Every swallow felt like a razor going down her throat. Every breath felt like stoking a fire. Every move she made, felt weighed down.
Nye was sick. And she knew it. But going into quarantine was the last thing on her mind, when Tyreese got her, Daryl, Rick, and Carol, to show them all something. What he showed them, put everything on the back-burner.
The smell of burnt hair and flesh hit her, making her hastily cover her nose. She'd smelled something like it before, back when a squirrel got stuck an a chimney back in the cabin she and the boys once stayed at in Big Bear. But this was so much worse.
Two charred beyond recognition bodies, were laid out behind the prison. A disturbing blood trail led to both bodies, indicating they had most likely been dead before being lit aflame.
Nye gagged, having to look away, or risk contaminating the crime scene with bile.
I was there. That could be me.
But the question was, why wasn't Nye there, dead and burned like Karen and David? Who had been the only other people in the tombs with Nye the previous night.
Next to her, Daryl was coiled tightly like a wound up spring. His chest feeling heavier anytime he thought about the fact that Nye could easily be laid out on the ground too. And there would have been nothing he could do about it.
There was no doubt that the possibilities of what could have happened were going to linger with him. Most likely hindering his sleep for the foreseeable future.
"You found them like this?" Rick broached, he himself looking bothered by the charred remains.
Tyreese nodded robotically, staring at the body of his dead girlfriend with a bizarre amount of intensity. "I came to see Karen... and I saw the blood on the floor. Then I smelled them... Somebody dragged them out here and set them on fire! They killed them and set them on fire!"
As Tyreese raged, Nye felt crippling empathy for him. Unable, and unwilling to imagine something like this happening to her. The thought of someone she knew, going behind everyone's backs, and murdering her boys, or Daryl, and then setting them on fire, made Nye bothered and horrified beyond all levels.
Tyreese rounded on Rick, taking an admittedly menacing step towards the sheriff, causing everyone to tense.
"You're a cop. You find out who did this and you bring 'em to me!"
Rick raised a hand, attempting to persuade him to calm down, but Tyreese steamed on.
"You understand? You bring 'em to me!"
Daryl came up from behind Tyreese, moving to put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find out who-"
Tyreese slapped Daryl's hand away, taking another step towards Rick. "I need to say it again?"
Rick shook his head calmly. "No. No. I know what you're feeling, I've been there. You saw me there. It's dangerous."
"Karen didn't deserve this!"
"No." Rick shook his head in agreement.
"David didn't deserve it! Nobody does!"
Sensing the raising tension, Daryl put his hand on Tyreese's shoulder, pulling him away from Rick. "Alright, man, let's-"
Tyreese spun around, grabbing the front of Daryl's vest, and slamming him into the wall. "Man, I ain't going nowhere 'til I find out who did this!"
Everyone surged forward, but Daryl quickly held up his hand, signalling for them to stay back, and calm down.
Nye hesitated stepping back, brows furrowed in worry, as she wrung her bright yellow jacket in her hands. Carol took the crook of her arm, slowly pulling her back.
"We're on the same side, man." Daryl calmly stated, causing Tyreese to let up slightly. The redneck's own fury at the perpetrator was palpable in his voice.
"Hey, look, I know what you're going through." Rick quietly started. "We've all lost someone. We know what you're going through right now, but you've got to calm down..." He reached to move Tyreese off of Daryl.
Tyreese let the redneck go, rearing back on Rick, pushing him roughly. "You need to step the hell back!"
"Ty!" Nye shouted hoarsely, still being held back by Carol.
"She wouldn't want you being like this." Rick whispered.
Wrong choice of words, apparently, as Tyreese sucker-punched Rick in the face, knocking their former leader to the ground.
"Stop! Stop!" Carol yelled, as Tyreese began whaling on Rick.
"Tyreese!" Nye pleaded, as Carol let her go to stand between the two men.
Daryl lunged at Tyreese's back, putting him in something similar to a choke-hold. "That's enough!"
Tyreese shrugged Daryl off, just as Rick stood back up. The former sheriff threw a punch back at Tyreese, then another, and then several more.
"Rick! Stop!
Tyreese was flat on his back, as Rick now beat his fists into the larger man's face.
