Solitary: The Walking Dead

Chapter Seventy-six.

It's all possible.

Iris sat on a chair next to Carl's bed, she gripped onto his hand as he lay unconscious, stroking his hair with her other hand. She doesn't notice everyone around her, she doesn't notice them talking to her, her only focus being him. Iris looks up from the boy to his dad sitting on the other side of the bed.

"I was wrong. I thought after living behind these walls for so long that... maybe they couldn't learn. But today... I saw what they could do, what we could do, if we work together. We'll rebuild the walls. We'll expand the walls. There will be more. There's gotta be more. Everything Deanna was talking about... is possible. It's all possible. I see that now. When I was out there... with them... when it was over... when I knew we had this place again... I had this feeling. It took me a while to remember what it was... because I haven't felt it since before I woke up in that hospital bed. I want to show you the new world, Carl. I want to make it a reality for you. Please, Carl... let me show you. Plea-- please, son, don't die." Rick begs.

Iris leans her elbow on the bed, laying her head in her hand while she holds onto his hand with her free hand. Suddenly he grips her hand back, she looks up at Rick noticing he felt the same thing, she looks at Carls face, "dad" the boy says, slowly opening his eye, "mom" he says looking at Iris, she smiles "your awake" she says, tears falling from her eyes.

........

After sitting with the boy for a while she kisses him on the forehead and stands, "i'll be back soon" she tells him, she walks out of the room and onto the porch, she glances at everyone sitting waiting outside the house, "he's awake" she announces watching everyone smile relieved. Iris looks down at the floor and walks past everyone, she walks down the steps and towards the back of the houses, she looks down at the blood on the grass.

So much had happened over the past few days she didn't know what to do with herself, "hey" a gruff voice says from behind her, she looks up and turns, "how're you doin?" the man asks looking her over, "i'm fine" Iris says, "no your not" Daryl says, Iris looks at the man, unsure and nervous like a scared animal.

"I am" Iris says, her words coming out just above a whisper, "I can see your not" Daryl says stepping closer to her, Iris stares into his eyes for a minute and slowly she begins to break down, a lump raises in her throat, her eyes beginning to water, her hands shakinging and her breathing quickening. Daryl quickly moves closer to the woman, wrapping his arms around her body as she begins to cry, his chest muffling her sobs and his shirt capturing her tears.

Daryl and Iris stand like that for a while, both feeling comforted by the contact, Daryl thinks about how he always struggled with this kind of affection but with her it's different, he feels safe, loved and warm. Iris thinks the same, when Rick found her she really struggled with being touched, even with Shane, she would have to move away from him after a while, but with Daryl she never wants to leave his embrace. Iris's tears dry and she pulls away from Daryl, "what happened out there?" Iris asks, "came across some trouble" he says looking down at her.

.......

Iris sits on the porch steps and looks out at the night sky, Daryl steps out of the house with two bowls of food in his hands, "here" he says handing her a bowl and sitting down next to her, "im fine" Iris says, rejecting the food, "eat" he says, moving the food closer to her.

She sighs and reluctantly takes the food, she picks up the spoon and begins to move the food around "don't play with it" Daryl says, Iris looks at him and lifts the food to her mouth, taking a bite and eating it while holding eye contact. Daryl scoffs and shakes his head, looking away from her and eating his food, "funny" he says, trying not to show a smirk.

When they finish the food Iris pulls out a cigarette and lights it, taking a drag and handing it to the man letting him take a drag as well. Together they smoke the cigarette and look out at the night sky, going back to how they were before this happened.

.........

The next two months Iris spends her time sitting with Carl, keeping him company and also making sure he was safe. She works hard on training the remaining residents of Alexandria, making them wake up early and stay up late so they are more prepared for the outside world, and she starts helping Denise with the few first aid things she knows. In her free time she's on watch, Rick and Daryl notice that the woman was going days without sleeping or eating, Rick watched her go back into her old habits of punishing herself, he knows she blames herself for Alexandria getting attacked, but no one else thinks that.

One night Daryl had found Rick, together they watched her as she kept her focus on the world outside of the walls, Daryl brought up his concerns for the woman and Rick confessed he was thinking the same thing, and they came up with a plan to help her. "I'll talk to her quickly," Rick said, patting Daryl on the arm and walking towards the watchtower, climbing up and standing next to her.

"I want you to come on the run with me and Daryl tomorrow. And I'm not taking no for an answer" Rick said knowing her well enough to know she would argue with him, but she stays quiet, keeping her eyes out on the dark tree line, "Iris" he says, his heart breaking as he looks at her, "hey" he quietly says, gently placing his hand on her cheek and moving her to look at him, he looks into her broken eyes as they stare back at him, instead of saying anything Rick pulls her into his body, holding her tight and looking out at the street. wishing , praying, that he could take her pain away from her.