Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, ect., are the property of their respective owners.  The original character and plot are the property of the author.  The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise.  No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary:  Part 2 of the Lil’ Bird Series.  With the hope of CDC lost, the Grimes and the Walsh families are on the road to Ft. Benning.  What will Birdie find along the way?  Will Birdie and Shane remain side by side wherever the road might lead?  *No evil Shane* 

Warning:  This fan-fiction is rated Mature for Language, Gore and Adult Situations.  Readers under the age of 18 are strongly discouraged from reading.

Pairing: Shane & Birdie Walsh

Chapter Eight

 

Ricky giggled next to me… actually giggled. 

“You remember the time Shane stole the principal’s car?”  Ricky asked and I snorted out a laugh and nodded.  Oh yeah, I remembered that vividly; it was one of the stupidest and funny pranks Shane ever pulled off. 

“Legendary…”  I said sarcastically.  I swear that idiot hadn’t quit bragging since. 

“It was legendary,” Ricky replied defensively.  “Took it right out of the teacher’s lot in the middle of the school day.” 

“Forgive me if I didn’t see it quite like that.”  I said with a huff as I settled back into my chair to hear the rest of the story…not that I needed to.

Ricky looked up and pinched my arm.  “You don’t remember why he did it, do you?” 

What the hell was he talking about? 

I’m sure my face looked confused enough, but in case he missed that gesture, I said.  “What?  I don’t remember there ever being a reason…other than Shane’s an arrogant S.O.B.” 

Ricky and Lori both laughed and I guess the joke was on me now. 

“What?”  I asked again, miffed that there was something that they knew that I didn’t.

“It was your first day back to school after your first and only suspension, remember?”  I nodded.  “Remember what you got suspended for?” 

I didn’t even have to think about it.  “Yeah, I punched Janice Kingsly in the mouth after she told the entire senior class that Jake Deerborn dumped me because I wouldn’t put out—

“That ain’t all she said.”  Ricky commented but I let it slide without saying anything.  Everyone in this room—excluding my nephew—knew what she had truly said to the entire senior class; which is why I decked that bitch.

“Yeah, what’s that got to do with the price of putty?” 

Ricky and Lori both looked at me very pointedly…and finally the situation dawned on me.  Janice Kingsly was the only child of Principal Jonathan Kingsly and I remember the embarrassing and unfair expulsion I received when I hit her.  Shane was defending me. 

“You get it now?”  Ricky asked and I nodded, blushing a little.  I was embarrassed that it took me 16 years to finally understand that prank. 

“Anyway, Shane steps out of lunch and makes a B-line to Principals Kingsly’s Hyundai and wires the ignition.  He peels out, drives to a chicken farm out there…” 

“You have heard this right?”  Ricky asked Lori, again. 

She had to have known that between the blood loss and traumatic events of the day were finally catching up to my brother because she just smiled and nodded even though, I knew this was a story she had probably heard more than I had and I was there. 

“So he pulls into one of the big holdin’ pens.  Now Kingsly had that car waxed every month, had the auto shop vacuum it out every week... 

“That old bastard loved that car.”  I added with a smile.

Rick nods and starts to chuckle, “…But Shane, he parks it in this huge pen with a couple of Rhode Island Reds and busts open a couple of bags of seed in the back seat…Rolls down the windows and starts sprintin’ back to school.  It’s three miles easy, but…

“He was back in time to finish his sandwich before the bell rung.”  I finished for him. 

“The bell rings and Shane gets up and runs right into Kingsly in the hallway.  He looks out the window and say: “Principal Kingsly, your coupes gone.”  Ricky laughed.  “You get it…like chicken coop.” 

Lori breathed deep on the other side of the bed and I could tell that the story was neither amusing nor distracting her so I squeezed Ricky’s hand. 

“Of course she gets it, Ricky; she’s had to have heard this story a thousand times.”  I told him softly, interlacing my fingers with his.

His head bobbed tiredly in a wobbly nod, “Yeah…the point is: if Shane says he’s gonna do somethin’, he does it.  Shane’s gonna make it back with what the doctor needs.  He’ll make it back.” 