Daryl moved to pull him off. "That's enough. Rick!"
When Rick tried shrugging him off like Tyreese had, Daryl grabbed him under his arms, removing him from Tyreese forcefully.
"Stop!"
"Let go of me!"
"Rick!"
"Let go of me!"
"No!"
Rick shoved Daryl off, finally looking down at Tyreese's face, and his own bloodied hands. Straightening up, Rick opened his mouth to speak, but never found any words to say.
Tyreese laid on the ground, not bothering to move or get up, as he sobbed brokenly at the loss of the woman he loved.
Nye swallowed, heart-rate through the roof, as she moved a shaky hand from her mouth.
"O-okay, everyone j-just..."
Slowly, Daryl, Rick, and Carol looked over to her, as she trailed off.
Nye's brows came down, sweat lining her pale face. She took a breath, staring off into space as she tried to make her mouth cooperate. "J-just, calm... c-calm-"
Her flushed cheeks paled, bloodshot eyes rolling into the back of her head. Nye fell, dropping to the ground limply.
Daryl darted forward, quickly being intercepted by Rick, roles reversed as the former sheriff now held back the redneck.
"Daryl!"
Struggling in his grip, Daryl watched as Nye began coughing violently, spitting up flecks of blood as she shrunk into herself in the fetal-position.
"She has it! You can't-"
Finally slipping out of Rick's hold, Daryl knelt down next to her, grimacing at how sickly she appeared. Thankfully, though, Nye's eyes opened as she regained full consciousness.
"We need to get her to quarantine." Carol said lowly, wringing her hands, eyes guilty for unknown reasons.
Nye licked her lips, tongue smearing her blood across them, and nodded dazedly. Forcing herself up onto her elbows, she slowly sat up. Daryl all the while hovered near her, incase she fell again.
"I-I'm okay... 'm good." She mumbled.
As she made it to her feet, Nye wobbled unsteadily. Keeping a hand to her mouth as she was hit with random coughing fits, Nye put one foot in front of the other, shambling towards cell-block A. She wanted as far away from her family as possible, lest she infect them.
"Nye."
She glanced behind her shoulder.
Rick gave her a severe look, clenching his bloody fists. "Get better."
Smiling as well as she could, teeth lined in red, Nye gave him and the other two a thumbs-up. "Got it Sheriff."
...
As she wandered to A block, Nye ran into Sasha, almost literally. Using each other for support, the two women made it. Walking inside cell-block A, they saw everyone who had been sleeping in the same block as Patrick, all of them looking worse for ware. When the two moved passed a cell, in which a poor woman just spit up at least a courter-cup of blood, they had to quickly jump to the side, as a Walker reached for them through a locked cell.
It snarled, speckles of blood flying from it's snapping jaws. While Nye looked on in discomfort, Sasha walked closer to the stairs, leaning on the railing for stability.
"Doctor S...?" Sasha croaked, head ducking as she took a deep breath. "Doctor S?"
Nye finally looked away from the Walker, inwardly noting how the cell-block looked like a prime location for a horror movie. Standing beside Sasha, Nye sat herself down on the steps.
Doctor S slowly came from around the corner, looking almost as bad as the two women, having to lean on something for support with every step. "We have to tell them." He panted. "It's starting."
Nye closed her eyes, sighing. Which only led her to another coughing fit.
Sasha nodded, almost deliriously, and moved to go back out of the cell-block.
"No, no..." Nye chanted, a languid trickle of blood spilling out of the corner of her mouth, as a result of the coughing. "You can't... too sick. I'll go..."
Sasha shook her head ruefully, giving Nye a bittersweet smile. "Honey, you're even worse off than I am."
Nye took Sasha's wrist, wiping the blood from her chin with her free hand. "You'll... faint... or sum'n."
Doctor S straightened, waving the girls off as he went for the door. "I'll go. I look like a damn magazine model compared to you two."
Neither woman had the strength, or will, to fight him on the matter. Instead, they fed their energy into making it into two empty cells.
Slowly, a steady stream of people began to fill each cell. Most of which were usually healthy adults. To see them all shaking, coughing, pale messes, was a rather jarring thing to witness.
