Chapter Thirty-Seven // {rick's pov}

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"We saved her and brought her back. To her home. Back to what she's best at. If anything, we're her family!" the woman, Dawn, explained. I just wanted to get Jords and leave like we had planned.

My eyes flickered over to Jordan who casually stepped towards the other officer. It was weird seeing her in a police uniform, but it was a major turn on... I probably shouldn't be thinking about that right now though.

"I don't want to be here, Dawn," she said calmly. Dawn look over to her with pleading eyes. I could almost hear the gears working in Jordan's brain. She was planning something. Planning to convince her in some way?

"This is your home though, why would you want to leave it?" Dawn mumbled under her breath more than anything. She avoided eye contact and looked towards the ground. Jordan took another step forward, making her in arm's reach of Dawn.

I didn't know where this was going, but I kept my hand rested on top of my python.

"You save people, Dawn," Jordan stated, making me feel anxious. Something wasn't right.

"And now, I'm going to save you." I frowned at the statement, but then it all came together....

Jordan quickly pulled out the knife I had given her at the prison and shoved it right where Dawn's heart is. The woman's eyes widened and almost like a reflex, took her gun out and shot randomly in Jordan's direction.

"No!" I screamed as the love of my life fell to the ground. I ran over to her and wrapped my arms around her small body. I completely blocked out everything but Jordan. I ripped off my jacket and used it to apply pressure on the wound. My hands were shaking from the shock and adrenaline.

Another gunshot went off and Dawn's body fell to the floor across from Jordan who was still awake -- surprisingly. She looked up in my general direction and mumbled, "I'm sorry."

I watched as her eyes rolled back. 

"No.. No! We.. We need a doctor! Get a doctor! Please, save her!" I screamed towards the policemen and women who stood in shock. Some of them started to move while others still stood there until I glared at them.

A dark-skinned boy ran over to me.

"He's coming, he can save her," he said in a rushed tone. I nodded as tears started to fall.

"She'll be okay, just trust me here," the boy assured. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"After that?" I scoffed.

"She told me about you and everyone else. We were planning an escape. Just please, if you trust her, you need to trust me," the boy said to me before standing up and moving out of the way. I looked up to see a man, who appeared to be the doctor, wheel down a bed that would be used to transport Jords.

"Get her on it!" the man yelled to me. I quickly complied and lifted Jordan carefully onto the bed. I was quickly pushed back as the policemen and women helped push the bed. I stared at her hand that was hanging off of the bed. It had blood all over it from stabbing Dawn. Some people removed Dawn's body from the hallway in an awkward manner. I glared at the pool of blood.

"Rick," a gruff voice called from further up the hallway. I looked over to Daryl, I knew he loved her too, in a different way, of course, but he still loved her. I wasn't going through this alone.

I followed him through a few corridors. He took me to the one place I didn't want to be in, a waiting room. It's the end of the world and I'm in the waiting room, waiting to see if my girlfriend is going to pull through. Everyone else from our group was already in here, sitting in their own little groups around the room.

We both sat down on one the seats near the doorway. The seat next to me had a massive blood stain on it, reminding me of the pool of blood pouring out of her wound. How could she live after this? How many times has she been hurt?

The door we came through earlier, busted open. My eyes widened as I saw Michonne, Gabriel, Carl and Judith walk into the room. Something must've happened at the church. Michonne was in a deep conversation with Gabriel. 

Carl ran over to me with Judith in his arms.

"Where's Mo-... Jordan?" he asked with a stutter. He was going to call her Mom....

"She was shot," I mumbled to the boy. His eyes widened in pure shock and then tears started to fall from his blue eyes, making them appear glassy -- I was sure that mine were the same. I wrapped my arms around my son tightly, he shook in my arms as he cried. I never knew how much he loved her until this moment. Judith was squashed in between our embrace, asleep. She was too young to understand but, I knew that she adored Jordan too.

"There's a doctor here, working on her right now," I told Carl as he pulled away, wiping away the tears from his face. He passed me Judith as sat down in the blood stained seat, beside me.

"So, she still has a chance?" he asked, his voice shook a little as he spoke. I nodded, reassuring him.

I looked around the room and noticed everyone was sitting in little groups either having small private conversations or just not talking at all. It was exactly how it used to be, before shit hit the fan.

This was the second time Carl has been waiting in the waiting room to see if a person would pull through. The first time would've been with Lori, waiting to see if I would live after being shot. Here he is, doing the same thing, but with me and waiting for Jordan to be in a stable condition. 

Beth caught my eye as I noticed her walking over to me. 

Once she was in front of me and Carl, she spoke softly, "I didn't know Dawn would retaliate..."

"No one could have," I reassured the girl who was acting a lot more like she used to, even though I was probably the one who needed reassuring.

She nodded, "why did she do that though? It's been playin' on my mind."

I swallowed a large lump in my throat. That was the last thing on my mind.

"Oh god, I didn't mean that.. I just can't wrap my head around it. Jordan knew her before everything happened," she rambled, blushing madly.

I glanced down at the sleeping baby in my arms before looking back up at Beth.

"Can you take her please?" I asked, avoiding her question. She sheepishly smiled before taking Judith from me and I watched her walk back over to Maggie and Glenn. I sighed, leaning back into the chair more.

"Rick, she didn't mean anythang by that, y'know?" Daryl spoke up from beside me, "she just runs 'er mouth, thinkin' out loud."

"You seem to know a lot about her, don't you?" I retorted, teasing him just like how Jordan used to. Which actually saddened me more than anything.

