Contagion

Chapter Twenty-Four

Contagion Chapter Twenty-Four

Taylor heaved a sigh as he sat in the almost too quite car. Maggie had been driving ever since they had left the farm and it was now daybreak. Turning to look in the backseat he smiled seeing Jessica and Glenn asleep. At least he could say he knew the safety and well being of one of his family members. It was the others he didn't know anything about and as he looked at Maggie he could tell she too was thinking about the others, hell she didn't have any of her family at all with her.

Maggie could feel Taylor's eyes on her and as she drove she took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself though she couldn't it was becoming hard, "Oh my god. Oh my god," she muttered to herself almost like a mantra.

"All right," Taylor spoke calmly as he listened to Maggie talking to herself. "Let's just circle back to the highway," he spoke knowing the highway might be their best bet. It was the place they had left stuff for Sophia and maybe it was the place where the others would be at too, just in case.

"Did you see my dad?" Maggie asked ignoring Taylor's words. "Did..did he make it?" she asked only getting silence from Taylor. "Did you see?"

Taylor shook his head, "I couldn't see anything," he admitted knowing there had been too many walkers for him to see who all had truly made it off the farm.

"And Beth..I lost Beth," Maggie muttered as her little sister came to mind. "We've gotta go back there," she told Taylor her voice as serious as she felt. They had to go back. She had to get Beth and her father if he hadn't made it off.

"We can't go back, okay?" Taylor told her as he frowned knowing she was reminding him of how he had been after the Quarry had been overrun and he had lost Ezra. "There's nothing to go back to."

"But Beth..." Maggie argued knowing her sister needed her.

Taylor thought for a few seconds before speaking again, "I..I think she was with Lori," he told her feeling like maybe Beth had been with her.

"Did they make it?" Maggie asked though it came out more like her pleading.

"I don't know," Taylor answered not sure if they had.

"Patricia? Jimmy?: Maggie questioned continuing to let her thoughts out. "What if they didn't make it? What if nobody made it?"

Taylor closed his eyes at Maggie's words not even wanting to consider the last option, "They made it, okay? They had to," he nodded. "All right, let's just circle around to the highway where we left supplies for Sophia."

"No," Maggie stated feeling tears going down her cheek. "The herd came from that direction."

"Just stop. Stop the car," Taylor said as he ran a hand through his hair. When the car stopped he started to open his door, "Let me drive," he stated before getting out and quickly switching spots with Maggie. Once he was in the driver's seat he turned to look at Maggie who had now just broken down crying. "Hey, hey, hey," he said as he reached over and grabbed both of Maggie's cheeks. "Hey, Maggie, look at me, look at me," he told her making sure she was looking at him before he continued. "Hey, we're alive. We made it. Okay? I'm sure they are, too," he reassured her. "Right?" he asked when Maggie started to nod her head though it was apparent she was still wanting to cry.

"I love you," he finally spoke up telling her words he should have said days ago. "Maggie, I love you. I should've said it a long time ago and it's been true for a long time," Taylor smiled knowing he had loved her probably from the first moment he had saw her on the horse. "We're gonna be all right, okay? We'll be all right."

"Yeah," Maggie whispered as she nodded and looked ahead, trying to get herself to believe his words.

After hopefully having calmed Maggie down, Taylor started the car and drove off, heading towards the highway.