Nye laid on her back, staring up at the bunk above her. No one inhabited cell-block A, so every cell was barren. With only a bunk bed, housing plain white sheets.
After so long, Nye's room had started to take on the smell of her shampoo, and scented candles. The homey atmosphere always helping quell her discontent. But now, she was back to the smell of dust, with scratchy sheets. What she wouldn't give to at least have her books with her.
It was once Glenn was brought in, hacking and sweating, that someone finally told her the state of her kids.
Apparently, the children, and the elderly, were moved to the administrations office, away from all the cell-blocks. Though, since they had been exposed, Hershel, Mason, and Toby were all in a separate area, to avoid possible spreading of the virus. Nye was relieved to hear that all the kids, especially hers, Carl, and Judith, were relatively safe from the illness.
Glenn sat with her for awhile, going back and forth visiting with her, Sasha, and Doctor S. It went on until the poor guy could no longer make the small trip between cells.
At that point, almost the entire block was full. Coughing and wheezing was heard around the clock, as not a single person there was getting any better.
Nye rested, arm thrown over her eyes. She had put her inner demons aside temporarily, taking off her Funshine Bear jacket, in favor of cooling off. As a result, she was showcasing her arm to whoever may pass by.
There was a meek, and younger sounding cough that cought her attention. As Nye removed her arm, looking down at the door, she saw a head of blonde hair, and a pair of intense green eyes.
"Hey there Rapunzel."
Lizzie smiled shyly, before devolving into a small fit of coughs.
Nye frowned in concern, sitting upright with monumental effort. "C'mere, sit down. Where's Aurora?"
Lizzie sat down next to her on the bed as Nye made room. Sniffling, and wiping her mouth, Lizzie shrugged lightly. "Mika's not here. I don't think she has it."
Nye hummed hoarsely, brushing away some stray strands of Lizzie's bird-nest of blonde hair. "How're you feeling?"
Lizzie shrugged again. "Bad. But I haven't coughed up any blood yet."
Nye nodded slowly, brows furrowed. "Well, that's good. As good as it gets, I mean."
Lizzie sniffled again, reaching up and pulling out her ponytail band, letting her knotted up braid go. "Could... Could you...?"
Lizzie trailed off, holding the elastic band out to Nye. The brunette caught on quick, and motioned for Lizzie to turn around, so her back faced her.
"The usual?"
Lizzie hummed, playing with a loose string at the hem of her shirt.
Nye got to work, carefully twisting Lizzie's hair into a fishtail braid. She was the only one who knew how to do it how Lizzie liked, now that Ryan, the girls' father was gone.
"And... done."
Lizzie turned back around, reaching up and feeling at her hair. Smiling as she felt no loose strands, Lizzie was quick to hug the former nurse.
"Thank you."
Nye softened, heart warm at the appreciation. "No problem. Now go get some rest."
Lizzie got up, practically bouncing out of the cell, despite her sickness. After one more smile over her shoulder, Lizzie left Nye's view, presumably heading back to her cell as Nye instructed.
The brunette's own smile fell as soon as Lizzie was gone. As there was no reason to keep the facade up. Right when she moved to lay back down, her stomach flipped, and she felt a tickle in the back of her throat.
Nye threw her upper half off of the bed, as blood poured from her mouth. Gagging and coughing everytime the blood paused in its escape, Nye's eyes watered in pain, as the acidic combination of bile and blood burned her throat. She soon realized though, that what she thought was tears, was really blood. Causing a disconcerting red filter to spread over her vision.
Eyes shut tight, Nye jumped when a pair of hands gently started holding her hair back. Looking up, she saw Hershel, with a bandana over his mouth for protection.
Nye's throat bobbed as she tried holding back the next bout of blood. Embarrassed to have the man she looked up to so dearly, seeing her at such a low point.
Hershel's eyes crinkled over the bandana, as he carefully brushed more hair back. "Let it out, Niagara. You're better than that."
As her eyes watered with true tears, Nye gave a minute nod, tipping her head back down and letting it all go. Her left hand came up behind her head, and Hershel took it earnestly.
Thanks Doc.
He soon left after she stopped vomiting, giving her a reassurance that he would be back soon.
