GREENE FARM~THAT EVENING
The good news? No one was dead, yet. The better news, for my dad at least? That I was the same blood type as both him and Carl. The bad news? My little brother had been shot. A hunting accident if you can believe it. The poor hunter, a man named Otis, looked as though he wished it were him. And if you listened to Lori, she did.
I winced as the 'nurse' stabbed the needle into my vein. Shit, that burned. "It'll take a few minutes, hon." She offered, as the blood began flowing out of me. She was Otis' wife, and I felt for both of them. No one wanted to hurt a child, not even by accident, especially now.
I nodded. "Thank you." I said, sitting still as the blood came out of me at a steady flow. She looked surprised at my gratitude. "You're trying to save my brother," I offered a weak smile. "So thank you." Hershel had walked to the outer room to speak with my parents. Dad looked like death, they'd taken so much of his blood already, so I was happy to give him a break. Carl was laying on the bed, so still and quiet, so unlike my little brother. I took his hand in mine, the one not connected to the needle. I felt his hand clutch at mine and I knew he felt me. "Carl, you've got to fight, but not the doctor." I knew he had, I heard about it. "He needs to save you, do you hear me? I won't let you go, baby brother." I felt the tears fall from my eyes and heard the discussion of when the rest of our group would arrive, but it was like a static filled channel.
"I think you've given your limit," the older farmer and doctor said, tugging the needle from my arm. I'd fallen asleep with my head on Carl's sick bed, his hand still clutched in mine. "I think your daddy wants to speak to you, young lady." His smile was kind and so were his eyes.
I nodded, and stood up, feeling dizzy almost immediately. "Thank you." I offered weakly, as I felt someone's arms help me out of the room. I looked up and groaned. Shane, of course. "That thank you was to the good doctor, not you." I spat, letting him take me to Dad and Lori.
They had been given a room of their own, and Shane knew me well enough to not start something I didn't want to hear. Especially since I now looked the same as Dad had when we'd arrived. In my parents' room, there was a sandwich and glass of milk waiting for me. Dad moved forward to hug me to him. And then Lori's arms joined his. I felt like a baby, like a toddler when I was scared of the sound of the storms outside and they'd had to comfort me.
"He'll be alright, Jessi." Dad whispered in my hair. "He will." I was shaking, even I could feel how badly.
"And you're helping so much, Jess." Lori added, gripping me tighter. "The fact that you and Rick have the same blood type, that's so helpful, honey."
They pulled me to a chair and sat me down. Handing me the sandwich on a plate and the glass of milk they waited until some of my color returned. Once I felt a little steadier, I realized that Shane was still in the room. I sat down my dinner and asked about the elephant in the room.
"What's going on?" I asked, seeing them share a look. "What's wrong?"
Lori sighed and Dad looked like he'd rather be on the moon. "Carl is gonna need to be sedated, Jessi." Dad said, looking like he was breaking apart slowly. "Hershel isn't sure he'll be still enough without it."
I nodded showing that I understood. "He doesn't have all the supplies he needs here. Someone has to go fetch them, if they're even available anymore." Lori said, managing only just to hold back tears.
Another nod from me. "Shane and Otis are gonna head out and try to get what Hershel tells them to, but we have to tell you that there's a chance-"
I stopped that shit right there. "No." I said, shaking my head. "There's not a chance, Dad. It will work. Otis and Shane are going to find what he needs and Hershel will fix him." I was glaring at my parents, daring them to contradict me. "You came back from the DEAD, Daddy. I won't even pretend like Carl won't do the same." The thought that my baby brother wouldn't make it? That couldn't even be considered. It would be like losing Daryl. Or Dad. Or Lori even. Not imaginable.
Shane was nodding and I wanted to throw my sandwich and glass at him. Fuck you and just get it done, I thought. I knew why he was doing it. He wanted Lori's gratitude and her hero worship back. Screw that, I didn't care. He better take Otis and find whatever medical stuff that Hershel required to fix my baby brother, or else.
HOURS LATER~SHANE'S RETURN WITHOUT OTIS
While Shane and Otis were gone, Dad and Lori took my place at Carl's bedside. They insisted that I get rest. Since I was blood bag B, and Dad was blood bag A I agreed. Sleep came, mostly because donating as much blood as physically possible without death was a great sleep aid. Good to know. I woke up to the sounds of Shane's return. He was alone and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Otis wasn't just dead, he was sacrificed.
