What's Next

Chapter Four 🦋

Val's POV:

"Patrick was fine yesterday, and he died overnight. Two people died that quick? We'll have to separate everyone that's been exposed." Carol stated, bluntly.

"That's everyone in that cell block. That's all of us. Maybe more." Daryl commented.

"He's not wrong. Who knows how far this sickness has already spread." I added.

"We know that this sickness can be lethal. We don't know how easily it spreads. Is anyone else showing symptoms that we know of." Hershel questioned.

"We can't just wait and see."

"There's children involved. We can't risk it. It's not just the illness. Once people they die they become a threat. There has to be a solution to this." I stated, frantic.

"We need a place for them to go. They can't stay in D. We can't risk going in there to clean it up."

"We can use cell block A." Carol suggested.

"Death row? I'm not sure that's much of an upgrade." Glenn expressed.

"It's clean. That's an upgrade." Daryl specified.

"Think that'll work for Dr. S?"

"I'll help Caleb get it set up." Hershel answered. We heard coughing from outside, making us cut the meeting short. I was using the crutches Hershel used to use to keep the weight off of my ankle which was indeed sprained, pretty badly I might add. Daryl needed to help me back to the cell, so I could throw on any shirt I could find, I couldn't even put my boot all the way on my right foot from how swollen my ankle became.

The coughing belonged to Karen. Tyreese was bringing her back to his cell to rest before the others stopped them before they could. There was another, David. According to Karen he too have been coughing a fair bit. So it was determined that the cells in the tombs were to be where they stayed, Dr. S was going to look after them. See what he could at least do in terms of getting this problem under control.

**

Daryl, now wearing a mask and gloves, started digging holes to begin burying the dead. I sat out there with him, wearing a mask just in case. Rick walked over, picking up a spare shovel to help Daryl, considering I couldn't do much but give Daryl some company. "Glad you were in there." Daryl stated.

"Wasn't much use without my gun." Rick said, practically complaining.

"No you were Rick." I reassured him.

"All this time you've been taking off, you earned it. We wouldn't be here without you." Daryl added.

"it was all of us."

"No it was you first. You gonna help us figure this out?"

"I screwed up too many times. Those calls you got to make, I start down that road... I almost lost my boy... Who he was."

"We still need you Rick." I stated.

"Whatever else this place needs, I'm here for it."

"Like I said, you've earned it. But for what it's worth, you see mistakes. I see when shit hits, you're standing there with a shovel."

"Rick! Daryl!" Maggie yelled, grabbing their attention. Rick already took off running. "Val will you be okay?" Daryl questioned, as he grabbed his crossbow.

"I'll be fine, go!" I demanded, with that he took off running to the fence, following after Rick.

**

Daryl's POV:

The fence was about to give, from the amount of walkers that were trying to push their way through. I was stabbing as many of them as I could, but it was barely even making a dent. "Are you seeing this?" Sasha questioned, after spotting a bunch of dead rats along the bottom of the fence. "Is someone feeding these things?" She asked, confused, and concerned. "Heads up!" I called, noticing the middle of the fence began to collapse. We all immediately took action, trying to take down every walker that was on that part of the fence. Soon we began pushing against it, trying to keep it up right. "It's gonna give! It's gonna give!" Rick yelled, alarmed.

"Everybody back! C'mon, back, now." I demanded, knowing that no matter how hard we tried to push it up, it was no use. "The fence keep bending in like that, those walkers are coming over." Sasha explained.

"Daryl, get the truck. I know what to do." Was all Rick said. Finally stepping up.

**

"Is it done?" Val questioned, as she hobbled her way over to me once Rick and I got back. "Here, lemme help you." I said, instantly wrapping my arm around her waist. "Don't avoid the question Dixon." She scolded.

"Yeah, it's done Val."

"Okay." She muttered.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She mumbled.

"Val?"

"It's just... I feel so useless and pathetic. I can't help. I can't even go near my niece. I'm so stupid."

"That's not true."

"Don't lie to me Daryl okay? I already feel really shitty."

"I'm not lying to ye. Ye already done so much when you were needed most. That's what counts. Ya still get to have yer say at the council meetings anyways. What you have to say is what will help us all."

"But it doesn't feel like enough." She huffed.

"I know, but it's also what's gonna keep ye the safest."

"Okay, okay." She muttered in defeat.

"I just want to keep my girlfriend safe, is that okay by ye."

"Girlfriend?" She questioned confused. 'Shit.' I mentally cursed myself, how could I forget. "Is that what I am?" She asked, pulling me from my thoughts. "I mean, if ye wanna be."

"Of course I want to be, you silly billy." She giggled. I knew it might not have been the best idea, but I looked around to see if Rick was around, before giving her a kiss on the lips. Both of us were smiling when I pulled away.

**