Lori and Rick stayed inside Carls room keeping an eye on Carl's limp, white body. Rick was eating, and telling Lori and me stories about Shane in highschool. I went outside onto the porch and started crying. The only thing I had on my mind was Daryl. I had honestly almost forgotten about him, and wondered if he was alright, and why he hadn't come here yet. Was he mad at me for leaving him? I whimpered and heard the door open. It was mama.
"Worryin' bout'chur daddy?" she asked, patting my hair. I shook my head. "Not this time mama."
She tilted her head. "What then?" she asked, brushing a piece of my curly blonde hair out of my face. I halfly smiled and sniffed. "There's this man I met."
Her eyes widened. "Well? Where is he? Why ain't he here? Details details!" she boasted.
I giggled and sniffed. "His name's Daryl. Daryl Dixon. He's the most sweetest most handsomest man alive. And he protects me mama." I went on and on, not even realizing I was ranting and smiling.
"How old is he?" She asked, smiling, and playing with my hair. She started braiding it. "He's twenty eight mama."
Her eyes widened. "Bellefaire. Do you realize he's almost ten years older than you?"
"Mama. I think I love him. And I think he loves me." I said seriously.
She sighed. "Well. I don't know how your daddy'll approve. But I'll have to meet'm. You've made bad judgements before. Alex, for instance."
I rolled my eyes. "I was stupid then mama." She sighed again and finished my braid. "So. Where is this handsome man?" she said grinning.
I grinned back. "He's on the highway. Looking for a little girl that got chased off by walkers."
"Walkers? That's what you call them!?" her smile faded away. "Ma, don't get so excited. What do you call them?"
"Family. Friends. Neighbors." She went on. I tilted my head down. Remembering that Beth's mother and brother had passed away. Mama walked inside and Maggie came out. "You okay?" She asked. I nodded.
A few moments later, a familiar truck pulled in the drive. It was Glenn and T-Dog. I grinned. Maggie sat on the rockin' chair. They walked up onto the porch and I clinged to Glenn. "Oh, Glenn!" He hugged me tightly.
"Lock the gate when ya'll pulled in?" She asked. Glenn took one look at Maggie and completely froze. "Uh….Hi...Um...Y-yes. We closed it. Uh, latch and everything." Glenn stuttered.
Maggie and I looked at eachother and grinned at one another.
"Well…. Nice to see you again. We uh, met before. Briefly. " Glenn said. "Look, we came to help." T-dog said, as Maggie got up. "There anything we could do-mmmm!" T-dog said but grunted in pain, grabbing his arm.
Maggie looked at his arm.
"It's not a bite. I um….I cut myself pretty bad though." T-dog said.
"We'll have it looked at. I'll tell'm you're here." Maggie said. "We uh...Have some painkillers." Glenn said, starting to ramage through his bag. "And antibiotics. I already gave him some...if Carl needs any…" Glenn said nervously.
Maggie smiled lightly, playing hard to get. "Come on inside, I'll make ya something to eat." She held the door open and left them inside. She looked at me and tilted her head as I gave her the family look. "What!" She said, grinning, and acting innocent.
I rolled my eyes. "You know what."
We went inside Carls room. Mama was watching Hershel take Carls blood pressure. Lori and Rick were sitting across the bed. Glenn took his hat off. "Hey... " he greeted.
"Hey." Rick mumbled. Hershel stood up and eyed Glenn and T-dog. "Um...Were here okay?" Glenn said.
Lori looked to Glenn. "Thank you."
"Whatever you need." T-dog said. Rick just nodded his head.
Maggie, T-dog , Glenn and I left the room. Maggie put a comforting hand on Glenn's back as we walked out. I rolled my eyes and grinned.
I had went to walk back out onto the porch but stopped in my tracks. "If he dies tonight, tell me how it would be better another way?" I heard Lori say. Rick turned around and seen me. He was disgusted. I didn't think I should intervene, as pissed off as I was at Lori for even thinking that. I just walked back inside and slammed the door.
I went in the kitchen with Maggie, Glenn and T-dog. I started helping her make them cold turkey and cheese sandwiches. Glenn stared at me. "What the hell are ya starin' at?" I asked, ticked off.
