Survival in Numbers (Daryl Dixon/The Walking Dead)

Chapter Sixty Nine - The Lockdown Virus

Emma felt sweat beading at her brow, as she helped another sick person sit up to sip their water. After helping them lay back down, on their side, she left that cell and removed her face mask.

She had heard from Daryl that they had lost Zack on their run, and that Cell Block A was now being used to isolate those who had come into contact with people that were sick.

Emma removed her gloves to wipe her sweaty brow. It had been three days now, and they were losing more people than they were saving.

"Ya alright?" Daryl asked.

"Just hot." She murmured, turning to glance over at Rick, no sweat on him at all. "How's everyone in Cell Block A?"

"Worry 'bout D block." Was all he said on the matter.

"Nurse!"

She felt tears welling up in her eyes as she popped her face mask back on. Only offering the Hunter a small nod as a goodbye, Emma met Rick outside the Cell that Caleb had called her from.

"Turn him onto his side." Caleb ordered, the man coughing up blood and beginning to choke on his vomit.

Emma did as she was told, rolling the patient onto his side as he vomited.

This was very similar to the start of the pandemic. She remembered her long shifts at the hospital, running around from one patient to the next. Unable to stop them from dying, and unable to stop them from turning.

"He's gone." Caleb announced.

Emma turned the man onto his back, before leaving the Cell in order to check on someone else. Rick remained behind to prevent the man from turning.

"Here." Caleb handed her some water, "Potentially, you're going to need a bed here."

"I'm fine." She sipped at the water and stood there as he shone his torchlight in her eyes.

"They're dilating as normal." He concluded, Emma did flinch when the back of his hand came towards her, but he simply rest it against her forehead. "You are running a slight temperature though."

"That's because I'm running around." She tried to defend herself, "I'm fine. What about you anyway? You're the one that's bit."

"I'm alright." He said, "The fever has started to set in and I'm getting a few tremors every now and then. But I'm okay, for now."

Emma nodded in satisfaction, a sudden wave of nausea coming over her. Caleb helped her into the nearest Cell, the last two patients bodies having already been cleared out.

The red head removed her mask and vomited into the waste bin almost as soon as she was inside.

"No blood." The doctor noted, "I'm still going to get Rick to lock you in here, it's for our safety as well as yours."

Emma nodded, understanding.

There was a scream from upstairs.

"Keep sitting up, or if you need to lay down make sure you're on your side, I'll be back shortly to assess you."

About five minutes later, the doctor was back. "Lost another one." He informed her, taking a seat on the stool in front of her.

"I feel better." Emma told him, and it was true she did feel better. "I think it's just the lack of sleep and the shock of what's going on."

"It could be." Caleb replied, "But just to be sure, you need to stay in here." He placed his stethoscope against her back through her sweaty shirt, "Breathe in." She did as she was told. "And again for me... okay, you have no fluid in your lungs." He put his equipment back around his neck, "Just keep sipping water for now. Lay on your side, if you need help - shout for me."

The red head nodded her head, another bout of dizziness and nausea coming over her as she vomited into the bucket once more.

Emma heard the door to her Cell lock shut, and glanced up for a moment to see a masked Rick standing there in diva pose.

"You want me to tell Daryl?"

"No." She replied, breathlessly. "If he comes by just say I'm with a patient."

Rick nodded, "Alright. You need anything?"

"I'm okay for now, thanks."

"He'll kill me if anything happens to you," The sheriff informed her, "I'm sure Merle will help him."

"I'll be fine." She replied with a small smile, wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

Emma had been locked in that cell for over a week. Almost the entire population of D Block had died from the virus, so Rick was sitting in Emma's cell with her. Doctor Caleb had died from his wounds three days after he had been bitten, and with Emma out of action - Herschel had forced himself into D Block after Cell Block A had been cleared of the illness.

Dale had lost his life to the virus, and not only had Lori been ill with it as well, so had Glenn.

Emma cried over the loss of Dale. Although he was annoying at times with his opinions, he had always been good to Emma. He had seen Shane for what he was, and he had also seen through Daryl's hard exterior, as Emma had.

"We didn't get to say goodbye." The red head cried over her bucket of puke.

"We won't always be able to." Rick replied, his elbows resting on his knees as he sat by Emma's bedside.

The red head was exhausted, and her sobbing hadn't helped matters - it had given her a headache. "How many people do we have left in this block?"

"Six." Came the response. "Including you me and Herschel. This was the block that was affected the worst. Still not sure how."

The red head found herself suddenly falling in and out of consciousness, and a hand was quick to land on her forehead. Then she felt thick fingers prodding at her gums.

"She's severely dehydrated."

Herschel's voice reached her ears, and she felt a sharp prick against the crook of her elbow, "Go and tell Daryl to get me a bag of fluids."

She heard Rick's heels clicking across the concrete, fading as he got further away from her cell.

"You'll feel better after you've had the drip." Herschel promised her, taking the chair that Rick had vacated. "Couple of hours, I'd say."

Rick returned a moment later, "Everyone cleared?"

"Everyone except Emma." Herschel replied, "I don't think it's this virus though. Her symptoms are different."

"So I can let the others inside?"

"Yes."

"We need volunteers to take the bodies away."

"I'll go." Herschel stated, getting to his foot and fake leg. "I need some fresh air. Will probably be good for Emma too, once she's had the drip."

"Look at ya lil, sugar, all laid ou' like Snow White!"

"Let me out, now." Emma complained as the older Dixon came to take a seat at her bedside.