A Hard Lesson to Learn

Chapter 10

The ride to Alexandria was long. Longer and further than Rick remembered and much too far for his liking. He watched the dying girl that lay in his lap as she fought to stay alive. He didn't know if she would survive by the time they got back. In this world, nothing was taken for granted. It was a miracle they found Siddiq wondering out in the wilderness. He had a family to look out for. Carl, Judith, Michonne, Daryl, Maggie, and Carol they are his family. Now, he can't shake the want to make Kali apart of that family.

He heard someone call his name. They had stopped in front of the infirmary. Both rear doors were opened as Michonne and Siddiq waited on him to get out of the car with the injured girl. Instead of handing her off to the others, Rick slid out of the car with Kali in his arms. Siddiq ushered him into the infirmary. Softly, he laid her down on the table. "Rick, I need you to hold her down. The first incision is going to hurt her a lot."

His feet had a mind of their own as he walked towards the end of the bed. His hands were firmly grasping her shoulders tightly. He nodded to Siddiq. He felt her jerk under his hands as her scream bounced off the walls before she passed out. "Michonne, get that resuscitation bag out of the cabinet and place it over her mouth and squeeze it." The two swapped places quickly and Michonne got to work breathing for Kali.

Rick backed away until his back was firmly against the wall. The door to the infirmary flew open causing the three inhabitants to snap their heads that direction. Other Alexandrians barged in carrying a long, lanky body. They tossed it down on the other table looks of disgust on their face. Rick looked over to see Negan's lifeless body laying on the other table. Oh, how bad he wanted to walk over there, pull out his gun, and put a bullet in that man's head...but he can't. He wants to show Judith and Carl that this world can still be good. Sure, there might be a couple bad apples in the bunch, but all it takes is some correction and everything will be alright. Is that why he wants Kali to live? Does he want her to the example that people can change? That people have a choice about who they want to be? Is she his proof? Is that why he cares so much?

The room was overcrowded by Alexandrians and too noisy for Siddiq. The man who was working profusely on Kali's wound yelled, "Everyone out! We need blood. O negative. If you're going to donate form a line if you're not, get out. You'll get an update when we have one."

Everyone in the room immediately hushed. People looked at each other surprised at Siddiq's actions. Nobody had heard him yell or really talk that much before. His assistants, on the other hand, leaped into action. One getting supplies ready for blood donors and the other was on Negan applying pressure to his wound.

Michonne looked up to Rick where he stood against the wall, he looked lost. "Rick," she called softly. "Go home. Take a shower. She'll be okay. I'll come get you if something happens."

Unable to form words or try to defend himself, Rick slowly nodded his head. He slipped through the crowd of people that still hung around to give blood. He was amazed at the people that hung around to try to save her when just days ago they all wanted her dead.

When he walked into the house Carl was sitting at the table. "Dad," the boy questioned. "Are you okay," he asked once he saw the amount of blood that was on his father's clothes.

"I'm....I'm fine," he croaked. "Not..not mine."

"Is it Michonne? Is she okay? Is she in the infirmary? Did you leave her out there," the teen questioned a mile a minute.

Rick shook his head. "Not Michonne's. She's in the infirmary with Kali. Kali was shot. Negan's there too. I don't know if she'll make it," he told him. "I don't know. I don't know," he continued to whisper to himself as he climbed the stairs. He stopped briefly by Kali's room looking around letting a sliver of regret wash over him before continuing to his room to wash her blood off his hands.