Condemned. Sequel to 'Don't Look Back'

Chapter 39

I was losing blood by the second, and everyone was focused on getting Carol and Maggie. I could live with my condition but if the bleeding didn't stop, I wouldn't be standing for much longer.

Glenn left my side to help get the fugitive into one of the cars. My balance swayed, and my vision blurred on the edges. I didn't think I had lost that much blood yet.

"I need to, I need to-" I tried to say but I couldn't get the words out loud enough to be heard. My eyelids were getting heavier and heavier.

I made eye contact with Daryl as I fell, the blood loss causing me to black out.

I heard feet shuffling across a floor when I began to wake up. I blinked open my eyes a few times and looked at my surroundings, recognizing the ceiling.

I sat in up in the bed, looking for Denise. I had an IV running, and I saw the drip bag was empty, so I pulled the needle out of my arm. I swung my legs to one side of the bed and tried to stand up, but my right leg gave out and I fell.

I looked at the bandage and saw the wrap go all the way around my leg, which was odd. I'd figure a large bandage would've worked, but the bullet must've hit something. I grabbed the wall and helped myself up, balancing on my left leg.

I jumped to the window and looked out, not seeing Denise anywhere. Usually when she has patients she never leaves, but she's nowhere to be found.

"Rayne?" I turned around and saw Carl standing with Judith on his hip.

"Carl." I said in relief. He sat Judith down and rushed over to help me.

"You shouldn't be walking. Denise said the bullet hit some type of tendon or something." Carl said, gently placing me back on the bed.

"How long will I be in here for?" I asked, not wanting to be bedridden as tensions grew between our group and the Saviors.

"I'm not sure. Denise should be back in a few hours. She went out with Daryl and Rosita for something, it shouldn't take too much more time." He went over and picked Judith back up.

"I really don't want to be here. I need to be out there helping everyone." I said and laid back down into the bed.

"Everyone knows, it's not your fault. You were shot Rayne, nobody blames you. We were all worried sick when Daryl carried you in here." He sat at the foot of the bed.

"I should've been more careful." I watched Judith play with the sheets.

"It's not your fault. Just like the prison, and just like when I was shot." He said and I nodded, accepting the fact that I wouldn't be a big help for the next week at least.

**

Over the course of the week I was bedridden, a lot happened.

For starters, Denise was shot and died, the day after I was brought into the medical house.

Tensions still grew between our groups, and here I was, just taking my first steps again.

"Now, take it slow, if it's not healed you could inflict more injuries." Maggie said, helping me out of the bed.

I slowly put pressure on my leg, and felt a small sting of pain shoot up my leg.

"It hurts, but it's doable." I said and she let go. We still didn't know if the bullet grazed a tendon or not, but my guess is not since I'm able to stand so soon afterwards.

"Okay, if you have any trouble, come get me." She smiled and left the house. Carl looked up from the chair and smiled.

"Aren't we just a mess of injuries?" I laughed and he nodded.

"It seems that way." He stood up and offered support.

"We're in this together." I joked around, leaving the house with him.

We walk outside and hear Rick giving some sort of pep talk.

"We have to take down the Saviors. We can not stand by and let them terrorize our group anymore. Today was the last straw, and I intend to get Daryl back, and I intend to kill every single one of them." Everyone was silent, my mind filled with confusion.

"Get Daryl back?" I asked, and Carl looked guilty, but said nothing. My heart started racing.

"Now, tomorrow, we go and we end this once and for all. No exceptions." Rick said and jumped off of the top of the car he was standing on.

I walked over to him the fastest I could and tugged on his sleeve, tears in my eyes.

"Where's Daryl?" I asked and swallowed the lump in my throat. Rick looked to Carl and then back to me.

"Follow me." He led all three of us back to the house, and we sat down in the living room, everyone silent.

"Four days into you staying in the medial house, the Saviors caught Daryl. I'm a little fuzzy on the details, but they have him." I nodded, realizing this was terrible and I didn't know what was going to happen.

"How are we going to get him back?" I asked, my voice slightly cracking.

"We're going to the Saviors." Rick said and I nodded, not finding the words I was looking for.

Later that night, I laid beside Carl, my emotions a total wreck.

"You knew, why didn't you tell me?" I looked up to him.

"Because if you knew, you'd hurt yourself trying to get out of bed, and I couldn't risk it."

"He's my father, Carl." I said softly, the impact finally hitting me.

Daryl is the last biological person I have in my life. Everyone else is gone. My mom, my brother, gone. I have other family like Rick, Carl, Michonne, but it's not the same.

Silent tears made their way down my face, the sniffles the only indicator I was crying. Carl hugged me tightly and kissed the top of my head.

"I love you, and I'm sorry." I cried until I fell asleep, in Carl's arms.