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Writer's notes: Thank you everyone for your amazing reviews! I am so glad that everyone is enjoying the story so far! I have a treat for you guys today! I am posting five chapters today for everyone to enjoy. *smiles* I have worked hard on the stories and love the way the story is going so far. I mentioned in my other story my kiddos started back to school and they are homeschooled this year so it's an adjustment so bear with me while I get adjusted to this new balance. I appreciate each and every one of you! Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review!
It was hard to keep pushing yourself past breaking points, physically and mentally. That's what the world was right now. A constant battle to push yourself physically and mentally. Ten more days went by, the hunt for Sophia was fruitless. Carol was a wreck, Bella was angry with herself and Carl was still recovering. He hadn't been able to sit up much, his wound was slightly infected and the urgency for antibiotics was increasing. But he was in good spirits, which was a good sign.
Bella stared at herself in the mirror. Her face was sullen, darker circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. It was hard to sleep when Sophia was trapped somewhere in the woods and if she was being honest with herself, Sophia was likely not alive anymore. It was about recovering Sophia's body at this point. She closed her eyes briefly to stop herself from crying. She felt sorrow for Carol, for losing a child. Bella understood that pain… it had happened to her more than once. She felt hands on her shoulders and it made her open her eyes and look in the mirror and saw Rick behind her.
"Are you okay?" Rick asked, his tone concerned.
Bella's blue green eyes were tired and she wanted to tell him no, that she wasn't okay, that she didn't know if she could keep this up. She felt like she was hitting a mental breaking point and that was scary for her because she had been through some terrible things in her life including being captured while overseas for 36 days. "Yeah." She lied.
Rick knew better. He turned her gently to face him. "Bella, you're not okay. I can see it in your eyes." He murmured, his voice soft.
"I have to be okay Rick. I'm going into town today with Maggie and Glenn. She knows where there's a specialty pharmacy in the next town over. Hopefully we find antibiotics for Carl. Daryl and Jake are leading more searches today for Sophia and-"
"You need to rest. Let Glenn and Maggie worry about the antibiotics." Rick suggested.
Bella shook her head. "I need this Rick. I need to keep moving forward. If I stop now, then I'll break and I don't want to do that."
"Sometimes letting it out helps. Talk to me." Rick insisted. "You haven't been the same since Sophia went missing."
Bella shook her head. "It's my fault she's missing. It's my fault that Carl got shot."
"None of this is your fault." Rick said and then cupped her face in his hands. "Listen to me. You are the strongest person I know. You are doing everything in your power to make sure this group survived. You didn't sign up for this. You stayed because of Carl and me. If it wasn't for that, then you and Jake would have moved on somewhere else by now. I made you stay."
"You didn't make me stay Rick." Bella murmured. "I stayed because I wanted to stay. The children deserve a chance at survival. Which is why I need to go get the antibiotics Carl needs. Why I need to find Sophia."
"You're one person. Let us all help you." Rick said.
Bella shook her head and stepped back a little. "Rick, I can't stop now. Daryl and Jake are looking for Sophia. Everyone has their tasks. I am letting people help me."
"I want you to rest." Rick said, still trying to get her to understand. "You look like you're going to fall over at any moment. Please…"
Bella was quiet a moment before she sighed. "I'll rest when I get back with the antibiotics. I promise."
Rick knew that he wouldn't be able to convince her to stay behind today but he wanted to try anyways. "Okay." He nodded. "Be careful Bella." He murmured, his blue eyes staring into her blue-green eyes.
Bella stared back at Rick and for a moment, she felt something emerge inside her. A twinge of feeling that made her want to kiss him, but that was inappropriate. That was something she couldn't do.
Rick leaned in slightly, his hands pulling her closer to him. His mouth reached down and he kissed her, answering her thoughts. His was a soft kiss at first, the slightest brushing of their lips. Bella let him kiss her, her eyes fluttering closed as she felt the warmth of his lips on hers. His hands were warm too on her waist, she felt it through her tank top. Her hands moved up, circling his neck as an automatic response and her lips parted, letting Rick swipe his tongue across to meet hers. Tingles shot through her as he kissed her and it felt magical. She couldn't remember a time that she felt this way when someone kissed her. Her body fit against his neatly, like they were two puzzle pieces that matched. Rick's hands move up her waist, encircling her completely as he kissed her deeper. His heart sped up as he kissed her, like this was meant to be. Everything he thought in the past about love was wrong and he felt connected to her in this instant. It left him confused as he kissed her. Why did he kiss her? He lost his wife not long ago and found his son in one full day. Bella had saved his life, more than once and saved Carl's life. Was this just him imprinting on her? His emotions weren't clear, but it didn't matter in this instance, because right now, he wanted to kiss her and so much more, but he pulled away from the kiss. A kiss that left him and Bella a little breathless. He put his forehead to hers. "Please be careful." He said, his voice tight.
