After covering up the dead body i checked to make sure bullet went through the brain but just to be safe i ran my pocket knife up through the bottom of his skull. I wasn't going to take any chances. I then went to the bathroom and got the shampoo, conditioner, soap, extra toothbrushes, toothpaste, and towels that were in the cabinet. I added it to the top of the box before opening the closet. I saw two hunting rifles and some ammo containers. I grabbed both guns and all 10 ammo containers.
I saw that both guns took the same kind of ammo which was a smart and gook idea. I actually had the same kind of weapons so the ammo would be good use to me. I was going to be nice and give both guns and half the ammo to Rick and his group. I was going to rope Maggie and Beth into helping out the next couple days to get supplies from town and the surrounding farms.
I had a deep freezer that right now wasn't plugged in since I had nothing to put in it but if I had some meat put in it could plug it in. I wanted to have as much meat as possible to help me and the boys have fresh meat during the winter since meat would be hard to find with animals hibernating. I was hoping by roping them into helping I could spilt supplies with them and help around the farm and maybe just maybe they would let me stay with my Rv out front.
I knew that if Rick and his group didn't change that they wouldn't last long. Glenn, Rick, Carl, Sophia and maybe Carol showed potential in surviving this. Shane, Lori and Andrea were to set in their ways to able to get past the fact that there was a right and wrong way to do things. Dale sadly was like Hershel he was going to survive for a couple months maybe a few years but would die with how old they were. It was now all about survival of the fittest now days. I was training my kids to be the strong so they would survive.
Hershel I was hoping could in that time past his knowledge off to one of the younger guys so that if we did find a safe place we would have animal knowledge to raise farm animals and breed them to survive far into the future. I had great plans for when we found a safe place to stay I was willing to help out but I sure as hell not running it. I was brought out of my thought by Maggie knocking on the door to the bedroom. I smiled at her and motion for her help to get these ammo boxes packed into the large blue tub that was in back of closet. It was full of clothes and junk so I dumped in the bottom of closet.
"Hey are done packing up down stairs. I was going to check the rest of the house. We have only been here about hour and half so we have a little bit more time before it gets dark." I told her looking at my watch.
"Yeah we have about 20 boxes of mixed homemade canned goods. Most of them were already boxed up I only had to do 3 boxes." Maggie told me.
"Maggie I have a proposal for you, Beth and Hershel if he will take it. My Rv will sleep all of us easy if we do a few minor adjustments. I had it built when my husband was alive and we had planed to have 4-6 kids we only got three before he died but still the Rv was built so that the twin beds could be replaced with queens. Plus there is room between them to fit another queen if we need to make the back room just for sleeping. Anyways what i'm getting at is we can help each other survive this." I told her starting to get to the points.
"My whole point is I'm training the boys now to survive this new world and I'm willing to do the same with you and Beth. I know Beth is a kind soul but she is going to have to harden up and learn to kill these things and dangerous people if she wants to survive. We women are at a disadvantage because now all some men see is something to fuck or own. I know that is harsh but it is what it is." I finished.
"I think that it will be a challenge to learn some of those things but that it will be worth it. I have wood back at the farm and tools from when dad fixes the fences. John has lots of wood here if you also want to grab some." Maggie told me.
"Yeah why don't you carry this box down and I will carry the other one out to the truck. Then we can check the rest of the house." I told her as I picked up the box in front of me full of ammo boxes that I had covered with a couple sheets and blankets that were already packed up.
It looked like he had a couple kids or grandkids base on some of the bedding some had animals or cars on them. I grabbed the bedding sets from the closet that had cars on them along with one that had hunting stuff on it. That was what I used to cover the top of the ammo boxes with. I had used another spare box that was holding some decorations in it to put some ugly bedding in so that Lori couldn't complain that i was hogging all the supplies. I would also go through the canned goods and split them three ways so that I got some, Hershel got some, and Rick's group got some but wasn't going to be a everyday thing.
I was planning on going to the surrounding farms to get more canned goods from the ones that had become walkers or killed themselves. I wanted to get all the food I could before winter since I had a feeling that this one was going to be a cold one like last winter. I also knew that if food was hard to find that I would not only be feeding my family but the rest of the group to because I couldn't just feed who liked and leave who i didn't to starve.