She wasn't sure how long he was gone, but by the time he returned, she felt like she was at 1% battery.
Never before had drinking tea been such a monumental chore. But when Hershel came back (sans bandana) and gave her a cup of elderberry tea, Nye could barely even move at that point.
"It's a natural flu remedy." He replied after she asked why she had to drink the stuff.
Propping herself up using her pillow, Nye took a few careful sips from the mug. The warmth simultaneously soothed her throat, and made her want to cough.
"You're looking pretty pale there Doc." Nye noted, voice scratchy.
"You're one to talk." Hershel retorted. "I can damn near see your veins."
Nye snorted, wincing as the action hurt her throat more than expected, and tipped back the rest of the tea. "I'm a mess. Got it." But she quickly sobered. "I mean it though, you should take a break. You don't look good."
Hershel gave her a tender look, patting her knee. "I'm the only one who can take care of these people. Bob is out on the supply run. And you and Caleb can't even stand. It has to be me."
Nye frowned guiltily. "I could-"
"No." Hershel was quick to shut her down. "You won't be of any help to anybody unless you rest."
Sighing, Nye laid her head back, deciding to change the subject. "Speaking of which, I wonder how the run's going."
Hershel gave her knee another pat. "I'm sure it's going fine. Daryl will be back here soon."
Nye nodded loosely, eyes falling shut. "He better be."
Hershel smiled, giving her a look she wouldn't see. "I don't think there's a single thing out there, that could stop him from coming back to you."
Half-asleep now, Nye smiled deliriously. "Yeah... I hope so."
"Maybe when he gets back, you could tell him how worried you were."
"Tha's a good idea... should prolly kiss 'im too." Nye slurred, the intended joke sounding entirely too real.
Hershel's shoulders shook with restrained chuckles. "I think he'd like that."
Nye didn't respond, already asleep.
...
"Why is it always her?"
Mason didn't reply, shuffling through old documents in a filing cabinet to keep busy.
Toby sat, leaned against the door, hat in his hands. "It's always her. Why is it always Mom?"
Mason finally looked over, absently tearing off the corners of a random piece of paper. "The world loves to fuck the Conners over. That's why."
Toby scowled at the floor. "Sure seems like it."
Mason moved to sit next to his brother, taking his own hat off. "But Daryl's gonna get the meds. And Mom's gonna be okay."
Toby scoffed pessimistically. "Since when are you one for pep talks?"
Mason pursed his lips, running his thumb across the brim of his cap. "Since I got shot. And survived. Since Mom got shot. And survived."
Toby stared off into space, then nodded. "So what you're saying is, I'm next in line to get seriously injured." He joked.
"Psh," Mason waved him off. "I think me and Mom have maxed us all out on bad luck. If anything, you're gonna be like, the Batman of the apocalypse."
Toby gave Mason a genuinely bewildered look. "I- what?"
"You know, like," Mason waved his hand around, eyes narrowed as he looked for the right wording. "even though you don't have super-powers, nothing can lay a hand on you. Get it?"
Toby's mouth hung open, as he raised a brow. "Not even a lick of that made sense."
Mason pouted, crossing his arms. "Fine, be an asshole."
Toby laughed quietly at that, shaking his head. "So, wait, does that make you my Robin?"
Mason gasped, scandalized. "No! If anything I'm the Joker."
"W-what?" Toby sputtered through a laugh.
Mason grinned, proud of his assessment. "Yeah, screw Robin. At least the Joker knows how to have fun."
Toby opened and closed his mouth, then gave up and just laughed.
"You're insane!"
"As the Joker should be!"
Tucked all the way in the administrations office, neither teen could hear the gunshots coming from cell-block A.
...
When Nye awoke, it wasn't for any natural reason. Rather, it was the gunshots, screaming, and Walkers' growling.
As she opened her eyes, she was met with a thick red film over them, and had to rub them fiercely to dispel it. When her hands moved away from her eyes, she was met with a snarling Walker lumbering through her door, teeth knashing on the air tube that was down its throat, and sticking out of its mouth.
Nye forced herself upright, inhaling sharply, which only led to a debilitating coughing fit. Through her hacking, Nye looked around her cell for something to defend herself with, but came up with nothing.
