Chapter 2

Strained Miracles

...

It was a quiet morning. It was sunny, the sky was blue and there was a soft breeze. Barbara was reading on her opened window, enjoying of the quietness of the morning when Maggie's scream rang across the house.

"DAD!" she screamed and Barbara quickly closed her book and went down to see what was going on. The urgency in her cousin's voice wasn't a good sign.

By the time she went down, Patricia, Hershel and, Blake and Brett, both who were holding a bat, followed Maggie outside.

"What's going on?" Isabelle asked her and the brunette just shook her head. Both sisters went after the rest of their family and saw a sheriff carrying a boy, running to the house.

Barbara's stomach flipped and she felt shivers running down her spine. The boy was unconscious and the man looked desperate.

"Was he bit?!" Hershel asked at the stranger without leaving the porch. If he was, they wouldn't be able to help the stranger.

"Shot... by your man," the man responded, his voice raspy and chocked.

"Otis?" Patricia asked worried as Hershel hurried to the man.

"He told me to find Hershel. Is that you? Help him, help my boy..."

"Step inside," Hershel urged him inside.

"Barbie! Get ready!"

The brunette nodded at him as she and Maggie entered quickly the house. Hershel was behind them, rolling up his sleeves and giving instructions, as the cop carrying the boy followed him quickly.

"Patricia, I need my full kit. Maggie..."

"Yeah?"

"Painkillers, coagulants, grab everything. Clean towels, sheets, alcohol," Barbara followed them to the downstairs guest room and she went directly to the bathroom. She picked up her hair in a ponytail and then quickly washed her hands as Hershel opened the bed. The girl took off a big gold seal ring that was on her thumb and shoved it in her shorts pockets before washing her hands quickly.

"In here," the old man said and the cop laid carefully the unconscious boy on the bare bed.

Barbara quickly stepped into the room and her stomach turned at the sight of the blood. Not because she was squeamish, far from it, but the fact that it was just a little boy was freaking her out a little. They needed to save him.

"Pillowcase," Hershel instructed the cop as he quickly unbuckled the boy's belt and Barbara stepped in quickly opening his soaked shirt.

"Is he... is he?" the man bumbling unable to focus.

"Pillowcase!" Hershel snapped at him.

"Is he alive?" The man asked as Patricia, Maggie and Isabelle entered the room carrying towels, meds, and sheets.

The cop was distracted so Barbara took the pillowcase, folded and the cop pressed it to the wound, getting the idea. Hershel quickly took the stethoscope Patricia offered him, put it on and pressed the end to the boy's chest.

Barbara and the cop looked expectant at Hershel.

"I got a beat," the man said. "It's faint."

The cop started shaking violently so Barbara put a gentle but firm hand on his arm.

"I got this," she told him and the man moved clumsily out of the way. The brunette quickly stepped in and pressed the pad to the wound.

"Maggie, Ellie..." Hershel called them and Maggie quickly pulled back the cop because he was still in the way.

"We need some space," she told him gently.

"What is your name?" Hershel asked the cop.

"Rick," the man stuttered, sweating. "I'm Rick."

"Rick, were going to do everything we can, okay?" Hershel talked to him as he put an IV in the boy's arm and Maggie held up the water bag.

"You need to give us room, okay?"

Rick snapped out of his state long enough to leave the room, and left his son to the care of strangers. Barbara did everything in her power to focus on helping the boy and not think about her dad.

When Rick came back to the room, they had cleaned the boy's wound shot and counted the pieces. It was going to be difficult to fix, and Barbara didn't think he would make it. But she would never said so and least in front of Rick. He seemed like he was going to lose his mind any moment now.

Behind him was Otis, looking confused as he didn't know where he was and another man Barbara guessed was a cop and Rick's friend. He looked concerned for the boy too.

"You know his blood type?" The girl asked the man and Rick barely tore his eyes from his son to glance at her.

"A positive. Like mine."

"That's fortunate," Hershel said cleaning the wound. "Don't wander off. I'm gonna need you." Then the old man looked up at Otis who looked overwhelmed and still shocked. "What happened?"

