swallowing hard before looking down at the boy on the table.

Odd. Something didn't feel quite right with his silence and Katelyn looked at her mother questionably but Patricia had turned to collect Hershel's tools for his kit to sanitize them before their next use, not sensing anything abnormal.

Kate looked back at Hershel.

Getting up and making his way to the bedroom door, Kate watched as Hershel opened it before stepping out and updating Lori and Rick on Carl's condition. He quickly whispered something to Shane, nodding in the direction of the bathroom down the hall.

Kate's eyes swept past him to Shane, who's brown eyes filled with guilt when they locked on hers. Quickly glancing away Kate's curious gaze he rushed down the hall and out of site.

Katelyn could feel her anxiety building as her mom came over to help her up out of the chair and Kate took notice of how everyone avoided eye contact with them as Lori quickly passed by entering the room, closing the door with a soft click behind her.

"Mom?" Kate's voice wavered uneasily as the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand up. Patricia sat her down on the nearest chair in the living room. The pair of them taking in everyone who was stood there except the one person the two women were looking for. Quickly noticing his absence they looked at Hershel.

"Otis?" Patricia asked, her voice shaking in fear. Kate turned her attention to Hersel as his eyes began to water and he shook his head slowly. Time stopped and Katelyn's world shattered.

No.

Shaking her head she glanced around the room. She could see Hershel's lips moving but couldn't register anything he was saying. Beth was crying into Jimmy's chest, his arm wrapped around her tight trying to console her.

Somewhere in the back of my mind kate registered the sound of her mother wailing, Hershel and Rick moving quickly to come to her aid as her legs began to give out from underneath her. T-dog and Glenn rushed in to the house from the front porch both wearing a sad understanding look and then there was Maggie.

Katelyn's best friend's bloodshot hazel eyes never breaking from her own as she looked back at Kate in worry and despair. Not knowing how to help. Katelyn stood up slowly feeling dizzy and Maggie mouthed something to her before she felt her eyes begin to roll back.

The last thing Kate saw was maggie and T-dogbdarting towards her before everything went black.

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When she came to Katelyn was laying on something soft. She could feel a cool, damp towel laying across her forehead while a soft hand gently clutched her own.

Peeling her eyes open slowly. She took in the familiar room and the sun light filtering in through the window told her it was now morning.

Muttered words and soft sniffling came from the other side of the bed where her hand was being held and Kate turned onto her side taking in the sight of her mother's familiar blonde whispy hair. Patricia's blue eyes were closed but she wasn't sleeping, she was praying.

Tightening her fingers around her  mother's hand gently, Katelyn watched as she lifted her eyes to meet her daughters. Patricia had dark circles around her eyes and they were red and puffy from spending all night crying. It took seconds for Katelyn to register the events of the previous night before her hazel eyes began to burn with unshed tears.

"Mama." Kate choked out, he voice thick with grief. Patricia didn't respond. She didn't have to. She just hugged her daughter to her and that movement alone unleashed the damn Kate had been holding back.

"No, no. Please, please n-no." Katelyn begged. Her mother tried to console her as Kate sobbed hysterically. Tears of her own being shed at the heartbreak in her daughters voice. Her grip tightened and Kate heard the door to my bedroom open and close softly before feeling the bed dip down further.

Maggie's voice reached Kate's ears as she joined the two women. Knowing exactly what they were going through. She hugged both Patricia and Kate whispering any words of comfort to them she could think of. Kate's sobs got louder the tree of them huddled together as they listened to the young girl break.

After a while Kate's sobs died down to hiccups and then sniffles before the two of them finally pulled back releasing Katelyn to sit up. The three of them sitting in silence gathering their thoughts.

Kate knew Maggie understood her loss. She'd known Otis since before her mother died and when that happened she'd been a wreck. Kate remembered her laying in bed for two weeks before they finally coerced her into coming out of her room long enough to shower and eat before Kate talked her into going riding for a bit.

Once Hershel met Annette, Maggie and Hershel would get into it. Whenever it got bad, Maggie always knew she could escape to Kate's house.  Otis had known it was hard on the young Greene girl when Hershel remarried and even when she went through a phase where all she wanted to do was party, Kate's parents always accepted her with open arms.

She was family and had been since long before Shaun and Beth were added.

Maggie and Kate spent years learning about each other. All their likes and dislikes. Kate knew Maggie hated onions almost as much as she herself despised eggs. Maggie's favorite color was green like her name and her favorite candy was chocolate.

They knew everything there was to know each others Love lives, heartbreaks and would take each others darkest secrets to the grave. Through all the good and the bad the two girls had always loved, accepted and supported each other. Just like Maggie was doing now.

They continued to sit in silence before Patricia broke it, gently stroking Kate's hair back and kissing her cheek before sighing and looking between Kate and Maggie.

"C'mon girls. It's almost time. We'll give you a minute to change. Then we're gonna lay your father to rest, OK Kitkat? " Patricia sniffled and Kate almost flinched at the use of the nickname her dad had just used earlier but held it back and nodded not replying.

Maggie got up as well stepping out of the room after Patricia left turning at the door to give Kate a sad watery smile.

"You gonna be OK?" She asked softly. Her eyes stung but Katelyn nodded again watching as Maggie gently pulled the door closed behind her. The young blonde got up not bothering to look in the mirror before heading to her dresser and pulling out a clean set of clothes.

Quickly changing, Kate pulled her hair into a ponytail, exiting the room swiftly heading to the bathroom to do her business before making her way through the house.  Katelyn's heart completely shattered as she stepped outside to face the day wishing it was night so she could find that new star in the sky for the first time since her father promised all those years ago.