Just as she was convinced she was going to have to fight it off with her bare hands, a voice down the hall called to the Walker.
"No, no Henry. Not there. Away from Nye."
Her eyes widened, and she scrambled even harder to get to her feet. Using the sink for support, Nye gurgled on her blood as she shouted,
"Lizzie!"
The Walker gone from her cell, Nye quickly darted out the door on unstable legs, looking on in horror as Lizzie, with a smile on her face, urged the reanimated Henry to follow her.
"What are you-" Nye's demand cut itself off as she fell to her knees, choking.
Lizzie finally looked concerned, but only on behalf of the brunette. "No Nye, it's okay! Calm down!"
But right after her assurance, Lizzie tripped over herself, falling down on her back. Immediately, the Walker dove on top of her.
As Lizzie screamed, Nye managed to get her footing. Appearing behind the Walker, Nye used all of the strength she had left to throw the Walker off of the girl. Falling over the railing, the Walker landed on a net of fencing, still alive.
Nye honestly had no clue why the fence was even there.
Hershel ran up the stairs, as well as he could, towards them. "Are you girls alright?"
Lizzie only panted, looking shaken up as Nye helped her stand.
"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Nye quietly asked, brushing the now loose hair out of her face.
"I called him nice." Lizzie whimpered, instead of answering. "He didn't scratch Glenn. I thought... maybe he listens."
"Lizzie, where is Glenn?" Hershel asked urgently.
"His cell."
As Hershel moved to go to his son-in-law, Nye finally felt the world shift on its axis. Vision going dark, Nye fell, sprawling across the ground as she lost consciousness once again.
"Hershel!"
Looking back, the vet swore as he saw Nye on the floor. Lizzie stood over her, brows lowered in concern.
"Drag her into a cell!" He ordered, having to choose between her or Glenn.
Lizzie nodded, putting her arms under Nye's and pulling her into the closest one. Thankfully, Nye was barely more than skin and bones, so she wasn't that heavy.
As the blonde shut the barred door, she looked down at her friend.
Nye's eyelids were red, unlike the rest of her face, which was a milky tone. Fresh and dried blood was splattered in several places across her face, but most of it originated from her mouth. Her chest audibly rattled when she inhaled, making her sound bizarrely similar to a Walker.
The blonde haired girl cocked her head, kneeling down beside the older brunette. Lizzie reached a hand over, tracing the blood on Nye's face that was still wet.
A part of Lizzie hoped that Nye would die from the sickness, because surely, Nye would still be herself after becoming different. Mason and Toby wouldn't kill their mom in cold-blood. And of course Daryl wouldn't kill her either. And then everyone would finally understand.
Lizzie grinned.
She wondered if Nye would like rats, like the others did.
...
The group came back in the middle of the night, bringing with them the needed medicine. But Nye wouldn't see any of them until morning. Even as she was hooked up to the medication, she remained asleep.
Those in the administrations office who had showed no sign of being infected, were finally let out. Much to Mason and Toby's relief.
As the sun finally made it up over the horizon, the Walkers that had broken through the fence the night before, were finally all gathered up for disposal.
And because he was no longer needed for clearing out the undead, Daryl made his way to A block.
Hershel wasn't pleased to see him there, chancing getting sick, but he understood the man's motivation. Besides, this way they could keep Mason and Toby out, so long as Daryl was the middle man, trading messages between the trio.
He leaned against her doorway, watching as she breathed heavily. Eyes closed, and arm sticking out over the bed for an IV.
She was pale, looking only moderately better than before being treated.
"We were lucky."
Daryl looked over at Hershel, who stood beside him.
"It's a miracle she lasted as long as she did."
Daryl's chest tightened at that, as he looked back at her. "How close?"
"You sure you want to know?"
Daryl hummed lowly in his chest.
Sighing, Hershel tucked his hands in his pockets, looking thoughtful, yet somber. "She started showing signs only four hours after you all left. Bleeding from her eyes and mouth. From what I can tell, those are the warning bells, signalling not much time left."
Daryl's jaw clenched, eyes tracing the way her chest moved, showing she was still alive.