Bella nodded, opening her eyes to look up at him. "I'll be careful." She promised and then she moved away from Rick. She needed to or she would never leave the bathroom. Now that his lips weren't on hers, she could think again and right now, she was thinking that she couldn't let that happen. Not again.
[Peakville, Georgia]
Maggie, Glenn and Bella parked the Highlander and got out. The town was deserted. The dead walked through the streets in small numbers. Maggie seemed surprised, her green eyes looked a little frightened and Glenn took note of that.
"What are you thinking?" Glenn asked, looking over at Bella, who was calm, focused.
"I'll clear the street. Maggie, show Glenn the way to the pharmacy. Don't get caught in a bind. Avoid small spaces and clear the entire room. Don't let your guard down."
Glenn nodded. "Copy that." He said and raised his crossbow.
Maggie swallowed and nodded, inching in behind Glenn a little closer because she wasn't sure what was about to happen.
Bella lifted her crossbow and she rapidly fired four arrows, nailing four walkers as she moved in her military stance through the streets. She retrieved her arrows and pulled her machete and slashed through two walkers while Glenn advanced behind her.
"Maggie, where are we going?" Glenn asked as they moved.
"Um." Maggie was trying to find her words. "It's on second street. Two stop signs up to the right." She managed to say, her voice shaky.
Glenn nodded. "Bells."
"Heard her." Bella acknowledged and moved fast, running at a walker and slicing up into it's skull before twirling with the machete and taking out another. She was a one person wrecking ball and she was good at it. Glenn had seen her in action before, but it was always impressive to see Bella in action.
Maggie was still struck with horror as she watched Bella take out the dead with ease. These were people before and now they were just dead. It was horrifying to watch, but she was starting to understand that everything her dad said about these things, were wrong. It made her question her faith and everything else around her.
When they made it to the pharmacy, the doors were locked. Bella didn't hesitate to kick the glass in with her boot duck in to unlock the door and take out the two walkers that were lying in wait. Glenn helped take out another walker, Maggie gasped and screamed when one came close to her, but Bella fired her crossbow, taking the walker out before it could get to Maggie.
Maggie was physically shaking now, her eyes widen in shock. Glenn went to her, his hands sliding to frame her face.
"Hey, you're okay. You're safe. Bell and I won't let you get hurt." Glenn reassured her.
Maggie nodded, blinking away tears. She looked at Bella. "I-I'm sorry."
"It's okay." Bella said turned her attention back to the pharmacy. It was modeled like a Walgreens, but the outside sign said Andy's Apothecary. "Grab any and all supplies. I don't care if we have to run numerous trips to the Highlander." She said and moved towards the back wall where all the prescription medications would be.
Maggie managed to recover enough to start with the first aid supplies, tossing everything off the shelves into the large seabag that Bella had given her while Glenn stayed with her to clear out the cough medicines and allergy medicines. They weren't leaving anything behind.
Bella busted into the locked pharmacy room since the roll gates were shut at the windows and she killed the two pharmacy techs that looked like they starved to death back there. She pulled a sea bag out of her backpack and she started throwing bottles of pills into the bag. She found loads of antibiotics and she felt relief as she threw them all in the bag. This was the best find and Bella, for once in the last couple weeks, felt like something was going according to plan. She took everything they had. Every narcotic, every vitamin, every medication they had even the syrups and syringes. The cooler was till working and that made her curious.
"Glenn. There's power here. Or a back up generator." Bella called out.
Glenn looked around. "Emergency lights aren't on."
"Then it's just the refrigerators back here. Must me a solar backup." Bella said and opened the refrigerator and found oral antibiotics that needed refrigeration and also vials of insulin and other cooled medications. "I'm taking all the cold stuff. Check the coolers on that far side, see if the fridges over there work." She said and she stooped and saw other medicines that were under the counter and she started throwing all that in her bag too. The cooled medications she placed in the insulated shopping bags she found so she could keep them cold until they got back to the farm. Hershel had the fridge and freezer hooked to a gas generator that he had running still, so they could store all the cold medications in the fridge.
Glenn and Maggie moved towards the coolers and smiled. "Yeah, they're all running. This is amazing." He exclaimed and opened the cooler to take out a coke. He opened it, hearing the fizzy sound a soda makes when you open it. He took a drink and he grimaced. "I forgot that there is a burn." He breathed.
Maggie smiled, giggling a little at him. "I don't think that soda is a necessity, but it sure seems refreshing." She said and Glenn gave her the opened coke and she took a drink.
