Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead. I also have no claim on any pop culture references that I may use throughout my writings. I only own my OCs. Enjoy the read.

304

T-Dog and Rick came back from the cafeteria with the start of their stash of food. Isabell had Carl get to work on sorting it out in one of the lower-level cells. She, alternatively, found herself heading in the direction of the cell that Beth shared with her father.

Beth had a couple of pairs of pants lined up and was tearing off the lower portion of the leg for her dad. She was lost in her task, barely noticing Isabell's arrival.

Maggie was crouching on the floor in front of her, looking like she was trying to have a serious conversation with her sister. However, Isabell knew Beth. She'd changed since almost killing herself back at the farm. Beth saw hope that her father would be okay.

Maggie got up from her spot and went to leave, passing a short smile to Isabell as she walked passed Isabell.

Isabell put a hand on Maggie's arm, stopping her with a moment of support. She offered Maggie a small, yet reinforced smile. They were gonna be okay. After Maggie had left, Isabell found herself leaning her shoulder against the doorway to the cell. "You know, it could be helpful if you sewed the one you cut up closed.

Beth finally acknowledged that she was standing there by looking up at her. "Yeah?"

"I got a sewin' kit in my bag if you want it?" Isabell offered.

"That'd be great."

Isabell smiled down at her. "How you doin'?"

"He's gonna wake up," Beth said, her bright blue eyes, shining with confidence."

"I know." Isabell nodded. "Yer dad's a fighter. He'll make it through this. But I want to know how you're doin'."

"I'm okay."

"Good. You let me know if yer not, okay?"

Beth nodded. "Thanks, Izzy."

"Why don't we go hang out with your Pops for a bit?" Isabell reached out her hand for Beth to grab so she could help her to her feet. She guided Beth to the cell with an arm around her shoulders. When they got there, Maggie was hugging her father. Isabell knocked on the concrete wall, gaining Maggie's attention. "Can we hang out with you?"

Maggie nodded, stepping away from her father and reaching for Beth.

Carol came back into the cell, moving around Isabell propped against the doorway. The older woman pat her hand on the blond's back.

Isabell smiled at her friend. "How's he doing?"

"The bleeding's slowed." Carol shared. "And he doesn't have a fever, but he's not breathin' much and he hasn't woken up."

Isabell nodded, but she was more than optimistic for the old man. The blonde tucked herself closer to the wall when she noticed Lori trying to enter as well. Isabell nodded at the pregnant woman and then looked around to the others gathered around Hershel. Carol and Lori sat in front of the man. Maggie and Beth huddled together by the wall opposite him. Finally, she and Glenn were perched outside the cell. Isabell assumed that Glenn was in charge of keeping track of Hershel. She noticed he was playing with the pocket watch that used to be the old man's.

They stood there for a while, just watching and waiting for some sort of sign that Hershel was still in there. It was when Isabell heard one of the cell doors open and close that she was drawn out of her trance. She furrowed her brow, looking to Glenn before she backed quickly out of the cell to see for herself.

"Carl?" Isabell questioned, seeing him with his gun in one hand and a duffle bag in the other, making his way towards them. "I thought I had you organizing the food?"

Carl shrugged. "Even better." He entered the cell around Isabell and Glen and dropped the duffle bag on the ground next to Carol. "Check it out."

Carol gasped as she dug through the bag and found medical supplies. "Where did you get this?"

"From the infirmary. Wasn't much left, but I cleared it out."

Lori's mouth was wide open in shock and disbelief. "You went by yourself?"

"Yeah."

"Are you crazy?"

"No big deal," Carl said, waving it off. "I killed two walkers."

"You - " Lori started, but stopped as she tried to figure it out in her head. She looked to Hershel and gestured to him for her son. "Alright, do you see this? This was with the whole group."

"We needed supplies, so I got them."

"And I appreciate that, but - "

"Then get off my back!" Carl shouted at his mother.

