Work Text:
No way out, missing scene
*BOOM*
The lake erupts into flames drawing every walker towards it, sending them to their final deaths, Daryl’s plan has worked.
As some time goes by the threat minimizes, many walkers have already been taken out, leaving a much lesser threat.
As it breaches close to sun-rise, Glenn runs towards Maggie, bringing her into a tight hug as Enid stands next to the two with a tight smile. She was happy to see Glenn didn’t loose her especially since she’s pregnant, but her smile lessened as she realized everything wasn’t okay.
Just because Glenn and Maggie seemed to have gotten their happy ending didn’t mean that everyone did. In fact it’s almost impossible that there were no casualties of those close to them, it just wasn’t possible.
Someone had died, multiple someone’s in face, and she was gonna have to deal with that sooner or later.And not just her. She may not be super close to most of the new comers but she’s an observant person. Daryl could’ve lost carol. Abraham could’ve lost Rosita, even though she could tell somethings going on with Sasha, she doubts that he doesn’t care about Rosita.
Hell she hasn’t even seen Rick, the one with the katana, that one nerd guy- Eugene maybe?, Ron, Carl… Judith. She has no idea if any of them are even alive. Hell some of them could be one of the walkers in the burning lake for all she knew.
“Ehem.” She coughed grabbing the threes attention, Abraham and Shasta joining them. They all gave her a look urging her to continue, “we should probably get to the others and figure out who’s dead and who’s not.” She said simply. Because it was. Simple.
They all had a grim look on their face as they nodded clearly agreeing. Eventually they made their way through the town, close to the infirmary. That would be the best place to regroup, anyone who’s injured would probably be there and know more. Plus it seemed as good as any a place to meet up. They hoped everyone else would have the same idea.
Sun rise was in full swing, the neighborhood getting lighter out more and more the closer they got to the infirmary. Enid was terrified. And she didn’t admit that easily, not that she would admit that aloud, but still, even admitting it in her head was enough.
She was terrified because the obvious, someone she cared about could be dead, but then there’s the fact that Carl could be dead, which also meant Judith could be dead, or both of them. She probably wouldn’t be able to live with herself if after Carl had asked for her to stay and help protect Judith- or more like ordered her to-, that she had left and something had happened to Judith because she wasn’t there.
Logically she knows it’s been a while since then, and if something did happen unless it happened right after she left, it probably wasn’t her fault, hell he probably wasn’t even needing to protect her until later. Yet she didn’t care, she’d still blame herself.
They arrived at the infirmary to see a mixture of familiar faces, and strangers, or those faces of who she never bothered to remember. Spencer, Deanna’s son was standing off the porch, Olivia sitting on said porch, Rosita leaning the wall of the infirmary, and so on. Shortly after they arrived, Carol, Tara, the guy Eugene, and the Morgan dude appeared.
Daryl ran to pull Carol into a hug- predictable-, Morgan stuck to his spot eyeing everyone like trying to figure out who all they lost and what was happening, she couldn’t blame him, she was doing the exact same thing.
Eugene and Tara side hugged, Rosita pulling Tara into a tight hug as well. Before Rosita spotted Abraham and the two shared a hug, Shasta standing awkwardly near-bye.
Abraham pulled Daryl over, “let’s get doc to check you out huh?” Carol immediately raised an eyebrow at the news he was injured.
Daryl put his hand up in defense, “slight Nick on m’ shoulder, it’s fine.” He mumbled.
Sasha laughed, “you should see the other guys, blew em’ to bits.” That gave him a. Few glances.
Abraham huffed clearly amused, “they were gonna kill us though so fair enough’”
Just then Rick came out of the infirmary in a rush, Michonne following closely behind trying to console him. He just ignored her and sat down, her following sitting next to him as others looked at the two.
Tara broke the silence, “who’d we loose?”
Enid looked up, “yeah, who?”
Rosita spoke up as Rick refused ti even look up out from his hands. “Um, as far as I heard we lost that prisoner, not that that one really matters, Deanna,” she noticed Spencer inhale sharply at that and felt bad for him, she new what it was like to loose a parent, hell two.
Michonne continued for her, “jesse, Sam,… Ron.” Enid looked to the girl in shock. All of them? They’re all gone? She felt her eyes water, that might explain Rick then, he was getting close to them.
But still.. someone was missing, probably others too but she couldn’t bring herself to care compared to him.
“W-where’s Carl? Judith?” She questioned voice wavering, like she already knew. It would explain a lot of how Rick’s acting.
