The Walking Dead: Danielle Grimes

Bonus Chapter 4. Hospital

"Someone needs to hold her down." Tomi tells us fast. "She's shuffling around to much and I won't be able to do it properly."

"I got her." My voice is scared as I put my free arm across her chest to hold her down, still clinging to her hand with my free one. I squinted my eyes close as I sniffle, gathering myself as I watch the love of my life in so much pain.

Tomi is cleaning all the blood he can whilst he waits for someone to bring over the gauzes and towels. He had to reach in and hold an artery that was spurting out blood and he applies a firm pressure, pushing the artery against the one to stop the blood flow.

He frowns as he looks down at her wound. "It's not a bite." My eyes shoot over to the man along with everyone else's. "W-what?" I gasp through my attempts at holding back a sob.

"It's too clean a cut, and there's glass in there." Tomi explains, remaining as calm as possible. "Trust me, I know the difference. Looks like when her arm was dragged across the glass, it got lodged in there but the walker didn't get to bite her in time."

I stare at the doctor in shock and Tomi gives me a small smile. "It's not a bite, Daryl." He confirms. Relief flushes over me, despite the urgency of the moment. Fresh tears build as I look down at my wife.

Carol and Maggie rush over with gauzes, starting to put pressure on her wound that travels from the inside of her elbow to her forearm. Tomi keeps a firm pressure on where the majority of the bleeding is coming from whilst also trying to clean the blood around the laceration.

Dani's eyes shut tightly and she's cries out. "S-STOP! STOP!" Tears leave the corner of her eyes as she frantically shakes her head and screams out. She sobs as she writhers on the table. "I.....I-I can't...."

"You're gonna be okay....you're gonna be okay." I tell her over and over again. It sounds like I'm trying to hold my own tears back, my voice strained, and a higher pitch than normal.

"I'm- I'm scared. I can't leave the boys or you." She whimpers through her sobs. "I know, I know." I feel tears dripping down my cheeks, my heart breaking. "Just breathe. Stay awake for me, okay?"

I look over to what Tomi and Carol are doing, my heart pounding at the heavily bleeding coming from her arm. Every time they wiped the blood away, fresh crimson blood took its place. I'm so thankful it's not a bite, but the pain she's in and the screams that are tearing out of her throat are enough to send me on the verge of a breakdown. Guilt floods me as I wish I could trade places with her and take her pain away.

She isn't bitten. That's all I had to focus on.

She's was not bitten.

The glass has gone deep. Too deep. There is so much blood, that it had created a trail along the ground as I carried her to the room and the blood soaked her shirt. Even the front of my shirt and jacket is stained with my wife's blood and the feeling of that alone is enough to kill me inside.

Blood is still pouring out, no matter how much Tomi and Carol try to stop it. Rick, Maggie and Aaron all stand around the table as they watch Dani with tears in their eyes. Everyone else is around the room watching nervously. I can hear Jerry biting his nails worriedly as he watches his best friend. Ezekiel and Connie bring more gauze over and try to help as much as they can.

But despite all their efforts, it seems like it's no use. Any gauge or bandage they use is immediately soaked through, rendering them futile.

Dani's eyes begin to roll back, her screams of pain turning into whimpers as she begins to lose consciousness. She no longer struggles against my hold. "Dani? No, no, no, no. Hey." I panic. "Nelle, stay with me. Stay with me, come on. Keep your eyes open baby, please." I'm sobbing now as tears stream down my face when I get no response and I can hear Rick crying next to me as he watches his sister.