A/N: I'm uploading a little early for you guys! So I feel this chapter a little all over the place but it has some good moments I hope that guys enjoy. Not a lo happened but just setting up the scene.
Thanks to all the support I get, including those who follow and favourite: RebornRose1992, Luna Marie xo, reverie-scriptor and Skylar97! Also I wouldn't be uploading without my beautiful, lovely reviewers!
Ryane: Haha well you'll see! and sorry to say it won't be as romantically emotional as you like because Rick's gotta get there first and it'll definitely take time to build. but i did work some fluff as well as some tension into this.
RebornRose1992: Thanks for taking the time to read it!
Stefanie: Thanks, I hope you're enjoying the story!
Vince Basile Jr: Aww thanks! I hope you enjoyed the whole wild ride and I'm glad you find it incredible! I know haha we're all waiting on Rick to get his shit together. Ah well I have a fixed point for the pairing to happen but it's not just yet.
- Angels and Douchebags.
"You're supposed to be resting." Glenn chastised me as we dug another grave.
A day had passed, since all the craziness in C-block and we had just kept losing more and more people to this ridiculous infection. Dr S and Hershel were doing the best they could, but without any antibiotics, the virus spread rapidly.
"I've had enough resting." I coughed into the back of my hand. I pushed the shovel into the dirt, flinging it out onto the grass.
"You should be inside, let them treat you." Glenn looked wistfully over to Maggie.
"I'm not ill yet. Just a bit of coughing." I shrugged.
"Yeah and sneezing. Don't think I haven't noticed." He shot me a sharp look.
"I'll dig this one with you, then I'll go inside okay? You shouldn't have to do this by yourself." I stated.
"It must suck." I pointed out gesturing between them.
"It does. But this way I know she can be safe." Glenn said giving Maggie a small smile.
Half an hour after digging the grave, we were all set and buried one of our fallen companions. I headed back to A-block to see how I could help Dr S and Hershel, but there was the smell of burning coming from an area behind the building.
I followed the smell and walked around dropping my shovel in shock. On the ground were two dead bodies, burnt to a crisp and almost unidentifiable. There was a trail of blood leading from the tunnel to the building outside.
"Fuck." I hissed in horror.
"What happened?" I asked slowly walking over to the others.
"W-who is this?" I stuttered too afraid, I walked over to stand beside Daryl as Tyrese loomed over the bodies.
"Karen and David." Daryl whispered sombrely. A choked gasp made it's way to my throat as I edged closer to the burning bodies.
I felt tears pricking in my eyes as Carol wrapped an arm around my shoulder. I didn't know David for very long but he was a good guy. But Karen. Oh Karen was a dear friend and someone, someone killed her. I felt angry and wiped the tears frustratedly from my face.
I side-glanced Rick, who was looking serious at the corpses.
"I came to see Karen. I saw the blood on the floor, then I smelled it." Tyrese said firmly.
I had the urge to go and hug him, he loved Karen that much I knew. But he was seething with a quiet rage that I was afraid of. I sniffled, and begged myself to stop making a fuss, to stop crying. I thought I had no more tears to give.
"Somebody dragged them out here and set them on fire!" Tyrese's voice broke as he shouted.
"They killed them and set them on fire!" Tyrese's voice wavered once more.
He suddenly turned and advanced on Rick, who took a few steps back. I watched him, his jaw clicking in place. He was just as angry.
"You a cop. You find out who did this and you bring them to me, you understand?" Tyrese said angrily.
"We'll find out who-" Rick said barely above a whisper as Tyrese went for him again. I stepped forward as me and Daryl tried to restrain him, but he shoved us back.
"I need to say it again?" Tyrese challenged him.
"No, no. I know what you're feeling. I've been there, you saw me there." Rick said quietly.
"Karen didn't deserve this. David didn't deserve it. Nobody does." Tyrese interrupted.
"Alright man. Take it eas-" Daryl placed a hand on his shoulder, but was cut out by Tyrese throwing him against the gate.
"I ain't going nowhere until I find out who did this!" Tyrese yelled.
The three of us jumped into action trying to stop Tyrese but Daryl put his hands up in protest.
"We're on the same side man." Daryl reasoned.
"Hey look, I know what you're going through. We've all lost someone, we know what you're going through. But we all need to calm down." Rick stated quietly. Tyrese suddenly jumped, turning around and pushing Rick back harshly.
"You need to step the hell back!" He shouted angrily.
"She wouldn't want you bein' like this." Rick tried a different approach. Tyrese reared his fist back and punched Rick square in the jaw, sending him staggering to the ground.
