Fighter

~204

Daryl’s Group

Lori stopped. She could shake the feeling that something was wrong. Call it paranoid, or mother’s intuition. Something was wrong. She knew it.

Andrea turned around, seeing Lori stopped, looking back the way they came. “You still worrying about it?” Her voice stopped the others.

“It was a gunshot.” Lori pointed out.

“We all heard it.” Daryl insisted, a little annoyed and just wanting to push on.

Lori looked to the others. “Why one? Why just one gunshot?”

Daryl shrugged. “Maybe they took down a walker.” He said, lying through his teeth. He knew damn well all three of them wouldn’t waste a bullet for one walker, but he wanted to calm Lori down so they could get back to camp.

“Please don’t patronize me.” Lori begged. “You know Rick wouldn’t risk a gunshot to put down one walker. Or Shane. They’d do it quietly.” Lori explained, earning a shrug from Daryl. “You can’t tell me that Isabell wouldn’t put up a fight to stop them from using a bullet.”

“Shouldn’t they have caught up with us by now?” Carol questioned, looking to Daryl.

Daryl stepped towards the middle of the group. “There’s nothing we can do about it anyway. Can’t run ‘round these woods chasing echoes.”

“So what do we do?” Lori asked.

“Same as we’ve been.” Daryl insisted. “Beat the bush for Sophia, work our way back to the highway.”

Andrea studied Daryl for a moment before looking to Lori. “I’m sure they’ll hook up with us back at the RV.” Andrea insisted, trying to comfort Lori.

Lori hesitated, but stepped towards Daryl anyway.

Andrea stayed paused, as did Carol. Andrea took a careful step towards Carol. “I’m sorry for what you’re going through.” Andrea said.

The group stopped at the sound, watching the two carefully.

“I know how you feel.” Andrea continued.

“I suppose you do.” Carol responded. “Thank you.” Carol looked at the others and back to Andrea, tears burning her eyes. “The thought of her out here by herself… It’s the not knowing that’s killin’ me. I just keep hoping and praying she doesn’t wind up like Amy.”

Daryl heard the comment and quickly stepped towards the two, making sure that Andrea didn’t go off on Carol.

Andrea was taken aback.

“Oh, God.” Carol cursed herself, realizing what she’d just said. Carol grabbed Andrea’s hands comfortingly. “That’s the worst thing I ever said.”

Andrea shook her head to the woman. She knew that Carol didn’t mean it, but it left her a little bitter. “We’re all hoping and praying with you, for what it’s worth.”

Daryl walked towards the two women. “I’ll tell you what it’s worth: not a damn thing.” He shook his head.

Carol looked to Andrea, shocked.

“It’s a waste of time… All this hopin’ an’ prayin’.” Daryl continued, leaning forward. “‘Cause we’re gonna locate that little girl. She’s not gonna wind up like…” Daryl trailed off, realizing that he almost said her name.

“Like who?” Carol asked curiously, eyes filled with tears.

“...Like Amy.” Daryl insisted. “Like ya said.” He pushed it off, not saying what he was really going to say. “Am I the only one zen ‘round here?” Daryl walked away from the women. “Good Lord.”

Lori looked to Carol and Andrea with a smile. They walked past her, but she couldn’t stop her from looking the way they came one more time.

!@#$#@!

Shane and Rick sat on the couch in front of Isabell. She was standing, leaning against a nearby wall. Nobody knew what to say. Nobody knew what could be said. Rick felt responsible. Shane felt responsible. Isabell felt responsible.

“Why’d I let him come with us?” Rick asked Shane.

Because I was there to look after him. Isabell thought.

“I should have sent him with Lori.” Rick insisted.

Shane shook his head at his friend. “You know, you start that, you’ll never get that monkey off your back.”

He’s right. Isabell thought. I’ve still got mine. Not just the one from Sophia, either.

“When a little girl goes missing, you look for her.” Rick stressed. “Simple. You said call it. Head back.”

“Doesn’t matter what I said.” Shane stressed.

“Carl got shot because I wouldn’t cut bait. It should be me in there.” Rick insisted.

Shane covered his face with his hand, scratching his eyes. He chuckled. “You’ve been there, partner.” Shane said, making Isabell recall the story of how Rick was in a coma from a gunshot wound when the outbreak hit. “Right?” Shane nodded for him. “And you pulled through. So will he.”

