The Fortunate Ones

Chapter 18: Spoke Too Soon

Adam and I got to know each other better over a couple of weeks. It turns out he had a crush on me ever since I pulled the knife on Brandon. He said it was a bold move that he's never seen a girl pull.

The camp held up, we don't have many issues except the occasional herd. We're doing okay. But I woke up today with a bad feeling.

I woke up felt woozy as I sat up on the couch. I was sitting for a while until Adam came in, he developed this system where he tries to catch me waking up, but he's always late.

"Hey," he said walking in with two cans of fruit and plastic forks. He looked at my face, and went white. "Are you okay? You look... Sickly," he told me.

"I'm okay, I just feel kind of nauseous," I told him reassuringly.

"Are you sure?" He asked. I nodded weakly. " well, here's your breakfast. Rick, Glenn, Michonne and I are going on a run. We're gonna look for batteries and baby supplies for Judith."

"Okay, but make sure the car works first, and please don't be a dumb ass. You shoot or you run," I told him.

"Oh be quiet you aren't my mother," Adam joked. His eyes looked especially glassy and clear. I kissed him on the cheek and said good bye.

If only I'd known what was coming.

* * * * *

I was downstairs in the kitchen when Glenn burst through the front door.

"Hershel!" He yelled, "it's Adam! He's been shot!" I ran to Glenn.

"I'm sorry you did say Adam right?" I asked frantically. He nodded aggressively and ran outside. Hershel came down the stairs with a duffel bag, Beth and Carol close on his heels, he's on crutches but man can he move. I heard the front door again, and there he was. Rick and Daryl had their arms around him, helping him walk. He wasn't unconscious, but he wasn't completely alive either. I stood motionless. They brought him into the living room and sprawled him our on the huge coffee table. Hershel ripped Adams shirt right off his body, it used to be a white tank top- that was now cherry red. Once they got him settled Rick and Daryl saw me in the corner of the room, apparently showing no emotion at all.

Rick came up to me, wiping his handsome a bandana. He opened his mouth to talk but I interrupted him, "What... Happened?" I choked put, not being able to feel my body at all.

"Come outside with me, I'll tell you everything. I walked calmly out with him, and faced him as he told me the story.

"We were just leaving when we spotted maybe four guys raiding our car. We tried driving them away but they went crazy and started shooting. Adam had been behind us, and we were focused on in front of us, but we heard a gun shot behind us. Someone had snuck up and shot him. He got away. Adam went down and after two minutes we'd killed them all, and then we went to help him. I'm almost completely sure it didn't hit and artery, but don't get your hopes up. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst."

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Even though it was meant to be a comforting statement, I completely disregarded his effort to keep me sane. They all had to block the doors to keep me out, they didn't really want anyone in to he house so as not to distract Hershel.

I was a nervous wreck for the very very LONG hour it took for them to come out. Hershel came out the door followed by Maggie. By then I wasn't sad, if you had looked at me I would've looked angry.

"He's stable. The bullet just missed his kidney. I'm not completely sure how long it will take, but he will heal. Right now he's unconscious, and I would like for you to leave him for a while, I'm very sorry. I know you want to see him, but there's too much going on," he told me.

"It's okay Hershel I understand. Before all this my cousin was shot in a hunting accident an they didn't let us see him for two days. So it's okay," I said.

"You seem to be handling this very well," Maggie spoke up.

"Sure I guess, what's wrong with that I mean... Wait Rick," I said turning around to address him, "when you were telling me what happened you said someone shot Adam from behind. But then you said he got away."

"That's right..." He said confused at what I was saying, "oh no, no you aren't."

"What?" Hershel asked.

"No Katie, you are not going out to find that guy," Rick told me.

"No Rick, I wasn't going to do that, I'm not that stupid," I told him. Actually, I was going to do that. I was going to find the d-bag that shot Adam and kill him, he was going to pay, but the group wasn't going to know- because I knew they'd never let me. I was going to have to go alone, and at night.

And that's what I did.