Bella walked over to Maggie and Glenn when she finished her task. She smiled a little. "Cold soda?" She asked and Maggie handed her the coke. Bella took it and took a drink. "Yeah, that's super refreshing."
"Right!" Glenn exclaimed with a smile. It was the little things in life that could cause joy. "I say we bring a few for the road back."
"Sounds like a great idea." Bella said and then hefted her bag. "I'm going to carry stuff back to the highlander. You two stay here and continue filling bags." She said and then she grabbed Maggie's who was fullest.
"You're going to carry all that by yourself?" Maggie asked with a frown.
Bella nodded as she strapped both bags to her. "Yeah. This is nothing compared to the gear I toted in the Army." She said with a smile. "I'll be okay. I'm going to see about moving the Highlander closer now that the street is clearer. Glenn, watch her back."
Glenn nodded. "I've got her. You be careful." He said and watched Bella leave the pharmacy.
"She is amazing." Maggie said and looked at Glenn. "She's so strong."
"Yeah, she's something else. When I found her in Atlanta with Rick and Jake, they were just creeping through looking for Rick's wife and son. Merle, Daryl's brother, popped off shots from the roof and it started drawing a herd that was trapping them, so I helped where I could and we made it out of Atlanta alive, pretty much thanks to her." Glenn said with a nod. "She's a survivor to the core."
"Herds? Of the dead?" Maggie was shocked.
Glenn nodded. "Yeah, thousands of them."
Maggie didn't know what to think. Her dad always said that the people were just sick and that they needed a cure.
Glenn noticed that Maggie was deep in thought. "Hey. You okay?"
"Yeah. I just… these people… the dead. They're not coming back to life right?"
"No. It's impossible for them to come back to life." Glenn said. "This disease… it's not curable. We all have it."
Maggie looked scared. "What?"
"Yeah. We're all infected already. We figured it out back at the Quarry we were staying at. You don't have to be bit to turn. When we die, we all come back." Glenn's mind was blown the first time too. "Hey, but it's going to be okay. We're going to survive this world. I'll be here to protect you the whole way." He reassured her and reached a hand up and cupped her cheek.
Maggie felt herself settle and she nodded, smiling at Glenn. "Thank you."
"Of course."
A few moments later, Bella returned. She blew out a breath. "Street is clear again, I moved the highlander closer. I have it rigged to go off if anyone other than the dead tries to mess with it. Let's finish up here and check out the hardware store." Bella suggested.
"Daddy said that he did need more wire for the fences." Maggie said.
Bella agreed with that. Keeping the fences strong would help keep them all safe, especially since Bella's people were staying outside. "Yeah, we'll grab what we can from there and then we'll head back." She said and the three of them went to work finishing clearing the pharmacy.
Bella, Glenn and Maggie returned a little worn. Maggie felt like she lived a thousand lives today. There was a close call at the hardware store that nearly got Bella bit and Maggie was a little shaken up.
Bella moved through the hardware store, with Glenn and Maggie right behind her. She always led the pack, putting herself first into danger so everyone else had the time to get away if she went down. Everything was looking clear, not unusual in some places, but Bella was on high alert since it took a bit for her and Glenn to clear this area outside. It was silent in the store. It was warehouse style and it was one of those outlet hardware stores that bought other merchandise from big box stores that were slightly damaged or used and resold it here. So there were rows and rows of tools and anything else you could imagine that belonged in a hardware store.
Maggie was behind Glenn, her hand on his shoulder. She had never feared the dark before, but now she did with deadly things lurking. She didn't feel the hand on her arm initially, but when she did, she turned and was face to face with a walker. She screamed and that alerted Glenn and Bella.
Bella moved fast, shoving the walker back away from Maggie before she could be bit and walker went for Bella now and then three more emerged. They were wearing helmets, like they were motorcyclists, but the mouth was expose in the front. Bella struggled slightly, the handle of her machete catching the bite of one walker, too close to her arm for comfort. She pulled a screw driver off the shelf with her free hand and she shoved it up under the chin to give herself leverage before she could move her machete through the hole on the helmet and take the walker out, only to be faced with two more, while Glenn shielded Maggie from the one that he was struggling with that had a helmet on.
Bella kicked one walker into the other and she pulled her pistol from her hip and she fired, the silencer stopping the sound as she ended both the walkers life and she turned and shot the other walker Glenn was having a hard time with. They were all panting now, the physical exertion made their muscles tense and shiver. "Everyone okay?" Bella asked, looking mainly at Maggie. "Maggie? Were you hurt?"
Maggie was shaking, her eyes wide, tears starting to form. "Um. I'm okay. Not hurt. You… you could have been bit." She squeaked out.
