𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒.
chapter two; Crisis Call
" But it never was before, was it? "

  ZEPPELIN WILLIAMS WAS bubbling over with excitement from the very moment she woke up. It was nearly impossible to focus on her morning chores, or scarf down her breakfast; all she wanted was to start the adventure of hunting with her mother.

  "Boots, baby, you can't wear your sneakers out there," Vex laughed through a mouthful of pancakes, "And get your hat, I don't want you gettin' a sunburn."

  Zeppelin nodded quickly, bounding up the stairs two steps at a time.

  "You packed already?" Dean questioned, leaning on the table, "For you and her?"

  "Believe it or not, I am," Vex pointed, "Wanna double-check?"

  Dean did not find humor as he stood to look for her backpack.

  "You dumbass, I was--"

  The siblings halted their movements as static crackled from the walkie-talkie on the kitchen counter.

  It hadn't yet made a sound in the short year since they'd given the other one to Hershel Greene.

  Emergencies only, Dean had told them, other than this the families had a standing agreement of weekly visits that had begun even before the world had fallen.

  "Dean--"

  Dean moved quickly, grabbing the walkie just as Zeppelin came bounding down the stairs.

  "Hershel, are you there?" Dean called, "Hershel, tell me y'all are okay."

  Zeppelin furrowed her brows, stopping short at her mother's side.

  "Momma. . ?"

  "Just wait a second, baby," Vex said quietly, wrapping an arm around her daughter to pull her closer.

  "Hershel," Dean repeated.

  Seconds felt like hours, silence engulfed the house.

  "D--Dean?" Maggie Greene's voice crackled over the radio, "Are you there?"

  "Mag, what's goin' on?" Dean questioned, walking over to the table, "You guys okay?"

  "Yeah, I think so," Maggie's voice came in clear finally, "Listen; Otis was out huntin', he accidentally shot a little boy."

  Vex held her daughter tighter on instinct.

  "Two men came back with him; one's the father, the mother just got here," Maggie continued, "Their whole group is gonna come-- we need supplies for surgery--"

  "We're leaving in five, what do y'all need?"

  Dean moved quickly to the basement to retrieve materials as Maggie listed them, leaving Vex with a worried Zeppelin Williams.

  "Mom? Is. . . is everythin' gonna be okay?"

  "Hey," Vex said quietly, brushing her daughter's hair out of her face, "Hershel's helpin' these people, they won't hurt anyone, okay? They just need some supplies and our help, alright? But listen, when we get there, you stay with Beth, alright, baby?"

  Zeppelin nodded silently as Dean emerged with two full duffel bags.

  "Let's head out, c'mon."

  Vex stood, shouldering her bag and her gun in one swift movement.

  "Wait," Zeppelin said quietly grabbing her mother's hand. "Do you think Buttercup would help?"

  "I think that's a great idea, honey."

  Zeppelin nodded, quickly hurrying to the sofa to grab her faded yellow stuffed rabbit, along with her own backpack.

  The trio headed out of the home, Dean hanging back to flip open a control panel and punch in a long code. The metal shutters lowered, the house winking goodbye, as Vex and Zeppelin loaded items into a pickup truck.

  "You think they're trouble?" Dean questioned, approaching the truck as Vex shut her daughter's door.

  "I think any living person could be," Vex informed tightly, "But that family's done a lot for us."

  "That they have," Dean nodded once, "So let's get goin' before it's too late."

🗡

  Maggie Greene was waiting on the porch as Dean put the truck in park, quickly exiting with Vex and Zeppelin.

  "How is the kid?" Vex questioned, approaching the home quickly.

  "Stable, for now," Maggie said tightly, "Come on, get these inside."

  Vex nodded to Dean, who upon entering the house, steered Zeppelin straight upstairs to where Beth Greene resided in her room.

  The woman followed Maggie, who opened a door to reveal a group of people surrounding a bed.

  The boy couldn't have been any older than Zeppelin, laying there with a hole in his stomach, blood soaking his abdomen.

  "Dean grabbed everything he had," Vex spoke up, earning the attention of the unfamiliar couple she assumed to be the boy's parents, "Even found some lidocaine if you think it'll help."

  "It won't hurt," Hershel responded, "I removed one of the fragments, but there's more."

  Vex nodded, unzipping the bag to unload the medical supplies.

  "You tell me what you need, Hershel," Vex said, carefully lining up gloves, alcohol wipes, and medication. "I'll give you space for now, but I'll be right outside this door."

  Hershel only nodded, and Vex gave the couple a single glance before departing from the room.

  "So?"

  "So, the kid's pale, unconscious, and bleedin'," Vex said to Dean in greeting, looking over his shoulder to Maggie, "Where's Otis?"

"He went with one of the men to the old high school."

Vex's eyes widened.

"Things overrun," Dean said quickly, "They'll-"

"They needed a respirator," Maggie informed quietly, "They'll be okay."

Vex sighed, shaking her head slowly.

She had a very bad feeling about the current situation.

🗡

  "I feel useless."

  "We brought medical supplies, and we're making sure nothing weird happens," Dean mumbled, "That's what we were asked to do, that's what we're gonna do."

  Vex clasped her hands at her chin, standing quickly when Zeppelin entered the living room.

  "Zep--"

  The girl held up her stuffed rabbit silently.

  Vex sighed, standing slowly, before wrapping an arm around her daughter.

  "Let's go talk to his parents, first, alright, darlin'?"

  Zeppelin nodded, allowing her mother to guide her out of the front door, and toward the couple standing on the front porch.

  "Thank you."

  "For bringing supplies?" Vex questioned, her daughter behind her leg, "I'd do it in a heartbeat for any kid."

  It was then that Lori looked at her and noticed the small attachment.

  A child, Carl's age, peering around her mother's abdomen with a frown.

  "Name's Vex, this is Zeppelin," She introduced, placing a hand on her daughter's head, "She was wonderin' if she could leave somethin' with your son."

  Zeppelin held up the rabbit, earning a tender look from both Rick and Lori.

  "His name's Buttercup," Zeppelin informed, looking at the rabbit, "He helped me through lots of stuff. Thought he might help him, too."

  Rick only nodded tears in his eyes.

  "Go on, baby," Vex said quietly, sending Zeppelin back inside.

  The woman stood in silence alongside the couple, looking out at the vast farmland.

  "How old?"

  "Eleven going on eighteen," Vex responded evenly, earning a teary laugh from Rick. "Yours too?"

  "Oh yeah," Rick said shakily.

  Vex took a long moment before she spoke her next words. Thought about what she'd want to hear if she were in Rick's shoes.

  And it wouldn't be assurances of recovery or the promise of prayers.

  "They'll be good friends, then."

Vex turned to leave but was halted by a woman's hand on her arm. She turned, meeting a look of desperation in Lori's eyes.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Vex nodded once, turning to face her fully.

"Having a kid in this world. . ." Lori started quietly.

"It's not easy, you know that," Vex responded, "But it never was before, was it?"

This seemed to strike something in Lori, the woman nodding silently. Vex gave her a tight-lipped smile, before turning to return to the silence of the farmhouse.

WORD COUNT : 1260