infection | D. Dixon

chapter thirty-three

hesitate

When I got back from the bathroom Anne was in my room, looking at the pictures. "You drew these?" Anne asked.

I nodded and stepped farther into the cell and pointed to the first picture. "This was my best friend and her boyfriend. They were trying to get pregnant."

Anne nodded, "were they?" She asked.

I took a deep breath, "I'll never know." I said quietly.

She nodded, "how about this one?" She asked, pointing to my favorite one.

I smiled, a spike of sadness stabbing me in the chest, "that's me, holding the hands of Miguel's daughter, Paige." I smiled.

Anne grazed her eyes over the wall, "they're beautiful." She commented. I nodded, holding my protectiveness over the drawings back. "Anyways I came here to talk." she said quietly. "Rick took off his wedding ring."

I looked at her, "so he's moving on, or he broke it." I said.

She shook her head, "we ah-" I widened my eyes. "Don't look at me like that!" She whispered.

I nodded, "so you and Rick?" I asked.

She nodded, "last night." She said.

I nodded, yawning despite my attempts to hold it in, "I'm sorry, I'm exhausted: can we talk tomorrow? I'm tired." I said. She nodded and left the room.

I crawled in bed and drew the blankets up around my neck, closing my eyes and falling asleep.

I woke up around dawn, but I stayed in bed until at least nine. I had a bunch of stuff to do, and I wanted to get up and jog, but this was the first step of calming down, staying in bed.

When I did get up, I changed into an oversized sweater and skinny jeans. I was going to go to the library today, maybe get some books to put on a shelf in my room to make it feel like a home. I smiled and remembered my first run out to the furniture store as we lifted my chair and a desk into the box of the truck.

I bumped into Carol along the way, she didn't say anything to me, I think she hates me. I walked into D block and up on the peek to grab the sweater I lent one of the Woodbury girls. It was quiet in here, too quiet.

A nervousness swept over me, the hairs on my neck standing on end. "Hello?" I called.

There was a noise behind me.

A boy, Patrick, was walking towards me. Blood dropped from his eyes and a snarl ripped its way from his throat.

I jumped out of the way. He stumbled, catching himself on a girl as she emerged from her cell. Downstairs, I heard another scream.

I reached for my gun, only to remember I didn't have one.

+

"Are you bit?" Daryl yelled as he pulled the departed off me. I had killed two departed before this one came up behind me. I knew I seemed shaken, cold even.