Everyone looked up, shocked to hear gunshots. A burst of crows took flight from the trees, startled from the noise, dispersing into the distance until they were no more than black flecks in the distance. Everyone looked towards Rick and Daryl, wondering how they'd react.
"Jamie..." Daryl forced himself onto his feet, staggering against the fence. He was weak, even if he was recovering, and he clung to the fence, struggling forward. "JAMIE!" he yelled her name, desperate for some reply, any reply...
The silence was finally broken by, to his horror, more gunshots. "No..." Rick gaped, shocked.
Daryl staggered over to the guard tower, grabbing his crossbow before stumbling towards the fence. Just then, there was moaning. From the side of the cell-block, walkers broke the tree line, at least sixty, attracted by the gunshots. "JAMIE!"
"Christ, no..." Rick said, shocked. Jamie couldn't be dead, no, she'd been with them since the farm...
Beth burst into tears and ran into the cellblock.
Maggie stared at Glenn, sad green eyes locking with his own shocked brown ones. She folded her hands, putting them over her mouth and nose, shocked...
There was a noise, then, as Jamie crashed through the brush, staggering towards the gates. "Somebody, open the gates!"
Mika managed to. As soon as Jamie was within the confines of the fences, she collapsed. Glenn felt total dread engulf him, then.
"Jamie!" he was sprinting towards the girl then, shocked. He fell to his knees beside her, rolling her onto her back. She made a strangled noise- her eyes were glassy, and Glenn's breath caught in his throat.
A quarter of her shirt was soaked through with blood. "HERSHEL! Somebody, help!"
Daryl ran as fast as he could, breath hitching when he saw her.
Glenn already had his knife out, was trying to be gentle as he cut off her shirt, revealing a white sports bra stained crimson with blood.
"How..." Maggie asked, shocked, rushing over.
"Somebody shot her. HERSHEL!" Glenn yelled again.
Daryl tapped her cheek- her skin was pale, so pale. "Hey. Hey, look at me, Jamie. Stay with me, baby girl." he ordered.
She struggled to focus in on him- even her lip color was faint, precious blood seeping out onto the pavement beneath her.
"Where'd they shoot you?" he asked gently.
"B-back..." she said, shuddering.
"Roll her over." Maggie ordered. Glenn quickly obeyed, and Maggie grabbed the rags that'd been Jamie's shirt, pressing them to where the blood appeared to be stemming from.
"Hey! Jamie..." Maggie spoke quietly to the girl, both hands applying pressure to the bullet wound as she tried to stop the bleeding. "Glenn, slap her cheek a little." Maggie ordered.
Glenn obeyed, trying to be gentle. Jamie's head lolled to the side, her glassy eyes focusing on Maggie. "Hey. You're going into shock. Try and stay with me, alright?" She nodded dully, her pale lips parted slightly, panting.
"How much blood has she lost?" Hershel asked urgently as he hobbled over.
"Enough. She's on the edges if shock." Maggie said tensely, looking to her father for directions, concerned.
"Let's get her inside." he said, concern evident in the old features.
"I got her." Glenn assured Maggie, quickly pulling her against his chest, almost bridal style. Her chest pressed against his, but only so he could hold the bloody t-shirt to her back as tight as possible.
He sprinted into the prison, holding her, as everyone stared... Hershel finally made it in with Maggie, Daryl, and an anxious Rick and Carol behind.
"The bleeding's slowed." Glenn said, looking up from where he had Jamie laid on a bunk- still, both hands were pressing the blood-soaked t-shirt, looking concerned but hopeful.
Hershel nodded. "Maggie, clean off the blood around it. Let's see the damage." Maggie was already sponging at her back, by the right shoulder with a wet rag.
Jamie whimpered, eyes fluttering open for a moment. "He... he shot me in the back..." she said quietly, voice barely above a whisper.
"Son of a bitch..." Daryl stared. "Where'd you leave him?"
"T-they'r d-dead. Killed them..." Jamie's eyes looked sorrowful for a moment, slightly fearful, her breathing hitched...
"Good." Everyone turned and stared, seeing Carol standing, arms crossed.
Jamie's eyes fluttered closed again, pink tongue darting out to moisten her dry lips.
Hershel looked up from where he'd been examining her. "There's no exit wound." he said quietly.
"The hell does that mean?" Daryl asked, looking anxious. He had her clammy, bloodied hand in his, and he swallowed nervously.