Lori looked over at me, her eyes shiny brightly with unshed tears in the dim lighting of the room.  She looked terrified from me to Rick and I knew she wasn’t just worried about her little boy anymore.  Rick had given too much blood, it was plainly written in his pale features and he was quickly becoming unstable. 

“Please eat.” She begged as she delicately kissed the fingers on her son’s hand.  “You gotta keep your strength up.”

~ 

It wasn’t long after story time that Hershel and a lovely woman in her late-40’s named Patricia had me hooked up to a transfusion machine that looked like it came straight off a movie set of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.  That also happened to be when Glenn and T-dog decided that they were safe from the nuclear meltdown between my brother and his wife and came in to see how Carl was doing. 

“Hey.” Glenn said timidly as he shuffled through the doorway with T-dog—who was still wrapped in that same Army blanket that Shane and I had cuddled on not even a week ago—right behind him.

“Hey,” my brother replied distractedly, never taking his eyes off Carl. 

“Hey guys,” I said, giving them both a slight wave from where I sat next to my nephew, “sorry about earlier.” 

Ricky didn’t even pay attention but Lori looked to with her eyebrow raised, probably wondering what I had done that would warrant an apology. 

Shrugging my shoulders, I explained.  “I kind of went off the deep end when…” I trialed off, waving over Carl’s prone little body and she nodded.  At this point, a blind person would have understood what I meant. 

“It ain’t nothin’, Lil’ Red.”  T-dog supplied with a cough.

Glenn just nodded, his eyes never leaving the gruesome scene in front of him as he muttered, “Um…we’re here, okay.” 

My brother finally looked up from where he sat next to me with his head in his hands.  “Thank you.” 

Lori nodded from next to him, also giving her thanks. 

“Whatever you need.”  T-dog said solemnly as Maggie ushered him and Glenn back out the door. 

As soon as they were gone Hershel stood and checked Carl’s pulse, his eyes closing in disappointment.  Without word he removed the sheet from my nephew’s abdomen and it was hard not to cry out at the sight.  His little stomach was swollen and bruised…he was showing clear signs of internal bleeding.  Lori had already filled me in on Carl’s condition long ago and I can vouch that it is one thing to hear about an injury as severe as Carl’s and another thing entirely to watch it progress. 

Hershel sighed as Ricky, Lori and I began to cry, but his eyes were constantly searching between Ricky and Lori’s. 

“They don’t get back soon, we’re gonna have a decision to make.”  Hershel told them. 

“And that is?”  My brother asked as chewing on his pinky…something I hadn’t seen him do since he was a little boy. 

“Whether to operate on your boy without the respirator—

“You said that wouldn’t work.”  Lori interrupted as she leaned forward, looking the old veterinarian dead in the eyes. 

“I know,” he said, looking from my Lori to my brother.  “It’s highly unlikely, but we can’t wait much longer.”

Lori jumped up from her chair as Patricia pulled the hard, thick needle from my arm and I went to stand to go after her.  As soon as I stood the powerful throbbing from behind my eyes returned and I immediately fell back into my chair. 

“Honey, you just gave blood,” the woman told me sternly, clapping her hand on my shoulder.

“But Lori—

“She’ll be fine,” she interrupted as she crouched down beside my chair, “but you’ll give out if you try and stand again like that.” 

“You alrigh’, Lil’ Bird,” my brother asked, his attention now fully on me. 

“Yeah,” I told him, squeezing my eyes shut to block out the blinding pain of the lamp light that seemed to have moved closer to my head.  “Just a little dizzy spell.” 

“Hon?” Patricia asked as her cool hands took hold of my chin.  “Have you had any medical related issues lately?  You shouldn’t have had this strong of a reaction from the amount blood you’ve given.” 

As soon as the question was out of her mouth my intent was to lie to her.  It was a decision though, that was quickly taken out of my hands by my brother. 

