Solitary: The Walking Dead

Chapter 127.

Karmas a bitch, right?

Iris walks outside the walls of Hilltop, she looks over and watches one of the prisoners, digging holes by himself, burying his people. Iris walks over to him, nodding to the guard and letting him go back inside, the prisoner stops digging and eyes Iris suspiciously, she picks up a shovel and starts digging a separate hole.

"Why are you helping me?" the man asks, Iris stops digging and looks at him, "what's your name?" Iris asks "alden" he replies nervously, "im Iris... im doing this for someone i love" Iris says as she starts digging again, "he wants us to help the workers, he wants us all to work together, to fight together" Iris explains.

Alden starts digging again "sounds like a good person, that's exactly what i've been trying to do" Alden says, "he's an amazing person" Iris says. The two help each other lower all the bodies into the holes before they start filling in the holes. When their done Alden puts the shovel in the truck bed and holds his hands out to Iris.

"It's fine" she says, putting her shovel with his and shutting the truck, "you trust me?" he questions "not yet. But i know i can put you on your ass if you try something" Iris says, "after i saw you punch Gregory i believe you" Alden jokes, they get into the front of the truck and Iris drives back into the community, she puts Alden back into the holding area "thank you" he says as she locks the gate, she nods to him before walking away.

......

Iris sits in the arm chair in Maggie's room, she picks at the skin around her nails as Maggie and Juniper sleep, she reaches into her back pocket and pulls out the letter, she opens it and reads it again, her mind drifting off. Suddenly a scream sounds through the building, Iris stands up and puts the letter on the dresser.

She pulls out her gun as Maggie and Juniper get up, Maggie opens the door and raises her gun and torch, looking around and watching the commotion, Iris watches walkers attack their people, "fuck" she whispers, she walks out of the room and starts shooting down at some of the walkers from the top of the staircase.

When she runs out of bulettes she drops her gun to the floor, she pulls out her knives out, "Juniper keep Maggie safe!" Iris shouts before running down the stairs, she drives her blades into the head of the walkers, the heads of their people.

Iris leans down and kills one af the last walkers in the building, "The hell happened?" Daryl questions, looking around at the bodies, "I don't know. Maybe walkers got in." Rick says "Maybe during the fight." Morgan adds "These are our own people, though." Daryl says, confused and tired.

Iris hears creaming from upstairs, she runs up the stairs and rushes into one of the rooms, she looks around the room and sees Tobin on the floor, "You alright?" Daryl asks Carol, "Yeah, just... He wasn't bit. But he turned." Carol says.

"Negan's bat. When I was out there with him, it was covered in walker blood. I just thought he'd crossed some. But maybe..." Rick says, kneeling down and looking at Tobins body, "They have us working for them again. Killin' our own." Maggie says, "It's the fever." Bruce says, Iris turns and looks at him laying in the bed sick.

"That's what it is. It makes sense now... One of you... you're gonna have to do it. I can't. You gotta do it for me. Please. Please." he begs, Iris walks over to him, "it's okay" she whispers looking down at him "close your eyes" she says gently, "thank you" he says, looking up at her before closing his eyes.

"It's okay" Iris repeats, she slowly raises her knife to the side of the mans head and drives it into his skull, Iris walks out of the room and goes to the room Judith is in, Rick slowly opens the door, "Hey." he says, Rosita and Enid lower their weapons.

"Good out there?" Rosita questions "House is clear." Rick says walking into the room, Iris and Daryl walking in after him and shutting the door, "How'd this happen?" Tara asks, Iris looks down at her feet "Um... the Saviors did something to their weapons. Everyone they cut up... or got shot... they all got sick. Some of 'em turned." Daryl explains.

"What? No." Enid says, Iris looks at Tara as the news sinks in "Okay." she says "When we were out there, and you said you were done waiting, I coulda killed him. I shoulda." Daryl explains, "No. He wanted to be here with us. And no matter what he did or how hard he tried, I wanted him dead. I just couldn't let it be anything else. Karma's a bitch, right?" Tara says, trying to lighten the mood.

......

Daryl looks up and watches Iris walk away from the graves with Juniper, "hey" Juniper says to Daryl, giving him a smile, "hey" the man says, he looks at Iris but she keeps her eyes down, Juniper leaves them both to talk. "hey " Iris mumbles, looking at the man as she sits next to him on the open truck bed door, "i'm trying my hardest to not shut you out" Iris says, she looks down at her hands sitting in her lap, she picks at the raw skin around her nails.

"Carl... he said that i cant be angry and i cant shut people out... but-" "i'm not gonna let that happen" Daryl says when Iris cant speak anymore, he looks down at her bleeding fingers, he reaches down and pulls her hands apart, gently holding one of them. They intertwine their fingers and Iris looks up at the sky "i cant keep doing this" Iris admits, "what?" Daryl questions, concerned about the redhead.

"I can't keep losing the people i love. I can't keep losing... my head is too loud. It's filled with everyone we've lost and i can't quiet it." Iris explains, "that how you got that cut on your leg?" Daryl questions, this isn't the first time Iris has come back to the group with a cut on her upper thigh.

"It's the only time it's quiet" she admits, Daryl wraps his arm around her and pulls her body into his and gently kisses the top of her head, he looks over to Carol as she watches them, unsure what to say or do to help Iris.