Shane wouldn't want to share the glow of triumph, nah that wasn't his style. When he went to the bathroom to shower, I went to find my dad. He told me quietly what happened, then told me to be on standby, since our services might still be needed. He also warned me that no one had told Patricia, the nurse and Otis' wife, since she was definitely needed.
When the surgery was over, my parents and I stepped into the room. My God, had Carl always been so small? His personality was always so big and full of energy that seeing him lying on the bed after his operation made my heart hurt. Dad took the chair I'd sat on earlier, and Lori pulled on to the foot of the bed. I stood between the two of them, while Dad tried to eat a sandwich. He told us stories about Shane and him as children, and I fought to stay composed. Luckily they were both so focused on Carl that I didn't have to shield my facial expressions as much as normal.
Shane walked in a bit later, sporting a dead man's clothes and new buzzcut. I eyed him suspiciously and felt vindicated by his careful avoidance of my gaze. Must suck, I thought, knowing that at least one person in the group could see straight through your bullshit. We maintained a family vigil, until Hershel insisted that Lori and Dad get some rest. I think he knew I was a lost cause and he shooed Shane out as well. I took Dad's seat after he and Lori kissed me goodnight. Taking my baby brother's hand in mine again, I sat at his side until he woke up.
"Jessi?" I heard his hoarse voice and saw the sunlight streaming through the lace curtains. I looked up from where my head had fallen in sleep on his bed, again. He was awake. Thank God.
"Hey, little brother." I whispered, happy that I could see him awake. "Don't move, kid." He'd started to twist. "You were shot, Carl. So take a rest, would you?" He chuckled and held a hand to his bandage. "Do you hurt? Should I go get Hershel?"
"Who?" He asked, inquisitive little brother back again. "Is Dad here? Mom?"
I smiled, and ran my free hand through his damp hair. "Hershel is the doctor who saved you. Actually he's a veterinarian." I stopped and pretended to think about that. "I did always say you were a monkey, guess that's proof." He giggled and I went on to assure him. "Dad and your mom are here, soon everyone will be." I smiled down at him as I stood. Dropping a kiss on his forehead, I offered to fetch Dad and Lori. His hand gripped mine for a moment, holding me still.
"Did they find Sofia?" He asked, so worried, and I knew he was because we'd all heard him calling her name.
I nodded, and turned away so he couldn't see the guilt of the lie I was telling. "I"ll go get Dad and Lori, OK?" He released me and I rushed from the room.
I warned Dad and Lori of the lie I told. And I watched from the doorway as they went inside and saw for themselves that he was ok. Leaning on the frame, I watched my family interact, smiling at their ease of return to normal. Lori left to use give us some time alone and to check to see if the others had come yet. I laughed when my little brother said he and Dad were the same now that they'd both been shot.
"Yeah, I think your mother would rather hear we got the same eyes. So let's keep that between us. Since you're in the club now, you get to wear the hat. Didn't you know? We'll pad the rim tomorrow so it sits better." They looked over to where I was still standing.
"Oh, I'm good." I said, hands up. "I share your blood type, got the same color hair. That's more than enough for me. I have enough holes without adding to the tally." I came over to sit on the bed while they worked out Dad's hat schedule.
"I love you two," Dad said, holding Carl's hand and reaching for mine. I gave it over willingly. "Y'all, and your mom," he nodded at Carl, "are my world."
"I love the two of you and Lori, too, Dad." I answered, squeezing his hand. "Just do me a favor, you two?" They both looked at me. "No more gunshot wounds, please?" They rolled their eyes and chuckled. Standing I let them know I was going to check to see if everyone made their way to the farm. Dad stopped me before I could leave the room.
"Jessica, you don't have to share a tent now." The tone was clear, Dixon wasn't needed for my comfort now.
"I know I don't have to, Dad." I said, turning to face him. "Maybe I just want to." And on that note, I was gone. I loved the man, but I was an adult. And he'd have to come to terms with Daryl, sooner or later.
