Falling Down (Rick Grimes Romance)

Chapter 3

"Ya ok," I stated staring straight ahead. "You didn't mention Rick?"

"What's the point?" Shane's voice suddenly sounding tight.

What was the point I thought other than nothing. Rolling over I purposely laid as close to the edge of the bed as I could without being rudely obvious. Shane was a big enough boy to figure out cuddle time was over.

I wanted my question answer and I got it. I already had a pretty good idea that Shane failed to mention Rick. It explained people's original judgment of me. The long and short of it was they saw me as the other woman.

Other woman or not I covered a much needed position. Proven once more when later that night a frantic pounding came to my door. "Jenna wake up Doc needs you in the lab"

Rolling out of bed I tossed on a pair of jogging pants and bolted out the door. With Shane hot on my heels I headed for the commotion out front of the medical centre. Running behind a jeep and a truck that didn't belong to our camp Doc was already huddled over someone trying to assess their damages.

Pushing through the crowd of people I saw Stevens mangled body. He was one of the members of our hunting group. Lifting his body up on to the stretcher we scrambled to get him to the back room of the medical centre where the surgical supplies were housed.

Using the light on the end of the scope I lifted Stevens eyelids. I knew things were bad, really bad. I called out "Pupils are dilated.... none responsive"

"Pressure is dropping," Doc said as he grabbed for the IV stand. Attaching a clear bag of saline solution he quickly attached the rig and inserted into Stevens arm.

Lowering my head to his chest I pushed the base of my hand down hard running up and down the length of his rib cage. "I hear rolls... his left lung has collapsed."

Grabbing a scalpel and the two inch tubing I cut directly below Stevens rib cage. Forcing the tubbing through the incision I manipulated it inside Stevens chest cavity until I heard quick rush of air.

"His stomach is descended and lower quadrant is rigid. We are going to have to open him up." Reaching behind him Doc grabbed the tray of surgical tools.

Now a days every surgery was exploratory. There was no CT scans, X-Rays or anything to let you know what was going on. To guide you so you knew if you were about to do more harm. You just had to run on gut instinct alone. Hope that lessons learned from past experiences could help you now. Surgery, life or death hung on little more than a prayer.

From the moment Doc cut into Steven blood began to gush spilling out and onto the floor. I tried to use lap pads to control the bleeding but it was useless. The internal damage to Stevens body was far greater than we were equipped to handle. Struggling to get a clear line of sight Doc eventually broke.

Stepping back from the table Doc lowered his head fighting off his emotions. Looking at the clock on the wall, "Time of death 21:13,"

I stood there for a moment unwilling to give up the fight. I kept grabbing for more lap pads until no more remained. Looking down at Stevens open body I could see the numerous organ and tissue damage was far to extensive. Stevens heart had failed and no longer beat. I knew there was nothing we could have done but yet it seemed like we didn't fight. That we didn't do enough.

"How did this happen?" Doc asked turning to Stevens best friend. Until that point I hadn't even noticed he was in the room.

David was shaking from head to toe as if he stood naked in the Arctic. His words fell out short and choppy almost as if he was gasping for air. "We were late coming back. We had gone to far and we were late. It was getting dark and Steven wanted to.... wanted to...."

Grabbing a chair I placed it behind David "Here sit down before you fall down."

Dropping his head in his hand David sat motionless for a moment. "We took the ridge road to cut off time. We thought it would be ok just this once. Steven didn't want to be caught in the dark. When the road started to collapse we couldn't get ahead of it and we rolled down the incline." Pausing his body shook with great heaving sobs. "It was just one time. Oh god it was just one time!"

Sitting down beside him I did what little I could do to console the man while Doc went to check on the other injuries. "Your head and hand are cut open pretty bad and your going to need stitches."

Grabbing the bottle of iodine and antiseptic I tenderly as possible cleaned the dirt and gravel from the wounds. "How did you guys get back to camp?"

"I don't know," he flinched as I pierced his skin with the needle. "I remember falling and then we were basically back at camp. I don't even know where those people came from."

"Do you think you lost consciousness or you just blocked it out and can't remember." Looking down into his eyes I tried to assess his reactive his pupils. They were sluggish but at least reactive.

I moved David from the surgical room to one of the clinic beds. He defiantly needed to be monitored for a whole host of complications now that the adrenaline and shock was wearing off. Pulling the curtain closed I was just about to leave the room when David spoke up.

"Hey Jenna," David's voice sounding quiet and loss in grief. "Who's going to do it?"

By it I knew he meant pierce Stevens brain. It wasn't the first time I had been asked this question. I guess when you know this has to be done to your loved one who does it to them matters. "I don't know for sure. Did you have someone you want?"

"Shane...I want Shane to do it. They were friends." While it was a reasonable request I always hated asking people to do this favour.

"Ok," I lingered by the door for a moment. "I'll see what I can do."

Walking into the hallway I let my eyes fallow the trail of blood that lead towards the entrance. The drama gone everyone seemed to have separated into the rooms receiving the medical attention they needed. Turning I sighed with a heavy heart going back to the surgical room to clean. To once again begin prepping yet another member of out community for burial.

Fallowing the strictly laid out rules and procedures I handcuffed Steven to the rails of the bed so he couldn't move his arms. Using the spreader I dislocated his jaw so he couldn't bite. I strapped his head to the table ensuring he couldn't get up. Sometimes it took days and other times a few hours for people to come back as walkers. Since their was no way to tell we didn't take chances. It seemed so inhuman... it was inhuman but it was the only way to stay safe. Quietly I said a prayer for Steven as I covered his body with a sheet.

"We were three miles from the ridge along the base on the south wall when we saw them roll. I thought for sure nobody could have survived that." A male voice drifted from behind me. "Then again I never thought I would see you again either."