Faded Scars (Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 41

Third person: Prison

One of the men from Woodbury lies on the ground, blood surrounding his mouth as Hershel, Sasha, Glenn, and Scarlett try to help him breath. "Henry, I need you to calm down. We're trying to help." Hershel said, shining his flashlight in the man's mouth. The man slowly stops his struggling as Hershel places a tube down his throat and attaches an air bag, lightly squeezing it. Sasha and Glenn began to cough as Scarlett moved to sit back on her hands, sweat running down her face.

Hershel had found some cold medicine to give to her and to get her back on her feet, but her fever was slowly getting worse like the others. "Drink some of that. All of you." He said and looked at Scarlett, who coughed into her arm as Glenn handed out cups of the warm tea. "Some council meeting, huh?" Hershel said, still pumping the air bag. "Is...that..what this..is?" Scarlett managed out as she took a small sip from the cup in her shaking hands. The warm liquid running down her sore throat, easing it. "We're two members short." Sasha said as she brought her tin cup to her lips.

"I think we should make some new rules before they get back." Hershel said and Scarlett looked at him curiously. "Like...what?" She asked weakly. "I hereby declare we have spaghetti Tuesdays every Wednesday." Hershel said and turned to Sasha. She sighed as Hershel continued to pump the air bag and Scarlett took another small sip of her tea. "First we have to find some spaghetti." Glenn placed down his cup as Hershel turned back to Sasha.

"You okay to take over?" He asked and she lazily nodded, taking the air bag from Hershel. "Every five to six seconds, squeeze. You start feeling lightheaded, grab somebody else to take over. We'll take it in shifts." Hershel instructed her and turned to Glenn and Scarlett. "Y'all want to help me go on my rounds?" He asked them, Scarlett weakly shaking her head "yes." She wanted to keep her mind off things, wanted to keep busy, but she was slowly fading.

Glenn agreed and helped her to her feet, both of them heading towards the cell entrance. Before Glenn walked out, he turned towards Henry and then looked back at Hershel. "How long will that keep him alive?" Glenn asked and Hershel turned towards him. "Just as long as we're willing to do it. As long as it takes." He said as Glenn and Scarlett turned back towards Henry and Sasha for a last time before leaving.

They headed down the stairs, coughing coming in every direction. A small boy was playing checkers with another person trying to distract themselves from the death around them. Hershel carefully moved into a cell-shining his lantern-where a man laid dead, his face bloody and lifeless. Hershel moved from the cell as Scarlett and Glenn walked in, Glenn beginning to pull his knife out when Scarlett grabbed his hand. "Not..here, there's..to many." Scarlett said breathy and looked around at the people coughing. Glenn looked at her as she backed away, Hershel pushing a wheeled cot over to the cell. "Help me get him on this." He whispered to the both of them as Glenn sheathed his knife.

"Okay, but in a couple of hours when Henry's dead." Glenn said plainly to Hershel, who tried to interrupt him. "Glenn." However, he didn't listen. "How are we gonna get his body down the stairs, across the cell block and through those doors without anyone noticing?" He questioned and Scarlett slowly moved forwards some. "He..has a point, Hershel." She whispered and looked down at the dead man. "If that happens, if, both of you are gonna help me." Scarlett looked up at Glenn, who swallowed nervously. "And what if I'm gone?" He asked plainly and Scarlett softly gripped his arm. Her and Glenn had become good friends over the past few days. He reminded her of the good side of Leona and since Scarlett didn't sleep much anyways, she watched over him as he tried to regain some of his energy. "Shut up and help me get him on this." Hershel whispered to Glenn, turning away as they lifted the man onto the cot.

Glenn unlocked the backroom as they pushed the man into it, but a tiny voice broke through the silence and they stopped. "What are you doing?" Lizzie asked, looking at the group. Her eyes landed on Scarlett, who looked away and turned towards Glenn. Hershel looked at both of them and then turned to the small girl. "We're taking Mr. Jacobson to a quieter place." He said, limping over to the girl and placing a hand on her forehead. "Go get my copy of "Tom Sawyer" from my room. I want you to read it by tonight. We all got jobs to do. That one's yours." He said as the girl coughed into her arm.