Bella went to her and took her hand in hers and squeezed it. "I'm okay. I know what I'm doing. I will always be here to protect you." She echoed the words that Glenn had told her earlier.
Maggie just nodded and wiped her face. Glenn looked at Bella and nodded his thanks.
"Okay, let's move quickly. Maggie, do you know how to shoot?" She asked, handing Maggie the pistol with the silencer.
Maggie nodded. "I learned to shoot when I was six." She said.
"Good. Use this if you see one. Aim straight for the head. Try not to scream when you see one okay?" Bella coaxed.
Maggie took the gun and nodded. "Okay."
Rick walked out to the Highlander and saw Maggie, Bella and Glenn spattered with walker blood and they looked tired. He frowned. "What happened?"
"Nothing. Just harder run than normal." Bella said and opened the trunk on the Highlander. "Maggie, go let your dad know we're back and we have the wire for the fence." She said and Maggie nodded and left, walking towards the house.
Glenn leaned against the Highlander. "My arms feel like heavy weights." He said with a sigh.
"Have T Dogg and Jake help unload."
"I thought Jake was out looking for Sophia?" Bella said with a frown.
"His crew came back already. Daryl is still out with Paul and Jasper." Rick said.
Bella sighed. "It's getting dark again soon." She looked up at the sky.
"They'll be back in time. They always are."
"I know." Bella said and looked at the stuff they had packed in the Highlander. "Well, I found antibiotics. I want to get those in Carl now. Glenn, go get Jake and T Dogg and see if they can get this stuff unloaded before nightfall." She said, Glenn saluted her and walked off to get Jake and T Dogg.
Rick helped Bella get the bag that had all the medicines that Bella put in and he carried it towards the house and Bella didn't protest for once. They were quiet as they walked. Hershel met them in the kitchen when they walked in.
"Maggie said you found wire." Hershel said with a nod.
"We did. Jake and T Dogg are unloading the Highlander. I'll have the medicines brought inside to be sorted. I have cold medicines in this bag that need to be refrigerated. Insulins, oral antibiotics." She said and Rick sat the bag down. "Just point us in the direction where you want these stored."
"We can't possibly take your things Bella." Hershel put up a hand. "Carl is recovering, you'll need these for the road."
Bella smiled a little. "Hershel, it's only right. We'll sort the stuff. I promise we'll be okay once we hit the road. We'll take only what we need."
Hershel pressed his lips together, but he nodded. "Just um… on this table, we'll look through it and see what we need." He said and walked away.
Bella looked at Rick and gave him a nod. They started sorting the medications. She grabbed up the antibiotics first and went to Carl's room and she found him awake. "Hey bud."
"Hey Bella." Carl said, his throat sounding dry.
"I have medicine for you to take. It'll help with the infection trying to set up in your wound." Bella explained as she sat on the side of the bed. She took out the medicine cup and poured the liquid Amoxicillin into it, gauging Carl's weight by eye, and helped feed the medicine to him.
"Taste like bubblegum." Carl said with a weak smile.
Bella laughed a little. "Good. Now, I want you to get some rest. I'll come back in a few hours and take a look at your bandages and redress all this. Get you cleaned up a bit too." She said and then she smoothed his hair back out of his face.
"Bella… thank you for saving my life." Carl said, his face was serious, like he had thought about everything that happened for a long time.
"Always kiddo." Bella said with a wink and then got up and walked towards the doorway. Rick was standing there watching. She brushed past him to the dining room and started sorting the bag.
"Bella, you need to rest. You promised." Rick came up behind her. He wanted to touch her, reach out and put his arms around her, but he refrained.
Bella nodded. "I know. I will. I want the cold stuff put away. All the bandages and other first aid lumped together. The pills Jasper will be able to help you sort maybe and Hershel. Anything with a cillin is an antibiotic. Any dones are narcotics." She said and turned and looked at Rick. "There are vitamins and other medications that are used for other sicknesses." She murmured and turned back to the table. She sifted through a couple bottles before she found what she was looking for. Prednisone. "I um. I will go and rest. I need to rest." She admitted.
Rick looked at the bottle of pills in her hand. "Are you sick Bella?" He asked, his voice low.
Bella swallowed and looked at the bottle in her hand. "I am." She said and then she turned to walk away, but his hand went to her arm immediately to stop her. "Rick."
"Why didn't you tell me? What's wrong? How sick are you?" Rick asked, his heart starting to beat faster in his chest.
Bella closed her eyes and then she turned and looked at him. "I'm not… I'm not ready to talk about it." She said and moved from under his touch. "I'm going to go rest." She said and she left Rick standing there, worrying about her.