I was putting the box in the two boxes in the bed of the truck when Maggie brought me another box setting it beside the back tire and going back inside. I followed her and after we did this a couple times I stayed outside to keep putting the boxes in the bed of the truck. It took us another 30 minuets to get all the boxed outside and loaded into the truck. We also looked through the rest of the house to get what we could use. I also found about 10 pieces of wood out by the barn where there was two chickens that I put in another box with holes in it.
I knew that Hershel was going not be to happy about the 2 chickens but we couldn't just leave them here. I put the dog cage with the dogs in it the passenger seat since Maggie was going to ride the one of the horses home and pony the other one. After we had everything loaded up and ready to go. I also made sure to get the snow chains for the tires incase it snowed this winter. I saw a box of nails that I grabbed along with a small bag os screws incase I needed them while building in the Rv.
I was getting in the in truck after putting the chickens in the floor board as Maggie mounted her horse with the others reign in her hand and i let her go first following her out. I was surprised when she picked up speed to a gallop once we got on the road and the other horse that I rode followed like it had done this before. I followed her all the way back to the farm and we didn't pass any walkers on the way so that was a good sign.
I was thinking about how I was glad that when the Rv was built that Michael had them make it to where the twin beds could turn into queens as the boys grew older. All I had to was take out a couple screws that held the shelving that was holding some clothes and books off the side of the bunks and the frame would slide down and in to place for a queen bed. I was planning on taking the beds off mine and Ethan's set of bunk beds and putting them beside the other set of bunk beds to make queen beds on Matt's and Sam's bed before adding two queens beds to our side.
This way both boys could keep their bedding even if they had to share a bunk they still got their own covers and pillows. I had planned on getting some beds from the houses that we got supplies from the coming days. This project would take maybe an hour tops to do. I knew what to do and had done it in our old Rv once but that was years ago. I was going to use the wood that I got to build a small set of cabinets for the boys to put their toys in now that they didn't have storage one their separate bunks after this was over.
I was brought out of thought when we arrived back at the farm. I rolled my eyes when we pulled up to Daryl holding his crossbow on me since i was driving the unknown truck but once he saw it was me put it down. Maggie handed the horses reign off to Beth who was waiting on us to return with the boys on the porch doing school work and playing games it looked like. I smiled at her as I got out of the Rv and handed Rick a rifle and ammo box. The looked shocked to see the truck full of supplies but I gave them a look that told them not to even think about trying to take anything.
"Boy's come look what i got you guys." I called as I open the passenger side door and got the crate with the dogs out and opened it to let the momma dog out.
"O wow Matt look it's puppies." Sam cried as he almost tripped coming down the porch.
"Whoa Whoa Whoa not so fast Hershel has to look them over before you touch them and they still little so they have to stay with mom so she can feed and take care of them." I told Sam as he tried to pet one of them.
"Beth I have a surprise for you two with farmer John dead we couldn't leave these two guys there so here you go." I told her as I handed the box with the chickens in them.
Maggie and I started to unload the truck I had put the boxes in so that they were already separated. I motion towards the boxes to the left with Glenn, T-Dog, Andrea, and Dale watching. I told them that this was for their group while I pointed to the second stack and told them that these were mine. When Andrea tried to complain when I would let her take any food yet. I shut her up by telling her that I was the one that went and got the supplies so I got first pick and then Maggie got second since she helped.
"Don't touch that yet." I told Andrea smacking her hand away from one of the boxes of food like a child.
"You don't get all this food that's not fair." Andrea complain getting a scowl from me.
"I'm not but me and Maggie get first pick since we were the ones that went and got it. The food is going to be divided evenly between the three of us but I get first pick, Maggie second and Rick gets the left overs." I told her as Hershel walked out on to the porch.
"I'm sorry to tell you that Farmer John was already gone when we got there but had left a note for you." I told him handing him the note that was on the front door.
'Hershel by the time you are reading this i'm dead and with Rose in heaven. I want you to take anything in the house that you can use or will be of help to you. I already boxed up the food in the basement for you good luck my friend and please look after Fawn and her pups for me.
