𝐎𝐡, 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚! - 𝘋𝘠𝘊𝘍𝘔 𝘌𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘴

Original Chapter 5

On a Road Bound to Nowhere
Part 15

Cut because Girl never makes it back to the Church

Girl was still reeling from talking to Glenn.

He, Maggie, Tara, and Abraham's group had left, leaving everyone else behind in the church.

Girl had seemingly fallen ill, her body temperature rising and her eyes struggling to stay open.

She was laying back on her floor pallet in the office, the rest of the group taking turns sitting by her side. Most likely making sure she didn't turn.

She had the most crushing headache, her whole body feeling like it was being weighed down by some invisible force.

All she could think about was Susanna, that damned song echoing in her head as she tried everything she could to push it away.

Oh, Susanna, now don't you cry for me,
for I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee

Girl occasionally got bursts of strength that would carry her out of the office. She was still expecting Daryl to be back any second. She would drag herself to the front doors, using the pews for support and take a look outside, ducking back in and heading back to bed when she didn't see him approaching.

She was almost absolutely certain that this small routine was the only thing keeping her going. She was tired, but she didn't want to sleep. She felt this was a common sentiment among the group, everyone tossed and turned a bit.

It made sense that they were on edge, Glenn, Maggie and the others gone, Daryl and Carol still not back, it was all rather concerning.

"Can't sleep?"

Girl spun on her heel, immediately regretting the action when sharp pains shot through her skull from the rough motion.

She knew that voice.

Limping halfway to the church doors, Daryl met her in the middle. Girl threw her arms around Daryl as best she could, holding him with a weak grip. She felt like crying, mentally berating him for leaving.

"Hey, Girl," Daryl chuckled.

When she pulled away from him, his smile dropped. Now that he was in front of her, he could see she looked clearly sick, her eyes drooping, her face pale.

"What happened? Who did this?"

Girl frowned, not having the energy to try and explain to him.

Instead, she pulled out her knife, knocking the handle hard against the pew she was standing next to as hard as she could.

Daryl squinted in confusion, but it didn't take long for him to understand when Rick came hurrying out of the back office.

"Girl, are you- Daryl? Where's Carol?"

--------

"It was people from Terminus," Rick said, looking at Daryl seriously.

Daryl had explained where he'd been, telling them that he'd found Beth, and the people that were holding her now had Carol too.

On top of that, he'd brought a boy back with him, Noah, who had come from the place that was holding Beth. Apparently it was a hospital all the way back in Atlanta.

Girl had fallen asleep on Daryl's shoulder, finally at peace with having him back.

Daryl was enraged at the state that Girl was in, he'd never expected to come back to this: her missing a finger, shot in the side, and lacking a significant amount of arm skin.

"They took her while she was on watch, though I doubt she made it easy on them," Rick chuckled.

"Where they now?"

"Dead. Very dead," Rick said, "she got her licks in at the end, we tried to talk her out of it, but- you know how that goes."

"Glenn, Maggie? What about them?"

"On the way to DC, with Eugene," Rick said.

"What are we gonna do about Girl? She's in bad shape, man," Daryl said, arm tightening around Girl's shoulders.

"Antibiotics."

"What?"

Daryl's eyes flew to Noah, a curious look on his face.

"Maybe we could make a deal with Dawn. Antibiotics for something else. That could keep her from an infection at least," Noah explained.