"THEY'VE BEEN GONE AWHILE." Lori spoke, her hands on the bars. She was looking in every angle she could to try to look where they left in. She was very worried for all of them.
Ella stood next to her, her hand on Lori's back as Beth stood behind them. "They're fine, Lori. You need to rest, you're putting that baby at risk with all this worryin' and stress." she tried to move Lori by leading her away, but Lori wouldn't move. "Lori, come on."
Lori looked at Ella. "What if something happened?"
"They're gonna be fine." Beth spoke up, trying to peel Lori off the cell door as well.
Everyone was worried about the group that went out, but they had to be positive about things. They had to hope they just found supplies and they were stuffing bags full of those same supplies, or they found survivors and they were figuring out if they were trust worthy and safe to bring around every one else. The possibilities of what was going on were endless.
Ella was worried for Glenn most of all. He was dumb at times and he would do anything for a lot of people, so she was worried he risked his life for that chocolate bar she so badly wanted him to find her in that cafeteria. She knew Rick or anyone else really wouldn't let him do that, but knowing him, he would somehow find a way.
Ella glanced at Carl to help them take his mother to her cell to relax for a little bit until the group got back. Her eyes filled with the emotion of help and desperation.
Carl heaved a sigh and stood up, "Mom. Come on."
Lori stared at her son for a bit, before she gave up and decided to follow him to the cell she called hers and Carol's. She really needed the sleep, it had been such a long day already and she was so, so exhausted. Everyone was. But her exhaustion mattered more than anyone else's for she was carrying a child in the womb.
Ella lingered next to the cell door, holding onto the bars. She looked back at Beth. "I am wondering what's taking them so long. Do you think they're exploring the entire prison?" she questioned.
Beth slowly shook their head and walked next to Ella so she was standing next to Ella. "They ain't that dumb. Besides you need to stop worrying, Ella," she zoned out for a moment. "Let's talk about. . . hey! Once we clear the prison out enough to where we can go on supply runs, you wanna go together?" she asked.
"Beth, this doesn't sound like you. You hate going on runs. That's why we never have you go on them, or help us clear out like-" she began.
Beth cut her off. "I wanna try going on them again, but this time instead of going with my sister and being lectured every five minutes or tripping over things, I wanna go with you. We could find things for the nursery, the other cells, our cells. We could decorate out here." she confessed.
Ella smiled. "That'd be nice."
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AFTER ALMOST ANOTHER hour of waiting for Glenn and the others, they heard their group panicking and yelling for them to open the door. The rest of everyone who were waiting inside the cell block immediately opened the door once they heard Rick scream that it was Hershel. Ella and Beth immediately stood up from the table as Carl swung open the door.
Ella's face dropped when she saw that Hershel was laying on a bed stretcher, blood profusely spilling from his leg that seemed to be. . . chopped off. What happened out there?
Daddy!" Beth screamed as the stretcher was pushed into the cell block.
Ella ran over to a cell and opened the door, holding it open for Maggie, Glenn and Rick. She let it go once Hershel was in the cell. She ran to his side along with Lori and Carol, Beth standing behind her.
"He got bit." Rick informed as Ella used her hand to check his temperature to make sure he didn't catch a fever from this.
Ella put her hand on Hershel's leg, her heart dropping as his blood smeared all over her hands. Beth freaked out. "Oh, my God, he's gonna turn!" she cried.
Ella turned to Beth. "Hey, hey, shush. Don't say that."
Lori was situating Hershel, and Ella with his leg. "Did you cut it off?"
"Yeah." Rick answered.
"Maybe you got it in time."
Ella sighed. "We gotta get him on the bed."
Everyone nodded. They all counted on three before Ella, Rick, Lori, Glenn and Carol hoisted him up off the stretcher and onto the bed.
Carol moved Ella's hand from the towel. She gave Ella a nod, so Ella took a step back. Carol gasped when she removed the towel. Oh, my God, that's gross and not good at all, Ella thought. "Oh, oh, I need bandages."
"We used everything we had." Glenn informed her, his own voice was full of panic and it was pretty high.
"Well, get more! Anything!"
Lori pointed at her son. "Carl, go get the towels from the back, right next to my bed!" she demanded. Carl immediately took off for the towels. Ella wiped her bloody hands on her shirt, breathing heavily. But her hands were still stained red. It would be no use to get the blood off.
Beth began to cry. "Is he gonna die?"
