I get Glenn, Sasha and Carol and we all head to the library. We sit around the table. "It's an illness. Some sort of Flu. Patrick had it so did Charlie. They both died of it in under 24 hours"
"Patrick was fine yesterday, and he died overnight. Two people died that quick?" Carol asks
I nod "Yeah"
"We'll have to separate everyone that's been exposed." Hershel states
"That's everyone in that cell block. That's all of us. Maybe more." Daryl says
"We know that this sickness can be lethal. We don't know how easily it spreads. Is anyone else showing symptoms that we know of?" Hershel asks
"Not yet but illnesses affect different people at different rates right?" I ask
"We can't just wait and see. And there's children. It isn't just the illness. If people die, they become a threat." Carol says
"We need a place for them to go. They can't stay in D. We can't risk going in there to clean it up." Hershel states
"We can use cell block A." Carol says
"Death row? I'm not sure that's much of an upgrade." Glenn says
"It's clean. That's an upgrade. Think that'll work for Dr. S?" Daryl asks
"I'll help Caleb get it set up." Hershel says
I nod then I hear coughing. I look around the table then stand and head for the door. It's Karen. "You okay?" Tyreese asks her.
"Mm-hmm." She replies through coughs
"You sure? You don't sound so good." Carol asks
"We're just taking her back to my cell so she can rest." Tyreese says
"Tyreese, I don't think that's a good idea." Hershel says
"Why? What's going on now?" Karen asks
"We think it's a flu or something. That's how Patrick died." Glenn tells hers
"Judith is in that cell block. She's vulnerable. Anyone that may be sick or even exposed should stay away." Hershel says
"It killed Patrick?" Karen asks looking scared
"She's gonna be okay. Now that we know what Patrick died from we can treat it, right?" Tyreese asks
"Don't panic. We're going to figure this out. But we should keep you separated in the meantime. We'll have Caleb take a look at you. I'll see what we have in the way of medications." Hershel says
"David from the Decatur group, he's been coughing, too." Karen says
"I'll get him. There's some empty clean cells in the Tombs right?" Glenn asks
I nod "Yeah"
"We'll meet you there" Sasha says then heads over to Karen "Karen, come on. Let's get you settled.
Karen, Tyreese and Sasha head towards the tombs. Daryl pulls me back into the library as they pass.
"Have to call another meeting later." Hershel says to us
"All right. I'll get to burying the dead ones." Daryl says
"I'll help you" I tell him
"You wear gloves and a mask." Hershel says
"Uh-huh." Daryl agrees as Hershel walks off
Daryl turns to Carol "You all right?"
"I'm worried about Lizzie and Mica. They were around Patrick." She replies
"We all were. Karen and David are gonna be separated till they feel better." Daryl says
"You're right. Are you okay?" Carol asks
Daryl bites his lip and nods "Mm-hmm. Got to be."
Carol looks at me and I nod "I'm fine. I don't get sick"
"You did once before remember? Not too long ago" Carol says
"That was exhaustion mixed with a small cold" I tell her with a smirk "I'll be fine"
She nods with a smile and I follow after Daryl. Daryl and I spend the next couple of hours taking the dead from D and taking them down to our 'Graveyard', wearing masks and gloves like Hershel said. Then we start digging. Nessa comes down to help us.
Rick turns up as Daryl is digging the last grave "Glad you were in there." Daryl says to Rick
"Wasn't much use without my gun." Rick replies
Daryl pulls off his mask and look up at him "No, you were. All this time you've been taking off, you earned it. We wouldn't be here without you and Gwen. I just wish she would take time off"
"I'm standing right here" I tell him and put my hands on my hips
"It was all of us." Rick says putting his hand on my shoulder
Daryl shakes his head "No, it was you to first. You gonna help us figure this out?"
"I screwed up too many times. Those calls you got to make, I start down that road…" Rick takes a deep breath "I almost lost my boy, who he was. Whatever else this place needs, I'm here for it."
"Like I said, you earned it. But for what it's worth, you see mistakes." Daryl says and holds his hand out for me. I take it and help him up as he says "I see when the shit hits, you're standing there with a shovel."
Nessa laughs a little "That's a good metaphor"
Daryl grins. "Rick!" Maggie screams "Gwen, Daryl, Ness!" She points over at the fence I've been concerned about and it looks like it's about to collapse.
"Oh shit!" Rick hisses and he runs.
I'm right behind him at full speed. No! It can't fall! It can't collapse! Not now! I grab one of the tools used by the fence cleaners and follow Maggie over to the collapsing fence.
"The noise drew 'em out and now this part's starting to give." She shouts over her shoulder
Tyreese, Sasha, Glenn, Maggie, Nessa, Daryl and I all pick off the walkers one by one. They're just not going away! We've been at it so long that Maggie eventually falls. Glenn moves to help her but she turns him down. I can't hear what she says to him.
"Are you seeing this?" Sasha yells over
I move over to her side and see a pile of dead rats "What the fuck!" I snap
"Someone's feeding these things." Sasha says in disbelief.
The fence bends further "Heads up!" Daryl calls.
"Shit!" I yell and run over.
Stabbing them is doing no good anymore. They're starting to climb over each other and higher on the fence. We throw ourselves against the fence to try and keep it up. The metal is bending under the pressure.
"Everybody back! Come on, back, now!" Daryl shouts.
We all jump back. The fence doesn't collapse but it will.
"The fence keeps bending in like that, those walkers are coming over it." Sasha says
"Daryl, get the truck. I know what to do. Gwen, you come too" Rick says
I follow his gaze to the pig sty "Aww, okay. The rest of you, grab some thick logs to keep this thing up, reinforce it as much as you can!"
Daryl runs off to get the truck. I go with Rick to get the piglets. "Sorry Mr piggy but we can't eat you anyway" I say putting the last piglet in the box.
I run over to the truck and get in beside Daryl as Rick climbs into the back with the piglets. We drive out of the prison and over to the collapsing fence. Daryl pulls over and shouts "Ready!" Over to Rick.
I turn in my seat and watch Rick stand and reach into the box and pull out a piglet that starts squealing. Our presence has attracted the walkers at the fence and they move over to us.
I turn my head and wince as Rick cuts into the pigs back leg so it can't run away then tosses it out for the walkers.
"Daryl go" I say
Daryl drives forward a few feet and I pat his leg "Stop"
He does and Rick repeats the process with another piglet. "Right, go"
Daryl moves forward again. We do this until all the piglets are gone. "That sucked!" I mutter with my back against the glove box. "Poor piggys"
"They're just animals Gwen" Daryl says
I look over at him with my bottom lip out "I like small and cute animals, I couldn't eat lamb for a year when I heard it was a baby sheep and don't even get me started on what I was like with venison as a kid when my dad told me it was Bambi!"
Daryl looks over at me with a small smile. I look at him curiously. He drives into the prison and Rick jumps out the back and heads right down to the Sty. I watch him go with a sad smile.
"He really wanted that to work" I say to Daryl.
Daryl nods "He can try again"
I nod "Yeah"