Jinx || Daryl Dixon || The Walking Dead Fanfic

-43-

JINX

She'd taken it upon herself to keep the walker population against the fences down, since almost everyone left was either sick or in quarantine, the build-up was slower than usual, but if they didn't keep the numbers down they would easily have a repeat of a few days prior.

Jinx stabbed through the fence with a crowbar over and over, but as soon as one corpse slumped to the ground its place was filled with another. She'd long since given up on wearing the apron to protect her clothes, but kept a bandana pulled up over her mouth and nose. They'd seen one walker out here with the trails of blood down its face, who's to say others weren't infected?

She worked tirelessly, her whole body ached but she refused to let herself stop for more than a minute or so. Eventually her body gave her no choice and as she tried to yank the crowbar back she fell to the ground and realised she didn't have the strength to stand up again.

She leant back on her hands, but eventually gave up and laid back in the dirt, dripping in sweat and waiting to catch her breath.

She lost track of how long she laid there, but she still felt like she couldn't breathe and despite the breeze that should've cooled her quickly she still felt like she was burning up. She pulled the bandana down so it sat loosely around her neck and tried to take deep breaths, but quickly noticed the scratchy feeling in her throat that was followed quickly by the urge to cough.

She let the tears come then. She'd been so sure she was out of the woods, but it seemed she was wrong and for a little while she allowed herself to wallow in her fear.

Eventually her tears dried up and she slowly pulled herself up to her feet. Leaving the crowbar on the ground, she pressed her hands to her throbbing head as she slowly approached the main building, as if holding onto her skull would make every movement hurt less.

She went straight to Cell Block A and let herself in. There was no one standing guard anymore, there weren't enough healthy people left. As she walked through the door Hershel exited a cell a few doors down, she saw his eyes register what she realised she must look like and she gave him a forlorn smile and shrug, refusing to let anyone see the dread she felt.

___

DARYL

They followed the map Hershel had drawn for them and were quickly able to find the right part of the college. They moved through the lab quickly, all grabbing anything that looked as though it could be of use.

"Anything ending with -cillin or -cin, C-I-N, grab it." Bob announced loudly as he and Michonne searched through cupboards full of medications. "We'll dissolve the pills in the IVs, put 'em right into the bloodstream. Dosage will be tricky, but considering the time we lost..." he trailed off. "How'd you do?" he asked as Daryl and Ty walked back into the room.

"Bags, tubes, clamps, connectors. Everything on the list." Ty told him.

"What about y'all?" Daryl asked as he placed the two bags he was carrying on the ground.

"Yeah we got it all." Bob said with a smile.

"Yeah. We're good." Michonne agreed as she shone her flashlight at the medications one more time.

"All right. Let's roll." Daryl declared picking up his crossbow and throwing two of the bags over his shoulder.

They followed signs for the exit down the dark hallway all holding their flashlights as high as they could for visibility. Daryl led the way and paused, motioning for the others to stop as he heard the tell-tale snarls of the dead coming from the next room they needed to pass. When they saw it was only two, they quickly jogged the short distance to the door with a large exit sign above it.