Tragic Coincidence | Daryl Dixon

Chapter Thirty-Eight.

Daryl was wrong. He was wrong when he told me everything would be ok, because two days after the incident in cell block D I started to get sick. I thought maybe the heat was just getting to me, that me sweating profusely throughout the night was from summer nights. But I was wrong. I have been coughing so hard that blood started to come up along with other things. I have never felt misery like this in my life, it felt like everything in my body was on fire and my bones felt like glass. I haven't even been able to sleep, as I had separated myself into cell block D, to avoid getting Carl and Judith sick.

"Emma, you awake?" I heard a soft voice say as they gently shook my leg. I slowly opened my eyes to see Daryl sitting at the foot of my bed, a bandana wrapped around his neck. "Daryl, you shouldn't be in here" i whispered as I wrapped the blanket on the bed tighter around me. Sure Daryl was in the cell block with everyone who was sick, I still wanted him to stay away from me just in case. " I needed to see you Em's" he said softly, reaching over to wipe some of the sweat from my forehead but I swatted his hand away and curled down farther into my bed.

"Were moving you and the others who are sick into cell block A" He said grabbing my bag and tossing it onto his back, as if hinting he needed me to get up right then. I nodded my head and sat up slowly, feeling like I would break in half with the slightest movement. Daryl noticed my struggle and wrapped an arm around my waist to help me walk, I just shoved him away not wanting him to get sick. "Emma I don't fucking care if I get sick, now let me help you" Daryl growled at me, before wrapping his arms around me and picking me up. Carrying me bridal style out of the cell block. 

I kept my arms tucked close to me, not even wanting Daryl to touch me in fear that he might get sick. "You shouldn't be around me Daryl" I said weakly, as another coughing spell came. I turned away from him and sprayed blood all over the wall beside us. Daryl grunted and held me tighter to his body. "Shut up Emma, I'm not staying away from you" Daryl mumbled angrily as we passed other sick members of the prison. Daryl stopped behind a couple other people, including Lizzie who were waiting to go inside cell block A.

Carol was sending people in, all of them reluctant to even be in here. Martha, one of the older Woodbury ladies was fighting tooth and nail to go inside the cell block. Carol had to pull her back and shove her gently inside, before hugging a nervous Lizzie and walking her inside as well. Daryl set me down on my feet, but kept an arm firmly around my waist to keep me steady. "Daryl, you cant go in there" Carol said looking between the two of us. 

Daryl growled under his breath before glaring over at Carol "Like hell I ain't!" He shouted at her, causing a couple people to glance over at him. But people knew better than to upset Daryl, and they quickly looked away. "We need you healthy Daryl, you going inside here is suicide!" Carol said with a raised voice. "Daryl, stay out here" I said trying to get him to stay out of the cell block with everything I had. Daryl was shaking in anger beside me, probably furious at Carol for denying him access to the cell block and angry at me for agreeing with her. 

It wasn't that I didn't want to be around Daryl, I wanted to be around him every second of the day. But I cared about his well being more than my own, and him being around me really was suicide. I was carrying his child, which was probably part of the reason he was so attached to me at the moment. But with how sick I was I really doubting if this baby was still even alive, as bad as that sounds. I loved Daryl so much that it would kill me if I saw him weak and helpless like the rest of us. Daryl could beat this world, and if there was a different plan for the rest of us then so be it. 

"Daryl please go" I whimpered into his side. I felt my body growing weaker as time went on, and Daryl really was keeping me from falling to the ground. Daryl looked down at me and frowned even harder, before bending down and kissing my sweaty forehead softly. "I love you" He whispered into my skin, before he handed me over to Carol and walked away. I looked to see him practically jogging out of the cell block, I was sad to see him leave but I know he needed to go. "Come on Emma" Carol said, as she led me into the cell block, Glenn and Sasha greeting me with the others that were sick....

I have never in my life felt pain like this....physically and emotionally. All I heard throughout the night were the coughing and sobbing of my fellow group members. All of us felt as if our lives were close to ending, and when i heard the growling deep into the night I knew it was true for some of them. We lost six people last night, and I was beginning to feel like I was the next. All I tasted was blood. All I could smell was blood, it was miserable. The tiny swell of my stomach was the one thing keeping me from walking into the bright light I so desperately wanted to.

Daryl left this morning to get medicine for all of us, while Hershel was in here doing his best to help. I felt weak and hopeless seeing as I was a doctor and could not even help myself out of bed. The door to my cell was shut in case another person turned tonight, and I felt trapped like a caged animal. In cell C, I slept with Daryl in the perch, out in the open. And in here I was locked away, all alone. I laid here night after night just hoping to pull through and that this baby would as well, there was a great chance the baby wouldn't survive and it could easily tear me apart inside. 

"Emma?" Someone called outside the cell, and my heavy eyelids slowly opened to see Sasha standing outside the cell. She looked as bad as i did, with pale skin and sunken eyes with sweat covering her body. "What's up?" I whispered rolling onto my side as I felt another coughing spell come out. "We lost three more, Hershel is with Glenn and I really need your help" She wheezed out. Sasha was one of the few that were able to walk properly in here, besides Hershel. I haven't moved in days, barely keeping water in my system so I don't know how much help I would be. 

"I'm going to need help getting up" I said softly, reaching up to grab the top bunk and pulling up slowly. Sasha opened my cell with her key and slowly helped me stand up. My head was spinning, and I wasn't sure how long I would be able to walk. But I hated being useless, so when Sasha asked if I was ok, I lied to her and said yes. 

I barely made it around the corner of my cell when I felt the dizziness take over, and I fell to the ground. I heard Sasha yelling for me, Hershel's voice suddenly appeared and was calling my name. I heard crashing, breaking, moaning and gunshots. But my body wouldn't move, and i was suddenly overwhelmed with the feeling to go to the awful bright light.