Lori shook her head, placing hands on both sides of Beth's head. "No, no, no, no. He's gonna be okay, he's gonna be okay." Lori pulled her in for a tight and comforting hug.
Ella felt awful for Beth and Maggie. She knew exactly what it was like to lose a father and to watch him die. It was gut wrenching, it was hard to process, you were mad at everyone and anything, you blamed yourself and the world itself. Ella never wished this moment upon the two Greene girls. They didn't deserve it.
"Can you stabilize his leg?" Rick questioned Carol.
Carol was moving his leg around, pushing a towel and a pillow underneath his leg. "I need to keep his leg elevated," she looked around. "Get some pillows!"
Rick ran off. Maggie cried, "He's already bled through the sheets."
A bright idea hit Glenn. "We can burn the wound to cloth with the blood. I can start a fire." he suggested.
"No, please don't do this." Beth begged him.
Carol agreed with Beth. "The shock could kill him. It's not gonna stop the arteries from bleeding. We need to keep it dressed and let it heal on its own." Lori and Carol grabbed the towels from Carl and wrapped it tightly around Hershel's leg.
"It's not gonna matter if he's dead," Ella fell to her knees beside Hershel. "It doesn't look like he's breathing." she checked his heart with her ear, trying to listen for it.
"What?" Beth cried.
Ella sat up straighter. "He's breathing, but barely." she softly informed.
Suddenly there was a bunch of yelling out in the cell block. It was a bunch of unfamiliar voices.
"What was that?" Beth gasped.
"Prisoners, survivors." Rick told them.
Everyone freaked out. Unsure if they should check it out or help Daryl and T-Dog. Ella stood up from the ground. She wasn't about to let these survivors hurt her family.
"It's alright. Everybody stay put." Rick assured the group.
Rick nodded for Glenn to follow him out the cell. Ella was about to walk out as well and help with whatever needed help with like watching the door or dealing with those survivors who did something so terrible that they were in this prison for God knows what, but Rick shook his head, waving her off. Glenn frowned at Rick, he glanced at Ella, but still Glenn followed.
Ella and Carl shared a look. They were both confused on why Rick was so adamant on Ella always staying behind when it involved a small fraction the group doing something to help the group like going out into the dark hallways to explore or going on a two man mission. Ella sighed as Carl left the cell and went to lock the door behind his father.
Ella left the cell, and she noticed Glenn was tense, he was breathing heavily and his back was against the wall, his dull eyes on the ground. She walked over to him for she was concerned for him. "Glenn?" she moved to the wall next to him.
"Yeah?" Glenn glanced up for a moment.
"Are you okay?" she had her hands on his jaw, softly caressing it to make him feel better. His eyes were full of stress and sadness, he was visibly upset. Ella's eyes shifted over his face, then over to the cell door Rick left through.
Glenn cleared his throat. "Rick told me to do something." he closed his eyes, his hand lapping over Ella's and moving it down to her side.
"What did Rick say?"
He looked down at the ground. "He asked me that if Hershel doesn't make it. . . I-I have to-" he cut himself off, running one hand through his tangly, dirty hair.
"Oh, Glenn, you won't have to." she wrapped her arms around his waist, gently placing her head on him. Glenn allowed himself to wrap his arms around her neck, burying it in her neck. "It'll be just fine."
When they pulled away, Ella was looking at Glenn worriedly. She laced her hand with his and together they walked in the cell where Hershel was laid up. Ella stared at all the blood staining the towels, the sheets, the pillows, the hands and the blankets. He was still bleeding a ton.
"When we get him through this, we'll need crutches." Carol spoke as the two entered the cell. She was moving the sheets around his leg to let it bleed on that some more, then she held on his leg to put some pressure on it.
Ella gave Maggie and Beth a look of sympathy. They had gone through so much lately, they were some strong women. She was so proud of them for trying to be brave.
Lori kneeled down again after getting something. "Right now we could use some antibiotics and painkillers, some sterile gauze. There's got to be an infirmary here." Lori told everyone.
Ella looked up at Glenn. He looked down at her. They were both scared for Hershel.
"If there is one, we will find it," Carol whispered. "You've gotta be worried sick about delivering that baby."
"Look at me," Lori turned her head to Carol and shook her head. "Do I look worried?" she genuinely asked.
Carol looked Carol up and down, raising an eyebrow. "You look disgusting." she bluntly said.
Ella smiled. As do we all, she thought.
Lori chuckled. "So do you," she turned back to Hershel and placed her bloody hand on his forehead to check his temperature. She showed her teeth off as she smiled. "We'll get through this."
