𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒍𝒇 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 ➪ «𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑦𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑥𝑜𝑛»

ch. XXXVIII pt. II

oOo

Felix's insides were still trembling and it showed in his hands. That godawful sound was gone now, but he still hadn't found the courage to look out the tinted windows, to give his doubts an end. He was too scared that he would be shown otherwise.

He startled when the door clicked open, straightening and pivoting towards it, hands steadfast on his bat. His pulse spiked through the roof, beating in his ears at the speed of light, but his heart fell at the sight of Daryl.

Why was he-? Where were his sisters?

His stomach turned as he was hit with sudden nausea. He stumbled out the door and doubled over, heaving on an empty stomach, bitter bile lacing his tongue. His throat burned from that and having to suppress sobs.

Daryl patted his back in a manner that screamed pity to him, which had Felix glaring down at him once he straightened himself. He spat leftover saliva and wiped the corner of his mouth on the back of his hand, which he wiped on his pants. Maybe it would've looked more like a glare and less like a mousy stare if his eyes hadn't overfilled with tears until he couldn't see.

"See, totally fine. Told you," the sound of Alice's catty voice had his head whipping around so fast that he felt like he pulled a muscle in his neck. He saw Diana's head and the top of Alice's braids over the roof of the car, the heat waves coming off the metal plus his watery eyes making their image sway like a mirage.

They rounded the front of the car and before he knew it, he and Diana had slammed into each other breathlessly, her head tucking under his chin like a puzzle piece. His heart felt too big in his chest, overflowing, and he tightened his arms around her.

He peered at Alice, who was uninterested in joining in. Her hazel eyes caught his and that's when he grabbed her by the front of the shirt and pulled her in, sandwiching her between himself and Diana. He was pretty sure he was crying and laughing at the same time, feeling complete once more.

oOo

Alice watched Felix endure the same examination process she had while she held on to Diana's all-purpose-bow.

The bitter realization fell on her that if her sister hadn't intervened, she could've been bitten. Her pride almost didn't allow her to admit it. At the moment of the act she'd been too caught up and high off endorphins to give it much thought.

What she'd done... It had felt... amazing. Not gonna lie, not even her medication made her feel so whole. Catch her curing her depression by taking up killing zombies as a coping strategy.

If only.

Oh shit, Diana was turning to her. It was funny to see her worked up, she couldn't even get properly angry.

The scolding was thankfully interrupted before it could even begin by Shane, of all assholes, as he called them back to regroup. He was saying that Sophia had run off, chased by a couple of walkers.

A knot of guilt formed in Alice's stomach as she shoved the bow in her sister's hands and jogged after Shane. "Thought I got 'em all," she stated the question, frowning.

They came upon the RV and Shane's answer went ignored when she saw Carol crying her eyes out into Lori's shoulder next to a shaken up Andrea.

Glenn was fussing over T-Dog, who had a fountain of blood flowing down his forearm. Diana got right on that, making it her first priority.

Alice, closely followed by Felix, approached the weeping woman gingerly. She wanted to attempt some words of comfort but didn't feel comfortable enough with the audience for that, so she just watched.