The Only Hope For Me Is You

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"Face all the pain and take it on because the only hope for me is you, alone."

I woke not long after Daryl and I had fallen asleep. Glancing upward, he was peaceful and sound asleep. I couldn't help but wonder if he was actually sleeping soundly or if he was dreaming. Perhaps it was a calming dream that left him with the placid appearance. Whatever the reason, I was just happy he was getting sleep. God knows he was beyond sleep-deprived. 

I lifted my chin and kissed his jaw gently before maneuvering myself out of his hold. I could feel dehydration taking effect on my body and I desperately needed some water. I stretched my arms as I stood, checking on Daryl every few seconds to make sure he stayed asleep.

As I exited my cell, I looked up to find the entire group staring back at me. We all held a silent eye contact for what felt like an eternity.  It was a bit freaky, to be honest. It was eerily silent as everyone seemed to hold their breath.

"Uh...hi," I said with a small wave of my hand. 

Carl ran up to me, engulfing me in a strong hug. He was on his toes and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. My God, he got tall. I hugged him back just as tightly.

"Hey, Squish," I mumbled into his shoulder. "You got tall." He laughed at this, sending small vibrations through my body. I pulled away from him, brushing some of his hair off his forehead. 

"I thought--"

"Hey, come on now. It's gonna take a lot more than some virus to get rid of me." 

We shared a smile and I kissed his head. I went over to the rest of the group, hugging and rejoicing with everyone. There was a wash of relief throughout the cell block, the aura feeling much different than when I'd returned a few hours ago. 

Sasha and I shared a loving embrace for some time. "Thank you for helping me," I said as we pulled away. She rubbed her hands up and down my arms comfortingly.

"I'm glad to see you're okay."

After Sasha, I went to Glenn. His hug was warm and loving. He felt like...not really a brother...but a really close cousin. Either way, the side of my face was flat against his chest and we squeezed each other a bit tightly. 

"Thanks for everything, Pizza Man," I said. "I owe you."

"Told you you were gonna make it out of this," he replied. "And you're still getting that pizza." 

Finally, I went to Rick. I remembered how distraught he looked the last time I saw him. In this moment, he looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. We shared our typical father-daughter type of embrace, but it was comforting all the same. 

"You're a miracle, you know that?" he queried in a sarcastic manner. I chuckled, finding no valid point to argue. 

"Where's Carol?" I asked as we pulled away. He frowned slightly, causing me to furrow my brows in curiosity.

"Come with me," he replied quietly as he turned to leave the cell block. 

I followed Rick as we walked around the outside of the prison. The curiousness was eating away at me. I could feel the regret of whatever he was about to tell me. 

"A lot's happened since you got sick," he began. "We had two people from Woodbury in quarantine first who were sick; Karen and David. Tyreese was with Karen at the time. He found their bodies dragged out of their cells and burned. He and I got in a fight which is why my hand was all busted up when we came back here when you first got sick." 

I took all this in. It was honestly a bit much for just coming back, but it's nothing I couldn't handle.

"Who killed Karen and David?" I asked.

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