"Whoa!" Isabell exclaimed in surprise at his outburst.

"Carl, she's your mother!" Beth scolded the boy. "You can't talk to her like that."

Carl was thrown off by Beth yelling at her. Isabell knew that brought him out of his angry mood. She'd noticed Carl's crush on Beth and the fact that she called him out on his shit was embarrassing.

Lori took a breath. "Listen, I think it's great that you wanna help - " But she didn't get to finish her sentence before Carl ran off. Lori sighed.

"I got him," Isabell promised, taking a step to go after him. She stopped when she felt a hand on her arm. She looked back to see Lori holding her.

Lori looked up at Isabell for just a moment before looking away. "Thank you."

Isabell was surprised by her words, but she nodded, hurrying off after Carl. She knew that Carl left the block to the common area, so she went that way. Isabell spied him sitting on the second floor, legs hanging out under the bars. She sighed and made her way up to him, sitting exactly like he was.

"You here to yell at me?" Carl asked the blonde.

Isabell shook her head, crossing her arms and laying them on the railing in front of her. "I'm here to tell you how cool it was that you did that for Hershel."

Carl looked up at her with his brows pushed together in confusion. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Those medical things will help him get better."

"Sounds like there's a 'but' coming." Carl looked down at his dangling feet.

Isabell sighed. "I'm all for you doin' whatever needs done for the good of the group. I think you should be helpin' more in your own way. You're older now, you know more than you did a year ago, and you need more responsibility."

"But I shouldn't have gone alone."

"If you know that, why'd you do it?" Isabell questioned, earning a shrug from the boy. She let out a breath. "Maybe next time, instead of telling me yer gonna sort the food, you tell me what you really wanna do. I could help you out."

"I made it back okay." Carl insisted.

Isabell nodded. "You did, and I'm proud of you, but there's a chance you wouldn't have," she said, not gaining a response. "You said you ran into walkers?"

"Two of them." the boys said, "They're dead."

"When we were in the tombs, we saw at least twenty, if not more. Not to mention the unfriendly types we ran into."

Carl nodded.

"I'm on your side, bud. I'll listen to you with anythin' you wanna say. Always. Any idea you have." Isabell promised, "But you gotta think and make sure yer bein' safe about it all. Okay?"

Carl nodded again. "Okay."

Isabell held out her fist for Carl to bump it with his own. "And you need to apologize to yer mom. She's got enough goin' on. She don't need you yellin' at her."

"Yeah, okay."

Isabell decided to lounge on her bed while waiting for Daryl to come back or for Hershel to wake up. Both things she wanted more than anything. Isabell had closed her eyes and found herself dozing off after probably an hour of waiting. That's when Beth's screaming woke her up for good.

"Somebody, help!" Beth screamed. "Somebody! Please, help!"

Isabell jumped up from her lying position and nearly jumped down off the steps. She looked quickly around the room and saw that Glenn wasn't around. Isabell stood behind Carl at the doorway.

Lori managed to get to Hershel first and start giving him resuscitation breaths. At least, she tried until one of Hershel's arms went around her head, holding her in place.

Isabell thought quickly, drawing her gun out of its holster and aiming it at Hershel to shoot him. Problem was, she couldn't get a clear shot.

All the while, Maggie was trying to unwrap her father's arm from around Lori, and she'd gotten free.

Hershel took a deep, surprised breath. He was still alive. Hershel let out his breath and quickly fell back onto the bed, passed out.

Isabell lowered her gun and put it back behind her, before looking at Carl.

Carl couldn't take himself out of the trance. He had his gun poised in both of his hands, staring widely at the scene he'd just witnessed.

Isabell put her hand over the barrel of the gun and helped the boy to lower it. "He's okay, Carl." She said, in the softest voice she could muster. "It's okay."

Carl stood still, gun at his side, eyes still the size of golfballs.

Isabell moved around him, crouching to the floor in front of him to gain his sole focus. "Hey, look at me."

