Here We'll Remain>>C.G

Part 22

Thea's PoV

      It was mid-afternoon, and there weren't any signs of the group returning. I tried to sleep most of the day to take my mind off of their absence and to help my stomach heal faster. I didn't get as much sleep as I wanted. Carl had set up and appointment with Denise for me. She was coming over to put in stitches. Good news was: with stitches, I'll be able to get up and start walking little by little. 

      Denise was due to be over at any time. I was a little nervous honestly. I had never gotten stitches before. I mentally laughed at myself. I kill walkers for a living now, and I was worried about a little needle going into my flesh to close a bullet wound. I bit my lip as I stared down at my torso. I should have gotten stitches the day I got shot. 

     About a half hour later, Denise poked her head into my room. I waved her inside with a smile. She pulled up another chair to sit on the opposite side of the bed that Carl wasn't already occupying. She had a small bag; no doubt filled with the medical supplies that she'll use to fix me up. 

"Hey, Thea. How are you doing?" she asked kindly, setting her bag on the bed and rifling through it. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I've been better. I just want this thing to heal, so I can do stuff again," I laughed. She grinned and pulled out a bottle of clear liquid and a needle. I watched her carefully as she inserted the sharp point into the soft lid of the bottle, sucking up the right amount.

"I know how you feel. You'll be up and around in just a couple more days. I promise," she smiled and put the bottle away. "This stuff is going to numb you, so you won't feel the stitches going in." I nodded my head. I was thankful for the numbing agent. Just thinking about the feeling of a needle and thread numerously going in and out of me didn't sound fun at all. 

     She grabbed an antiseptic wipe and and rubbed it around the area of the bullet hole. The coldness of the wipe caused me to shiver. She threw the wipe away and took up the needle again. She hovered it over my stomach for a few seconds, contemplating where she was going to stick it. I took a deep breath in when I saw her going in. I tensed as I felt the sharp pinch of the needle plunging into my skin. I bit my lip, waiting for the few seconds of her injecting me to be over. When she removed the needle, I sighed in relief. 

"Now for the fun part," she muttered sarcastically. She threw the needle into her bag and grabbed the thread and needle she needed. I looked at Carl worriedly; the reality of what was about to happen settling in. He gave me a reassuring smile and grabbed my hand, giving it a light squeeze. I turned back around to see that Denise had already threaded the needle, and was ready to get to work.  

"This won't hurt a bit. You'll feel a light tugging as I close the wound, but that's about it," she informed me. I nodded my head. My heart thudded as she inserted the needle in the wound...but I felt nothing. I breathed a slight sigh of relief. Whatever was in the that shot worked wonders. I watched her continuously thread back and forth. I knew in most cases the patient wasn't supposed to watch as it would hurt more, but I was oddly okay. Maybe I just had a high pain tolerance. 

    Carl watched Denise, a grimace on his face. I laughed, but quickly got shushed by my doctor. He looked at me with an annoyed expression. I was taking this whole thing way better than he was, and I was the one getting a needle stabbed into them.

   After about half an hour, she was finished. She put some ointment onto the stitches, applied a bandage, and that was it. 

"Just lay low for a couple more days, and you'll be good to go. The stitches will dissolve on their own in about a week or so. As long as they aren't damaged, you'll be just fine," she told me, packing up her things. 

"Thanks so much for this. If you ever need help with anything, just ask. I'll do anything to repay you," I asserted. She just smiled and nodded.

"If anything goes wrong, come and get me. You know where I'll be," she told Carl, getting up and walking to the door. 

"I will. Thanks for taking care of her," he smiled. 

"No problem. I'll see you guys later," she said, waving. We waved back, and she disappeared out of the room. I breathed a sigh of relief and grinned at Carl. I wanted to enjoy this feeling while it lasted, before the numbing medicine wore off, and the soreness set in. 

"I'm hungry," I whined. Carl rolled his eyes at me. 

"Does this mean I have to make you food?" he asked amused. I nodded my head.

"Unless you want me to get up, but that might mean I would tear my new stitches," I said with an innocent smile. He sighed exasperated. I giggled as he got up from his chair and made his way downstairs. I was definitely going to milk these stitches for the next couple of days. It was nice to have him do things for me...Well, more than usual. 

   He returned a few minutes later with a sandwich on a plate. I gratefully took the small meal and inhaled it. I was way more hungry than I thought. Carl looked at me with an eyebrow raised. I froze and stared back.

"You didn't want some...Did you?" I asked. He started to burst into laughter at my worried expression. It took him a few moments to compose himself.

"No, I didn't. You should have seen your face, Thee," he chuckled. I sighed in annoyance. 

"You're mean. I didn't know if you wanted to share or not," I frowned. His laughter finally died and he leaned in to kiss me on the cheek.

"Don't worry, babe. I know not to come between you and your food," he teased. I slapped him playfully on the shoulder. He put his hands up in defense and slumped back into his chair. It was silent between us from then on. 

"Do you think they made it?" I asked after a while. There was another long pause, making a wave of nausea wash over me. If he was doubting them, it couldn't be good. 

"They'll come back. I'm sure of it. They've come back from worse than this. At least they had a plan this time," he said confidently. A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

"They better come back, or I'll find them and kill them myself," I joked. He rolled his eyes at me, a grin on his face. 

"You're such a drama queen," he sighed. I huffed.

"You were the one that was more freaked out about me getting stitches. You should have seen your face," I teased. He rolled his eyes again and stood up, then went over to Judith's crib to pick her up. She was starting to cry.

"I'm going to get her a bottle," he stated and walked out of my room. I sat there in silence, waiting for him to come back. When he did, he sat next to me on the bed. His side was closely pressed against mine as he fed Judith. He had a happy smile on his face as he stared down at his sister. I felt content watching the siblings. They had a strong bond. One that would hopefully continue to grow as she got older. I lied my head on Carl's shoulder and closed my eyes, eventually drifting off to sleep.