Family Ties ✔

Chapter 5

~Lizzie~

"Maggie where are you goin'," I asked standing up quickly as Shane walked into the house while I had Maddie in my arms. "To find Lori and bring her here," she said turning to look at me quickly, "I'll be back." "Be safe," I said and she nodded, running off towards the barn while I turned to see Shane, Rick, Hershel, and Otis walking out the door and towards the blue truck. I sat Maddie down on the porch and followed behind everyone. "Where y'all goin'," I asked when I came to a stop near everyone. "Hershel needs some surgical supplies," Shane said looking over at me, "otherwise he won't be able to operate on Carl to save his life. Or at least try to." I fought back tears as I nodded and watched Shane hop into the truck with Otis. "He's gonna be okay Elizabeth," Rick said as I looked over at him but I knew even he didn't really believe what he was saying.

"I'm gonna take Maddie inside," I whispered, "see if I can put her in Beth's room until all this is over. I don't want her seeing her cousin like this." "Okay," he said nodding as I walked back up to the porch to where Maddie was standing waiting on me. "C'mon pumpkin," I said smiling as I picked her up again and headed inside looking for Beth. I found her inside Carl's room, keeping Maddie from looking in I caught Beth's eye and motioned for her to come outside the room for a moment. "What is it," she asked looking at me then at Maddie. "Can I place her in your room," I whispered so Maddie couldn't hear, "I really don't want her to see Carl right now." "Yeah sure," she said, "here I'll take her." "Thank you," I whispered and handed Maddie over to her.

I walked over to the room Carl was in, Uncle Rick was just standing there looking down helplessly. "C'mon," I said placing my hands on his shoulders, "let's go out and get ya some fresh air okay? We'll be close enough if he need ya." "Okay," he whispered as he allowed me to lead him out of the room. I led him over to one of the rockers they had on their porch and sat him down in it before walking over to the railing in front of him and leaning against it. "What are you doing here," he asked looking up at me, probably trying to take his mind off Carl. "After you left us outside of Atlanta," I started, looking down at my hands, "we headed off into the woods, looking for safety like you told me to do. After a few days, we started running low on supplies so I was giving everything to Maddie to keep her alive."

"You're both still alive," he said looking up at me, "you kept yourself and your daughter alive while on your own. That's all that matters." "I was in horrible shape when I got here Uncle Rick," I said shaking my head, "I was barely alive when they met me out in that field over there. Hershel took me in, took care of me and Maddie. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him." Rick was about to say something else when he was interrupted by the sound of hooves coming towards us. He stood up and walked to the railing I was on while I turned around to see Maggie ridding back and my aunt on the back of the horse with her. I looked back over at Rick as he walked by me and towards the steps leading off the porch to meet them in the yard. I just simply walked over to the steps and stood there, letting the tears roll down as I watched Uncle Rick greet Aunt Lori.

~Lori~

I hopped off the back of the horse that I rode on with that Maggie girl and began crying as Rick met me in the yard to these people's home. As Rick kept whispering apologies about what happened out in the woods today, I looked up to the porch and noticed someone standing there watching. As I looked closer, I realized who it was that was watching and pulled out of Rick's hug, walking over to her and hugging her tightly. "Lizzie I'm so glad you're safe," I whispered as she hugged me back tightly, "I was so worried about you and Maddie. Where is she?" "She's fine Aunt Lori," Lizzie said as she pulled out of the hug and wiped away her tears, "she's upstairs in a bedroom. I haven't shown her Carl yet. I'm gonna wait until after everything is done." "Where is he," I asked as Rick came up beside us. "C'mon I'll take you," he said as he wrapped an arm around me and pulled me towards the house and room where our son was.

It broke me, seeing him laying on that bed there, just like how Rick had been before the outbreak. I didn't even know if my boy was gonna survive from the wound. I pulled out of Rick's grasp, walking over to my boy and crawled onto the bed with him there. Hoping he'd be okay, praying he'd make it out of this alive so he could see Lizzie and Maddie. He absolutely loved those two, kept asking about them after the dead started walking. I laid down next to him as I began to cry again at the sight before me. "My boy," I sobbed, "momma's here. Momma's here." I felt Rick place his hands on my hip and I grabbed one, holding onto it tightly like it was the only thing in the world that'd keep me alive at this moment.

~Lizzie~

I stood in the doorway to the room Carl was in, watching my aunt and uncle grieve over their son and not knowing what I could do to help them. I walked over to one of the chairs that was seated against the wall near the door and just sat there, my knees curled up to my chest with my arms around them and just cried, not knowing what else there was I could do at that moment. We had to wait for Shane and Otis to get back from going to that high school where there was a FEMA center set up at. I just sat there, watching my family get smaller and smaller it seemed and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it even if I wanted to stop it. I couldn't imagine how Aunt Lori would react if she lost Carl after almost losing Uncle Rick.

After Aunt Lori calmed down from crying, Hershel walked back into the room to check on Carl. He needed yet another transfusion but in my eyes it didn't seem to be doing any good at all. I watched, as they finished up with what was needed and Uncle Rick went to stand up but nearly falling over in the process. "Slowly," I heard Aunt Lori say as she pushed him back down onto the chair he had been sitting in, "how many transfusions?" "Two," I whispered as she looked over at me, "he's only given two." She nodded and looked back to Rick as she began to remember something. "I'm gonna step out of the room," I whispered to them, "get some fresh air and check on Maddie. I'll be outside if you need me." I watched as Aunt Lori nodded as I turned and left out of the room.