Chapter 10: Premonitions

Daryl's behavior confused Olivia a bit. It was like he was another person or perhaps it was just that he'd finally begun relaxing into the place a bit. Looking over your shoulder every second, fighting for survival didn't tend to bring out the most pleasant side of peoples personalities. Whatever it was she'd been seeing a whole new side of him. He was joining in conversations, playing even just the other day she'd seen him building a Lego tower with Wyatt) and to her shock she'd even caught him smiling a few times. Whatever had brought about this side of him Liv wasn't going to complain. Where the surly, withdrawn Daryl had been entertaining to her, this lighter, more talkative Daryl was downright fun. She'd even gotten him to blush a time or two. Not that he was the only one in the group changing for the better. Carl was beginning to lose that hardened edge he had started building around himself before they arrived. They all looked much healthier with the added weight steady meals had put on them. Lori especially had begun filling out, her color and strength were far better than they had been little more than a month ago when they had first come here. Carol too acted as if she had been relieved of a heavy burden, talking, smiling, joking with the others. Shane had explained about her husband and her grief at Sophia's loss. Liv imagined with the relief of finding her daughter safe and the new found freedom of being husbandless, she was probably able to just be herself for the first time. Seeing everyone settled in so well made Liv happier than she could put into words. She had been anxious about bringing them in, worried that they would have problems with her rules or that there might be clashes between her people and members of their group but none of that had happened. Everyone had been so pleased with the new faces or safe place to stay that they'd not complained once.

Liv stood at her bedroom window glancing out at the light flurries falling. January seemed to be nothing but snow flurries so far. Fortunately the majority of it melted almost immediately, only a few inches of it had stuck and still covered the grounds. Glancing down at her watch she saw it was nearly four, she'd been having trouble sleeping nearly all week. An uneasy feeling had settled in her stomach and hadn't left yet. Pop called them her premonitions. The last time it had happened like this had been two years ago and she'd taken a bullet to the chest, puncturing a lung and barely missing her heart. Before that had been nearly five years ago, she'd lost her fiancé, Ben, a fireman and Sky's father in a blaze not long before she was born. She just wasn't sure what it meant this time yet and that's what frightened her most. Deciding on trying to get a bit more sleep before daylight she turned to head back to bed when the walkie on her nightstand crackled and Pop's voice broke the silence. "Liv? Wake up." She dove for the walkie, a call at this hour could only mean one thing. Trouble.

"What is it?" she asked heart in her throat.

"Walkers. A ton of them. They're heading along the western perimeter."

"How many?" she asked as she threw on her boots, coat and grabbed her .45's strapping them over the coat as quickly as possible.

"At least a hundred from where I'm sitting. I'd be willing to bet there's a lot more than that, they're just out of camera view."

"I'll be right there." She answered quickly, carefully picking up Xander's bassinet she moved him to just inside the door of the girls' room. Approaching Annabeth's bunk she woke her as quietly as possible. "I need your help get bundled up quickly and meet me at the lock up." Waking Isabel as well and telling her the same Liv left for the basement. Entering the guys' room she moved first to Daryl's bunk placing a hand carefully over his mouth, he jerked awake. Recognizing her in the light from the door he relaxed almost immediately. She placed her finger to her lips and she jerked her head towards the open door and mouthed 'bundle up'. At his nod she moved to Hershel's bunk then Shane and the Grimes' room quietly waking Shane and Rick the same way and then heading to the lock up to gear up. She'd slung her silenced .22 rifle over her shoulder grabbing all the spare magazines tossing them in the front of her duffle along with a container of ammo and was strapping an ankle holster with a .22 revolver to each ankle just as Annabeth and Isabel hurried into the room. She quickly got them geared up as she explained. Annabeth took her crossbow, two quivers filled with about three dozen bolts each and a small .38 semi auto in a holster on her hip with three spare ten round magazines. Isabel had her long bow and her quiver of three dozen arrows slung over her shoulder and grabbed an M-16 with two spare magazines. Daryl and Hershel entered the room just as Liv was tossing three 9mm into the duffel along with all the matching ten round magazines she had for them and a box of ammo.

"Walkers?" Daryl asked voice still hoarse from sleep.

"A lot of them" Liv said slinging her bow and quiver over her shoulder as well.

He moved to the back wall grabbing an extra quiver of bolts for his crossbow "are they inside the gates?"

"No they're moving along the western fence line towards the front of the property." He nodded and explained to Rick and Shane who entered just then. She tossed Hershel two pump action 12 gauge shot guns, a walkie and a machete. "Hershel I need you just inside the gate, in case we need to make a quick retreat and to make damn sure none of them manage to slip past us and onto the grounds. Gear up quick and meet me at the front door. Keep us updated if they look like they're coming from another direction or any make it through the fence" she said to Pop hurrying off upstairs.