"Stop!" Carol screamed. I immediately came to Rick's side, who was facing the ground.
Rick looked up again at Tyrese who punched him once more. Daryl restrained the powerful man from the back.
"That's enough." He said with a voice of authority.
"Rick are you okay?" I lifted his head up with my hands, forcing him to face me. His face was covered in blood and his blue eyes were manic. He looked at Tyrese with anger and pushed me out of the way punching him.
Tyrese was on the concrete ground again as Rick began pounding into his face in a frenzied attack, Tyrese now becoming bloody.
"Rick stop it!" I shouted at the man.
"Rick." Daryl said forcefully, he pulled his arms back and held them.
"Let go of me! Let go of me!" He pushed Daryl back into me as I steadied the archer.
Tyrese was groaning on the ground his mouth full of blood, as Rick stared at his bloodied fists in shock and horror.
I bent down beside Tyrese, examining the cuts on his mouth.
"Alright, you won't need stitches but you'll be bruised." I touched his face, examining the cuts.
"We'll take him to Dr S. Just in case." Daryl gestured to himself and Carol. Daryl shot me a look then looked at Rick as I nodded in understanding.
Tyrese was a big man, so lifting him off the ground proved to be a struggle. But between the three of us we managed. Carol and Daryl each draped an arm around their shoulders as they set off towards A-block.
I watched Rick who was still staring at his fist. I placed my hand on his forearm, drawing his eyes to my face.
"Come on Rocky." I placed a hand gently on his back, guiding him into the prison.
...
I took the damp cloth and began wiping the blood from Rick's knuckles, watching his face contort in pain every now and then.
"That was not clever." I raised an eyebrow at the man cleaning his cuts.
"The good thing, is it won't need stitches." I commented, rinsing out the dirty cloth.
"Might wanna avoid typing for a few days." I gave him a small smirk as Rick turned to look at me.
"I think I've done enough damage for one day." Rick said, his eyes focused on the white bowl.
"We've all fallen off the wagon before." I stated, cleaning up his knuckles.
"Is that what this is?" Rick answered sarcastically.
"Don't get lippy with me Grimes. I am a boxer, I know the feeling of punching someone, the thrill of power of them." I said harshly looking into his startled blue eyes.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his eyes trained on me.
"We've lost 12 of our own. And 2 more were just killed in cold blood." I stated.
"Why wouldn't I be?" I said sarcastically and turned my attention to his bloodied knuckles, cleaning up the last of the blood.
"Karen was your friend." Rick said as I turned to face him.
"She was." I replied simply, holding the tears in. I didn't want him to see me in a state of vulnerability, I needed to be strong. Even if that meant I couldn't openly grieve my friend. If Rick couldn't hold it together, then I needed to for the sake of the prison.
"Okay your knuckles are sprained." I stated feeling for the bones. I took a long piece of the linen and began wrapping it around both of his hands, feeling the heat coming from his skin.
I placed one hand gently on the side of his cheek, and used the other to wipe the cloth near his mouth. Rick shuddered suddenly.
"What?" I stopped focusing on his eyes.
"Your hands are cold." He stated.
"You baby." I scoffed as Rick's lips turned upwards slightly.
I smiled slightly in success at humouring him and continue to dab the blood from his jawline.
Being so close to Rick, always affected me. I was so drawn to his presence, he always ran hot and cold but there was such a warmth to him once you got past all the surface that made me like him so much. That made me completely love him. My heart always fluttered, the beats slightly faster in close proximity with him. Even when the situation was all wrong.
"Will you quit moving?" I scolded him, it was like dealing with a fussy child. But seeing him in his most vulnerable state, I felt privileged to know this side of him. And no matter how hard I glared at him, I found his little actions endearing.
"It stings a little and your hands are cold." Rick almost pouted as I raised my eyebrows in disbelief.
"Jeez you've been shot a few times and this is what gets you?" I shook my head.
"You ain't much of a healer." Rick mocked.
I pressed the cold cloth to his wound with more pressure as he hissed in pain.
"Shit." Rick bit his lip.
"Oops sorry." I batted my eyelashes at him innocently.
I stopped dabbing the blood to cough violently into the back of my hand. I felt faint, I knew I could feel a fever coming on, sweat gleaning on my forehead.
"How are you feeling?" Rick asked looking concerned.
"Its a minor cough." I said dismissively.
"Doesn't sound so minor." He drawled.