“Is that why I got out of that hospital? Found my family for it to end here, like this?” Rick questioned. “This some kind of sick joke?”

“I ain’t findin’ nothin’ funny here, Rick.” Isabell said softly from behind them, earning the attention of both men. “You made it out to be here for Carl. Your boy is still alive in there, and he’s fightin’. You be here.” She said to him angrily.

Rick shook it off, turning back to Shane. “A little girl goes missing… You look for her. It’s plain and simple.”

Isabell scoffed, feeling a need to hit something.

The door to the room Carl was in opened and Maggie came out, calling for Rick. All three of them quickly leave their spots in the room and hurry into the room. “He need’s blood.” Maggie told him.

Carl was awake inside the room, crying and screaming for his dad.

Isabell quickly went to Carl’s left side, kneeling like she had before and pushing back his hair, trying to comfort him. “Carl, bud, it’s okay. These people are trying to help you.”

Hershel looks up to Shane. “You,” He said, “Hold him down.”

Shane didn’t hesitate. He was at Isabell’s side instantly, kneeling next to her. Shane used one arm as a weight, holding Carl’s chest down. His other arm was at his hips.

Carl was screaming as Hershel maneuvered his forceps in the boys belly, trying to dig out a bullet fragment.

Patricia was holding Rick’s arm, trying to sanitize it to get him stuck with the needle.

Rick was fighting with Patricia hearing his son scream and cry for help. “Stop! You’re killing him!” Rick shouted to Hershel.

“Rick!” Hershel shouted back. “Do you want him to live?”

“He needs blood.” Patricia stressed when Rick paused, staring at his struggling son.

“Do it now!” Shane yelled at his best friend.

Isabell didn’t know exactly what happened before both her and Rick joined the group, but she knew in that time, Shane must have gotten even closer to Carl, becoming a father figure for the kid.

Finally, Rick had allowed Patricia to stick him without a fight.

In the same minute, Carl stopped fighting against Shane.

Shane started to stutter. “W - wait.”

“Carl?” Isabell questioned, holding the side of his face.

“Wait. What happened?” Shane got out.

“He’s not dead?” Isabell asked, looking to Hershel. “He’s not dead. He can’t be.”

“He just passed out.” Hershel said gently.

Rick, Shane, and Isabell all let out a sigh in relief. The stress of this little boy’s life was almost too much for Isabell to continuously deal with. The ups and downs were nearly killing her.

Hershel pulled the metal instrument out of the boy’s wound and held it up in front of him. “One down… Five to go.”

!@#$#@!

Isabell couldn’t be in the room anymore. She couldn’t stand to stare at Carl and watch him fight hard for his life. Rick’s reactions to Carl’s conditions hurt her just as much as looking at the kid did. She sat in the chair right outside the door, so she could at least hear for Carl’s screams. Isabell had decided that if he did wake up again, she would be there to comfort him.

For the time being, though, there wasn’t much she could do. Isabell didn’t want to watch as everyone sat around, waiting for the blood transfusions to take affect. Maggie and Otis were in the room with her, both of them worried and waiting as well.

About a half hour later, the door opened and Rick stumbled out.

Isabell removed herself from the chair, letting Rick take her spot. She stood next to the chair, lightly scratching the top of his shoulders for support. Lori wasn’t here right now, so he needed support in a way that Shane couldn’t give. The soft support.

Shane followed after him. “He’s stable for now.” He said to the three who had been waiting.

“Lori has to be here, Shane. She had to know.”

“Okay, I get that.” Shane said. “I’m gonna handle it. But you’ve got to handle your end.”

“My - my end?”

“Like Isabell said, your end is being here for your son. Even if he didn’t need your blood to survive, there’s no way I’d ever let you walk out that door. Man, I’d break your legs if you tried. You know that, right?”

Isabell laughed quietly. “That’s just what I’d do. Wouldn’t hesitate. Carl needs you, man.”

Rick looked at both people briefly before hanging his head.

Isabell continued. “If something happened to him and you weren’t here…” She took a deep breath, swallowing the lump that was forming in her throat. “I-If he slipped away while you were gone, take it from someone who knows, you would never forgive yourself for that.”

“Neither would Lori, come to think of it. You gotta be here, man.”

Rick took a deep breath then nodded. “You’re right. Both of you.”

“When was I ever wrong?” Shane joked.

“Alright, no need to get ahead o’ yerself.” Isabell rolled her eyes, but laughed anyway.