Otis told them he had shot the buck and went through hitting the boy.

"That must have slowed the bullet down and saved the boy," Hershel told Rick. "The bullet broke up into pieces. I counted six. We'll need to get them out."

"My wife doesn't know. My wife doesn't know," Rick said and finally broke down.

The worst part was that they had anything to anesthetize the little boy and his screams were like someone was punching Barbara over and over. She heard then her mother's screams as she sutured her... as she was bitten.

"STOP! You are killing him!" Rick's scream snapped out of her trance, and she just been rubbing alcohol absentmindedly in his arm.

"If I don't take the pieces out, he's going to die," Hershel snapped strained but calm, a feat Barbara was sure wouldn't be able to manage right now.

"He needs blood!" Maggie said and the girl shook her head, concentration on the job she had to do.

She took the IV and hooked it to Rick's arm, pumping the blood out as Carl, kept crying out in the bed. Then he couldn't take the pain anymore and passed out.

"Wait, wait," Shane, who had been holding Carl down told Hershel, nodding worried at the boy.

"He just passed out," the man explained tiredly and he finally pulled a piece out from the wound.

"One down... five to go."

"Lori needs to be here. Needs to know what happened," Rick said as Barbie pumped blood into Carl. His wound has been patched but he still had some fragments in his body. And for the looks of it, he had internal bleeding.

"The boy will need more blood. You cannot go more than five feet from here," Hershel told him, his voice firm. Rick stood up, running his hands through his hair looking desperate.

"She's his mother. She deserves to know... She needs to be here," he then left the room followed by Shane.

Barbie looked at Hershel who sighed and looked down at the boy sadly.

"We'll need to have a surgery."

The girl nodded.

"I know. He has a deeper injury, probably a blood vessel. But we have nothing to do it. We have no supplies and just medical kit won't be enough. We need to anesthetize him at least."

The old man looked at the girl and then down at the boy.

"Are you ready to do it?" he asked her and even if she wasn't, she would do it.

"Yes."

"It's not certain we can save him."

"I know."

Hershel left her with Carl to go and tell this to Rick and Shane. The risks of the operation and the supplies they needed. Rick couldn't go because they needed him for the blood transfusions. So Otis and Shane left for the nearest high school. It had been a safe zone before it was overrun, and probably, maybe, with a lot of luck, they would find everything in there.

Maggie also left to bring Carl's mother and to tell the rest of Rick's group what had happened.

As Barbie pumped Carl with blood, she tried not to think about it, but she couldn't help it. She thought about her mom, how she couldn't save it. She knew Hershel wasn't sure they could save Carl and she was honest, she didn't believe it either. But she would try her best. She would do everything in her power to save this kid.

The wait was the worst part. They had been long gone and they didn't know if they could find anything.

Patricia offered to take Barbie's place and told her to go and rest. She would need her strength to operate that kid later. She went up to her room, feeling beaten up.

She saw Blake in the living room but she just needed to be alone for a moment. She lay on her bed and pulled the ring out of her pocket and put it on her thumb, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

When Barbie woke up it was dark outside. She sat quickly and went down feeling stupid for falling asleep, but Otis and Shane hadn't come back yet.

Carl's mother, Lori was next to his son when she walked into the room, where was also Hershel and Rick.

"She's my niece, Barbie. She was a med-student, and she will help me," Hershel introduced her and the girl smiled at the woman who sat up looking at her as if the girl was the best present ever.

"Are you a doctor?" The woman asked, thinking the girl looked impossible young to be one. She looked like she was in her teens.

"No, really. I was just a student. I finished pre-med and did a year in med school before everything started."

Lori seemed deflated at the information.

"But I've been in surgeries before."

Both Rick and Lori looked up to her and she quickly explained.

"My dad pulled some strings so I could have experience before everyone else. I was in six surgeries and helped the surgeon on two of those. I know it doesn't seem like a veterinarian would make a good surgeon, but Hershel is. Also, after everything happened, I performed some myself."

That seemed to gave both parents strength and hope. Barbara didn't say, however, that from the six she had performed on a safe zone, only two had been successful due to the lack of medical equipment.