“Concussion,” he said warily, and I knew if I could actually open my eyes and see his face without becoming sick, he would have tears in his eyes.  “Four days ago.  A man…the man we’re lookin’ for…he hit her and she fell…hit her head on a rock.” 

“Hmmm,” she said thoughtfully.  “You’ll just have to take it easy, I’ll have Maggie fix you somethin’ to eat.”

She patted my hand as she stood and I grasped it quickly before she could leave.  “The black man out there…T-dog, he’s got a blood infection.  I-I gave him some Doxycycline…would you have a look at his stiches?  I told him to keep them clean but…”

“Don’t you worry about a thing, hon, I’ll look’em over.”  She said squeezing my hand again, and I finally found the courage to look up at her.  She wasn’t looking at me but over at my brother as she pointed her finger and spoke.  “You too, easy now, you hear?”

Ricky nodded before easing up out of his chair and making his way to the door.  He stopped just before crossing the threshold and turned back to look at me.  “Will you?”

I glared up at him.  “Like that’s even a question worth wastin’ your breath over.” 

He nodded and sluggishly strolled from the room.

~

My eyes flew open as I jolted awake; I guess that at some point I must have dozed off in my chair.  I had never felt so damn tired in all my life.  But that thought was quickly put from my mind when I realized what had woken me. 

Carl was coughing…

Carl was awake. 

“Where are we?” He panted as Ricky and Lori burst through the door seconds later, both looking overjoyed to see their little one conscious again. 

“This is Hershel…we’re in his house,” Ricky told him, looking to the man himself as I stood and made my way behind Lori, covering my mouth with both hands as I sobbed happily.  “Ya...ya had an accident.” 

Carl nodded his head as he tried to pull down the bedding to look at his wounds, his hands trembling from the pain wracking his body.  “It h-h-hurts…a lot” 

“Oh baby, I know…” Lori said, her voice choking up as she rubbed his head.  “I know…I know…”

“You should have seen it,” Carl said smiling as he looked up at his mother. 

“What?”  Lori asked.

“Deer,” Carl simply replied.  “It was so pretty, Mom.  It was so close.  I’ve never been…”  His voice trailed off as his eyes went vacant before rolling up into his skull…

There was an intense silence that fell over the room…I don’t think any of us even took a breath as we watched helplessly as Carl stopped breathing. 

No. No. No. No. NO!

“Carl?”  Ricky called shakily at the same time Lori asked.  “What’s happening?” 

Suddenly my nephew gasped before surging off the bed as his body started to seize.  Hershel flew into action as Ricky, Lori and I all threw bodies on the bed to hold him down. 

“No,” he told us shoving our hands away and rolling Carl to his side.  “It’s a seizer, you could hurt’em.  He’s just gotta go through it.” 

“You can’t stop it?!”  Lori cried, throwing herself into Ricky’s arms as I watched my nephew flop on the bed.  I don’t think any of us ever felt completely powerless before; I know I hadn’t.  There was nothing we could do to stop it…we could only wait.

He continued on like that for what seemed like an eternity before he finally fell still and passed back out.   I threw myself back down into my chair, sobbing hard as Hershel moved in and started checking his vitals. 

“His brain isn’t getting enough blood,” Hershel said as he checked Carl’s pupils.  “His pressures bottoming…he needs another transfusion.”

“Okay, I’m ready,” Ricky said without hesitation…but Hershel shook his head. 

“If I take any more your body could shut down and you could go into a coma or cardiac arrest—

“Then take mine,” I said, already holding out my arm, ready to give the last drop if I had too.  “If you can’t take his…take mine.”

Hershel looked at me.  “You—young lady—could end up in just as bad of shape or worse.  You have a very severe concussion and your underweight—

“I don’t care,” I told him fiercely, thrusting my arm out.  “Carl needs his Daddy and his Mama—

“You’re waistin’ time,” Ricky interrupted, his eyes wild with fear. 

Hershel nodded and jerked up the old instrument from the bed.  Ricky held out his arm, but the old man bypassed him knocking his arm out of the way as he made his way to crouch in front of me. 

