The Walking Dead - Dixon Bloodfall (A Walking Dead ff)

Chapter 15 - We All Take Risks

The last time Quinn held a prolonged state of consciousness had been that visit with Lori Grimes. Time had escaped her, as had health, and she fell into a comatose state. Unbeknownst to her Merle and Daryl had done their duty in the span of three days, and had returned in time to greet a certain blonde haired woman who had long since been gone from her first group. Quinn wasn’t able to wake up, not for long, but she briefly spoke with the woman.

“Hey - Quinn. Sweetheart. C’mon, I need to talk to you.” Her voice came soft, but audible, Her hands were gently prodding Quinn’s lower stomach, until the pale, clammy girl stirred. Then, they were withdrawn, and one slid to the girl’s hair, smoothing it down onto her scalp. She whispered some more to her, telling her she wa okay, asking her to wake up, things of those sorts.

“Why? The girl whispers, her voice a trembling, shaking thing. Andrea felt her stomach tighten; seeing Quinn in such a state of weakness. She hadn’t spoken much to her before, but when she did the young teen was strong, viable, full of life. This wasn’t even the same person.

“I’m sorry. I just need to talk to you, okay? I need to tell you something.” Her hands were now holding her arm gently, fingers tentatively wrapping around her cold wrist. Moments later, Quinn’s eyes open, and hastily search for her visitor’s. When their eyes meet, Quinn takes a breath, and asks again - “Why?”

“Things are happening. I’m going to talk to Phillip -” She notes silently how Quinn stiffens at the mention of his name. “We might be able to fix this. We might.”

“That’s good.” Quinn responds weakly.

“No promises, though okay? If things hit the fan, I want to make sure you get away.”

This caused Quinn to hesitate in responding. A chill went down her already cold spine, and despite the Georgia warmth that wracked the prison, she shivered. Responding to her fear, her body prickled up with goosebumps. Her mind, alight with fear, began to work a bit clearer, and she slides herself up enough so that she can make solid eye contact with Andrea.

“Things won’t, though right?” Her tone, just like her mind, was unhindered by her days of suspended consciousness. She was alert as ever in a matter of minutes, despite the infection that pulsed through her veins. Andrea simply stared back, before eventually bowing her head and patting Quinn’s arm once over.

“I hope not.”

She left shortly after, somebody calling her name from the common room. Quinn snuggled into her sheets, now sliding herself back down onto her pillow and pressing her face into it. There were just a few more moments of consciousness before Quinn eventually fell back into her state of perpetual sleep.

“I’ll set up the IV in a few hours, but for now, just prop her up and make her take these pills.” Hershel says, eyes narrowed down on the vials of liquid Merle and Daryl had arrived with just hours ago. Hershel and the Dixon brothers are drawn in a circle around a bag of supplies. Hershel fishes out a bottle, quickly reading the label, and then tosses it to Merle.

“Antibiotics.” Daryl mumbles to his brother, who had been eyeing the bottles with suspicion and concern. “‘Yer too protective. It’s jus’ medicine.” Merle wordlessly grunts and shrugs off his younger’s comment, and goes off to supply Quinn with her medication. Rick saunters in as soon as the senior Dixon leaves, and Daryl glances at him momentarily.

“Everythin’ went okay?” Rick questions, turning to Hershel. Daryl nods.

“She’s been doin’ alright, but her condition is failing. Antibiotics and a IV I’m fixing up ought to make her shine in maybe, two weeks?”