Related fic: Crushing Weight
Prompt: Paranioed
"Do you have everything?" Rick asked.
"I did," Katie sighed.
"Toothbrush?" he asked.
"Yes, dad," Katie sighed.
"Phone charger?" Rick asked. Katie nodded. "Computer charger?" Once again, Katie nodded. "Medication bag?" Katie nodded. "Camera? Back-up camera? Go pro? Notebooks? Your number three Roberston head-on screwdriver?"
"Yes," Katie repeated five times. She added a 'and' to the final yes. Katie had to stay home for her first semester of college. She had the three-week coma after her battle with PAL to blame for that. Her broken bones healed. However, the spinal cord and brain damage made her unable to walk again.
During the fall semester, Rick made changes to the house. He baby-proofed the house and changed the stairs into a ramp. Katie appreciated it, but she felt the overprotectiveness became suffocating at points. Katie knew; one day, she would have to move out. California Film offered disability accommodations for their dorms. Katie was moving there for the spring semester.
"Dad, I'll be fine," Katie promised.
"I know," Rick sighed.
"I had the best survival teacher known to man," Katie said. "Even if zombie apocalypse training wasn't how I wanted to spend my thirteenth birthday."
"I should have been preparing you for the robot apocalypse," Rick joked. "It's just I'm your dad. It's my job to worry."
"I know," Katie sighed.
"You flatlined eight times," Rick stated.
"I didn't know that," Katie murmured.
"They didn't think you would make it through the night," Rick explained. "You weren't breathing when we pulled you out. Luckily, we had every doctor in the world at our exposal. I guess I should be saying is I know you're a fighter. However, I can't help but be paranoid."
"I'm scared, too," Katie said. "I just don't let it stop me."
Rick kissed her head. "My brave little moose," he said. "I just want you to promise you'll be careful. I can't get that close to losing you again, or worse."
"I will," Katie said.