I heard the door open from beside me and turned to see T-Dog and Glenn walk in. I gave them a greeting smile.
"Rick and Lori and Carl are in there" I pointed into the room and they poke their heads inside "how's your arm?" I asked T-Dog
"Hoping these people got the supplies to fix it" he replies
"My family has the supplies"
"This is your family?" Glenn asks
"Yeah" I smile
"Hey, congrats, Isabelle"
"Thanks" I mumble
•••
"We're going to have to operate. With or without equipment or he dies" Dad tells Rick and Lori "I'll leave you to discuss it"
I see him leave the room and close the door behind him.
"Leave this to them" he says with his soft voice and gave me a small smile
"I'm not always nosy" I laugh and push myself off the wall to walk to Dad
"You've changed"
"How so?"
"You kill. You curse"
"Only one part of that is new. The cursing" I joked trying to lighten the mood
"Isabelle"
"It's different now, Dad. You kill or you die"
"You don't have to"
"What are you trying to tell me?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all" he looked away from me "have you seen your room? it's the same as when you left a few years ago"
"Haven't been up there yet. But you still know I am a part of Ricks group"
"But you can sleep inside. In the safety of this home"
"You don't trust the others?" I ask defensively
"We don't have the room"
"We surely could make the room"
"Don't fight with me, Isabelle. We're both too old for this"
"I'm 32, calm down"
"Too old to be fighting with your father about his property"
"Okay" I mumbled and walked off
•••
I stood at my usual spot outside the room. Rick and Lori we're having a small conversation while sitting over Carl. I smiled listening to his voice, wow I wanted to be with him. Hold him. But he was married and it didn't matter. My job was to leave them alone.
"You mustn't stand here all night" Dad said to me
"I'll do what I want"
He walked into the room. I hear Carl speak and I immediately peek my head it, but then he starts thrashing around. He was having a seizure. I could see the fear in Rick and Loris eyes and I could feel the fear within me.
"What are you gonna do!" I yelled to my Dad
"I can't do anything, Izzy. You know that" he replies
"Try!" I yell and then I'm pulled back by Maggie.
She sat me down in the living room. She kneed in front of me while holding my hands.
"Calm down" she said in a calming tone
I started to take deep breaths. I couldn't let myself get mad over something he can't control.
"What's gonna happen to him?" I asked worried
"Daddy's gonna have to perform the surgery. With or without Shane and Otis"
"But he'll die"
"We gotta try" she gave me a small smile and pat my knee before getting up and leaving.
•••
I saw headlights and knew they were back. I jumped up and saw Shane get out but no Otis.
"Where is he?!" I yelled and he kept walking, past me and into the house "where the hell is he?" I asked again as he put down the equipment
"W-we were overrun" he said with his voice cracking
Rick pulls him in for a hug.
"No one tell Patricia" Dad says
I watch as Rick let's Shane go. I push my finger into his chest and press him against a wall.
"You were overrun? Bullshit! You think you can cry and have your voice crack and it's all good. It's all bullshit. I don't know what happened, but I don't trust you" I backed away as Dad put Carl onto a metal table and gets ready to operate.
Rick, Lori and Shane all leave the room. I sat alone on a sofa, Lori, Shane and Rick all stood in a small huddle. High school always seems to come back somehow. Maggie and Glenn were in the kitchen, Maggie mourning Otis. I was numb. I just got back and he's gone. Shane had me in a bad position, I know he'd do whatever he had to survive. I felt the sofa dip beside me and I became unbalanced from my position. I fixed my sitting position and looked to see who sat beside me. Rick. I looked back ahead of me.
"He'll make it. I know he's just a vet but he can do it. Believe me or n-" I start
"I don't doubt him. He's all we got" he paused and it was silent aside from Shane and Lori speaking quietly "are you staying?"
"Where?"
"Here. If we leave or have to leave, are you gonna stay here?"
"I-i don't know. Probably"
"What about Ana?"
"She's welcome to stay. It's too painful being with your group anyways. I feel better here"
"Why is it painful? What happened?"
"Nothing, Rick"
"Did somebody hurt you?"
"Why do you care?"
"Because I care about you" I looked to him to see if he really meant it "I care about everyone in my group" I looked back knowing he didn't give a shit about me
"What if it was your best friend?" I ask with eye contact and get close to him "what if your best friend, felt me up and goes around as if it never happened? What if I smashed a wine glass on his head? Would you be mad at me, or him? Me, right? Because you don't know me. Shane could never do you wrong. And the Otis shit, I call bullshit. He did whatever he needed to get out that high school, he doesn't care what he has to do. Kill a man, no problem. He's not who you think he is"
"I-I"
"Nothing to say?"
"Isabelle, are you okay?"
"Maybe you should ask Shane if he's okay" I got up and he grabbed my hand, pulling me back
"Are you okay?"
"I'm over it now. I've been through worse"
I let go on his hand and walk out to the balcony to get fresh air. To get away.