"Its fine Rick. If I was infected I would be showing extreme signs by now." I shrugged as this answer seemed to temporarily satisfy him. Extreme signs being an insatiable hunger for human flesh.
"You're not my boyfriend so don't worry about it." I said the cutting words, watching Rick taken back by my abruptness.
"I thought I was your friend. Friends worry." Rick said defensively, clearly uncomfortable by the exchange.
"Yeah you are." I flashed a reassuring smile at him, but the tension was there.
"You're gonna find out who did this. Don't worry." I caught his pensive gaze, changing the subject after a while.
"How do you know?" He asked, clenching and unclenching his fists slowly.
"I'm gonna help you." I said firmly as Rick looked at me in surprise.
I dropped the cloth sighing and moved my chair directly in front of him.
"You gotta understand something Grimes. You always act like the weight of the entire world rests on your shoulders. And that you're on your own. But you're not okay? You have a whole host of people ready to help you. So will you please just let us?" I finished my tirade as Rick listened.
"I know. I know I have y'all. I just feel like it's my responsibility to find out. For Tyrese." Rick said calmly as I resumed cleaning his face wounds.
"Not just yours. Ours. You were a cop, I was a scientist. Together we make a dream team." I shot him a small smile which he finally returned.
"Alright." He relented.
"But I am sorry about Karen. I know she was a good friend of yours." He said seriously.
"Its okay." I steadied my voice before answering, but I knew it wavered. Rick edged closer towards me his hand next to mine on the table, before he moved back changing his mind about something.
"Alright you're all fixed up." The awkwardness was definitely present between us, I immediately wished I would take back my previous words.
"You didn't have to patch me up, Hershel could've done it." Rick said pushing his hair back.
"I know. I volunteered." I said cryptically.
"Why?"
"I needed to assess you." I chose my words carefully, as Rick's face showed a blank look.
"Assess your state of mind." I gulped as his face contorted into a number of different emotions.
"You mean to check I wasn't crazy?" Rick accused.
"Look don't get offended. But Rick the way you attacked Tyrese, you were unhinged. You weren't emotionally sound." I said in a softer tone.
"I'm not crazy." Rick stated not meeting my eyes.
"I know. I just worry about you sometimes." I touched his hand gently as he looked at me with the surprised contact.
"Promise?" Rick held out his pinky as I suppressed a wide smile at it.
"Pinkie promise." I said seriously, shaking my pinkie with his.
"Just want to make sure you're alright. We are friends aren't we?" I echoed his words from earlier, as he nodded.
"But whatever you're going through internally, don't shut people out. Tell someone." I clasped his hand in mine, giving it a squeeze before leaving him alone in his thoughts.
I left the cafeteria area and headed over to A-block. Now to figure out who the hell killed Karen and David.
...
I reached the cell block and found Sasha stumbling around. I closed the door quickly behind me, maintaining the quarantine and ran towards her.
"Sasha!" I draped her arm over my shoulder as she tilted her head to look at me. She was covered in sweat, her face had gone a pale colour and her pupils were heavily dilated, not only that she as coughing violently.
"Girl you look like shit." I commented.
"Gee thanks." She glared at me.
"Dr S?" She called out weakly into the cell block as I led her over to one of the closed cells.
A sudden snarling sound appeared followed by rotting hands which reached out of the cells. We stumbled away as a freshly turned walker began growling at us.
I looked at Sasha who was draped over me. More likely than not I was already infected with it. Heavy booted footsteps trudged across the cell block, as the image of a sick Dr S came through.
"We have to tell them. It's starting." He said morosely.
"Alright let's get you sat down." I led Sasha over to the steps as she sat, her face in her hands.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead as I began feeling the hot and cold suddenly. I felt my eyes roll slightly as I steadied my hands against the pole.
"You're getting sick." Dr S pointed out as he came towards me. He inspected my face and placed a hand on my forehead, looking into my eyes.
"You may already infected." He said his eyes lolling back.
"You should get out now." He pushed me towards the door, but his voice sounded faint as if it was far away, I felt my consciousness slipping.
"Can't." I said firmly, trying to get a grip on reality.
"I can feel it. The illness." I shook my head, planting myself next to Sasha on the steps.
"What we need is antibiotics." Dr S said raspy.
I heard footsteps from outside the cell-block as Daryl and Michonne came into view. Their eyes widened in surprise seeing me in there. I waved my hands to them, begging them to not open the door. I jumped up and stumbled towards them slightly until I was against the glass.
"Don't open!" I called out.
"What are you doin' in here? We're gonna go get antibiotics!" Daryl shouted.