Maggie stepped out of the cell, wiping her teary eyes. Ella grabbed her hand, softly rubbing it. Maggie looked at her, swallowing thickly. Ella knew Maggie wanted to leave the cell, she needed a moment away from her father. She needed to vent, so Ella followed her out the cell.
Ella squeezed Maggie's hand as they stopped next to the stairwell. She looked at Glenn who gave her a nod. Maggie suddenly hugged Ella, a few soft cries leaving her mouth and a gentle sun escaping.
"Hey-" Ella began.
Maggie cut her off. "We should've never let him go. It was stupid of us," she whispered. Ella rubbed her back. "We cleared this whole cell block, just the six of us. We could've done it even with five or four."
"Mags, it could've happened to any one of you." Ella whispered, feeling her shirt soak with tears.
Maggie coughed. "What are we gonna do without him?"
Ella pulled away. "Don't say that. Hershel's gonna make it. He's still here with us. . . he's breathing," she paused as Maggie sighed. "He won't be going anywhere."
"What if he does wake up, then what?" she asked. "He can't even walk. All we do is run."
"Maggie, he'll be fine. We're not leaving this place anytime soon. This is our home now and nothing's changing that." Ella promised her. "It's gonna break him, hurt him, because he's got you and Beth."
Maggie suddenly smiled. Ella was glad to see that smile for she hadn't in awhile. "Am I the only person living in reality here?" then it fell.
"Look, we've been through so much. There is no way a walker would kill Hershel-"
"I think you're expecting him to go, too." Maggie said.
"No, not expecting it. I just want to be prepared, so should you, Beth and everyone else," she nodded. "Go check up on Beth. She needs you. Glenn and I got your dad for a second, okay?"
Maggie nodded and wandered away. Ella looked at Hershel and noticed his face was pale, he wouldn't make it, would he?
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"CANNED BEEF," T-Dog began to list off all of the food they acquired from the cafeteria. Him and Rick were carrying most of the food over to a cell to keep it safe from those other survivors in case they broke in while the group slept. "Canned corn, canned cans. There's a lot more from where this came from." he informed.
Ella was happy to finally have some good food.
Rick turned to Glenn, Ella and Lori standing next to the cell. "Any change?" he referred to Hershel.
"Bleeding is now under control and still no fever, but his breathing is still labored, I'm glad Ella caught it when she did so we could help the best we could with his breathing, and his pulse is way down and he hasn't opened his eyes yet." she informed him.
Rick turned around. "Glenn, take my cuffs and put them on him."
"What?" Ella widened her eyes.
"I'm not taking any chances."
Glenn took the cuffs, staring at them as Lori and Rick walked away to put the food away. Ella sighed, Maggie and Beth weren't going to like the fact of what they were doing.
"I'll put his hand up on the bunk bed pole and you can clamp it around that if it makes easier." Ella suggested.
Glenn nodded.
They entered the cell and gently placed the cuffs on.
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AFTER CARL RISKED his life to get some medicine and other things in the infirmary, Ella was sitting on a chair behind Maggie and Beth as they were all watching Hershel. Ella was thinking about turning in for bed, before Beth asked.
"What's happening?" Beth checked him after realizing he wasn't breathing. "Do something!"
Ella shot up from her chair and got down on her knees. She placed her ear on his chest. He wasn't breathing. She pumped his chest once, then put her mouth on his to blow air inside his mouth, then back to pumping his chest a few times. She repeated the process for a moment.
Ella didn't expect Hershel to reach up and grab the back of her head when she was blowing air into his mouth. Ella screamed in shock and pulled away the best she could, everyone elsr grabbing onto Ella to pull her away. They all backed up into the wall.
After Rick and the others returned, Ella was sitting on a chair waiting for Hershel to wake up. He wasn't dead nor was he going to die today. He just had to wake up. Maggie, Lori and Beth were all waiting for the same thing.
Rick entered the room and looked at Lori. "Still no fever." she told him.
Rick nodded. He walked over to Hershel with T-Dog tailing him. Glenn walked over to Ella and squeezed her shoulder. When Hershel's eyes moved a little, Maggie and Beth moved closer to their father.
Nothing happened, so everyone looked away.
But then his eyes began to move even more and he blinked them right open. Ella stood up, a small smile placed on her face. "Daddy?" Maggie smiled in relief.
"Daddy!" Beth laughed.
He was going to be fine.