"The bullet's still in her." Rick said quietly. He was familiar with bullet wounds, had seen them a lot, back when he was a sheriff, before he'd been shot. Not to mention being shot, and Carl being shot...
"We'll have to get it out." Maggie said quietly. Daryl could clearly see the wound, now. The bullet had hit a few inches down, beside her shoulder blade, but it'd been going in at an angle, since it'd gone up.
"It's wedged under the collar bone." Hershel said quietly.
"Do what you have to." Daryl choked out, giving Jamie's hand a reassuring squeeze. Jamie looked up at him with wide, scared eyes.
"Aren't you going to put her to sleep first?" everyone looked over, surprised, to see Beth in the doorway.
"We don't have the equipment to..." Hershel said quietly. "We put her under, she might not wake up again"
"Wait, what? No- don't- don't cut me open..." Jamie panted, twisting over to look at Daryl, eyes wide.
"They've got to, baby girl..."
"No! No, please, don't let them..." Jamie twisted, struggling to pull her hand from Daryl's grasp, struggling to move.
Hershel looked pained. "Glenn, hold her down." He ordered, going for the scalpel.
Jamie was looking pained, now, squirming where Glenn held her down by her biceps.
"Please- daddy please!"
Daryl looked away. "It's gonna be okay, baby girl." he choked out, voice husky, eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Jamie went quiet, eyes wide like a deer's, as she watched he blade of the
Hershel had pulled on some latex gloves, and he carefully felt the skin just below her collar bone, before he grabbed the scalpel and made a quick incision...
Jamie whimpered, tears falling from beneath the closed lids of her eyes, body shaking slightly. Daryl grabbed her hand, and her previous struggle to get away from him was forgotten as she squeezed his hand like her life depended on it.
Daryl sniffed slightly, wiping his nose. God, it killed him, seeing his daughter open and bleeding before him...
Hershel quietly slid his gloved fingers into the wound.
Jamie inhaled sharply, breath hitching.
Hershel's fingers made contact with the bullet, then, and she screamed, jolting forward. Glenn struggled to hold her down, blinking heavily, unable to wipe the tears streaming down his face.
"It'll be over soon, Jamie." was all he choked out.
Jamie said nothing- her eyes were closed, face drenched in sweat.
Hershel withdrew his hand, brow furrowed.
"It's wedged in there a lot, isn't it?" Maggie asked quietly. Hershel wordlessly nodded, grabbing a pair of tweezers and moving in.
Jamie tried her hardest not to scream, but every now and then a strained, excruciating octave escaped her lips. Each time she'd strain against Glenn, who was holding her down, and thrash.
Her eyes were open, now, glassy and unfocused, staring at nothing in particular. Without warning she shuddered and went limp, eyes rolling back in her head.
"The fuck? Jamie! Jamie!" Daryl was instantly tapping her cheek, desperate for a response, anything...
Rick seized the man by the shoulders, pulling him away from her. Daryl, even though he was still running a fever, fought like demon spawn...
Carol had swallowed, now, and they all stopped, shocked, when they heard a pistol cocked.
"Everyone shut up! She's just unconscious!" Maggie yelled. Carol looked over hesitantly, gun still held shakily. The last thing she wanted to do was put someone down, but if the girl was dead... She saw the rise and fall of the girl's chest and relaxed, putting the gun away.
"Get the fuck out." Daryl hissed at them all, but at Carol in particular.
"Daryl- even you thought she was dead. I was just getting ready in case..."
"Get the fuck out!" Daryl yelled, louder, this time.
"She was just trying to be proactive, Daryl. I know you don't like it, but we might've had to..." Rick tried defending the woman. He felt she deserved the benefit of the doubt, though she had seemed a bit too eager to pull her gun. (Infection hasn't happened yet, people, she hasn't killed Karen and David yet).
"Don't you think I know that?" Daryl asked in a husky voice. "I would'a done it if I had to. SHE will not turn. I'd never let it happen. I promised..." He turned, looking down at the pale face, knuckles absently trailing down the snow white cheek. "Get the fuck out. All of you. Just go." his voice choked up at the end, but they pretended not to notice.
Everyone but Hershel and Maggie left them alone- Daryl sank down into a torn up chair beside the bed, one hand resting on Jamie's, the other on his head, which was tilted forward.
He only let a few tears fall, and Maggie and Hershel graciously ignored his ragged breathing and slight shaking. Hershel finally stood. "The bandages, Maggie." He said calmly.
Daryl looked up, wiping a filthy hand across his face and looking to the old man worriedly.
