Chapter 12- New Hope

I wiped my brow and sighed in relief. After a few hours of surgery, the bullet fragments were all out. While Hershel left to clean up, I stayed behind to clean Carl's wound again.

Rick, Shane, and Lori were all outside deciding what to do next. Rick was dead set on getting Hershel to let us stay for a while.

I used a paper towel doused in alcohol to wipe around the stitching on Carl's abdomen. I placed some clean gauze over it and gently taped it down.

I gazed at the young boy's face and smiled. He was a tough one. He is so young, and yet, something like this has happened to him.

I sigh softly and move over towards the door to go see how everything is going.

"You stay long enough to find the little girl, then you all must leave." Hershel was announcing to Rick as I walked outside. Rick looked over at me and gave a small smile before looking back at the older male. I sat down and began to unwrap my aching shoulder. The bite was healing slowly, and it was still very tender. After today's events, it was irritated.

"I understand." Hershel gave Rick a nod before moving towards me once he saw my shoulder. He helped me clean up my wound and rewrap it. It only stung when I pulled it the wrong way.

I glance up at Rick and smile. "Don't worry, he'll be fine, Rick."

Rick sighed and rubbed his face before walking down the steps and towards one of the vehicles. I followed behind him and sat down next to him when he sat by the front tire of a Jeep.

It was silent between us for a while before he spoke up. "Thank you, Avery. I'll never be able to thank you enough."

I smile and place my hand on his shoulder as I gaze over toward where Lori was helping Glenn set up a few tents.

"You don't need to thank me. I'm just glad Carl is alright. "

He smiled sadly. "If it wasn't for you and Hershel, he wouldn't be."

I smiled softly and patted his shoulder before getting up and walking over towards Glenn and Lori to ask where my son was.

Rick was a man that was perfect for leadership. He kept us together and alive. He does what he can to keep us safe. He even found this far, even though it took Carl getting shot.

Lately, Shane has been on my radar. He had to have been lying about Otis' death. There was no way he could have gotten his gun if Otis was using it to give Shane time to run. It just didn't add up.

When I reached Glenn, I noticed T-Dog not too far away and rushed over to him. I knelt next to him and quickly looked his arm over.

"I am so sorry. I forgot all about your arm. Come. Let's go get this cleaned again." I smiled as I lead him towards Hershel's house where my bag had been placed on the porch.

T-Dog grinned at me and waved his good arm around. "It's no problem. You were fixing Carl. I understand."

My heart pinched at his words. "I couldn't leave him like that. What if that happened to Eren? Or someone else in the group?"

He nodded his head and sat down slowly on the porch stairs, and I quickly followed, dragging my bag over.

"A gun shot is a lot more life threatening than an already stitched and cleaned wound, Avery. Carl was top priority."

I disinfected his wound with the whisky from before and looked up at the sky. "I'd say it's been about four to six hours. Want some more of those pills?" I asked as I wrapped his forearm back up with fresh gauze.

T-Dog scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly. "Yes please."

I chuckle and grabbed an antibiotic and a pain killer and handed them over so he could swallow them. "Come see me in the morning so I can check on it again. Watch for any swelling or redness. Puss is also a bad sign."

T-Dog gave me a half-hearted salute. "Aye-aye doctor!"

After finding out which tent Eren was in, I lay down next to him and began to sing him to sleep. It helped to calm us both down.

"Don't worry, baby. Carl will be better in no time and Daddy will be here with the others in the morning." He buried his face deeper into my neck and gave a short nod.

A rustling at the tent flap dragged my eyes from my son to the tent entrance. Amy's face popped in and she gestured around. I nodded and scoot Eren and I over to make room.

Amy and Andrea make their way in and lay down, pulling some sleeping bags and a pillow or two with them. They settle down and we share good nights and I shift my attention back to my baby.

"Have hope. Always have hope, Eren. Without it, we're all as good as dead." I catch Amy's eye and she smiles gently before shifting and going to sleep.

I sigh softly and close my eyes, holding Eren tightly in my arms.

Hope and this group are all we have left, Little One.