They all heard Rick intake a sob, and her heart dropped. She could tell others hearts did the same, Daryl, Glenn, Maggie, Sasha, Abraham, Carol, practical everyone who wasn’t at the infirmary till she arrived had that reaction.
Michonne looked up from where she was rubbing soothing circles on Rick’s back suddenly, trying to hold tears in herself, though failing. “Judith’s okay, she’s with Gabriel.” That made her and everyone else immediately feel immense relief, then hollow after e realizing she didn’t mention Carl.
Sensing this she continued, “Carl he uh- he’s hurt. He got shot, they don’t k-know if” she stopped herself putting her head in her hands, Maggie running u pro pull the woman into a standing hug, the katana wielding girl returning the hug fully.
Enid’s heart sunk to the floor. He was shot? “h-he’ll be ‘k, ‘tough kid you got Rick, he’s survive a gunshot ‘fore he’ll do it ‘gain.” Daryl drew out attempting a comforting tone.
They saw Rick shake his head, “not one like this.” He looked up, “he got shot in t-the in the-“ he put his head back into his hands.
Enid worried even more, not only had he been shot before and survived, this was way worse somehow. Rick couldn’t even finish his sentence. Where had he been shot? The chest? The neck? It had to be really bad.
Rosita broke the loud silence from where she resumed her spot leaning against the porch wall, now next to Tara. “He got shot in the face.” She said plainly with glassy eyes.
Rosita may not have been super close to the kid but he’s just that, a kid. A kid they had all spent weeks with before even finding this place, led alone after sticking even closer in case this place went down hill. He didn’t deserve this.
Enid let out a quiet sob unable to contain herself anymore. Glenn pulled her into a side hug, that she’d usually push away from, but didn’t have it in her this time. Instead she took in the comfort, going in for a full hug.
She let out quiet cries listening in to the other’s conversations, only getting hits and pieces through her sobs.
“-Ron…. Gun… angry….”
“Blamed ri…. Michonne killed… gun fired….”
“Hit…. Carl… eye...”
His eye.
That son of a bitch shot his eye out.
A couple inches up and Ron could’ve hit him in the brain, killing him, hell he still could die even without that.
And even if he lived, he would be missing an eye with a huge scarring, and impairments. She hated this world, she really did.
It was unfair.
Eventually she pulled away from Glenn, moving to sit up on the porch next to Rosita and Tara plus a few others she hadn’t bothered to identify.
Denise came from the infirmary door to see everyone waiting, she smiled lightly. “Rick?”
Said man immediately looked up before standing up and rushing over, Michonne mot to far behind. “I-is he alive?” He asked.
She nodded and instantly Enid felt herself fill with relief. She didn’t fully really how much Carl meant to her until she almost lost him for real. Not just leaving him, but the other way around permanently.
“I- I can’t say for sure if he’ll make it or not.” There it is. The Hope crushing fact. She’s not surprised really, a gunshot tot he face in a normal world with heavily trained surgeons and unlimited supplies isn’t even a for sure survival. Why would this world be better? Still, the relief she had felt sucked away almost immediately.
“He’s doing okay, he’s stable, bleeding under control, I couldn’t save the eye, there was nothing left to save, but there’s a good chance he makes it out.” She finished shakily, Enid caught a glance of tara nodding encouragingly to the town proclaimed doctor.
Rick pulled her into a quick hug before racing inside, Michonne and Denise following behind.
It wasn’t until a two days later that Denise officially proclaimed he was doing a lot better and that she thought he would make it.
She’s never felt so much relief, happiness and fear all at once before. Denise had him on heavy pain killers and antibiotics to prevent infections and such, so he was out cold. Hasn’t woken up since being shot in the first place. Hell probably be in a mini induced coma for days to come, a week or so maybe who knows, it’s up to doc.
Still she sits by his bedside, staring at him, staring at the bands he encasing his face, his eye- or the area it was supposed to be, and hesitates before pulling his hand into hers, squeezing the limp hand.
“I’m sorry I left. I was stupid, I was scared. I came back with Glenn, he’s alive. Mostly everyone’s okay- well, most from your little group are I guess. Judith’s okay, your dad, Michonne, Daryl… everyone’s really wanting to see you.” Enid let out a sigh. She had no idea how to even talk to him normally led alone while he’s unconscious and missing an eye.
“Just.. please, when you’re ready wake up.” She finished resting her head on his hand, still grasping onto it.
She felt movement on her for head and lifeted her head up to see Carl moving his hand slightly, his body stirring. She smiled, ‘he’s gonna be okay’ she thought watching him slow his movements, watching the rise and fall of his chest and feeling his pulse with her fingers where she grabbed his hand.
“You’re gonna be okay.” She promised.