Out of the blue, the boy coughed and woke up. Before they could call them, Rick and Lori rushed into the room to their son's side.

The boy took deep breaths, shaking lightly.

"Where are we?" He asked and Lori knelt next to her son, running her hand through his hair softly.

"This man," Rick said smiling," is Hershel. And this girl is Barbie. We're in their house. You had an accident."

Both Hershel and Barbara smiled to the little boy, completely relieved to see him awake and lucid. He was a little breathless but he seemed fine. He had made it.

"It hurts... a lot," the boy said, fidgeting with the bandages and Lori took his hand away softly.

"I know, baby."

"You should've seen it," Carl then said to his mom with a big bright smile.

"What?" Lori asked.

"The deer," Carl replied as his mom petted his hair. "It was so pretty mom. It was so close. And I don't remember..." He stopped talking and his eyes went blank. He just laid there frozen, and not breathing.

"Carl?" Rick called him but the boy just stayed like that.

Barbie stepped in looking at him. No, no. He was okay. He was. He couldn't just... no... And then, startling all of them, the boy started to shook violently. Rick, Lori and Barbie, stepped into to hold him down but Hershel was faster, stopping them.

"Stop. He's having a seizure. You hold him down you could hurt him," he told them and Barbara stepped back, ashamed she had forgotten. That she had acted out of instinct instead of professional.

"You can stop it?!" Lori asked Hershel desperate.

"He has to go through it," the man said and then stepped back.

Rick took his wife and held her back and all of them just stared at Carl shaking in bed, violently, unable to help him. Finally the boy stopped and passed out and almost at the same time they both leaned over him. Hershel opened his lid and looked into his pupil.

"His brain isn't getting enough blood. His pressure keeps dropping and he will need another transfusion," Hershel said exterminating the boy.

"Okay, I'm ready," Rick said weakly.

"I can't take anymore of you. Your body could shut down and go into a coma," Hershel told him seriously.

"You're wasting time," Rick replied determinate and he just extended his parched arm. Something in him made Barbie stare. He reminded her of her dad, of his determination and his sacrifice for his family. Her heart felt like something was slowly squeezing it and she took a few breaths.

"Wait," she said and all eyes turned to her. The girl looked at Hershel and extended her arm. "I am A-positive too."

Something in Hershel's eye shone as she looked at her but she couldn't say what. Rick and Lori stared at her surprised.

"You don't have to," Rick started to say but the girl shook her head.

"I want to help. And we're not going to be better if go into a coma," then she turned to Hershel and walked to him, extending her arm.

"Do it."

Carl was losing blood fast and despite the transfusions they couldn't wait any longer. They still didn't have the supplies, but if they didn't do the surgery, Carl would die anyway.

Rick and Lori seemed lost as they considered that but they accepted it, at the end.

"Do it," Rick told to Hershel and the man nodded.

Patricia quickly brought down a table and between her, Hershel, Rick and Lori moved Carl to the table. Barbie was weakened by the transfusion but still was determinate to help Hershel.

Patricia quickly brought Hershel's surgery utensils and the living room lamp, as he put on a gloves and a surgical mask.

Hershel took his scalpel and Barbie moved to be on Carl's other side. The old man looked up to the couple behind her.

"Rick, Lori, you may want to step back."

The man was about to cut into the boy when the sound of a car stopped them all.

"They made it," Barbie said straitening up.

"Patricia stay with him," Hershel instructed them, and they all went to the door.

Barbara, Hershel, Lori, Rick, Brett and another guy form Rick's group went out and saw Shane parking quickly and then taking two big bags from the truck. He passed one to Hershel and Barbie took the other. The old man was about to turn when he noticed Shane was the only one in the trunk.

"Otis?" He asked but already knowing the answer.

Shane couldn't answer but his face said it all.

"He... he..."

Maggie's eyes watered up and Barbara closed her eyes. It shouldn't surprise her. It shouldn't hurt by now. Another day, another death. It was how the world worked now but either way hurt when it happened. She had only known Otis for a month, but he had been a good guy. He hadn't deserved it.

