Rick immediately let go of the shovel, with which he had filled the grave moments ago, and ran alongside Glenn, Daryl and Beth into the house. Lori lay on the bed in the Greenes' guest room, her face paler than usual. She always had been thin, but now it seemed like she could break apart any moment. Her eyes were closed and her breath was shallow. Apparently she had fallen asleep. Rick went to her side right away and there were traces of deep concern on his face. Meanwhile, the rest of the group had gathered in the room. Everyone seemed scared and confused.
Carol put her hands on both kids' shoulders and shoved them out of the room. "Sophia, Carl, why don't you go outside? T-Dog knows a really nice game he wants to show you, right T-Dog?" T-Dog understood what she was trying to do and took the boy and the girl outside. As long as nobody knew exactly what was wrong with his mother, Carl should not have to witness everything that was going on right now.
"Lori, darling. Can you hear me? What's wrong with her? She didn't get bit, right?!" Rick's voice got louder with each sentence. Panic started to fill his eyes, as he feared that he could lose his wife once again.
Carol said. "This morning she said that she felt dizzy. I thought it was because of the heat and that she hadn't drunk enough water. Then she got this fever and it got worse and worse. But, I guarantee you that she wasn't bitten. We watched the kids together." Carol tried to calm Rick down a little, but her words had little effect.
"Hershel, what's wrong with her? You're a doctor! Help her, please!" Rick pleaded.
The older man who was sitting on the side of the bed felt Lori's forehead and gave a deep sigh. "I'm a vet and I don't know much more about this virus than you do. She's practically burning up. Right now, all I can do is try to get this fever down. I think it's just a normal flu but I can't tell for sure. What she need is antibiotics and painkillers. I've got some of here but not enough. We need more medicine."
Glenn hesitated a little before he gave his answer. Hershel somehow had an intimidating effect on him. "The city is overrun. You all saw it yourselves. These… things are everywhere."
"There's a veterinarian clinic a few miles out of town. The medicine is the same as what we need. Most people don't know that." Hershel felt Lori's pulse and sighed again. "She is getting weaker with every minute and needs those things as quickly as possible. I can draw a map and make a list of what we need."
Hope seemed to catch fire in Rick's eyes. "I'll go! Just tell me where this place is."
"You should be here. If Lori… well, if it gets worse, you should be here for your boy. I'll go." Daryl's voice was quiet but everyone in the room turned to him.
Rick shook his head vehemently. "She's my wife. I'll…"
"No, Daryl's right. Your son needs you here. I would feel better though if Daryl didn't go on his own. We don't know what's waiting there." Hershel got up and looked for a piece of paper so he could draw a map.
"Bullshit," Daryl snorted. "I'm better on my own. If we show up with a whole group, we'll just attract unwanted attention." Daryl knew the feeling of being alone. He had been on his own his entire life. The whole undead thing frightened him more than he would ever admit, but he didn't want Rick to go. The former sheriff seemed trustworthy and he shouldn't have to lose his family again.
Rick grabbed his still unconscious wife's hand tightly and gave Daryl a thankful nod. The redneck mirrored the gesture and waited for Hershel's instructions.
Merle, who had silently watched the whole situation until now, made a disapproving sound as he stomped out the front door. It was obvious he didn't see eye to eye with his younger brother on this one.
Beth desperately tried to lock eyes with Daryl. She remembered what had happened to her mother, to Patricia, Shawn and Otis. The thought of it still brought tears to her eyes, but she fought them back. They had all been bitten and everyone assumed that this was how the virus spread. But what if it was more complicated than that? What if this disease spread in other ways as well? How bad was the situation in the city? Her stomach turned and she felt her breakfast rise in her throat. Quickly spinning on her heels, she went outside into the garden.
Next to the house she watched as Carl and Sophia played a stupid game of hide and seek with T-Dog. Both the kids laughing out loud. Carl didn't seem aware of what was happening. It was probably better that way. Beth tried to control over her panic and to stop the tears that were starting to stream down her cheeks. She couldn't lose someone else. She barely knew Daryl, but she liked him too much to just let him go and risk his life. There was something about him that fascinated her. He seemed like such a bad boy, and she had always been a good girl. Taking a deep breath, Beth walked over to the horse stable. As she got close, she could hear low voices.
"Listen, what if she's really infected? We don't know shit about this virus! We got no clue how it spreads. She's a damn risk!" Merle tried to keep his voice down but Beth heard everything he said.
"You think I don't know that? You wanna' be the one to tell Rick? She's his wife!" Maggie sounded cold as ice, but Beth knew her too well. She heard the fear in her sister's words.
"I ain't got no problem tellin' him the damn truth. Daryl's stupid enough to put his life on the line for these people. Before all this shit they wouldn't even have looked at him." Merle spit out.
"I don't think that any of that matters now, Merle," Maggie said. Trying to calm him down a little.
"If you think I'm gonna' let Daryl just go there on his own, you're crazy, sweetheart. We shouldn't have even come here. I told him it was a shit idea!" And with that Merle stormed out of the stable, without seeing Beth standing there.
Walking into the barn, Beth saw Maggie was seated on a bale of hay, staring at nothing in particular. Beth took a seat next to her sister and softly laid her hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. He'll come around eventually."
Maggie scoffed. "Merle can be a real asshole, but right now he's just worried about Daryl. He is his little brother. If it was me and you, I'd be worried, too." Maggie looked at her sister. Since the tragedies on the farm, she seemed to have grown older. But there was still something naive about her. Something fragile. Maggie knew that Beth liked Daryl more than she would admit right now. "But I mean… I thought about it and Daryl doesn't seem like he couldn't take care of himself, you know."
"No, well, I mean yes… I just can't lose him too." Beth stopped as Maggie looked at her in surprise.
"Oh, so there is something going on there!" Maggie gave her little sister a half-hearted smile as Beth simply rolled her eyes.
"I told you I liked him. Plus he protected me from Shane." Beth swallowed hard. Just the thought of it made shivers go down her spine. Quickly she pushed it aside. "Maggie, you've been to the city. How bad is it there? Does he even have a chance?" Beth couldn't stop the tears this time and fear made her voice almost inaudible.
"We didn't make it to the center. But this Glenn guy is right. It's chaos there. People are panicking. And, from what I saw, the military couldn't do anything either." Maggie looked down at her shoes. "All I can think about is Carl. He shouldn't have to lose his mother. We don't know if Lori is infected or not, but we can't just stand there and do nothing. Mama taught us to help others, Bethy. Daryl doesn't have to go alone. I'll go with him. I know which medicine we need."
Beth wiped her wet cheek. "I know. But… you and him? That's your big plan? I'll come with you. I'm not a little girl anymore and I'm not weak."
Maggie sighed. "Remember what Daddy always says. We all have a job to do. You gotta' stay here and help him. He can't do this alone. I'm gonna' ask Merle to come with us. They're both experienced hunters and I know how to handle a gun. We'll be back before you know it."
Beth knew it wouldn't help anyone if she started an argument about it now. Maggie had already made her decision. And Daryl wouldn't change his mind either. She thought of her mother. Her loving mother who had always helped everyone. Annette had taken the Dixon brothers in. Without her approval and love, Daryl probably wouldn't even be at the farm. Beth decided to follow her mother's lead. Even if everything inside her head screamed no, she had to let Daryl, Merle and Maggie go. Lori needed help as soon as possible. They all had jobs to do and this was hers.
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chapter submitted by SabrinaJosie
