Solitary: The Walking Dead

Chapter 148.

 Wake up.

"Do you want me to take over so you can sit with her?" Laura asks, watching as Iris looks back at her sister for the tenth time in three minutes, "nah i'm fine. We're almost there" Iris mumbles looking around at the familiar surroundings, "she's going to be fine. Once she gets some rest she'll be up and about like nothing happened" Iris explains, Laura cant tell who Iris is trying to reassure but she just sits and listens.

Iris watches the Alexandria gate slide open, she stops the horse in front of the infirmary and Siddiq rushes out of the house, "who is it?" he questions, "Juniper." Iris says jumping down and meeting Siddiq at the back of the trailer, "she hit her head. She hasn't woken up since" Iris explains, she opens the back of the old tuck bed converted into a trailer, she climbs in and grabs onto Juniper's upper body, Laura grabbing onto the blonde's legs.

"Lay her here" Siddiq says, pointing to the empty bed, Iris steps back and watches as Siddiq checks Juniper, she picks the skin around her nails as she holds back her panic. "She'll probably need a couple stitches" the man says "is she gonna wake up?" Iris questions "we can't know yet" Siddiq says, Iris lets out a sigh before walking out of the house.

"Iris?" Michonne questions, running over to the redhead, "michonne" Iris sighs, wrapping her arms around Michonne "who is it?" the woman asks, hugging her back "it's Juniper" Iris whispers, Michonne pulls away and looks at Iris before walking into the house and seeing the girl unconscious, she walks back over to Iris and hugs her again "how are you doing?" she questions, Iris pulls away and looks at the woman "i'm fine. She's gonna wake up" Iris says.

.........

"You gotta wake up" Iris mumbles, she grabs Juniper's hand and holds it between hers, "come on" Iris says, "wake up" Iris snaps, growing angry, she drops Juniper's hand and stands up, "wake up!" she shouts, "come on! Just wake up!" she continues, "Iris!" Siddiq shouts, he grabs onto the woman and pulls her out of the house, "what are you doing?" he questions, shutting the door behind him, "yelling at her isn't going to help anything" he says softly, "i'm sorry" Iris mumbles before walking down the porch steps.

She storms down the road, taking her key from her back pocket and using it to unlock the basement door, Iris slams the door shut, making sure it wakes Negan up, Negan sits up when he sees the moonlight shine on her teary eyes, "who's dead?" he questions, praying it isn't Juniper.

Iris's breathing picks up as she glares at the man, "Juniper" Iris says through gritted teeth, Negans heart sinks as the name spins around his mind "she wont wake up. Your saviours started a fight. She got pushed down and hit her head" Iris snaps, Negan watches as she starts to pace back and forth "is she going to be okay?" he asks quietly.

"I don't know" Iris mumbles, her anger slowly starts to disappear, sadness replacing it, "you have to kill the person that did it" Negan says, standing and walking over to the cell bars, Iris stops pacing, she slowly looks up at Negan "i know... i will" she mumbles before leaving. She hangs her head low as she walks through the dark streets "mother fucker" she mumbles before walking back to the basement.

"What are you doing?" Negan asks, standing from the bed and watching Iris unlock the cell door, she pulls out her gun and walks inside the cell, "on your knees" she orders, pointing her gun at the man, "you can't kill me" he says, "i'm not going to" Iris says, Negan slowly lowers to his knees, Iris takes the handcuffs from the wall, she tightens them around his wrists and pulls him up, keeping her gun pointed at him.

"If you're not killing me, what are you doing?" Negan asks, stumbling out of the cell as Iris pushes him forward, "i don't know if she's going to wake up" Iris says, looking around as they quietly walk down the road, "you should be able to say goodbye" she adds, they quietly walk into the infirmary, Iris looks around and notices it empty, she sits Negan on the chair next to Junipers bed.

Iris closes all the blinds and locks all the doors before looking back at Negan, she watches him lay his head on her stomach, she looks down at the floor trying to hold back her emotions "i'm sorry sweetheart. I promised you I would protect you and I failed" Negan says, lifting his head as he looks at the peaceful girl.

"I love you so much" Negan whispers, Iris watches him lean in and kisses Juniper on the forehead, he slowly stands and turns to look at Iris, she walks over to him, grabbing onto the handcuffs and pushing him out of the building, they make it back to the basement without anyone noticing and Iris takes off his handcuffs, "thank you" Negan mumbles as Iris locks the cell again, Iris doesn't say anything to him, she keeps her focus on the floor as she walks out of the basement.