[A/N: Hello new followers and favourites! And as always thanks to the kind reviewers, you make my day!

Leysha Gisel, Asha may need a rest and recovery...but you know that's not gonna happen right?]

Something was wrong.

Daryl was on the bike and Asha trailed him towards the prison―struggling somewhat with her injured hand to control the dual cab and change gears at the same time. After picking up Daryl's bike, they'd gone back past Seth's wrecked car, collecting all the food Asha had scavenged from his apartment, and the sun had finally dipped below the horizon as the drove through the woods surrounding the prison.

Asha could smell smoke, and then she saw the black plume rising from the yard. Her stomach lurched as she realised the pig sty was on fire, the flames blazing in the fading light.

The gate pulled open on the pulley system, but Rick, bare chested and bloody, waved them down as soon as they were through the inner gate.

'Stay back,' he called as Daryl killed the engine and Asha got out of the dual cab.

Behind him, the door to cell block C crashed opened and Carol, Michonne and Maggie ran towards them, Hershel following more slowly on his prosthetic leg.

Asha's heart was pounding.

'What the hell Rick?' Daryl growled.

Rick's face was drawn and grey and there were heavy lines at his eyes and sides of his mouth. He looked to have aged ten years since Asha had seen him yesterday. He came towards them but stopped a good five or six paces away, holding a hand up to stop them coming closer. Asha noted with some trepidation that his gun was back on his hip.

'There's a sickness,' Rick said. 'Patrick died in the night, Turned.' He raked his hand tiredly down his beard. 'He attacked some people in cell block B, before we even realised what happened.'

Daryl hefted his crossbow and started pacing.

'It was a blood bath,' Rick continued. 'We've got, ah I think, eight dead, and Karen and David are sick, we've isolated them in cell block A...' He trailed off, seemingly at a loss for what to say next.

Michonne, Carol and Maggie reached them, pulling up short beside Rick.

'You're ok Carol muttered, half reaching to Daryl―although he was well out of reach across distance. Her glare was cold and tight when she turned to Asha.

'What happened?' Michonne asked, eyes flickering between Asha's face and bandaged hand.

'Weather,' Asha said blankly, 'some trouble, but...' She turned back to Rick, brow furrowing. 'Sickness? I don't understand.' Her eyes roamed across the prison, blanching as she noticed for the first time the bodies piled near the line of graves.

'Patrick died overnight?' Daryl cut in.

Rick nodded.

Hershel had reached them. 'You see that?' He pointed to a walker at the fence, great bloody trails running beneath its eyes. 'There's more like that. Something that killed them when they were human, and now it's been transmitted to us―we think maybe it was the pigs.'

'Not the cat?' Asha suddenly panicked. Please tell me I didn't bring this down on us.

'No,' Hershel said. 'He's healthy, despite the couple of rats he's made a meal of the last few days―and we know one of the pigs was sick.'

That explained the burning sty.

'What is it?' Daryl asked.

'We don't know,' Rick said. 'Some sort of flu we think, but we don't know how quickly easily it spreads, hence...' He waved at the distance between them. 'Hershel and Doctor S doubt it's airborne―or we'd have a lot more cases―but best to keep your distance. All of us who went into cell block B...we've all been exposed.'

Asha jerked around, 'Glenn? is he ok?'

Maggie's lip trembled. 'He was exposed, but so far ok.'

'So what do we do now,' Daryl asked quietly, still pacing.

'Now?' Hershel said. 'Now we wait, and watch for more cases. If it's just Karen and David, it's contained. We treat them―'

'We can treat it?' Asha was hopeful.

'We treat them as well as we can,' Hershel said.

Asha's stomach sank.

'If not?' Daryl asked.

'Then we deal with it,' Carol said quietly.

Daryl, chewing on his bottom lip, nodded tightly.

'You two are in the guard tower tonight,' Hershel said, looking between Asha and Daryl. 'You're the least likely to have been exposed, so until we know more about this, you two need to stay away from the rest of us.'