"What are you up to? Being all childish?" I chuckled.

"Daryl has a crush though," Jordan explained, beaming like a child on Christmas. I shook my head, smiling at her behaviour.

"He said the same thing to me about you," I revealed making her gasp. Daryl used to always tease and point out that I fancied her.

"You should be helping me tease him then," she exclaimed with laughter.

He scoffed and remained silent after that.

I didn't like the silence and the waiting. It made me anxious. I sideways glances towards Carl who had fallen asleep rather quickly. I wish I could sleep right now and wake up with Jordan beside me. I could only assume the stress from the past few days has exhausted him.

I stood up, making everyone look at me. I shrugged off their stares and made my way out of the waiting room. I peered down the hallway, where the puddle of blood was. All that was left was a pink stain. I frowned at the sight before making my way down to where Jordan was taken to. The place was dead quiet. It was odd.

I had made my way to an intersection and decided to take a left. I was wandering around more than anything. It felt like it had been ages when in reality, it had only been an hour or so.

I wanted to see her emerald eyes look up at me with love and admiration, not to see her on her deathbed. What I wanted even more than that was to live with her in a normal world and a normal house with Carl and Judith. That wasn't going to happen, even if Eugene did have a cure. Nothing would be perfectly normal. 

"Rick!" a man yelled from behind me. I whipped around, my hand automatically hovered over my colt python. I frowned as I saw the doctor from earlier. He was jogging up to me.

As he got closer, I felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest. The fact that this man could tell me that my girlfriend is dead scared me.

"She's stable," he breathed, panting slightly.

I let out an audible sigh. She's okay. She's is alive. She's okay.

"She's recovering well. During the procedure, we almost lost her... Her body went into shock and it didn't seem as if she was going to make it. But she did. She's a strong girl," the doctor spoke. He scratched his beard and looked uncomfortable.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked slightly panicked by his behaviour.

"There was something.. I don't know if you know or not though," he replied nervously. He was beating around the bush.

"Just tell me."

"She was pregnant. She was almost two months along," he informed. Was. She was pregnant. Pregnant with my child. We were going to have a child together...

"She lost it..." I mumbled. He nodded sadly.

"Almost two months, did you say?" I asked with a frown. He nodded again. The baby was definitely mine, not that asshole from before Terminus. I pushed that thought away.

"Is she awake?" I questioned, changing the subject.

He shook his head, "no, she's sleeping right now. But you can go see her. She's in room 369, just down that hallway."

I offered a small smile and nod before walking away to go get Carl and Judith. I was still shocked about her being pregnant. We were going to have a kid together.

I pushed open the waiting room door and Carl stood up right away.

"Dad, where did you go?" he asked as he walked over to me with Judy snuggled up in his arms. I shook my head, dismissing his question. He followed me out of the room. I stopped in the hallway and turned to him.

"Jordan's okay. Doctor told me she's stable currently," I told Carl. A grin appeared on his face. I knew it wouldn't be there for long though.

"She gets through anythang that's thrown at her," he smiled happily, "can we go visit her?"

"We can, but I need to tell you somethang else first," I replied, suddenly feeling sad.

He stopped smiling and he looked worried now, "what?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose before answering, "you and Judy were going to have another sibling."

"Were..." he repeated. He was silent and looked to be deep in thought, "does she know?"

I shook my head, "doc said she was sleep. I doubt that she knows."

"How far along was she because.... you know..." he asked, referring to the incident.

"He said almost two months. It was definitely mine, don't worry," I reassured him.

"Can we go see her now?" he asked much more quietly. I nodded, furrowing my eyebrows.

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We both stood side by side, outside room 369 when the door suddenly opened. The doctor stood in front of us, slightly shocked to see us.

"Didn't think you were coming," he said with a light smile.

"I never thanked you, Doctor," I thanked the man who saved my girlfriend. He smiled.

"I'm used to it. Just come find me if somethang goes wrong or if you have any questions, I'm just in Office B," he answered before brushing past us to make his way to his office. Carl walked in with Judith and I followed behind them.

I noticed her police uniform neatly folded on the bedside table.

Jordan laid peacefully on the bed as if nothing has happened to her. I pulled two cream sofa chairs up to the side of her bed, so Carl and I could sit down.

I cautiously laced my hand with hers. Her hand was warm and comforting. It was a constant reminder that she was alive and that I was not dreaming.

"She looks at peace," Carl observed. It brought a small smile to my face.

"This whole time, she had somethang living inside of her," I muttered sadly.

"She never had morning sickness though, did she?" he asked thoughtfully.

"I wish she did. Just so I could've known. I could've told her stay at the church. She would've been safe and so would have the baby. Why did y'all come here anyway? I told you to stay at the church," I tore my gaze away from Jordan to look at my son.

He rolled his eyes, "Gabriel went out to the school, ended up bringing a herd of walkers with him. We tried killing them, but we had to escape through the floorboards and we took the spare car and now here we are," he explained. I hummed a reply. Of course it was Gabriel's fault.

"Did he say why he went to the school?"

"Said something about having to see it for himself," Carl answered. I nodded and looked back to Jordan who hadn't moved an inch.

Everything felt surreal. I couldn't believe how in a short space of time, everything had changed.

"How will she react to losing the baby?" Carl wondered out loud. I sighed, rubbing my forehead. That was something I hadn't thought about. 

"Only time will tell, Carl."

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a/n: :oooo....