I'm back! How are yous?! I'm so so so so so sorry I haven't updated in literally a year, I have no excuse! But I am here, and I am here to stay! I have lots to catch up on and some great ideas so I hope you guys are happy to still stick around, and if you have stayed this long I love you. Here is the long awaited chapter, I do hope you enjoy. Quite possibly the longest chapter but lots happened in this episode so that is why :) I love you all and let me know what you think! Love you all!
Elly xxx
Callie's eyes fluttered open, and she watched as the bed above her swarmed into view. Her whole body ached, felt like it was on fire and made of glass. Her head pounded and she looked to her left as someone stirred in the bed next to her, cocooning themselves into the blanket surrounding them. She carefully kicked the covers off of her as her body tried to sweat out the infection, heating her body up from the core in a ditch attempt to burn out whatever was making her sick. She sat up slowly and winced as the bed groaned beneath her, hoping it hadn't woken the child next to her. Her hand came up to the back of her neck and she rubbed it carefully, her hand becoming sodden with sweat.
She stood up and stretched out, hearing people talk in the hallway. "Callie?" she heard a voice call, and she walked out the cell door and over to the group in front of her. Sasha, Glenn and Hershel all stood in a huddle at the foot of the stairs, looking serious as they spoke. "Hey" Callie said softly, and slid a hand into Glenn's. "I need to try and control this infection and stop it from spreadin'" Hershel said, looking up at her from beneath his eyebrows. "In order to do that I need you to help me, I can't do this alone" he continued, and Callie squeezed Glenn's hand. "Anything you need" Sasha croaked out, and Glenn and Callie nodded in agreement.
"Come with me" Hershel said, leading the three of them up the stairs and into someone's room. "Henry" Hershel called softly, and the man stirred, coughing violently. "He's been finding it hard to breathe all night, I need you to help me by holding him down" Hershel said, motioning to his arms. Callie took one arm and Glenn the other, as the man became increasingly terrified. Hershel took out a long instrument and handed it to Sasha to hold, while the man squirmed beneath them. Callie groaned as she used all the strength she could muster to keep the poor man down. "Henry, I need you to calm down. We're only trying to help" Hershel said calmly, and the Glenn held the man's mouth open as Sasha started to push something into his mouth to keep it open.
Callie and Glenn caught eyes as Hershel pushed a long plastic tube down the man's throat and into his windpipe. Callie grimaced at the sight and turned her head, keeping her hands firmly locked on Henry's shoulders. She watched out the corner of her eye as Hershel attached a bag onto the end of the tube, squeezing it at regular intervals to get oxygen into the man's lungs. His flailing ceased, and Callie let go, holding onto the wall as she tried to gain back some of her energy. She could see the matched fear in Glenn's eyes as the two looked from each other to the man and back again. The three of them began to cough again, winded and exhausted from the experience. "Drink some of that, all of you" Hershel said, motioning to a flask cup filled with glucose drink. The three passed it round to one another, each taking a long gulp.
"Some council meeting huh?" Hershel asked, manually inflating the bag. "We're two members short" Sasha said, holding the cup to her lips. "I think we should make some new rules before they get back" Hershel said, and Glenn took the cup from Sasha, taking a gulp and handing it to Callie. "I hereby declare that we have spaghetti every Tuesday's and every Wednesday" Hershel said, trying to lighten the mood. Sasha looked on at him with an unamused look, and Callie smirked. "First we have to find some Spaghetti" Hershel continued, and Callie smiled at his attempt to make them laugh, although the others didn't take it well.
"You okay to take over?" Hershel asked Sasha, and she nodded, taking in a deep breath and holding the bag. "Every five to six seconds, squeeze. You start feeling light headed, grab somebody else to take over. We'll take it in shifts. You wanna help me go on my rounds?" Hershel said, looking to Callie and Glenn. "Yeah" Glenn answered, hauling himself up. "You okay here?" Callie asked Sasha, and she nodded tiredly before squeezing Callie's hand and shooing her out the room. "How long will that keep him alive?" Glenn asked, stopping in the doorway. "Just as long as we're willing to do it. As long as it takes" Hershel replied after a pause. Callie leant against the wall for support and looked down at Henry, who was completely relaxed under Sasha.
She walked down the stairs behind Glenn, holding onto his shoulder in the dark so she didn't fall. They stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked into each cell as everyone coughed violently around them, trying to get some rest. Some of the kids were playing board games, and Callie smiled before following Glenn into a room where a man lay on the bed, unmoving. She sighed and closed her eyes, sad they had lost another person. She walked in and unclipped one knife from her belt, before feeling Hershel's hand come down on hers, stopping her. "No. Not here" he whispered, and walked out the cell. Callie caught eyes with Glenn and watched as Hershel wheeled over a bed. "Help me get him on this" Hershel whispered, pushing the bed in. "Okay. But in a couple hours, when Henry's dead..." Glenn started. "Glenn" Hershel interrupted. "How are we gonna get his body down the stairs, across the cell block and through those doors without anyone noticing?" he asked, and Hershel took a deep breath.
"If that happens, IF, you're gonna help me" Hershel whispered, and Callie watched as Glenn deflated before her eyes. "What if I'm gone?" Glenn asked, and Callie snapped her head up. "Shut up. Let's get him out of here" she said coldly, and the two men walked over to the body. She put the knife back and stepped out the way as Glenn and Hershel hauled the body onto the bed, wheeling him across to the door. Glenn unlatched the door, and the three spun round as they heard a voice. "What are you doing?" Lizzie asked, walking over. "Taking Mr Jacobs into a quieter place" Hershel said as Callie stood mouth open. Hershel reached a hand to Lizzie's forehead. "Go get my copy of Thomas Sawyer from my room. I want you to read it by tonight, we all got jobs to do" he said, and Lizzie pushed her face into the crease of her arm, coughing.