~ Farmer John''
Hershel looked back up at me and thanked me as I started to carry the boxes of food into the living room to be gone through. I nodded at him as he took the crate of puppies into house to look at them. Beth came over to me and thanked me as she started to look at the jars of food. I was told that Carol was upstairs with Ethan taking a nap. So I helped Beth make sure that all the peas, corn, green beans, pasta, pickles, honey, and so on was together in the same boxes. I saw that Lori had stepped out of the room Carl was in.
"Okay so Maggie and I decided that since we packed up the supplies and brought it back that I would get first pick of my third, next she would, Then Rick group would get what's left." I told everyone who all agreed that was fair.
"My family eats peas, corn, green beans, and fruits jams and jellies like crazy so we want a good portion of them but we don't eat pasta, pickles or peaches that much so you guys could have most of that. I thought Honey, Butter could be evenly spit between me and Hershel since we have a fridge to store it in. Pasta sauce and all the soups could be even spilt between all of us sound fair" I asked getting agreements from everyone.
We spent the next hours dividing up the supplies like we had talked about. I got more honey and butter then Hershel since I didn't have any and he did. I got everything that I wanted and the boys ate leaving the rest of the junk that we did eat for Hershel and Rick to decided who gets what. I got the soups and sauces of choice which made me very happy. I could only imagine if this was just one house what the others would have. I planned on going out in the morning with Glenn and Maggie to another farm.
I was carrying the boxes that were mine into my Rv with the help of the men while Lori ordered Andrea and T-dog around telling them where to put what box. I was putting the food away in the storage room when Carol knocked on the door with a wide awake Ethan who was smiling and chewing on his fist. I took him from Carol and thanked her for watching him. I had left the puppies and momma dog for Hershel to look over. I had made up a bed inside the crate that they had used at the other farm inside the bedroom where we slept.
I had Ethan on my chest in his sling while I had his bottle and pacifier in one hand and the basket that I had made earlier before I left of pasta sauce, flour, and what not to give to Beth in exchanged for some eggs. I was walking back up to the house as Daryl came out of the woods with some rabbits and squirrels in one hand. I smiled at him and waved as I passed by his camp area or where he cooked his food at. I got to the house to find Hershel setting the pups down in a round pin on the porch.
The boys were in the huge play pin or round pin sitting on the floor playing with the dogs while the mom just watched keeping an eye on her pups. I smiled at them and picked up the brindle pup since it was smallest and Ethan was reaching and try to touch it so I let him and he smiled at me before letting out a giggle and kicking his legs.
I smiled as I pet the puppy for a couple minuets before putting it back on the ground doing the same with the black and white one. I looked at Hershel who was still getting over the fact that his neighbor and friend was dead. I grabbed the brindle pup and I decided that I was going to call it Lady Bug or Lady for short and the black and white dog was going to called Rocky. The mother was going to stay Fawn so that was it if I let the kids name the pups no telling what they would come up with. I saw that Beth now had dinner ready.
I smiled at her and left the puppies in the momma in the pin on the porch for now. I was brought out of thought as Shane pulled up in a truck and I knew that something was wrong because Otis wasn't with him anymore and he had both his pistol and Otis's hunting rifle. He also had both bags of medical supplies with him. He had a really bad limp so I rushed over and took one of the bags helped him by letting him balance on me as he climbed the stairs.
"Hershel." I yelled as I was helping him up the steps on the porch and the dogs were barking.
"Ellen I want you to scrub in since you have field medic experience." Hershel called taking both bags of supplies into the house.
"Of course." I told him as I led Shane to sit down on the front porch.
I went inside to find Beth Making plates with Carol, Sophia, Dale, Glenn, T-dog, Matt, and Sam there with her Maggie already had a plate and was sitting on the side of the counter. I walked over to them and waited until Beth was done before I asked her to feed Ethan and watch him for me while I helped her dad. She smiled so big it lit up the whole room and agreed taking Ethan from me as she cooed at him. I handed her the diaper bag and made sure she knew that Matt and Carol were there if she needed anything.
i went into the bathroom and scrubbed my hands up to my elbows before leaving my hands dripping and walked next door to the room Carl was in to operate. I knew that I was going to take the lead since I had the most experience with humans. I was met by Patricia who put a blue gown one me along with gloves on both hands so that I didn't have to touch anything. The tools that we were going to use were already laid out and ready to go. I took the knife and made the first cut before wiping the blood away.