Carl met her eye.

"Take a deep breath in with me," Isabell said, instructing the boy, who did so. "And out." Slowly, Isabell managed to work Carl out of his shock. "Your mom saved him," Isabell said to Carl with a smile. "That was quick thinkin', bud. You did good."

"It's okay?" The young Grimes boy asked.

Isabell nodded. "It's okay."

Carl let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Izzy." The two sat in the balcony for another few minutes waiting for things to calm down. By the time the pair got back to the cell, Hershel was well-equipped with the new medical supplies Carl retrieved. It wasn't long after they went back in that Rick, Daryl, and T-Dog came back.

Isabell gave a quiet sigh of relief when she felt Daryl sneak up behind her at the doorway.

"Everythin' okay?" Daryl asked.

Isabell nodded, turning her head to him. "We lost him for a minute, but Lori got him back." She said quietly, looking back into the cell. "Man's a fighter."

"Hell yeah, he is." He leaned with his elbow against the wall over Isabell's head. She gave Daryl a smile and put a hand on Carl's shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

Rick had made his way into the cell at some point and was looking over Hershel. It was like that was what the old man needed because in that next moment, his eyes opened and he was himself.

"Daddy?" Maggie questioned, wondering if it was actually the man she loved.

Beth, however, had no doubt. "Daddy!" She rushed forward in front of her sister, elated at his awakening.

Rick looked down at Hershel like he was about to cry, but he quickly unlocked the handcuffs from around Hershel's wrist, releasing him from his cautionary hold. The old man reached for his savior's hand in thanks.

Isabell sighed in relief, thankful he woke up.

Lori nodded, realizing she was no longer needed and walked out of the cell, giving Isabell a sad smile as she left.

Isabell's eyes followed the woman as she made her way out to the breezeway, probably for some air. She gave Carl another quick squeeze before pulling Daryl away and up to their perch. "How'd everything go on your end?"

"Got 'em a block," Daryl explained as they both sat on their respective mattresses. "But there's only two of 'em left."

"Ponytail finally pushed his last button?"

"Jackass tried to kill Rick. After he beat the big one to death cause he got scratched."

"Jesus." Isabell gasped. "And the little one?"

"Walker bait."

Isabell nodded. "Good. You okay?"

Daryl nodded, laying back on his mattress and putting his arm over his eyes, blocking out the light.

"That's pretty wild, huh? That they've been there all this time. 'Specially the blond one. He mighta annoyed the hell outta me after day one."

"Like you annoyin' me now?"

Isabell looked down at Daryl with a glare.

Daryl lifted his arm, feeling the stare. He revealed an eye and sent a smirk in Isabell's direction. "I'm jokin' with ya, Iz."

Isabell shook her head.

"Where'd y'all get them bandages?"

"Carl found the infirmary. Brought them back."

"Yeah?" Daryl questioned. "Cool."

Isabell heard the breezeway door open and close quickly. Her eyes shot to it, watching Rick saunter back inside. Isabell pursed her lips. "How's he doin'?"

Daryl followed her gaze but shrugged. "Same, I guess. He's the one who killed Ponytail."

"I'm worried about him. And Carl."

"Yeah, I know. He'll be fine."

Isabell sighed, leaning her chin against her knees that she'd brought to her chest. "It's good you've gotten closer to him. Taken more responsibility. Group needs people like you and me who really know what they're doin' out here."

Daryl nodded.

"Do we know what we're doin'?" Isabell asked, suddenly unsure as she watched an awkward exchange between Rick and his son.

"Just one thing at a time, Iz."

Isabell nodded. "Yeah, that's smart." The door to the breezeway opened again and the woman saw Lori come through the doorway. She looked upset; the conversation with Rick hadn't gone well.

Lori took a deep breath before continuing into the room and looked up.

Isabell quickly tried to look away, afraid of any backlash the woman would get for having been staring at what just unfolded between the married couple. The blonde closed her eyes, hearing Lori's footsteps on the metal staircase. "Shit," Isabell said under her breath.