"That one's yours" Hershel said, leaning down. "I won't finish it" Lizzie said looking up at him."Why?" Hershel asked. "It's gonna get too dark" Lizzie replied, looking up. "Well, give it your best try. And drink some tea" Hershel said, and Glenn started to cough, leaning against the wall. Callie watched as Lizzie walked away, and something inside her sighed. "I uh, I'm gonna stay here. Check on Sasha" she said, and Hershel looked at her knowingly, nodding and walking through the door. "Be careful" Callie called, not turning round as the boys walked out. She walked slowly up the stairs and back into Henry's room, sitting down next to Sasha and watching as she inflated and deflated the bag. The two sat in silence, the only noises they could hear being the coughing that echoed throughout the cell.
Callie shot up as she heard someone fall to the floor and cell doors began to open, and she held a hand back to tell Sasha to stay where she was. She walked out the door and peered over the balcony, watching as Hershel sat helplessly by a man choking on his own blood. The man stopped and relaxed, and Callie watched as Hershel tried to think of what to do, aware there were others watching. She watched as he pulled out a knife, and his eyes met hers, his hand gripping the handle. She nodded gently, and he took a deep breath in. "Everyone, get back in your cells. Go on, get back in your cells" he said, and Callie watched as Sasha walked down the stairs, grabbing the bed and wheeling it over. "C'mon, let's get him on this" she said. Callie heard Glenn cough from behind her, and only then realised he had taken over from Sasha. She walked back into the room and sat next to Glenn, resting her head on his shoulder as he effortlessly squeezed the bag. Her eyes closed involuntarily, and she struggled to keep them open. She felt Glenn move, and he stood up suddenly, forcing her body backwards.
She crashed to the floor and hauled herself to a sitting position, watching Glenn as he pushed down on Henry's chest. She frowned at him, her mind swimming in confusion as he continued. "Her" he started to call, before choking and coughing. "Hersh..." he called again, before being thrown into another violent coughing fit, gagging and bringing up blood. "No..." Callie whispered, and whimpered as she pulled her body over towards him. He fell to the floor, and she crawled over to him even though her body screamed in pain and her head pounded. "Glenn" she whispered, and he clawed at his neck. "Hey, you hang on" she said, sitting up and leaning over him. "Don't you dare think of leaving" she continued, mustering all the strength she had to stand. "Lizzie" she croaked out, catching eyes with the young child in front of her.
"Hershel" Lizzie called, looking at Henry. "Hershel!" Lizzie called louder, and Callie watched as Henry's eyes flew open. "Lizzie. Back away" Callie said, not taking her eyes off on Henry. "I don't wanna leave you" Lizzie cried, and Callie held a hand out. "Take Glenn and get out" Callie said sternly, watching Henry still. She jumped as she heard a gunshot, and sprung into action. Her adrenaline was flying, the only thing keeping her upright as she pulled a knife out of her belt. "Callie come on" Lizzie called, and grabbed Callie's hand, pulling her out the room. Callie's head suddenly burst with pain, and her legs were swiped from beneath her as Lizzie pushed her to the floor and beside Glenn. "Stay there" Lizzie said, and Callie held a hand up to her head. "Come on Henry, this way. Come on" Lizzie said comfortingly, walking backwards as Henry followed her down the corridor. "Lizzie no" Callie tried to call, but it came out as a whisper. "Come on boy, come on Henry, just a little more" Lizzie kept calling, beckoning the walker forward.
Callie tried to jump up in desperation as Lizzie tripped backwards and Henry landed on her, making her scream. Hershel ran past and pulled Henry off of her, throwing him over the edge of the balcony and hauling Lizzie up. Callie sighed and rested back as she relaxed, happy Lizzie was safe. Hershel came running back and looked over Callie before moving to Glenn, and Callie pulled herself up to a sitting position. "Get to Lizzie and the kids, make sure they're okay" Hershel said, and Callie nodded. She crawled over to the cell Lizzie was in and pulled the door open, hauling herself onto the bed as Lizzie threw herself in to Callie's arms. "Why did you do that?" Callie asked, half crying and clinging on to Lizzie. "I wanted to keep you safe" Lizzie said, and Callie pulled the other boy into her hug. "Are you okay?" she asked, and the boy nodded, the three of them sitting on the bed, embracing one another.
Callie sat there as the kids fell asleep, watching the door constantly in case of walkers. It was only when she heard Hershel call her name she stood up, resting the kids on the bed and tucking them in. "How are you doing?" Hershel asked as Callie walked out the cell door, closing it behind her. "Okay, strangely a little better" she said, chuckling. "How's Glenn?" she asked, looking worriedly towards the cell she left him in. "He's stable, he has Maggie in there helping look after him" he said, and Callie breathed out in relief. "Thank god" she whispered, running a hand through her hair. "I believe someone wants to see you, if you're up for it" Hershel said, and stood out the way, revealing Daryl standing at the end of the corridor.
He strode forward and within a few steps had reached her, embracing her in his arms and pulling her in to his body so hard her feet left the ground. "Are you okay?" he asked, his head buried in her neck. "Yeah, I'm okay" she whispered, nodding into him. "Good. I'm stayin' in here with you tonight. I aint leavin' you again" he growled, and Callie smiled. "I don't want you getting sick" she said, and he held her tighter. "I aint gonn' get sick. I'm fine" he said, and she gave in, happy to have him back in her arms again.