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"Lori." Rick breathed as Isabella took blood from his arm, something Carl was in desperate need of right now. ""Lori, she needs to be here." he added in, grabbing Isabella's arm and looking in her eyes desperately. Isabella nodded her head in understanding, her ex ran out before Ginger was born, she didn't know what it was like to want someone else there for your child. "Maggie's on her way to get her now, they'll be here soon." the women replied, wiping Ricks arm off and tapping gauze to it.
Rick nodded his head before looking over to Carl laying on the bed fast asleep. "Is there anything else you can do for him while we wait for Shane and Otis?" Rick asked softly, Isabella sighed. "I wish there was Rick, but for now we have to wait and hope they make it." she responded. "Here, let's get you out of this room for a minute, my uncle can watch him while we're gone." Isabella added trying to get Rick's mind off of what she could only assume was a storm of thoughts.
Isabella put her arm under Rick's as she slowly helped the older man stand on his feet as she called her uncle into the room. "Can you watch Carl please, i'm going to take Rick outside for some air." she told her uncle who nodded his head in understanding before looking to the container of blood sitting on the nightstand. "He needs another transfusion, you know how to do that right?" she asked.
"I do pay attention to the things you show me." Hershel said with a small smile making Isabella nod her head and lead Rick out to the front door. When the sunlight hit their faces, Isabella let out a small sigh making Rick look down to the women under his arm for support. "It's beautiful here," he said looking out to the fields in front of them. Isabella nodded in agreement, looking with him. "Yeah, I guess it is." she replied quietly.
"Mommy! Mommy!" a voice behind them called. Isabella slowly helped Rick lean against the porch before turning around and welcoming Ginger into her arms. "Whats up sweetie?" Isabella asked, tucking some of Gingers hair behind her ear. "Is that boy going to be okay?" She asked before looking up to Rick. "Yeah Sweetie, he's going to be just fine." Isabella told her daughter, keeping her eyes locked on Rick.
"Ginger, this is Rick. He's Carl's father, can you say hi?" Isabella said to her daughter, making Ginger give Rick a big smile. "Hi Mr. Rick!" she said happily, making Rick laugh. "Hi there pretty lady," Rick said, shaking Gingers now outstretched hand lightly. Looking out to the tree line, Isabella spotted her cousin coming into view.
"GG, how about you go inside and see what Bethy's doing okay?" Isabella said softly, placing Ginger on her feet making the little girl sprint inside the house yelling for Beth. "I think someone's here to see you." Isabella finally said, pointing to Maggie and who she could only assume was Lori. Rick walked off the porch, going as fast as he could with the amount of blood he had lost. The man embraced his woman into his arms making Isabella smile softly. Lori looked up to Isabella who was leaning against a pillar of the porch before walking up to her.
"I'm Lori, Rick said you're a doctor?" The women questioned. Isabella nodded her head and gave her a small smile, "Yes I am. I studied out of state and practiced for 5 years before everything happened." Isabella replied, easing the mother's worries. Lori nodded her head, placing her hand on the woman's shoulder before the couple walked inside the house to see their injured son.
Slowly, Isabella walked off of the porch and towards Maggie. The two women brought each other into a hug as Isabella pulled away and sighed. "What's wrong?" Maggie asked, rubbing her hand up and down Isabella's arm softly, offering a soft smile. "I just hope for everyone's sake that I can save this boy." Isabella said softly, looking down to the grass after her feet.
"Hey," Maggie said, making Isabella meet her cousin's gaze. "You're the one who said you'd do anything to perform one last surgery aren't you?" Isabella nodded her head. "Exactly, now you're one of the best doctors I know. You can do this out of everyone." Maggie finished with a large grin. Isabella offered a smile in return before sighing once again. "Thanks Mag." Isabella said, before reaching out and running her fingers along the horse's mane that Maggie was holding onto.
"You should get him back to the stables, I have to go check on the boy." Isabella said making Maggie nod her head at her cousin and watching as she ran up the porch steps and pulling open the screen door. Once Isabella was back in the house she walked right into the spare room that was right off of the living room.
"How's he holding up?" Isabella asked her uncle, placing her hand onto the man's shoulder. Hershel smiled at his niece before looking at Rick and Lori who were sitting holding each other. "As good as he can in a time like this." he finally said, making Isabella nod her head. She knew he was trying to say Carl wasn't doing well. That he was going to be a lost cause if Shane and Otis didn't get back soon.
Isabella quickly checked the boys vitals before letting out a small sigh. "What?" Lori asked on high alert at the woman's sudden change in demeanor. "He's going to need another blood transfusion soon." Isabella told her calmly. "I hope you two know, that if Shane and Otis don't make it back by sundown, you're going to have to decide what happens." she said looking at the two parents. "What do you mean decide?" Lori asked alarmed, gripping onto Rick's hand tightly.
"You're going to have to decide if Carl goes through the surgery without all the proper equipment, or if we make him as comfortable as possible before his times up." the doctor informed sadly. "I'll leave you two, to talk things over." she said quietly before leaving the room with a heavy heart.