"Wha?" Daryl questions, leaning up on an elbow and looking in Isabell's direction. That's when he noticed Lori coming to a stop at the top step.

"Isabell, can I talk to you for a minute?" Lori asked.

Isabell furrowed her brow, turning her head to look up at the woman. "What about?" She questioned, glancing at Daryl for a moment.

Lori didn't seem to want to talk about it in front of Daryl. That or being in the middle of the cellblock wasn't that appealing. Lori had to know that Isabell would almost instantly relay their conversation to Daryl so it had to be the latter. "It's important." She said, seriousness in her eyes.

Isabell nodded, noticing how shaky and aloof the woman was being. She got up from her spot on the floor and followed Lori back outside, giving Daryl a smile as she went. Isabell watched as Lori stopped halfway down the breezeway and waited for the door to close softly behind Isabell.

"Did Carl apologize to you?" Isabell asked, deciding to speak first. "I told him he should."

"He did. Thank you." Lori said.

Isabell nodded. The brunette woman was rubbing her fingers together nervously. "Lori, are you okay?"

"This is, uh, difficult for me," Lori said, gesturing between herself and Isabell. "I don't like to admit when things aren't great they way they're goin'. I don't like bein' wrong."

"Tell me about it," Isabell said before she could even think about not. The blonde studied Lori's soft glare and quickly shook her head. "Right. My bad."

Lori took a deep breath. "I appreciate how you've been with Carl, especially since we left the farm. Keepin' him safe. Keepin' him entertained." Lori explained. "And if I'm bein' honest with myself I'm not even mad about you stickin' up for him at the farm."

Isabell shrugged easily. "He's a good kid. Makes it easy to be there for him."

"He is a good kid." Lori agreed, nodding. "He respects you and the things you say to him. And it… It makes me feel good to know that if anythin' happens to me he's got a friend like you to help him through it."

"Nothin's gonna happen to ya, Lori. You and the baby are gonna be fine." the blonde assured. Isabell was excited for the child to be born. The newborn time was one of her most cherished with Harley.

"But if it does, I need you to be there for him. And the baby." Lori said, holding the bottom of her belly.

"Lori, stop it," Isabell said, irritated with how ridiculous the other woman was being. She went to leave, but again a hand on her arm stopped her from going anywhere.

"Isabell," Lori said, the gravity of the situation dripping from her words. "Out of everyone here, you're the one who always sees the reality of the situation. You see every angle. Every possible outcome. Humor me for a minute and think about the one where I don't survive."

Isabell took a deep breath and turned back around to face Lori.

Lori dropped her grip from Isabell's arm and raised her hands from her sides in disbelief. "I've got to be more overdue than healthy. I had Carl by C-Section." She laughed, not really finding the situation funny. Isabell knew what that meant. "Hershel's laid up, and even though I know he's talked all of you through it, I know that you aren't prepped for surgery.

Isabell didn't say anything. She knew Lori was right. Even if it meant saving the baby, she didn't know if she would be ready to slice Lori open.

"And then there's Rick." Lori's voice was failing her quickly as she struggled to get out her words. "If I die, It might kill him."

Isabell thought for a moment, staring deep into Lori's eyes at the desperation that showed through the tears. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, wrapping her hands around Lori's shaky ones. "You have my word. All of them, if you like. If anything happens to you, Daryl and I, we're gonna take care of your family. Cause you're our family, too." Isabell admitted, not realizing that she felt that way about Lori specifically. Carl, Rick, and the unborn baby definitely held that place in her heart but admitting that Lori was there surprised her.

Lori let out a stressed breath and pulled Isabell into a tight hug. "Thank you."

Isabell was thrown by the hug, but Isabell understood how Lori felt. She'd be doing the same if she was in the brunette's shoes. Lori just wanted to make sure that her family was cared for her after she was gone.