"But, she made it." Hershel reached up, rubbing his beard as he watched her in a way that resembled a proud, yet concerned parent. "I'm amazed her heart held out."
Daryl's head snapped to the left, as he silently looked at Hershel in shock. "She told you?"
Hershel smiled sadly. "No, she didn't need to. I know what a healthy heart sounds like. And I could tell she doesn't have one." He tugged on his suspenders. "It's weak. And I'm afraid that if she keeps up this habit of being bedridden, it won't last long."
Daryl sighed, looking back at the brunette. She probably didn't even realize the amount of stress she put him in, merely by existing.
Hershel watched him in silent consideration. "But, I take it, she told you?"
"Yeah. Back in winter."
Hershel nodded slowly, as his eyes dimmed. "Mason and Toby?"
Daryl shook his head, lips tightly glued together.
Hershel sighed, sending a silent apology to the two boys. Knowing he was going to have to keep Nye's secret from them too now.
"I don't think she knows, but I had to help restart her heart twice last night. Had to keep Lizzie on watch, calling for me whenever it stopped."
Hershel didn't mention Lizzie's strange reluctance to help keep Nye alive. But he had a bad feeling he knew why the young blonde was so hesitant. And it had something to do with how she treated Walkers.
Daryl swore softly, running a hand down his face in exhaustion.
Hershel nodded in agreement, wholeheartedly sharing his stance on being both exasperated with Nye, and just plain worried about her. But then, he slowly began to smile in remembrance. "She said some rather interesting things while you all were gone."
"One more word, an' I'll castrate you Doc."
Both men relaxed in relief, as Nye stared them down, having woken up and was now fully conscious. Her glare though, was less threatening than that of a puppy's. Especially with how sick she still looked.
Hershel grinned, whilst Daryl stepped back a little, seemingly sheepish for being caught checking up on her.
"I'll leave you two alone."
Before Hershel could leave, though, Nye sat up. "Wait."
The vet paused, looking back at her.
Nye's pale cheeks gained some color, as she looked down at her lap. "Thanks for everything, Pops."
Hershel opened his mouth in faint surprise, but quickly shut it with a smile. Nodding his head, he gave her a soft look. "No thanks needed Niagara. Just get better."
Neither objected this time, as Hershel walked away. When Daryl made no move to leave, Nye tucked her legs up, making room on the mattress.
"Know how the gremlins are doing?"
Daryl sat, leaning his back against the wall. "Yeah, Ace's doin' okay, but Smalls is still worried. Neither of 'em are sick."
Nye sighed, letting the tension in her shoulders go. "Good. How about you, how'd the run go?"
For a second, he almost told her about the herd that got close to getting them. He almost told her about Tyreese's near suicidal attitude during most of the trip. He almost told her about Bob risking his, and their lives, for a bottle of booze. He almost told her about how he was ready to kill the man for it, for his disregard of the ill, and how it could have led to her death. He almost told her about how Carol was the one who killed Karen and David, and that Rick banished her as a result. He almost told her about how he nearly lost his mind with worry, some part of him convinced that they wouldn't get back in time.
He almost dumped everything on her. But her tired green eyes looked all too fragile in that moment.
Instead, he fished around in his pocket, pulling out something he found in the veterinary college. Holding it out to her, he waited for her reaction.
Nye carefully took the pinback button from him, flipping it around, and looking at the colorful graphic on the front.
Badass Nurse.
The bubble font, paired with the vulgar nature of it, made Nye giggle. Looking up at him, she ignored the tickle in the corners of her eyes at such a small gesture.
"...Have I ever told you, you're my favorite?"
Daryl bit his lip, eyes widening a fraction. He remembered a time when Nye hated him. Or at least acted like it. But now, he would never get tired of her saying things like that. And how they made him feel.
As she sat there, smiling toothily at him, holding the button gently, as if it was some precious piece of glass, he was hit with a sinking feeling. A feeling so overwhelming it was terrifying. A feeling he didn't want to even try to put a label on, for fear of breaking some sort of unspoken rule.
But, as Nye's green eyes bored into his, he knew he wouldn't be able to ignore it forever. He would have to face it eventually.
For now though, he was fine being what they were. He was fine, so long as he got to see that crooked smile everyday.
