The Bet

Part 6

A gunshot rang out, echoing through the walls of the prison. A second... third... sitting up with a start, you looked around trying to figure out what was happening. Alone in the cell, you looked around for your clothes and threw on what had been discarded the night before.

Daryl, as well as his crossbow, were already gone, which really wasn't all that odd. Plenty of times he would be up and gone before you, but today was different.

In the distance, there was screaming now... another gun shot. You just pulled on your last boot when Daryl came flying by the cell and slammed the bars shut.

"Stay here!" he shouted and ran back towards the shots.

"Daryl!" you called after him, but he didn't stop. You pressed your hands and face against the bars to try and see what was happening.

What felt like an hour later, but maybe had only been half that Daryl came back and unlocked the cell. His clothes splattered in blood, his crossbow hanging from his hand and his head hung low.

"Are you okay? What happened? Are you hurt?" your hands were frantic on him checking for wounds. One of his large hands covered yours and pressed them into his chest.

"I'm fine," he said and sighed. "People... they got sick and died. Turned in the night."

"What?" you were shook, unable to move. "Sick? Sick how?" your mind flashed to the exhaustion and uneasy stomach you've had.

"I dunno, doc said its some kinda flu," he paused, "but...we just lost a lot of 'em."

You hugged him tightly, understanding how much he had come to care for everyone living at the prison.

"What can I do?" you wanted to help him, but couldn't help but feel worried about your own health.

"I want you to go see the doc," he said as if reading your thoughts. "I know you've been tired, and it's probably nothin', but I'd feel better knowin' you were alright." He tucked a hair behind your ear and cupped your face in his palm.

"Ok, I'll go today."

"Good," he kissed you gently and hugged you closer.

"So, are there people still sick? What about Maggie and Glenn?"

"They're fine far's I know. I don't know 'bout the others yet. Council's meetin' soon to try and figure it all out. Just stay outta D Block, ok? Stay outside or stay in here. I'll ask the doc to come see ya."

"Alright," you complied. You knew he was gearing up to go out again, especially if more people were sick. The last thing you wanted to do was give him more cause to worry. The best way you could help was to allow him to do what he needed to, while keeping yourself out of harm's way.

Daryl left for the council meeting and the doc arrived at your bunk a short time later. After explaining about how tired you've been, he gave you a quick exam.

"Honestly Y/N, I don't see any sign of this bug. Your breathing sounds good, you don't have a temp... I see no indications that its anything other than a simple case of exhaustion. You've been out in the heat, right?"

You nodded, feeling a great sense of relief.

"Ok, well I am going to assume it's that," he said standing from your bunk and placing his tools back in his bag, "...I mean, unless your pregnant..." he winced at his lack of subtlety and offered you an apologetic smile.

"Pregnant?" you repeated more to yourself than to him.

"I mean, I assume it's a possibility..." he asked looking to you for confirmation and you nodded slowly. "Ok, so you might want to take a test. Actually," he reopened his bag and rifled through to the bottom, "I have one handy. Took them from the supply closet for another patient, as luck would have it, still have one in my bag."

He handed the box to you, the words 'Pregnancy Testing Kit' loomed large in bold blue betters. You swallowed deeply and suddenly knew that you didn't need the test. You'd been pregnant twice before and the signs were the same every time. How you'd missed the omens you didn't know. Maybe it had been that you were too wrapped up in Daryl or the new life you were making for yourself at the prison. Either way, you hadn't been paying attention, and now it was too late.

Taking the box, you smiled at him and slipped it under the pillow.

"Thanks again, doc," you stood as he was leaving, but the second he left you crashed back down to the bunk.

Tears threatened to fall, but you sat up straight and pushed them back knowing that you couldn't fall apart. Taking a deep breath, you got up forgetting the test on the bed, and headed out to find Maggie.

The courtyard was void of people save for Glenn and Hershel. You asked them if they had seen Maggie, and they pointed you towards the water pump near the gardens. Making your way down there, you saw Rick and Carol out beyond the fences working the hoses, while Maggie tried to get the pump generating a steady flow of water.

"Want some help?" you asked as you caught up with her.

"Hey," she said pausing to look up at you. Maggie looked out at Rick and Carol and saw them coming back in through the hole in the fences. She gave the pump another few goes and water began flowing freely.

"Problems out there?" you asked pointing to where Carol and Rick were.

"Nah, just muddy. They got it," she continued to fill up the bucket and turned off the pump when she was done. "I gotta get this up to the doc, more people are turnin' up sick. I think they're trying to get them into A block, but..."

"What, Maggie?"

"I don't know. I just got a feelin' this is gonna get worse before it gets better," she seemed lost in thought, and finally came back around and seemed to see you standing in front of her for the first time.

"Oh, hey... did you get some sleep? See the doc?"

"I did," you said, and grabbed the other end of the bucket she was picking up.

"And?" she asked as the two of you started walking up the hill towards Glenn and Hershel.

"And, I'm fine. I don't have it. I'm not sick," you answered but kept your eyes cast towards the ground.

Maggie stopped and placed the bucket on the ground. Not wanting it to spill, you set your side down too and finally met her gaze.

"What?" you said, trying to act aloof.

"What did he say then?" Maggie raised her eye brows at you and you knew you had to tell her. Maggie Greene was incredibly persistent, sometimes to the point of being obnoxious. But as your best and oldest friend, you felt you needed to be honest.

"He thinks I'm pregnant," you sighed and steadied yourself against the wave of nausea that rolled over you.

"What?!" her eyes were big, a grin threatening on her lips. "Seriously?!"

"Shhh, Maggie... please," you begged her, "I haven't taken the test yet. But..."

"But you are. You know you are!" she playfully smacked your shoulder, but when she noticed the expression you carried, she toned down her response. "You're thinkin' bout the boys, right?"

You nodded. The boys... your boys that had been lost at the beginning of it all. The ones that were taken from you because the last man you trusted had been misguided.

"Oh, Y/N. I'm sorry, I know this can't be easy." Maggie moved to hug you, but you put up a hand to stop her.

"It's ok, really. Right now, there's more important things happenin'. This can wait... long as I know I don't have that," you pointed towards the prison, "I'm ok."

Maggie nodded and picked up the bucket. She refused to let you help her carry the rest of the way, and you were suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude that you had Maggie in your corner.