"We say nothing to Patricia," Hershel's voice snapped Barbie out of it. "Not till after. I need her." Then he looked at her. "I need you too."

The girl swallowed hard and nodded. Right, Carl was still inside, dying on a table.

She turned around and followed him inside.

The operation seemed to last forever and after it was done, it all seemed like a blur. The death of Otis then felt onto Barbara and she saw Patricia cleaning up Carl, easy and calm now that the boy was out of danger. She still didn't know it.

They bandaged the boy and put if back into bed, carefully, and then Barbara made another transfusion. She stayed in the room as Hershel took Patricia out to tell her the news.

She wasn't sure but she had thought she heard her cry. And even with that, she felt a weird calm. They had made it. Carl had made it. She hadn't thought so. She didn't believe in miracles anymore, but the little boy had made it and that was good enough for now.

When the transfusion was done, Barbara herself took the IV out of her arm, patched her up and then hooked an IV to Carl's arm. She felt incredibly weak and like she would fall asleep anytime now.

She left the room, and Lori entered immediately.

"Thank you," the woman told Barbara before she left. The girl turned to her and Lori gave her a watery smile. "You saved my son."

The girl felt her throat closing so she just nodded and left. Blake brought her some chocolate pudding, a sandwich and water. It was a lot of food but she ate it without making a sound. And then just fell asleep, the trauma of the whole day slowly slipping away and nightmares coming in.

They were another two members of Rick's group that had stayed the night, but yesterday was so frantic to her she hadn't noticed them nor met them. Their names were Glenn and T-Dog and she liked them. They were good guys, she could tell. They went out early in the morning with Shane, Maggie, Brett, Blake and Isabelle to pick up big rocks for Otis grave. She offered to help but they all refused and insisted she stayed in the house. Barbara didn't protest, though. She was completely exhausted and she wanted to check on Carl.

When she entered the room Hershel, Rick and Lori were already there and greeted her. The old man was checking the Carl's pulse and then he finally woke up.

Rick and Lori leaned to the boy and he looked up to them.

"Sophia," the boy said. "Is she okay?"

Barbara noticed a flash of worry in Rick's face, unnoticed by his son or wife.

"She's fine," he assured the boy.

"Okay," Carl said and then fell asleep again.

Rick feel into his chair, relief flooring his face and then the door opened and T-Dog entered the room.

"They're here."

...

They all went out and the others were already gathered near the porch watching the new comers. There was an RV, a silver car and a motorcycle parked next to Otis truck.

They were only four, Barbie noticed. A woman with grey short hair, a blonde, an old man with a fishing hat and the guy of the motorcycle who had a crossbow.

"How is he?" the old man with the hat asked to Rick.

"He'll pull through," Lori replied. "Thanks to Hershel and his people."

"And Shane. Carl wouldn't have survived without him," Rick added and they all turned to Shane. Barbara noticed he had just shaved his head, and frowned. That was an odd random thing to do, she thought.

The old man then stepped up and hugged Rick and the woman with short hair hugged Lori.

"How it happened?" the old man asked.

"A stupid accident," Rick said with an apologetically smile. "Just a stupid accident."

But Barbie's eyes were fixed on the crossbow guy. He looked buffed and absolutely filthy, but unlike the rest of the group, he seemed like he always had been that way. He was a hillbilly through and through. He also was the only one who hadn't relaxed his posture and he was looking around meticulously, like taking in every single detail of the farm.

Yes, the girl decided, this guy would help her just fine.

...

Daryl felt a gaze fixed on him and when he looked up he met some girl's stare. She didn't look older than eighteen and was tall and slender. She was brunette, had big brown eyes and a serious look on her face. She looked away the second their eyes crossed and he saw her frown and her mouth twisted as she was upset. Something else about her caught his eye and was the ridiculous string of pearls she was wearing. Was she serious? Then he also noticed her riding boots. They were leather and even when they were a bit worn out, he knew they were high quality. He got it. He had come across people like her all his life. People who turned their noses on him like she just had done. She had a problem with him. But that was too goddamn bad, because if his group was staying, he was too and that stuck-up brat could suck it, as far as he was concerned.