"I...I just never seen your hair look different. It's always down." he said nervously. I blushed and messed up his hair. "Awww, shucks, ya cutie." I said, playing around. Maggie didn't enjoy that.
I went and sat with Carl. Lori and Rick were just outside. I was in the middle of praying for him when he started to cough. My eyes widened. "R-Rick!" I called.
Hershel was already by his side. Lori and Rick came in and stood beside him. I backed away. Carl shaked. "W-where are we?" he asked.
"Hey little man…This is Hershel. Were in his house. Y-you had an accident." Rick said smiling.
"I-It h-hurts. A lot." Carl stuttered.
Lori cried. "I know baby, I know."
"You should'a seen it." Carl said smiling. "What?" Lori asked.
"Deer. It was so pretty mom. It was so close. I...Never...Been…." and then his eyes went lazy.
I stopped smiling and tears started to form. "Carl?" Rick choked.
"What's happening?" Lori asked.
Just then, Carls body started going insane. He was having a seizure. Lori went to hold him.
Hershel stopped her. "No, it's a seizure. If ya hold him down you can hurt him."
"You can't stop it!?" Lori asked.
"You have to just go through it." Hershel said.
Me and Lori cried hard. Hershel held me and Rick held Lori. After a full minute, his body lay limp. Me and Lori went back to his side and looked to Hershel for an answer.
"His brain isn't getting enough blood. His pressure in his body too. I'm gonna need another transfusion." he said.
"Okay, I'm ready." Rick said.
"If I take anymore out of you, your body could shut down. And you could go into a coma or cardiac arrest." Hershel refused.
"You're wastin' time." Rick said through grunted teeth.
Hershel took his blood.
Rick started telling Lori that because Carl remembered the deer, that's why he should live. Maggie and Glenn were hanging out outside. Patrica was fixing T-dogs arm.
After about another hour, Hershel checked on Carl. "He's still losing blood faster than we can replace it. And with the swelling in his abdomen, we can't wait any longer. Or he's just going to slip away. Now I need to know right now, if you want me to do this. Because I think your boy is out of time."
Nobody answered. "You have to make a choice!" Hershel demanded.
"A choice!?" Lori asked. "A choice. You have to tell me what it is. You have to tell me what it is." Rick said to her.
Lori thought. "We do it."
I smiled and tears slipped. Lori and Rick held onto eachother. "Bellefaire, I need your mother." Hershel demanded kindly. "Right away." I said, quickly getting up and running towards the kitchen. "MAMA! Mama!" I hollered till she came to me.
She ran to me. "What, Bellefaire? What is it?"
"Were doing it." I cried. "You have to be strong for me right now honey. I'll need your help." She said, quickly wiping my tears. I nodded and we hurried back to Hershel. I helped them bring a table on wheels to the room.
"Okay, get in the corner of that bed, let's get the sheets down everybody. Get the IV bag on the shelf. Okay! On three, one, two, three!" he instructed, and we lifted Carls body onto the table. Mama brought over two different lamps so that he could see better.
"Rick, Lori...You may want to step out." He warned.
Just as Hershel was about to cut Carl open, Shane pulled into the drive way. "Oh God." Rick said relief.
Lori and Rick ran outside. "You stay there with him." Hershel told me and mama as he left too.
Hershel came inside, but he had looked like he had seen a ghost. He had all the supplies. "Bellefaire wait, don't go out there. I need your help." He said, as I went to go out there. Something didn't add up but I stayed inside and helped with the surgery.
It took about two hours to complete. It was now about one thirty in the morning. I was exhausted. Hershel went out to tell them the news. Just then Hershel and Rick came inside and called me and mama out the room. "What is it?" mama asked.
"Otis….He didn't make it. I'm sorry." Rick said. Mama broke down and cried. Hershel had to catch her from falling to the floor. I shook my head violently. "NO!" I screamed and cried I flipped the table over. "Bellefaire!" Rick scolded and tried to hold me down. I screamed. "DADDY!" but my screamed turned into cries. Rick held me tightly on the floor and rocked me. "Daddyyyyy" I cried hardly. I never cried so hard in my life.
After I had calmed down to where I was just sobbing, I told Rick… "I want Daryl Rick...I want Daryl….I need him, I need him!" I started to scream again. But as I went to get up, I blacked out.