I was in the middle of digging out a bullet fragment when I felt that his gallbladder had been hit and the bullet fragment when through and through leaving the gallbladder to bleed and be of no use to him. I looked at Hershel who had saw the same thing as Me because he was handing me clamps to clamp off the blood supply to minimize the blood lose. I was about to make the cut when Lori burst threw the door yelling at me.
"What do you think your doing to my son Rick Rick Rick that woman has gone crazy." Lori was screaming until Rick walked into the room beside.
"Hershel your opinion on the gallbladder." I asked him as I started to tie off the major blood vessels.
"No good any more and he will live a long happy life with out it, no problem." He told as I cut it out.
"Patricia bowl please." I asked her waiting until the small bowl was close enough for me put the gallbladder in no problem.
"Rick we have got out 2 of the 6 fragments out already and here is two more." I said as I quickly removed two more pieces.
"shit theres bleeding." I said searching for where the bleeding was coming from.
"Patricia go get Matt for me and ask him if he minds giving Carl some blood I would do it but I'm operating. Sam and Ethan are to young to consent." I told her explaining.
"Are you sure about that." Rick asks me.
"Yeah, you have given too much already and Lori isn't the right blood type." I told him as I was trying to stop this major bleed.
"Hershel can you see where this is bleeding from." I asked him as we both searched trying to find where he was bleeding from.
"There the spleen nicked." Hershel said moving the spleen forward for us to suture.
"Mom Patricia said Carl needs blood." Matt asks standing at the door.
"yeah bud and your the only one who can do it. I could but Hershel isn't comfortable or use to operating on people. I could have Sam or Ethan but they are so young they can be asked to do this so that leaves you buddy." I told him.
"Okay I will do so Sammy or Ethan won't have to." He said walking over to the chair and sitting down as he rolled up his sleeve.
"With the blood we take you might be tired and thirsty the next day or two that normal try and not do to much." Patricia told him as she put an IV in.
I was suturing the spleen when he started to size. Damn it I thought I'm losing him. I looked up to the Hershel then over to the door and he got the message nodding as he step back from the table and made Lori and Rick leave the room before shutting the door. I was hoping by me getting more blood into him would save him. I was glad that Hershel had a basic heart monitor otherwise I wouldn't have notice his heart stop.
"Shit he's flat lining Patricia get the defibrillator, Hershel get ready to shock in 3,2,1, Now." I told him stepping back so that I didn't get shocked.
"Again 3,2,1 Now"
"Push 1 milligram of epinephrine now then shock again." Pausing to let Patricia get the
"Shocking in 3,2,1, Now."
"Got a heart beat. Hershel fully open the Iv bags so we get some fluids into his to keep his heart beating until we get some more blood in him." I told them as I started to look for the last two bullet fragments.
I was a little worried with him being down at least 3 minuets. I found them one was in the small intestine I pulled it out before suturing it up the small hole in it. I found the last piece near his kidney where there was a another small bleed from where it had nicked it. I carefully remover the last fragment making sure not hit anything on the way out. I was able to save the kidney that the fragment had nicked. I put 3 sutures into it before retreating to start closing him up.
"Hershel look over my work for me." I asked him wanting to make sure I didn't miss nothing.
"Looks better than I could have done. Let's close up." Hershel told me handing me sutures.
I closed him up before I checked my work and then I wrapped his stitches up for now to keep the cut clean and dry. I was finishing up wrapping up his chest when I notice that he was getting color back into him so I slowed down the Iv fluids. I was giving Carl Anti-infection medicine to keep him front getting an infection hopefully. I unhooked Matt from the blood transfusion since he had given almost 2 and half pints of blood which was a lot especially for some one his size. I picked him up not wanting him to walk as Hershel opened the door for me to leave. I headed for the living room area.