'We need to make sure at least some of us can function,' Rick said quietly.

'Well get you anything you need from the cell block,' Maggie said.

Asha turned away and looked out across the yard, letting their voices recede into the background. It was all too much. She blanched slightly at the bodies piled at the far end of the line of graves, and then her eyes fell on the familiar outline of Merle's grave. Was it too much to ask to have a day―an hour―at home to mourn her brother.

Oh god, Nash…

For an instant she saw Merle standing beside his grave, half cocked grin on his face. She staggered in his direction.

She heard voices raised behind her, and then Daryl's cut through.

'Asha, Hershel or doc S need to look at ya hand.'

She waved him off. 'Later.'

She kept on towards Merle's grave, stumbling through the long grass that trapped her legs until she reached the mound of dirt. Absently cradling her injured hand to her chest, she scanned around the empty air around the cross hoping to see Merle's face again. Then her eyes fell on the strawberry plant she'd put in the ground a few days ago, brown and shriveled and most definitely dead.

She sank to her knees, gagging, open mouthed and blank minded.

'Asha,' Carol's voice was flat from where she stood several paces away.

Fuck, couldn't she get a minute to herself?

'Leave me alone.'

'Where were you?'

Asha looked at her blankly.

The silvery haired woman's eyes were cold. 'We needed Daryl here.'

Asha's eyes narrowed, a burning node of anger starting in her stomach. 'I didn't plan on getting stuck out there Carol, and I had no idea anyone was sick.'

'No. But you didn't think either did you? You should have known he would come after you―no matter what danger it puts him or the rest of us in.' Her mouth twisted bitterly. You made him care about you, so you have to own up to that. You can't just do stupid shit like he, like the rest of us, don't matter.'

'Yeah, well, at least he wasn't here and exposed to whatever this is.' Asha waved in the direction of the bodies.

'You don't get credit for that.'

Carol's flat tone was really starting to grate on her. She snorted softly. 'Why don't you say what you really mean Carol? You just don't like anyone else being close to him.'

The older woman stiffened. 'You take advantage of him.'

Asha's anger flashed into full flame. She lurched to her feet hissing. 'You take that back.' She took a step towards Carol, and Carol took one back. 'Take it back.'

'You do, whether you mean to or not. You take advantage of the fact that he'll do anything for the people in this prison, and he'll do more for you. I've seen how you look at him...Somehow he's always there to help you out, no matter what the rest of us need.'

'Oh fuck off Carol. If he didn't come back from a run or hunt I would be the first one looking for him―'

'―but he always comes back because he doesn't take stupid risks.'

'You know what Carol, whatever hang ups you've got about Daryl, don't be putting them on me. It's obvious you feel something for him, you've had plenty of time to do something about it and you haven't. So either do something, or stop punishing me because you're afraid that I might.' Asha's chest heaved as she spat the words out. Damn it, she hadn't meant to say that much.'

Carol shook her head. 'You've got no idea what you're talking about Asha, but if you put him in danger again, so help me God…'

Asha growled. 'So help you God what? You know, you have no idea what I've been through today Carol. Just go the hell away.'

'You've got no idea what we've been through today Asha, stop being such a selfish brat. You need to grow up. Your obsession with your brother is making you careless and dangerous. It's not all about you, you have to start thinking about what's best for the group.' Carol's eyes turned inwards for a moment. 'And sometimes that means making hard decisions, doing things that you don't want to do.'

Asha wasn't capable of handling criticism about Nash right then, it was too much salt in the wound. 'Fuck off Carol,' Asha nearly screamed, her good hand clenched and breath hissing through her teeth.

The silvery haired woman looked flatly at her a moment, before turning away. Asha watched her fade into the deepening twilight as she crossed the yard, a hard rock in her belly as she watched a shadowy figure with a crossbow on his shoulder meet Carol before she reached the courtyard.

'Ya gonna take that shit from her? Used to be timid as a mouse that woman.'

Her head snapped round. Merle was standing nonchalantly at the head of his grave, grinning at her,

'Merle,' she breathed, tears suddenly prickling behind her eyes.

