What's Next

Chapter Six 🦋

Val's POV:

We had a council meeting the moment morning hit. "It's spread. Everyone who survived the attack in cell block D. Sasha, Caleb and now others." Hershel explained.

"Oh Jesus." Daryl muttered.

"What do we do now?" I questioned.

"First things, Cell block A is isolation. We keep the sick people there like we tried with Karen and David."

"What the hell are we gonna do about that?"

"Asl Rick to look into. Try make a timeline... who's where when." Carol suggested.

"And you think my brother is in his right mind to do that?"

"We don't have much of a choice Babe." Daryl muttered.

"So that aside. What are we going to do to stop this?" I asked, frantic.

"There is no stopping it." Hershel stated.

"You get it. You have to go through it."

"But it just kills you?" Michonne spoke up questioning Hershel, grabbing our attention.

"The illness doesn't. The symptoms do. We need antibiotics." Hershel enlightened.

"We've been through every pharmacy nearby. And then some." Daryl stressed.

"That veterinary college at West Peachtree Tech, that's one place people may not have thought to raid for medication. The drugs for animals there are the same we need."

"That's 50 miles. Too big of a risk before." I stated.

"Ain't now. I'm gonna take a group out. Best not waste any more time."

"I'm in." Michonne stated, stepping forward.

"You haven't been exposed. Daryl has, You get in a car with him..."

"He's already given me fleas." She joked.

"I'm coming too," I stated.

"Absolutely not."

"And why the hell not Daryl?"

"I'm not arguing with ya over this. If I say ye ain't coming, then ye ain't coming." He scolded, getting angry with me. "I can draw you a map." Hershel added, after being practically told no by Daryl. "There are other precautions I feel we should take."

"Like what?"

"There's no telling how long it will be until Daryl and his group returns. Wouldn't it make sense for us to separate the most vulnerable?"

"We could use the Administration building. Separate office, separate room."

"Who is the most vulnerable?"

"The very young."

**

I walked outside, spotting Daryl instantly. I marched over there immediately, randomly pissed off with how he spoke to me earlier on. "What the hell was that about in there?"

"Val, look I need to keep you safe."

"I don't care you don't get to speak to me like that ever. I thought we've gotten passed that point."

"What is it huh? Am I just some piece of ass you get to have for yourself now since Shane is dead! That's why you never tried anything before right?"

"Babe, I get that yer upset, but ye need to calm down."

"Calm down? Calm.. Down? I'm gonna just calm down just cause you tell me to. I do everything you ask of me, cause I trust you. I trust your judgement. But yet when you know, I've felt like I haven't been doing enough and I want to help you tell me no, like I'm some damn child."

"What the hell has gotten into ya huh? One minute you're fine, the next you're blowing up in my face like I ain't treatin' ya right. Since I'm sure Shane would totally treat ya the way I do right? Huh Val? He would never smack ye around? Rape ya? Cause I sure as hell would never do a single thing like that to ya!" He scolded.

"I don't want ye to come and that's the end of it. So drop it." Daryl ordered. He didn't realise at first how far he went. He didn't realise the tears that began to roll down my cheeks after the hurtful things he said to me. I stormed off back inside, back to the cell I slept in, not letting him say another word to me.

**

I waited until I heard the car start when I began to creep back outside. I didn't want to see him. I knew maybe he didn't mean it, but he still said it. I went from being treated like shit by Shane, slapped whenever I fought him on one of his decisions he made for me after the outbreak began. I remembered it all, including the night in the barn, back on Hershel's farm. Daryl saved me, protected me. Something he's continued ever since. I didn't understand why my mood was all over the place, why I was taking it out on Daryl when I didn't even mean to.

I walked straight into the open space, sitting down to think about it all. I just let the tears run down my face. I didn't understand why everything is making me so emotional, when I've done so well to control it. I heard the car drive by. I didn't even bother to look. If I did I would just begin to miss him. Wish I had just told him good luck and plant a kiss on his cheek like I always did. But I exploded at him when I didn't know I felt like that.

**