Tequila Talkin' (Rick Grimes)

fifteen

'Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.'
Haruki Murakami

Violet's POV

     It's been two months since the farm. Two whole months of running. It's been exhausting but it's brought us all closer together it seems. Rick and Lori's relationship seems to be nonexistent as of right now since she blamed him for Shane and a few others things within the group.

    I couldn't blame Rick for what happened to Shane. I knew what he was capable of and I knew Shane loved Lori and wanted Lori all to himself as he told me that several times. To say Shane was gone broke my heart but it wasn't Rick's fault. It was Shane's. It kill or be killed these days.

     Rick and I have grown closer, Lori knows. I know it eats her alive but she can't say anything. She pushed him away and now she's starting to regret holding that resentment against him.

     We were held up in a small house for now. Daryl hunting squirrels or rabbits, anything we could eat. Most of the places we've searched has been picked clean of canned goods or anything edible so Daryl was the sole provider of food right now.

     It was winter now. Cold, depending on any house we stumbled upon to have a fireplace to keep us warm for however long we stayed. We all got real good at making fires.

    I was catching a cold or possibly the flu. Carol had it first and now me. We were low on medicine, cabinets everywhere luted of medicine but we had some painkillers and cough syrup. At least we could keep our fevers down.

     I sat in front of fire while most of the group slept. I had a blanket wrapped around me trying to stay warm as I shivered from virus in my body. My nose was running, my bones felt like glass and the cough was terrible. I seriously needed some prescription medicine but we didn't have that luxury anymore.

     "Are you okay?" Rick whispered as he sat down beside me.

    I shook my head, my shivering was violent. "No. I feel awful. It's been a week and it's only getting worse."

     "Glenn and I will run in the morning and see if we can find anymore medicine somewhere. We have to get you better." He sighed and grabbed my hand.

    "Everywhere's been luted. I'm starting to think this flu will kill me. I have no energy. I can't keep running. I'll slow everyone down." I looked at him. It was dim in the room, the only light coming from the small fire in the fireplace.

    "Stop that. You're not going to die from the flu." He retorted.

    I started coughing, hoping I didn't wake anyone. "People used to die from the flu even with medicine and hospitals. I've never been this sick in my life."

     "We'll find you something and you will get better. I promise, Vi. Okay?" He looked at me.

    I nodded, nearly wanting to cry my body felt so bad. "Okay," I croaked out.

   "Come here," He held his arm out. I scooted up close to him and rested my body against his. He felt so warm and this was exactly what I needed.

Rick's POV

      Glenn and I got back from our trip to a CVS that wasn't far from here. We were able to find some medicine that would hopefully help Violet and anyone else who may catch the flu.

    As we pulled up to the house Beth came running out to the car. "Violet passed out a little while ago. Her pulse is low and we can't get her to wake up." She said panicked.

    "Shit," I ran into the house and Hershel was hovered over Violet checking her temperature. "How high is it?"

    "103.6," He said "It's pretty high. Bethy get me the wash cloths." Beth handed him some wet wash cloths and he placed them on her forehead and neck. "She can't take anything unless she wakes up. Maybe her body is trying to let her rest to fight off whatever this is."

     I sighed and crouched down beside her, grabbing her hand. I saw out of the corner of my eye Lori exit the room. Of course I cared about her still. She's the mother of my children, currently carrying one. I loved her for many years but after the words she exchanged to me after the farm just proved how damaged our marriage was and maybe it wasn't repairable. I'll always be there for her, protect her, but our marriage was over.

     I just sat beside Vi the whole night until she finally woke up. "Hey, hey," I whispered and sat up.

    "I think I'm dying." She stated and looked up at the ceiling. "My mind, it feels foggy and nothing feels real."

    Hershel brought over the medicine and a cup of water. "Try to take this. We have to get that fever down. This should also help the aches."

    I helped her prop herself up enough to down the liquids and she sighed. "Imagine I get taken out by the flu," She chuckled and started coughing until she coughed up blood. "Oh god, that's not good."

    I grabbed one of the wash cloths and wiped the blood from her mouth. "Shh, just lay back down and rest. I'll be right here."

    She just nodded and slid back down the couch and closed her eyes. I sighed and held my face in my hands. I didn't want to lose her.

     Hershel eventually broke me from my trance. "You need to get some rest too. T is on watch, you can sleep."

    I nodded and looked at Vi sleeping. "I just want to make sure she's okay."

    He sat down in the recliner beside the couch. "That's what my job is for. I'll do routine checks on her. You just get some sleep." 

    I made sure her blankets were wrapped tightly around her even though the poor thing was sweating bullets. I brushed some hair from her face before finding my spot on the floor and laying down for the night.