"From where?" I asked confused.
"Peachtree veterinary, the council just convened that they'll have what we need." Michonne clarified.
"We were gonna find ya, askin' if you wanted to come with." Daryl asked, his eyebrows arched in confusion.
I broke out into a violent cough, doubled over as my chest felt heavy. I looked into my hand and saw drops of blood stained on my skin.
"I'm sick. Gotta stay in here." I said, my head feeling heavy.
Michonne and Daryl passed each other worried looks as they looked back over me.
"Where's everyone else?" I asked.
"We separated the vulnerable from the potentially infected ones. Carl and Judith along with the other kids and Hershel are in the administration building." Michonne explained as I nodded, sighing in relief.
"And Rick?" I asked.
"He's in the field with Carol. They're doing somethin' with the water." Daryl said.
"Well don't you go looking at me like I'm dead already. Go get them!" I said with a sense of urgency as they nodded.
"And take my car if you want, it's faster. But if I see a single scratch or any blood on it. I'm going to haunt you." I said warningly.
"Don't die." Daryl said before heading off.
"Thanks Dixon." I rolled my eyes fondly at them as they left me in the cell block.
Once Michonne and Daryl left, I felt true dread run through me. This wasn't like the other times where I was patched up or I knew people were coming for me. This was like an illness I couldn't control, with an unpredictable timeline. I could actually die.
Some uncertain length of time passed as the door opened. A number of people were herded in, all sick like the rest of us or even worse off. The symptoms were all similar, fever, head cold, coughing and blood. Carol was standing there, with her face covered up, trying to reduce the risk of catching it.
I started shivering, feeling extremely cold all of a sudden as I felt a blanket draped around my shoulders.
"Thanks Caleb." I said gratefully to the doctor who nodded.
"You're gonna need to keep your strength up and help me. You're the best I have after Hershel." He said seriously.
I walked over to Carol, keeping a safe distance away from her.
"Polaris. How are you in here?" Carol asked in surprise.
"Apparently I've been getting sick over the past 24 hours. Thought it best if I stay in here." I said leaning against the door frame.
"Are you, I mean are you okay?" She asked.
"I can feel the fever setting in. At the moment it's just coughing. But I don't know how long it'll last." I said morbidly, looking back at all the new patients of the cell block.
"Hang in there." Carol said reassuringly.
"Oh do me a favour Carol. Don't tell Rick where I am. Unless he asks, he's got enough on his mind already." I asked the older woman, who looked unsure before nodding.
"I'll check in on you later." Carol smiled through the door as it closed with a clunk.
"Pol?" I turned around hearing a gentle voice.
"Lizzie, you okay honey?" I walked over to the young girl, whose face was pale as she held her arms together.
"I don't feel so good." She said in a small, quiet voice.
"Alright come over." I wrapped the blanket around her shoulders as I took her to an empty cell block. I dipped a cloth in a basin and wiped in on her forehead, cooling it down.
"Bit better?" I asked the young girl.
"Yeah." She replied as I laid her down on the bed.
"I'm just gonna go check on the others. But you lie down and rest okay." I smiled at her slightly as she nodded. Another wretched cough wrecked it's way through my throat as I leaned against the cell frame.
I took a few unsteady steps forward, feeling a wave of dizziness hit me, feeling faint. I looked over to the door and found Sasha talking to Tyrese on the other side. This must have been killing him, first his girlfriend and now his sister was ill too.
As much as I knew he shouldn't, I wished Rick would come and check on me as well. A part of me held a glimmer of hope, but another part knew he needed to focus on the good of the whole prison.
I watched as Tyrese left, leaving Sasha choked in her sobs. I walked over to her, never seeing her so vulnerable and wrapped my arms around her shoulders.
"He's gone with Daryl and Michonne. To get the meds." her voice wavered.
"Well that's good." I said encouragingly.
"I just hope I'll be here when he gets back." Sasha cried.
"You will." I looked into her eyes firmly.
"Now come on, let's help Caleb. We're not dead yet."
...
We spent the next couple of hours, treating wounds and trying to cool people's fevers down. We had limited pain medication, but what we had we gave to control the symptoms. My own symptoms were getting worse but I tried not to focus on that.
Glenn had joined us not too soon after, looking just as pale and sickly as I was. We moved from cell to cell, noting down symptoms and trying to establish a timeline for the infection to take hold. But the two of us could feel our movements getting heavier, our vision blurring and weakness in her muscles. It was the flu to end all flus.