"Maggie get some orange juice for Matt here he just finish giving blood." I told her as I sat him down on the couch.
"Carl should be fine he was bleeding in a couple places so we stopped the bleeding and got all the bullet fragments out. The only worrying part is for about 3 minuets his heart stopped but we got him back and his is stable and should make a full recovery. Give me about 5 minuets to finish cleaning up and you can join him." I told them as i walked to get my medical machines that were in the room.
I was packing up my medical supplies and tools into my first aid kit. I was glad that Patricia had cleaned them as we used them since now they were ready to put back up to use when ever needed at a later date. I was packing my left over wrapping that I used to wrap his chest with when Rick walked in the room first and thanked me over and over again for saving his boy. I only nodded before leaving not wanting to be there when Lori walked in. I stopped at the bathroom and washed off my hands again before going to find Beth who had Ethan.
I found Beth on the front porch with Sam and Ethan who were in with the puppies playing. Ethan was loving petting the momma dog who looked annoyed at Ethan like he was another puppy pulling on her ears. Which was a good sign that she wasn't violent towards him. I picked Sam up first to lift him over the side of the pin before picking up Rocky and handing him to Sam who looked happy to hold the puppy. I then helped Beth up off the ground who was carrying Ethan for me to the Rv while I grabbed Matt and the last puppy.
Once at the Rv I carried Matt to his spot at the booth so he could eat before going to bed early. I took the puppies to their crate in the other room. They were old enough to be potty train which was what I liked. The momma dog went and laid down on the bed that I had made for her and the puppies followed her and did the same. I put down a small bowl of water and toys for them to play with before leaving them alone. Ethan was in Matt's arms which was a good sign that meant that the blood hadn't worn him out too much.
Beth came back with supper for all of us and told Sam that she would be here around 6 to get him to feed the animals and collect eggs before breakfast and that made him smile and agree to be up in time. I took Ethan from Matt before giving him food and a drink. I put Ethan on the floor to play with his toys while I also ate. Sam and Ethan had ate while I was operating on Carl and Matt was giving blood so they had already ate. I watch as Ethan was sitting up on his own now. I didn't know weather to be happy or sad.
All I could think about was how much Michael would miss in the boys. I was brought out of thought by Lady scratching my legs to be picked up. I also notice that Fawn was laying down beside Ethan watching him. Sam had Rocky in his lab petting him while he watched an episode of NCIS. I ate while holding Lady in my lap who went right to sleep. I laughed when Ethan fell over on his side and Fawn started licking him to make sure he was okay. She only backed off when he started to laugh and sit up again.
I could already tell that she and pups were going to be a good fit. I only wished we had a fourth so we each would have a dog but I had a feeling that we would find one along the way. I was cleaning up the dishes before putting them on the drying rack. I then went to the bathroom and started a load of clothes for all of us. Tomorrow was shower day so that was going to be fun since I also planned on giving the pups a bath. Base on how Fawn was already so trained I think that she wouldn't be a problem to give a bath. I also wanted to talk to Daryl about looking for bigger game like a bore or deer to freeze.
Matt went to bed early since he had given blood he was tired which was understandable. I found that Fawn was sleeping on the ground wrapped around Ethan who had also fallen asleep in the by her hip and she had put her head in his lap to keep him warm. I took out the Polaroid camera that I had gotten to take pictures of special moments and this was one of them. Something else I wanted to do was take a picture of the kids with the dogs tomorrow to mark the day that we got them. I stepped around them to sit with Sam on the couch.
Lady and Rocky joined us on the couch as we watched a couple episodes of NCIS before bed. After an episode I got up and grabbed Ethan's night time bottle before picking him up from Fawn as her two puppies jumped down to also feed. I started to feed Ethan when he woke up crying. I burped him halfway through his bottle then gave him the rest. I then changed his diaper after he went to the bathroom before putting him to bed for the night. Fawn jumped up on Ethan's bunk and wrapped around his moses basket that he was sleeping to protect him.
The puppies joined their mom on the other half of the bunkbed. I was turning everything off and locking up the Rv for the night before going to bed myself. Tomorrow was going to another busy day of trying to survive and get use to this new world that we were living in.