Later that day, Patricia requested that we put Otis' memory to rest. Since we didn't have a body, that seemed fair. I watched Shane's obvious discomfort at being asked to relive Otis' final moments, and make up what was clearly not the poor man's last words. Oh, to pry open your rotten brain, I thought, and see for myself just what you did to that poor man. We all stacked rocks on a nice memorial pile, and then we began that difficult task of deciding whether or not to restart the search for Sofia.
Dad thinks we should, if only to put our minds to rest, a decision that Shane clearly disagrees with, since I see him trying to talk Dad out of it. I rolled my eyes as Maggie, the woman on the horse who found Lori and me and told the others how to find the farm, brought out a map to help the search. Daryl tried to talk me out of it, seeing how pale I still am, but I refused to listen. Sitting here and keeping Lori and Carl company doesn't seem like much help.
Daryl was a little surprised when Dad sent the two of us off onto our own grid while he and Shane went to theirs. Walking through the forest, hearing Andrea bitching in her own grid, I asked Daryl the likelihood of Sofia surviving alone for this long in a walker-filled forest and swamp.
He smirks at me and I hold out my hand to him. Taking it, we walk hand in hand, eyes on the ground for signs of her passing through. "People get lost, they survive." He raises my hand to his lips and kisses it. "Happens all the time."
"She's twelve." I hear Andrea offer, from the left of us. Great, an audience.
"Hell, I was younger than her and I got lost. Nine days in the woods, eating berries, and wiping my ass on poison oak." He laughed, letting our hands fall from view, but keeping mine linked with his.
Andrea came closer, and I was about to snark at her about the grid, but felt the urge fall away. "They found you?" She was curious clearly.
The gruff chuckle that Daryl gave made my stomach flip. "My dad was off on a bender with some waitress. Merle was doin' another stint in juvie. Didn't even know I was gone. I made my way back though. Went straight into the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. No worse for the wear. Except my ass itched somethin' awful."
Andrea laughed and I raised an eyebrow. Better than bitching, I thought. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, that is a terrible story."
Daryl gave his own laugh and I joined in, it was pretty horrible. "Only difference is that Sofia has people lookin' for her. I call that an advantage."
I smiled up at him and squeezed his hand. Andrea drifted back to her grid, and I hoped that she hadn't missed anything by coming over to ours. "She may have missed some signs," I said quietly and he nodded.
"Yeah, but she stopped her complainin'." He winked at me and I smiled.
THE NEXT DAY~GREENE FARM
Everyone is pissed because Hershel demanded that our group give over the weapons. I'm not sure why people don't understand that it's his land, his farm. He has the right to set the rules. I roll my eyes as Shane leads the vote of bitching and moaning about this newest issue. I see Daryl about to walk away, but rush up to join him.
"Want to come with me?" He asks, looking down at me from behind bangs that are starting to get unruly. I nod and he motions for me to come along.
Once we clear the treeline, I turn to him for a kiss. Searching for Sofia is important, I get that and so does he, but the lack of privacy in this damn place is killing me. He chuckles against my lips. I pull back and we continue along, looking for a new place to search.
The only thing we find is an abandoned house that looks like she might have been inside. Outside, Daryl is drawn to some pretty white flowers growing wild near the house. I stand beside him as he tells me the legend of the Cherokee Rose.
"It's a Cherokee Rose. The story is that when American soldiers were moving Indians off their land on the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee mothers were grieving and crying so much 'cause they were losing their little ones along the way from exposure and disease and starvation. A lot of them just disappeared. So the elders, they said a prayer; asked for a sign to uplift the mothers' spirits, give them strength and hope. The next day this rose started to grow where the mothers' tears fell." His voice is low and gruff, and I listen in silence. Placing my hands on his shoulders, and rubbing away the tension growing in his muscles. "That's the story anyhow."
"It's beautiful," I whisper, leaning down and kissing his neck. "You should take her one." He cuts one off from the group and I look around for a suitable vase. Picking up a discarded bottle I hand it to him. "Tell Carol the story, Daryl. Give her some hope."
He stood up and cupped my cheek in his free hand. "You're sweeter than the rest think, Jessi." Leaning forward his lips brush mine. "And that full moon night is comin', soon I hope." His smile lights up my day brighter than the sun shines.
"Let's head back, Romeo." I wink at him and our arms link together. How did I end up so damn lucky at the end of civilization?
