Chapter Six

Delicate

Glenn was stable, for the most part. He'd lost a substantial amount of blood, but for meantime, he was recovering. The duration of that recovery process was unknown, but as Hershel wiped the blood from his hands with a damp towel, he watched as the young man's breathing was shallow and laboured. He'd been brought back to the prison within the golden hour; a term in which gave its victims an hour before their chances of survival were slashed and divided by half. Rick and Daryl had done everything they could do: checked to make sure his airway was open and not obstructed by anything; ensured that he was breathing and even though he had short laboured breaths, he was still breathing; made sure that his circulation was satisfactory, and they had added pressure on his wound to make sure that the bleeding was beginning to cease; and checked to make sure that there was an exit wound, which they couldn't find. It had taken him a while to get the majority of the bullet pieces out of his chest, but he was grateful that there weren't many of them.

The infirmary was a quiet place, and a place where he would often come and visit. Since losing his leg, he was only able to walk certain distances and the infirmary was just a short walk away from Cell Block C, where they currently inhabited. He would bring a book, and open the windows, and the sense of freedom within the room was overwhelming to him. But one thing he was sure of, he never thought it would ever be used.

It was strange, seeing the man who his daughter was in love with and the man who loved her in return, to be on the table and bleeding out. His life had been just a grasp away, with it slowly becoming further and further away. It scared him to know that the life of the man who held his daughters heart was so vulnerable, and in his hands. He had banned Maggie from the infirmary, ensuring that someone was with her at all times whilst he did his best to work on Glenn. And with Daryl's help and support - of which he was grateful for - they were able to keep his body working, and keep him clinging to life.

"We'll take it in turns to stay with him during the day and night until he wakes up," Hershel said to Daryl as they cleaned him up and wiped the blood from his body. Daryl nodded.

"I'll speak with Rick," Daryl said. "When shall we move him to somewhere more comfortable?"

Hershel glanced at Glenn and bit his lip. He didn't want to sound morbid but Glenn's fate was in his own hands now. They had done all that they could, and now he needed to get better.

"We'll give him one night, and then move him to those beds over there," Hershel said, motioning towards the more comfortable beds on the opposite side of the room. "That way, if he… passes, then we won't have wasted another bed."

Daryl gave a curt nod, understanding completely what Hershel meant. "I'll go tell Maggie that she can see him."

Hershel nodded and turned back to Glenn. The door opened and he glanced to see Maggie enter the room quietly, her eyes never straying from Glenn's body. A soft sob escaped her mouth, and she stood at the end of the bare bed, as if fear had overwhelmed her and she was unable to venture closer to him.

"I'm scared, daddy."

Hershel's heart broke at her scared voice, and he was by her side as quickly as he could manage. He held her hand and with his other hand, he led her over to Glenn's bedside. She stood, despite her legs trembling beneath her, and she cried and cried. The emotion was too much, and her throat was soon sore from howling.

"It's okay…" he whispered. "Talk to him."

"Is he going to be okay? Is he going to live?"

He wanted to lie to his daughter, promise her that he'd get better and that the nightmare they were in was just a nightmare. That as soon as she woke up from a nap, he'd be fine. But she was no longer a child. He could no longer lie about a problem, and make it seem diminutive. She was able to see through everything that he said to her. She was an adult, and this wasn't just a nightmare.

"I don't know," Hershel whispered. "But that doesn't mean he's not going to pull through. He's strong, and he has a good chance."

Maggie nodded, and turned back to Glenn. She held his hand, and spoke to him like he was able to answer her. Hershel stayed close to her but didn't invade their space. He stared off into the distance wondering if he'd done enough for Glenn.

"I told him not to go," Maggie said, causing Hershel to look over at her. She was holding his hand, and staring at his fingers. "I told him to stay with me. I didn't want him to go out there."

"And that's normal… it's a harsh world out there."

"Was it selfish of me? Did I make this happen because I wanted him to stay with me?"

Hershel moved to where she was located, and wrapped an arm around her, protectively. "Of course not, sweetie. You have no say in what happens, and just because you wanted him to stay with you, doesn't mean you were a factor in what happened. I don't want you to blame yourself… you need to focus on Glenn."

"I know…" Maggie sighed. "I love him so much, daddy."

"I know you do, honey," Hershel said. "He's a good man."

But the answer as to whether Glenn would make this out alive, let alone the night, was uncertain. He couldn't answer that question. He had a good chance of recovering and surviving, but with the good came the bad and his chances were slim. His wound, despite how clean and not as fatal as he could have imagined, there was still the question of an infection. The infection would kill him, and with the pharmacy being off limits, Hershel had to think of other ways to ensure that Glenn was going to pull through.

Life was always uncertain but now it was like a game of Russian roulette. And unfortunately, that's what it all came down to, like it always did. Life and death came hand in hand, and in situations like this, you were blinded, and unsure of what hand you were given.