Shane looked at Isabell and then to Rick. “You know, when… When you were in that hospital, the one you were never supposed to leave, man, you should have seen Lori. She was like…” He trailed off, not finding the words, scooting closer to his friend. “The strength of that woman… You can’t imagine it. See, that’s what you’ve gotta have now. I mean, Carl - he needs that from you. So you wire yourself tight, my friend. You hear?” Rick and Shane leaned their foreheads against each other, showing the support. “You’ve got the hard part. Just leave the rest to me and Isabell, okay?”

“Alright.” Rick agreed.

“Alright.” Shane repeated.

The door behind them opened quick and Shane shot to his feet. Everyone rose to their feet and their eyes moved to Hershel.

“He’s out of danger for the moment.” Hershel explained. “But I need to remove the remaining fragments.”

“How?” Rick questioned. “You saw how he was.”

“I know, and that was the shallowest one.”

Isabell pushed her hair out of her face and turned away from the scene for the moment.

“I need to go deeper to get the others.” Hershel continued.

“Oh, man.” Shane sighed.

“There’s more.”

“Tell me.” Rick insisted.

“His belly’s distended, his pressure is dropping, which means there’s internal bleeding. A fragment must have nicked one of the blood vessels.”

“That don’t sound good, Doc.” Isabell commented.

“It’s not. I have to open him up, find the bleeder and stitch it. And he can’t move while I’m in there. I mean, at all. If he reacts the same as before, I’ll sever an artery and he’ll be dead in minutes.”

“So you have to knock him out?” Isabell asked.

Hershel nodded. “I have to put him under. He can’t breathe on his own while he is. Same bad results.”

“So you need a breathin’ machine.”

“A respirator.” Otis corrected. “What else?”

“The tube that goes with it,” Hershel listed, “extra surgical supplies, drapes, sutures.”

“If you had all that, you could save him?” Rick asked.

“If I had all that, I could try.”

“Nearest hospital went up in flames a month ago.” Otis paused, examining the look Hershel gave him. “The high school.” He realized.

“That’s what I was thinking.” Hershel insisted. “They set up a FEMA shelter there. They would have everything we need.”

“Place was overrun last time I saw it. You couldn’t get near it. Maybe it’s better now.” Otis hoped.

“Then we go get this stuff.” Isabell said, looking to Shane. “You get this medical crap and I’ll get Lori.”

Shane nodded at her. “I said, leave the rest to you and me.” Shane smiled, looking to Rick. “Is it too late to take that back?”

“I hate you two goin’ out alone.”

“I’ll be fine. Was on my own for a few weeks before you found me.”

“Come on.” Shane begged, knowing he could handle himself. “Doc, why don’ you do me a list and draw me a map?”

“You won’t need a map.” Otis spoke forth. “I’ll take you there. Ain’t but five miles.”

“Otis, no.” Patricia argued.

“Honey, we don’t have time for guesswork and I’m responsible.”

“Damn right, you are.” Isabell mumbled.

Rick glanced back at her with a glare and Isabell mimicked zipping her lips.

“I ain’t gon’ sit here while this fella take this on alone.” Otis saw the look in Patricia’s eyes, but he knew he had to go. “I’ll be alright.” He insisted.

“Are you sure about this?” Shane asked.

“Do you even know what any of the stuff he’s talking about looks like?”

“Come to think, no.” Shane admitted.

“I’ve been a volunteer EMT. I do. Now, we can talk about this till next Sunday, or we could just go do it real quick.”

“I’ll take right quick.”

“I should thank you.” Rick insisted.

“Wait till that boy of yours is up and around.” Otis told him. “Then we’ll talk. I’ll gather some things.”

Maggies stepped forward. “Where is she, your wife?” she asked.

Isabell answered. “You willing to go get her?”

Maggie nodded.

“You’ll come with me then. I’ll lead you to her. You can take her back. Leave me there.” Isabell looks to Rick. “You’ll be okay?”

“He’ll be fine.” Hershel promised.

“Would you mind putting something in his stomach? He’s gonna need it if Carl needs more blood.” Isabell asked.

“Of course.” Patricia said, going off into the kitchen.

“Thank you.” Rick said to Isabell.

Isabell nodded, tears brimming her eyes. “Just make sure you’re here. For Carl. I know exactly how you feel right now, Rick.”