“No,” Ricky said.  “Take—

“Shut-up, Ricky and sit down!”  I nearly yelled at him as Hershel fed the tube deep into my vein.  “Let me do this for you.” 

“Rick, your sister is very right; when your son makes it through this, he’s gonna need his father.”  Hershel told my brother as he spun around and hooked the identical tube into Carl’s I.V.

“Thank you Birdie…thank you.”  Lori kept repeating and I nodded and let her.  She didn’t have to say anything…she knew it…I knew it, but I would do anything to put her at ease right now.  If that just happened to be her repeating “thank you” like a mantra, then so be it. 

“Birdie,” Ricky choked out.  “Shane’s gonna be here…he’s gonna—

“Ricky, please shut-up.”  I begged as I started to cry.  I was already beyond worried sick about him, I didn’t need Ricky constantly repeating that. 

“Ma’am, Patricia said that your other man…Shane, he’s your husband?”  Hershel asked, obviously tryin’ to distract me. 

“Yes, Sir, he is.”  I nodded, my free hand stroking Carl’s as my blood started to float from one tube to the other. 

“He’s a good man.”

“Yes,” I smiled.  “The best.” 

~

Sometime later, Hershel returned, again timing Carl’s vitals with his pocket timepiece.  After a few minutes he shook his head and sighed.  “He’s losing blood faster than we can replace it.” 

“I can give more,” I said as I clamored to my feet shakily. 

My head was throbbing and I was having a hard time focusing on Hershel’s face.  I felt like I was drunk…but I wasn’t happy and I could feel everything. 

“No,” Hershel replied, shaking his head.  “You’ve given too much already.  I can’t risk taking from either of you again so soon.” 

“I don’t—

“We need to operate now,” Hershel said, cutting me off, “…because I think this boy is out of time.”  Lori and Rick were stock still and silent.  “You have to make a choice.”

“A choice?”  I asked with a shudder.  Even in my delusional state, I knew that didn’t sound good. 

“A choice,” Ricky parroted to Lori, gripping her too him.  “You have to tell me what it is.  You have to tell me.” 

I didn’t breath at all in the time I waited for Lori to make the final decision on my nephew’s life, I don’t think I could have taken a breath if I tried. 

“We do it,” Lori said, standing tall with a hell of a lot more courage than I had right now. 

Instantly Hershel called for Patricia and she came storming into the room with a metal operating table I had seen used many times in my profession.  Hershel was rolling up his sleeves as he spoke. 

“Okay, get the corner of that bed,” he said as he started pulling the covers off Carl. “Get the bedding down, everybody…

We moved in unison—the three of us—each taking a stance by our side of bed as Hershel continued to mouth off orders with a military like precision. 

“You, get the I.V. on the sheet,” He demanded to me and I did what he asked as fast as I could and removed the pillow from under Carl’s head as well. 

“Okay, on three…One…Two…Three…”  He said and we hefted the unconscious body of my nephew onto the table.  “Rick, Lori, Birdie…you may want to step out.” 

“Oh God,” My brother muttered quietly, pushing past me as we all heard the rumble of a vehicle pulling up. 

“You stay here with him,” Hershel demanded of Patricia as he grabbed my arm and pulled me along with him out the door.  “I believe your husband is here.”

The old sky blue Ford screeched to a halt just as Hershel and I made it past the screen door, but my heart dropped into my stomach as saw the figures of two men I didn’t recognize exit the truck; one lanky and one large. 

The large man rushed forward, heaving for breath.  He was lugging one large red pack of equipment with him, a rifle, and my brother’s pistol.  The other thin man was carrying an identical pack in the color blue…and Shane’s shot-gun.

There was no words describe the overwhelming sense of terror that I felt as my eyes darted around the dark field, looking for any trace of Shane or Trusty. 

I waited with a baited breath for Shane to pop out from some unseen shadow of the vehicle, but after sever tense moments it became glaringly obvious…so obvious that my heart stuttered in my chest and fresh tears formed in my eyes. 

My husband was not among them.