A Survivor's Diary of the Apocalypse (TWD/Daryl Dixon)

S9Pt25 - Goodbye

"Kell." I faintly heard.
I blinked my eyes but couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I was in too much pain.
"Kell."
It was Daryl. He sat down in front of me and I saw him looking at me, worried.
"Daryl." I said, but no words came out. "I'm dying aren't I?"
"We're almost back and we're going to fix you up. Don't worry." Daryl said.
We were in a carriage drawn by two horses. I saw Michonne up front, and Jesus's body laying down in front of me. He really was dead. Now a lifeless body.
"That will be you soon." I thought.
"Daryl." I groaned.
"Yes?" Daryl said and leaned in. "Kell what is it?"
"Can you clean me up?" I said and coughed, some blood was coming up. "The kids.. don't let them see me like this."
"Okay..." Daryl hesitated, but got a damp rag. He first began by taking off my prosthetic arm and tossing it to the side. He then started cleaning the smeared blood off my face. He then cleaned my neck and moved onto my arms. Once he reached my hand, he paused as he looked at my wedding ring. I saw him bow his head.
"Don't—" I began to say but started coughing up more blood.
Daryl instantly looked up at me and held my face.
"It's okay. You're okay." Daryl said and caressed my face.
I was going to say something but I felt myself start to doze off, and everything went black.

~~~~~~~~~~

I next woke up in a bed, I'm assuming back at Hilltop. Everything in my body was weak, I could barely lift my hand, which I realized was handcuffed to the side of the bed. I looked to my left and saw Daryl sitting next to me, his head in his hands.
"Daryl—" I tried to say, but my voice was raspy.
Siddiq then walked in and looked at me. "I'm sorry Kelley," he said, "I did the best I could."
Daryl then looked at me and I saw tears in his eyes. I then looked down at my stomach and saw it was wrapped up in a bandage and some blood was bleeding through.
"I tried to stop the bleeding as much as I could. But now based on your symptoms, sepsis has taken over. I'm.. I'm sorry. I can't—" Siddiq said, but I just waved my hand as much at the handcuffs would left me.
"I know... I know what this means." I said softly.
Daryl looked at me and grabbed my hand. "Can we have a minute?" He asked.
"Of course." Siddiq said, his voice a little shaky. But he did leave the room.
As soon as he left, Daryl burst into tears. I wanted to comfort him but I didn't have a free hand to do so. But he just sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. And there was nothing I could do. Nothing to make this better. Because we knew, this was the end. Our last goodbye.
"Daryl, please stop.." I said quietly.
"I can't Kell..." he cried, and then stopped enough to look at me. "I don't want to lose you."
"It's too late." I said. "There's nothing left."
"I can't live without you..." Daryl said. "I can't, I just can't. I—I—"
Now I couldn't hold back. Tears started streaming down my face as I opened my mouth and let out a cry.
"I don't want to die..." I cried.
Daryl then stood up and leaned over me, hugging me as tightly as possible. Since I was handcuffed, I couldn't even hug him back.
"I don't— I don't want to die Daryl. I can't— my kids. You..." I said, barely able to speak.
I then giggled my wrist and grunted in frustration. "Take these damn things off of me." I cried out.
Daryl instantly let go and grabbed the keys off the wall, then came back and freed me. I then held out my arm and he fell back into my grasp, and I squeezed my arm around him. I then quickly exhausted all my energy crying and holding onto Daryl that I felt myself getting weak again. My arm slumped down onto the bed and my head rolled backwards.
"Kelley! Oh god, Kell." Daryl said and held me by the shoulders.
He lightly shook me and my head bounced back and forth. I had nothing left.
"Get.. the kids.. I need to.. say goodbye." I said.
Daryl quickly nodded and ran to the door, opened it, and soon the kids rushed in. I looked to my left and saw Maggie, Rosita, and Michonne starting at me by the door. He left the door open and ran to the kids who instantly ran to me.
Judith ran to my side first, followed by Georgia and Lee. Judith put her hand on my arm, and the kids grabbed my leg.
"Mommy!" They all cried together, not quieting down.
"Shhhh... it's alright." I said as strongly as I could.
"Mommy, are you dying?" Judith asked.
I just looked at her and water swelled in my eyes.
"...yes..." I barely was able to utter the word.
There. I admitted it. I accepted it... I was dying.
"I don't want you to die!" Georgia screamed.
"Please don't go mommy!" Lee cried.
Judith just bowed her head and cried silently to herself.
"I'm— I'm so sorry my loves." I said, and tried my best to reach out to them, but I couldn't move my arm. I shook my head in frustration and cried out. I didn't want to leave my kids. I didn't want to leave Daryl. "This was my family. I held us together. How can I leave them?" I thought to myself.
"I'll miss you mommy." Lee then said as he stopped crying.
"I'll miss you too." Georgia said and hugged my legs as tightly as possible.
"Judith?" I then said, as best as I could.
"Yes mommy?" She said.
"Look out for your brother and sister, you understand." I said.
"Yes." She said and nodded to head.
"Because family... is.. everything." I said, the last word becoming a blur.
I felt my heart start racing and my stomach started burning. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
"Daryl." I called out, with my eyes still closed.
"Yes my love?" He said.
I opened my eyes to see him hovering over me, his ocean blue eyes staring into my soul.
"I'm sorry... for everything I ever.. said to you. For anything I did.. that hurt you."
"You could never hurt me." He said and shook his head.
I felt myself starting to lose sensation in my limbs and everything focused on my heart. I could then feel it beating, slower, and slower, each time.
"I... love... yo—" I muttered out one last breath.
And finally, everything went black.