Eyes Wide Open [TWD]

°•six•°

"You hear? You've got the hard part. You just leave the rest to me, okay?"

"All right," Rick agrees.

"All right," dad nods. The door opens forcing them to break apart. Maggie and Otis stand.

"He's out of danger for the moment, but I need to remove those remaining fragments," Hershel speaks.

"How? You saw how he was," Rick asks.

"I know, and that was the shallowest one. I need to go deeper to get the others," Hershel explains. I bury my face in the pillow.

"Oh, man," dad sighs.

"There's more," Hershel says.

"Tell me," Rick says.

"His belly's distended, his pressure's dropping, which means there's internal bleeding. A fragment must have nicked one of the blood vessels.
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. To even try this, I have to put him under. But if I do, he won't be able to breathe on his own. Same bad results," Hershel explains.

I clench my eyes shut, trying not to think about how this was Carl.

"What'll it take?" Rick asks.

"You need a respirator. What else?" Otis asks.

"The tube that goes with it, extra surgical supplies, drapes, sutures," Hershel names.

"If you had all that, you could save him?" Rick asks.

"If I had all that, I could try," Hershel says.

"Nearest hospital went up in flames a month ago," Otis says. He and Hershel trade a look, "The high school."

"That's what I was thinkin'. They set up a FEMA shelter there. They would have everything we need," Hershel explains to dad, Rick, and I.

"Place was overrun last time I saw it.
You couldn't get near it. Maybe it's better now," Otis says.

"I said, leave the rest to me. Is it too late to take that back?" Dad asks.

"I hate you goin' alone," Rick says.

"Come on. Doc, why don't you do me a list, draw me a map," Dad says.

"You won't need a map. I'll take you there. Ain't but five miles," Otis says.

"Otis, no," Otis' wife, Patricia denies.

"Honey, we don't have time for guesswork and I'm responsible. I ain't gonna sit here while this fella takes this on alone. I'll be all right," Otis persuades his wife.

"Are you sure about this?" Dad asks.

"Do you even know what any of the stuff he's talking about looks like?" Otis asks.

"Come to think, no," Dad shakes his head.

"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," Otis says.

"I'll take right quick," dad says.

"I should thank you," Rick says.

"Wait 'till that boy of yours is up and around, then we'll talk. I'll gather some things," Otis says and walks away.

"Where is she-- Your wife?" Maggie asks Rick.

--

"Just get what you need, and get out of there," Rick tells dad as we walk him to the truck.

"You stay strong, all right?" Dad says to Rick.

He look down at me and kneels in front of me.

"You be strong too. Listen to what your Uncle Rick says all right?" Dad says placing his hands on my arms. I nod.

"Be careful," my voice cracks.

"I will," he nods and gets in the truck.

"Let's check on your boy," Hershel says to Rick as they drive away.

Hershel then turns to me, "Would you like to see him as well, sweetheart?"

Slowly, I nod. Hershel reaches over and grabs my hand and I find comfort in how rough his hands are despite being able to do such delicate, precise work.

--

I lay in Maggie's bed, resting. Before she went to find Lori she let me in a change of clothes and took me to her room to sleep. I have a small view out the window and see the approaching horse with two women on it. The sight of Lori causes me to turn around and lay on my right side, away from the window. After a few minutes, Maggie walks in the room.

"Slept any?" She asks sitting on the edge of the bed.

"No," I say with my strained voice.

She gives a sympathetic smile, rubbing my arm.

"Shoulda stayed. I should've stayed on the highway," I say.

"Why's that?"

"Glenn. I just want Glenn. I left with my dad and Rick just to prove I cojld be strong. I don't want to anymore. I just want Glenn."

She moves a bit closer and lays a hand on my leg.

"Who's Glenn?" Maggie asks.

"Hmm?" I hum.

"Tell me about him," she smiles.

"He's.." I begin.

Not my dad..

I shake my head a little, getting the nasty voice out.

"He's my best friend. He's funny and smart. He's the only person I can really trust with anything and everything," I say and yawn at the end.

"He sounds great," she smiles.

"He can sing too," I add sleepily, "Can you sing?"

"Somewhat," she nods.

"You two should sing together. A duet," I murmur in a half sleep state.

"I'm sure we'll work something out," she says.

"I wished for an angel"

I wanted to tell her, but in my comfort, my world turns black.

--

❤❤

*edit- god I miss Scott Wilson rip legend forever love you ❤*