Found Book One

Blood

I gasp and my eyes widen as a walker rips into Sam's flesh, Jessie screams as she watches her son get torn apart.

I'm gripping onto Rick so my hand doesn't shake but he doesn't even seem to notice the bruises that are going to be imprinted on his arm.

"Jessie we need to go," Carl says trying to pull her away from her son's corpse, she keeps screaming.

A walker bites Jessie's neck, blood sprays onto Carl. Another walker joins and Rick pulls me past the walkers so that we can get to Carl.

"She won't let go," Carl says pulling hard to get out of the dead woman's grip.

I start to panic, Rick pulls out his axe. I close my eyes. The crunching of bone fills my ears I look up to Michonne but something behind her draws my vision. Mika is standing in the window of one of the houses.

'Stay put,' I mouth to her. She nods and ducks below the wall. Carl falls to the ground with a light thud. I stay where I am, my hands are shaking so hard. I decide to scurry over to Carl.

We both stand, his hands wrapped around my blood soaked and bandaged ones, Ron bends down.

"I told you they would die!" he screams, raising the gun that fell when Carl did. He sets his sights on Rick as he aims it at the man. I slowly draw my own gun.

We are all turned to Ron, staring at him in the moonlight. Suddenly Michonne shoves her sword through his chest, the gun goes off.

My body should be full of relief but instead I'm flooded with dread. "Dad?" Carl says turning around, not lifting his head, but he doesn't have to.

I can already see the blood dripping down the right side of his face. My whole body shakes as I throw myself forward. I grab his arm, catching his head before he falls to the ground.

"No! No, no Carl please stay with me!" I whisper tears beginning to fall. I kneel next to him. Rick is at my side, I move my fingers to Carl's bloody neck trying to feel for a pulse.

Michonne is standing guard, "He's still breathing we gotta get him to Denise!" I whisper to Carl's father. I stand up and pull out my knife, Rick lifts Carl into his arms. Michonne starts clearing a path through the walkers, I start doing the same.

I push and stab until I see the white building, there are sheets over the windows. I swing open the door, I spot Denise who is setting up a surgical table.

"It'a Carl," I say as Rick rushes in. Rick lays Carl on the table. I stand there watching until I hear my name, "Elaine, I need you to help me," Denise says. I nod and tear of my blood soaked sheet.

I use scissors to cut away the gut covered sheet coving Carl's body. "I need you to get alcohol," she says.

Denise is grabbing supplies for surgery. The door swings open and Rick walks out, "Rick!" I say rushing out after him.

Michonne grabs my arm, "You need to stay here, he needs you. I'll take care of Rick," she says kissing the top of my head.

She kisses Carl quickly, "Just get him through this," she whispers looking at him before rushing out after Rick.

I run over to the sink and wash my hands quickly so I can mentally prepare myself for what Denise might have me do.

The other people in the building go out after Rick and Michonne. "Laine, you need to keep pressure here while I stitch up any lacerations," Denise says knowing that it's too much to ask.

But I comply anyway and use my thin fingers to keep pressure around where Carl's eye should be.

Soon my hands are covered in blood but Carl has all the stitches he needs and his breathing is steady. That means mine is to.

Denise stands at the foot of the table, "Huh, you did better than I did during my first surgery here," she says.

I laugh and grab the bandages, I place a gauze square over his missing eye.

I watch his face and chest closely for any signs of pain or discomfort. But he looks peaceful like he really is just asleep.

A high pitched scream pierces the air, it draws my eyes from Carl. I look to Denise who runs to the door.

"It's Mika," she says pushing the curtains away from the windows. "Take care of him," I say before I run out the door to save my sister.

A walker kneels down to her. "Mika!" I scream as I push walkers out of my way. She turns and shoots it in the head. I scramble past dead ones to get to her. And I do.

I grab her arm and yank her up off the ground. I manage to pull her onto my back so I can carry her to the infirmary in one piece.

There are walkers on the porch. I stab one in the skull and open the door. I push Mika inside as another grabs my arm.

I push it back and feel someone pulling my shirt. Suddenly I'm back in the house with Mika standing over me.

I pull her into my arms and hold her, "Are you bit?" I ask she shakes her head. I kiss her blonde hair before standing up and pulling her with me.

Denise pulls us into the house, "Who's blood?" the woman asks when Mika is sitting on the bed. It's fresh, on her arm, I look down at my hands. The left one is oozing blood through the bandages.

"You need stitches. Mika can you hold on a minute?" Denise asks her.

The girl nods and Denise leads me over to the examination table beside Carl. "Is he gonna live?" I ask her. Denise busies herself with grabbing stuff for stitches.

She turns to look at Carl, "I have no idea, but I'll give him two days to wake up. Any time after that he'll need life support and that's something we don't have," she says.

"So, after two days he's dead?" I ask her, "I know you love him and I wish I could tell you that I know what's gonna happen," Denise starts her stitches.

I bite back the pain, my eyes go to Carl. I feel like if I'm not watching him he'll die. His chest rises slowly and falls even slower.

"Guys!" Mika says pointing out the window, "Daddy's back!" she squeals. I stand up and help Mika over to the window.

The lake in the center of town is on fire, walkers are being drawn to it but most are dead, the group tore through town and killed most of them.

"Yeah that's something dad would do," I say to Mika. I hold her for a moment and she hugs me back just as tightly. For a second I almost forget that Carl isn't there to hug me.