Broken Road »» Rick Grimes (TWD)

Chapter 73

* just a reminder that Atwood is the apartment complex that Tara and Jess were taken to *

- Rick's POV -

My back hit the wall, knocking the rest of the air out of my lungs as I watched the nurses perform CPR on Jessica while others began hooking her up to machines.

"You need to step out. We will do everything we can." Dr. Caxton told me as he placed his hand on my arm.

"I'm not leaving her." I snapped, quickly jerking my arm from his grip.

"Doc, we got a pulse!" One nurse declared.

Suddenly the flat line on the screen turned up and her heart rate began increasing from nothing to a few beats.

"Fetal heart rate at 184!" Another nurse declared.

I inhaled a breath before leaning against the wall to regain my composure.

"There we go." Dr. Caxton stated, smiling as Jessica's heart rate leveled out on the screen.

"Beautiful!" One nurse declared, proud of her work.

"I'll get this to lab." Dexter, one nurse I knew, declared as he ran out of the room with samples of Jessica's blood.

"Jessica, can you wake up for us?" Caxton asked as he pressed on her good arm.

I watched as her hand twitched and she moved her head to the right as they raised the head of the bed.

"Jessica, this is Dr. Caxton. You're doing great. You're in White Oak and we're taking great care of you. Squeeze my hand if you can, please." Dr. Caxton ordered as he placed her limp hand over his.

"Good." Dr. Caxton mumbled as Jessica slowly moved her hand.

"Vitals are stable now, doc." Janet, an older nurse who I was fond of, stated as she touched a button on one of the monitors.

I watched as one nurse began studying our unborn baby on the ultrasound machine while another nurse hooked up a bag of IV fluids.

"Fetus is moving well, doesn't seem to be in distress. Heart rate stable."

"Great. Everything is looking decent so far. I want a CT of the head and chest. I'll be back in a few to check up on her once we get her lab results back. Rick, have a seat." Dr. Caxton ordered as he walked by me.

"I'll be monitoring her vitals and heart from the station. Press this call button if you need us. I'll be in and out, okay?" Janet told me as she walked around the bed.

I nodded my head and pulled a chair over next to Jessica's bed.

"Jess, I'm here." I mumbled as I placed my warm, shaky hand over her cool one.

"I'll take her to radiology once Lillian gives me the okay." Claire, the other nurse stated.

"Do you think the injection worked?" I asked Claire, briefly glancing to her.

"Well, we won't know for sure until we get her lab results back, but based on her vitals and the baby, she seems to be doing okay." Claire answered as she studied the monitor the baby's heart rate was on.

"Have you ever seen the treatment used on a pregnant woman?" I inquired.

"No." She mumbled.

"Will the virus reach the baby?" I questioned, watching as she cleaned the cuts on Jessica's face.

"I believe we've caught it in time." She replied.

I sighed and brought my hand to Jessica's cheek before returning it to her hand.