Rick cocked his head slightly to the side, questioningly.

“You don’t know if your child’s gonna pull through. You don’t know if he’ll be alright. But you need ta be here and be strong.” Isabell gestured to the girl who was going to take her to the group. “She’ll come back with Lori and you’ll need to be strong for the both of them, because she’ll need it too.”

“We should get going.” Maggie told Isabell.

“Right.” Isabell leaned forward and hugged Rick. “I ain’t known ya long, but I know you're one tough sumbitch. So’s Carl.”

Rick nodded, hugging back. “Thank you.”

Isabell pulled away. She was led out to the stables by the girl. She walked quickly, preparing the horse for the quick journey.

“You know, I never caught your name.” Maggie said.

“Isabell.”

“I’m Maggie.” Maggie jumped onto the horse. “Nice to meet you. Wish it were under better circumstances.” She reached her hand down so she could help Isabell up.

Isabell tightened her over the shoulder bag that carried her arrows and secured her bow before grabbing Maggie’s hand and pulling herself up onto the horse. “Trust me, I do, too.”

Maggie side kicks the horse and it takes off, rushing off of the property.

“There’s a creek in the woods. You know it?” Isabell asked.

Maggie nods.

“Find it. Follow it back towards the highway. They should be walking close to it.” Isabell ordered.

The two rode the horse for a while. Isabell held tight to the horse’s saddle, not completely comfortable to be holding onto Maggie for the stability. Ten minutes go by before they hear a scream that Isabell thought might be coming from the group.

“You hear that?” Maggie asked Isabell.

“Go after it.” Isabell pointed towards the left. “That way.”

Maggie pulls on the horse’s reins slightly, making the animal go in the direction of the scream. The horse came upon a small clearing.

Andrea was on the ground with a walker over her. She was struggling to push it off of her.

Isabell takes of her bow quickly, aims it at the walker, and shoots. She cursed when she missed the brain.

Maggie rides by, grabbing the bat that she had, and hit the walker over the head, knocking it off of Andrea. She slows the horse and turns back, joining the Andrea.

“Lori!” Isabell called. “Lori!”

“Iz?” Daryl questioning, seeing her blonde head jump from on top of the horse onto the ground.

“I’m here.” Lori responded, walking passed Daryl, standing in front of the younger woman.

Isabell stutters to find her words. “There was an accident. Carl was shot.”

Everyone stopped, pausing in their steps.

“Lori, you gotta go now.” Isabell stressed, walking towards her. “Carl’s alive, but Rick’s a mess. You gotta go with Maggie.”

Without waiting another second, Lori pulls off her backpack, handing it to Isabell. Lori walked over to the horse, climbing on it.

Daryl tries to stop Lori. “Whoa, we don’t know this girl.”

“Daryl, it’s fine. You need to let Lori go!” Isabell pushed him.

“You can’t get on that horse!”

“Daryl, shut up!” Isabell screamed. “I can get back there. Lori will be fine.” Isabell stepped away from Daryl and back to the horse. “Go!” She shouted at Maggie.

“Backtrack to fairburn road.” Maggie explained. “Two miles down is the farm.”

“We’ll be fine. Meet you there. Just go!” Isabell pushed.

And she did. Maggie kicked the horse again after she was sure Lori had a firm grip. Maggie road back into the trees, back towards the farm.

The walker that had attacked Andrea, had sat up, wheezing.

Daryl looked at it and picked up his crossbow. “Shut up.” He ordered it, before shooting a bolt into his brain. He joined Isabell at her side. “Iz, wha’ happened?”

Isabell took a deep breath, preparing herself. “There was a buck. Guy was huntin’ it. His shot went through it, hit Carl.” Isabell’s eyes started to water. “They needed supplies to put him under. Shane was takin’ care of it. It’s bad, D. It’s so bad.” The tears rolled down her face. “I didn’t protect him. Just like I didn’t protect Sophia.”

Daryl quickly dropped his crossbow. He pushed Isabell’s hair out of her face and wiped her tears away. “This isn’t your fault, Izzy.”

“Just like I didn’t protect Harley.” She continued anyway. “I feel like I lost her all over again.” Isabell cried out.

“Harley?” Glenn questioned quietly from behind Daryl.

Daryl quickly wrapped Isabell tightly in his arms, muffling her cries.

Isabell couldn’t be calmed. She knew she was to blame for everything. “It’s all my fault.”