The one thing that kept me going was the thought that the antibiotics were coming soon. I knew Michonne and Daryl would come back with them.
"It would be helpful if we had Hershel with us." I wheezed as I began placing cool cloths on a sick woman's forehead.
"It's better he stays out there where he won't get sick." Glenn coughed as he helped me.
"Yeah but with Dr S sick too, we don't have enough medical expertise between us." I said worriedly.
"Look I'm staying alive for my wife. For Maggie. Focus on the people you're living for and it'll help." Glenn said as we moved to the next cell.
There were so many people I could think of. But only one person stood out. And he couldn't afford to lose another member of his family.
"Okay." I nodded to him as moved to the next sick person.
I heard a loud banging on the cell block door.
"Stay here. Treat this guy." I placed a hand on Glenn's shoulder as I walked out of the cell block. Using the support of the cell walls, I lurched my way towards the door seeing Rick standing there, looking at me with something akin to horror.
"Oh hey." My face lit up in a weak smile when I saw him.
"Hey." Rick gulped.
"You didn't tell me you were sick." He said leaning his hands against the door.
"Well I didn't fully know until a couple hours ago, when I got here." I stated simply.
"You shouldn't be here, you could get infected!"
"You should've called for me." Rick said looking down.
"I didn't want you to worry." I shrugged.
"Friends worry." Rick's blue eyes bore into my own.
"It's alright, we've been keeping ourselves busy here. Helping everyone else. There are people who look a lot worse than me." I joked lightly but Rick had an expression that looked like a kicked puppy.
Actually it put a puppy's face to shame.
"Rick, it's okay. They'll be back with the meds soon, I'll be fine you'll see!" I said reassuringly.
"I'm sorry." Rick said.
"For what? You didn't make me sick."
"I'm just sorry for everything alright." Rick sounded exhausted.
"You have no reason to be." I said in a softer tone, standing as close to the door as possible.
"Hang in there please. For me." Rick placed a hand on the glass window in the door.
"I will. Don't worry." I placed my hand over the glass so it mirrored his exactly.
"And I tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen." Rick moved back from the door slightly, revealing Hershel holding a wooden crate.
"Hershel, I'm not letting you in here." I stood firmly in front of the door with my arms crossed.
I doubled over as another wave of stabbing pain hit my chest and the coughs reverberated in the cell block.
"You can't stop me." Hershel moved a cloth over his mouth and nose as he opened the door closing it shut behind him.
"I'll check on you later." Rick said to me as I nodded watching him leave.
"You're gonna get sick." I stood back from the man.
"Caleb's too sick to help anybody and I got things that can help. You're barely hanging on yourself. Don't be stubborn Polaris." Hershel chastised as I frowned. He took in my pale, sweaty appearance, the matted hair and the raging fever which was now burning through my body.
"Fine, what do you have?" I asked.
"Elderberries, natural flu remedy." He showed me the green plants in his crate as I cracked a small smile.
"Has anyone told you, you're a genius?" I asked.
"No. And I wouldn't mind hearing it again." Hershel smirked in my direction.
"How are we preparing these?" I asked.
"I've already boiled water, we gotta mix the herbs in." So we set to work under Hershel's instruction, boiling the elderberries in the water.
We went from cell to cell, giving patients the concoction to control the flu symptoms. It didn't make anyone better, but it stopped it from advancing which is what we needed.
An hour later Glenn and I were slumped against a window up the stairs, unable to move anymore. Both ridden with flu.
"Keep these on your forehead." Hershel gave us damp cloths which we pressed against our faces.
"This sucks." Glenn moaned his eyes closed.
I tried to focus on Hershel but he just kept becoming blurry. My vision was hazy, my chest and head felt like they were on fire and I had no strength in my muscles.
"Ain't that the truth homie." I scoffed pressing the cool material to my face.
"Did you just call me homie?" Glenn asked in disbelief.
"It's the fever talkin' my friend." I tilted my head back closing my eyes.
"After everything, we just get taken out by a glorified cold." Glenn shook his head, looking at Hershel.
"I don't know about you but I've never had a cold like this." I chuckled wiping the sweat from my face.
"Don't say things like that. Don't even think things like that." Hershel said seriously to both of us.
"We got this far somehow, you can believe somehow." Hershel looked into our eyes.
"The power of belief?" I asked incredulously.
"You're a scientist aren't you? You know how powerful belief can be." Hershel looked at me.
Glenn and I were silent at his words. Hershel took the damp cloth from us and pressed it against both of our heads.
A/N: and let me know what you guys think!