She met them at the door with a small bag and a lighter swinging in her left hand. Making for the gates at a run she unlocked them quickly tossing Hershel the keys. "Everyone be careful, keep your eyes open." They moved as quickly and quietly as they could to the corner of the wall glancing around carefully they moved along the wall towards the herd weapons at the ready. Liv reached into the bag hunkering down against the wall she quickly lit and threw the firework as far as she could over the chain link fence before it started going off. Drawing the attention of the walkers, dozens of them immediately started towards it. It served it's purpose both as a distraction and to light up the walkers, all the better to aim. As soon as the firework had landed they opened fire dropping the walkers as quickly as possible. Liv had already been through all her .22 magazines and her arrows yet the walkers were still coming bodies beginning to pile high on the other side of the fence. Just as she was about to start on her .45's she heard Annabeth's voice. "I'm out."

"Me too" Isabel added.

"Isabel reload the .22 magazines I dropped fast as you can, Annabeth get back to the lockup grab more .22 and M16 ammo and whatever guns you can lay your hands on fast. Go!" Watching her take off at a run, she tossed her walkie at Isabel in between changing magazines. "Let Hershel know she's coming."

"There's hundreds!" Rick's semi-panicked voice reached her ears a few moments later.

"I'm almost out" came Shane's voice.

"There's 9mm's in the duffel with magazines" Liv called out to them. "Annabeth's gone for more" she said dropping her last .45 and reaching for the revolver in her ankle holster. Just then a sound rang out from the direction of the gates. A shotgun firing. Just once. Seeing nearly everyone turn in the direction the sound had come from Liv made a split second decision. "I got it! Isabel take my spot with the .22" She yelled flying in the direction of the gate as fast as her feet could carry her. Rounding the corner horror gripped her throat at the sight in front of her.

Hershel had seen Annabeth coming out the door and in his eagerness to let her back out as quick as possible had thrown the gates open backing quickly out of the way hitting the chain link gate. Unfortunately he hadn't seen the walker moving low along the fence it had grabbed him sinking it's teeth into his ankle tearing away a chunk of flesh. He'd discharged the gun accidentally as he dropped it in shock. Firing the revolver and dropping the walker as she approached she dropped quickly to her knees next to him. Looking up she saw the pain and terror in Hershel's face.

"Mom!" Annabeth cried out as she reached him as well.

With no time to think of anything else Liv did the only thing that came to mind. "Give me the strap from that duffel and get that stuff to the others. Faster Annabeth" she said using Hershel's machete to slice his pant leg out of the way and quickly starting to hack at his knee as precisely as she could. Annabeth looked like she was going to be sick but did as she was told and took off towards the others. "Come back when you give them that!" Liv yelled after her. By the time she made it back Liv had tied the duffle strap as tightly as she could on his thigh using it as a tourniquet and stripped off her holster vest and coat. She'd used her shirt as a bandage covering the stump and was forcing an unconscious Hershel's arm's into her coat putting it on him backwards. Anything to warm him and help him fight off shock. Kneeling there shivering with only her bra covering her top half she fastened the holster vest back over it. The two of them pulled him within the gate and Annabeth locked them back. "Go to the guys' room and get them. No time for getting dressed just bring them here." Annabeth disappeared into the house returning only moments later with Dale, T-Dog and Glenn in tow. "T, grab those shotguns and help the others. They're just around the corner. Glenn take that machete and keep watch at the gate. The keys are on the ground over there" she said tossing him her revolver as well.

Glenn hesitated "but-"

"Do it now!" Liv snapped too concerned with taking care of Hershel to bother with niceties. He moved to the gate quickly. "Dale, Annabeth grab his shoulders we have to get him inside." They moved him into the living room laying him out in front of the fireplace. Liv moved quickly to stoke a roaring fire and get the room heated up. She looked up at the others "there's a rollaway bed in the attic. Bandages, Disinfectants and Blankets too." Fire finally going she ran downstairs quickly retrieving two pairs of handcuffs from the lock up, a coke from the food room and racing back upstairs just as Dale and Annabeth made it back to the living room. "There's an electric blanket with the ones in the basement storage room I need that one too and a couple pillows. Dale look in the kitchen I need a straw, a syringe, turkey baster anything that'll help me get this coke down his throat." She wrapped the mattress of the cot with one of the blankets, another laid out flat over it and had Hershel stripped to his boxers when Dale got back pink crazy straw in hand.

"This?" he asked holding it out.

"That's great. It'll work. Help me get him on the bed. Gently now."

"What's the coke for?" he asked easing him down on the blankets.

"Sugar to fend off the shock, same as the blankets. Can you get me a towel? He's bled through the shirt already." She moved to plug in the electric blanket Annabeth arrived back with. Wrapping his stump in the towel. They placed a pillow underneath it and another under his head. Lifting his arms out Liv swaddled him in the blanket they had laid him on. She carefully cuffed each of his hands to the rails on either side of the bed and covered him arms and all to his chin with the electric blanket and two other blankets. Annabeth check with Pop find out how the others are faring. They may still need help."

"Okay" she replied quietly, exhausted and shaken by the nights events.