'What's the matter girly, ya miss me?'

She forced a grin, but it trembled. 'You know it.' Her tears started falling. 'Nash…'

'I know girly.' Merle's eyes were softer than they'd ever been in life.

'Daryl doesn't think Seth was lying about it.'

'Mighta been. Might not 've been. Gotta ask ya self though, why he would?'

Asha closed her eyes. 'Yeah.' No matter the inconsistencies in Seth's story―the why was something she had no answer for. She sighed and rubbed her face with her hand. 'Am I taking advantage of your brother?'

Merle laughed uproariously.

'Hell baby girl, little Darylina needs some taking advantage of.' He flicked his tongue in and out of his mouth suggestively.

Asha half snorted, and shook her head. 'She wasn't wrong Merle. I knew when I left for Braysville that if anything went wrong he'd come after me. And as soon as something did, I started counting on it.' She grimaced. 'I never thought about whether the group needed him for something else. But he'd go looking for anyone that didn't come back from a run.'

'Oh yeah, he would.. but maybe not quite as quickly as he came looking for you.'

Asha's eyes flashed to Merle.

'Don't look surprised girly, I can't tell ya anything ya don't already know.' He moved away from the head of the grave and walked towards her. 'Ya know, it's only takin' advantage if ya ain't feel anything for him, and I know that ain't true.'

'You know you're not really here right?' Asha said softly as he came towards her.

'Course not sweetheart. I ain't really been here any of the times ya seen me since ya put me in the ground―but that don't make me wrong now does it?'

He stopped in front of her, lifting his hand towards her face but stopping short of touching her. She caught a faint scent of marijuana and southern comfort.

'No.'

'No. So what ya gonna do?'

She looked across the yard in the darkness―in time to see a crossbow wielding shadow pause at the base of the guard tower and look in her direction before going in.

'Something.'

When she looked back at the grave Merle was gone, but she felt him smile.

She looked at the dead little plant, her back straightening as she drew in a deep breath. She was going to get another one, and God damn it, the next one was going to survive.

Michonne was waiting for her at the base of the guard tower - carefully keeping several paces distance as Asha approached.

'Daryl told me about Nash. Asha, I'm really sorry.'

Asha swallowed hard and nodded. The loss reflected back in her friend's eyes was almost too much to bear.

'I'd give you a hug,' Michonne continued with a deprecating half shrug, 'but, you know, possibly infected.'

Asha choked a little, trying to hold back her tears. A hug from her friend would be pretty damn good right about now. 'Yeah. I'm gonna collect that later though ok?'

Michonne nodded.

They looked at each other in the dark a long moment.

'How did you do it?' Asha eventually asked, voice breaking. She didn't know the details, but she knew Michonne had a son, and the baby's father, before the turn. 'How did you cope when all of your family was gone?'

Michonne jerked, pain racing across her face, and then grimaced. 'Badly. Really, really badly. But...you do―cope I mean―because you have to.' She looked around at the prison. 'And then eventually Andrea, you, this group, brought me back.'

Michonne looked at her sympathetically. 'It gets easier.'

Asha closed her eyes for an instant, remembering her dad as she rubbed the heel of her good hand against the ache in her chest. 'I know.'

'And Asha, you're wrong about your whole family being gone. We're still here.'

Asha nodded. 'Yeah I know.' That mattered. She knew it did. She was just having trouble couldn't feel it right now under all the grief.

The door to cell block C opened and Hershel appeared, illuminated by the glow of a hurricane lamp. He had a scarf wrapped around his nose and mouth, and his medical bag in hand. He gestured Asha towards one of picnic tables.

'Come on,' Michonne said.

Asha nodded, took a step and then stopped. 'Michonne, can you ask him, all of them, not to say anything to me about Nash? Tell them I'll take it as read that they're all sorry, but...I just, I can't face all that right now.'

Michonne nodded understandingly, then paused to speak to Hershel before heading back into the cell block.