"She'll live." Hershel said simply, grabbing the roll of bandages Maggie had given him and looking at the girl, perplexed. He was going to wrap them diagonally across her torso, but with the bra on...
"I'll do it, Daddy." Maggie said calmly. Hershel nodded, looking grateful. While he'd do what was necessary to save her life, he was uncomfortable with that...
"You might want this." Hershel reached down, handing Daryl something metal and bloody.
Daryl rolled it between his fingers, realizing what it was. The bullet.
"Daryl, can you... um... leave for a minute? I'll have to take off her top to bandage this..."
Daryl stood, turning and walking to the opposite wall, facing it firmly. "I won't look." He said simply.
Maggie nodded, gently tugging the girl's bra off and lifting her torso off the table slightly, wrapping the bandaged over her one shoulder diagonally, then down under her other arm.
She secured it with some duct tape before standing, smoothing back the girl's sweat-soaked hair.
From there, she pulled Ryder's old denim jacket from the floor, gently pulling it onto the girl and buttoning it up so she was covered. She couldn't help but remember what Jamie said. She'd killed the men who'd shot her, Who knew what hell she'd been through today...
"You done yet?" Daryl asked gruffly.
"Yes." Maggie said, and Daryl wandered over and sat down again. He reached over, brushing the hair from her face quietly. Her face was smeared with dirt, and he licked his thumb, dabbing at it. Maggie couldn't help but smile sadly. It was ironic, how alike these two were...
"Do you need anything?" Maggie asked, looking down at the two, concerned. Daryl wordlessly shook his head, not looking up.
"Alright, then. Get me if anything changes, alright?"
Daryl again nodded, though his eyes had never left Jamie's face... Maggie left the two alone, then, worried, but knowing there was nothing else she could do.
She woke up coughing, gasping. Her throat was raw from screaming earlier, and it felt like sandpaper now.
"Shh..." she felt familiar hands rub her back, a gentle but firm hand pushed her uninjured shoulder down, holding her still.
"D-Dad?" she croaked finally.
"Yeah, 's me." Daryl said. "Gimmie a second- I'll grab you some water." She nodded tiredly, letting her eyes fall closed.
She heard the water running, before feeling gentle hands help her to sit up.
Daryl held the cup to her lips like she'd done for him not so long ago, and she gulped at it...
"Not so fast." Daryl ordered, pulling it away for a moment. "You'll make yourself sick."
She nodded, still drinking eagerly when he brought the cup back to her lips, but trying to go slower. Finally, she pulled away and Daryl reached over, wiping away the water that was dribbling down her chin.
"How're you feelin'?" he asked, looking concerned.
She'd laid back down, and she sighed. "Shitty. Least I ain't dead."
"Well they did just dig a bullet out of you..."
She nodded, letting her eyes flutter closed. Daryl leaned forward, he'd wet his bandana, and he wiped off her grimly face. She kept her eyes closed, not moving an inch, but it felt nice...
Daryl rarely fussed over her, and she liked it a little. Truth be told, she'd love to be beside him all day, making arrows and such, but in reality he had to do things without her the majority if the time, attend counsel meeting, talk with others.
Sure, they were together near the fire, but she never sat in his lap or held his hand like she normally did. Not in front of everybody. She never fell asleep in his arms unless they were alone- she was tough. She couldn't show the other kids she was really just a girl who loved to curl up and feel safe beside her father, couldn't let them see her crawl into his lap or laugh and smile.
Because survivors showed no weakness, unless they were around those they trusted. And the only ones she trusted were those from the farm, and Michonne.
"Hey- what happened out there?" Daryl asked quietly. She knew he meant outside the fence.
She sighed. "Found some bastards trying to rape a woman- put some arrows through them, bastard had a gun, walkers heard the shots. He went down after I kicked him to a walker, shot me in the back while I was runnin'."
"You did what you had to. You shoot to kill?"
"Tried to. Hands were shaking a little..."
Daryl nodded. "Thank god they didn't shoot your drawing shoulder."
She nodded, agreed. They'd shot her through the left shoulder, the one she held her bow with. If they'd hit her right arm, the one she drew back with, who knew how long she'd be unable to shoot...
"How's the hand?" Jamie asked, looking over at Daryl incredulously.
"Fine." Daryl said. She could see the cut scabbing over nicely on his hand, and she nodded, curling up against the pillow. He gently rubbed her back until she drifted off, content just knowing she was alive.