Opening the coke she put the straw in sucking up the soda until it was nearly at the top and capped it with her finger letting the coke drain bit by bit into Hershel's mouth. Watching carefully to insure he didn't choke she managed to get him to drink nearly half before setting it aside. "I'll be right back." Digging through the prescription bottles in the attic Liv found a bottle of antibiotics and returned to the living room. Crushing two into several pieces she mixed them into a little of the coke and coaxed it down Hershel's throat.

"Why the handcuffs?" Dale asked still kneeling next to the cot.

"He was bitten. I don't know if amputating at the knee will work. It was just the first thing that popped into my head that might save him." She wiped her hair back off her face noting the now dried blood covering her. "If it doesn't work he'll turn. I can't take the chance he'll come up off that bed. Not with nearly a dozen children in this house."

"Aunt Liv?" She looked up to see Mary on the stairs, Xander laying on her chest and a frightened Sky a few stairs above her. "We heard gun shots."

"It's okay, Sweetheart. Everything's fine now."

Sky spotted the blood "You're hurt!"

"No, Baby. I'm just fine. Hershel hurt himself a little bit. I was just helping fix him up."

"Will he be ok?" Mary ask glancing at the cot where only his pale face was visible over the blankets.

"I don't know, Sweetie. I hope so." Liv answered carefully. Annabeth came back just then.

"Looks like it's calmed down out there. They're just taking care of the last few now."

"Good." Finding the walkie that had been clipped to Hershel's belt loop Liv pressed the button. "Any of them still moving?"

A moment later she heard Isabel's voice. "No I think they're all down. What happened at the gate?"

"I'll explain when you're all in here. If they're all down then gather up the weapons and come in, we'll deal with disposal when it's light out."

"Okay."

Setting the walkie down she turned to the others in the room. "Mary, can you go ahead and get Sky and Xander ready for the day. Annabeth, I need you to get Maggie and Beth for me Sweetheart. Then go ahead and get ready for the day when you're done watch the little ones so Mary can get showered and dressed. Okay?"

Annabeth gave Hershel's still face a long look before nodding. "Okay" she said softly heading for the stairs again. Liv sighed, the adrenaline was wearing off, the events of the night were catching up to her. "What do I tell them? How do I explain this to them?" she ask softly.

Dale studied her profile choosing his words carefully. "You tell them the truth. That you did everything you could to save him but we don't know if it worked."

"It'd be a lot more comforting if I weren't covered in his blood while having that conversation. No time to clean up though. His daughters need to be with him now, in case he..." Liv broke off with a sigh. Footsteps were heard on the stairs, Liv approached the top of the steps blocking Hershel from view for the moment. Annabeth met her mother's eyes sadly for a moment as she passed her on her way upstairs. The others came in from outside just as Maggie spoke.

"What is it? What's happened?"

"There was a herd" Liv answered quietly. "A big one. We went out to take care of it, your dad was at the gate with the keys in case they made it through the chain link and we had to retreat behind the wall quickly. We could make out at least a hundred on the cameras but when we got out there it was easily a thousand or more. We were running out of ammo so Annabeth was sent back inside for more ammo and weapons. Your dad saw her on her way back out and threw the gate open backing up to be sure he was out of the way for her to get through fast. He backed up too far, into the chain link gate. He didn't see the walker, it grabbed him, his shotgun fired as he went down. That's what got our attention, I took down the walker as soon as I was in range but it had bitten him on the calf. I amputated his leg at the knee. He's still alive."

Terrified tears were streaming down both Maggie and Beth's faces. Maggie tightened her arms around her sister. "Where is he? Can we see him?"

"I don't know if it's going to work. He could still turn. You have to understand that before you go in there." At their nods she moved aside, standing back as they rushed to the cot in front of the fire.

"Why is he under all these blankets?" Beth asked quietly.

"He's lost a lot of blood, Sweetheart. It was sending him into shock."

"What do we do now?" Glenn asked from the far side of the room where the others all stood.

"All we can do now is wait and hope it worked and he's strong enough to pull through" Liv replied never taking her eyes off Hershel's face.

"That's it, that's all we can do wait and hope?" Daryl asked looking at her.

"You wanna throw in prayin' be my guest."

"How long?" Liv glanced up meeting Beth's tearful gaze. "How long until we know?"

"It could be days. I'm hopeful the blood loss wasn't too big of a hit but the amputation opens him up for risk of major infection. I started him on antibiotics to hopefully get a jump start on that. He'll likely develop a fever. That's going to make it more difficult to tell if he'll turn. Best guess is within the week we'll know one way or the other." Liv ran her hands tiredly over her face. "It's been an eventful night. Shock, stress, exhaustion are all running high. Leave the weapons and duffle bags by the door and you guys go ahead and get cleaned up and ready for the day. I'll take care of them after I've cleaned up. Dale do you mind sitting with them for a while?" At his nod she looked around at the other people in the room. "Thank you. For all you did out there" she said quietly moving to the stairs to get cleaned up. She spoke softly under her breath as she passed Dale. "Watch him carefully."