Animal Gone Wild [DISCONTINUED]

25

VIRUS IN THE PRISON LEADS TO CHAOS FOR EVERYONE

I had woken to the alarm like I do everyday since Rick started farming. It usually gave me a sense of what time it was. Then I'd go back to sleep to wake later. Except something caught my eye this time. I rolled over and grabbed the unknown object to see it was a picture. A picture of Daryl and I cuddling. I knew of only one person that had a Polaroid camera. Glenn fucking Rhee. I chuckled before placing it back down, but not before I noticed the other picture. It was of Daryl.I chuckled before putting the picture of us on top of it. I figured Glenn took two pictures for Daryl. One of me and one of us together. He's always done something like that for us—giving us our alone time when everyone else wouldn't.
I rolled back over and cuddled into Daryl, trying to get more sleep. I had just managed to close my eyes and almost drift off when gunshots erupted through my ears. I shot up and grabbed my bat and knives, quickly putting on the holster belt, almost nearly forgetting shoes. I was hopping on one foot when Daryl was hustling around."C'mon, c'mon," I panicked, rushing off.I was the first one out and rushed towards D.

"June," Rick yelled, "slow down! June!"
"Not today Rick," I hollered back.
I rushed in to see it in chaos. I started killing left and right of walkers, not bothering to listen to Daryl or Rick behind me with the others. I was trying to give everyone a chance to survive, that meant letting the others handle people while I handled the walkers.
"Red," Daryl yelled.
I turned towards him and followed him up. Glenn was up here with us. I stopped Glenn before he continued forward. He nodded as I whistled. Out came a walker and we ducked as Daryl shot.
"Oh, it's Patrick."
He then looked down.
"That's all of 'em."
I sighed before wiping some blood off me. Daryl turned towards me.
"Jesus Red, you're covered in blood."
I chuckled, "yeah. That's what I get for just runnin' in."
"You bit," Rick questioned.
Daryl gave me a once over before shaking his head.
"Nah, she ain't bit. Not today anyway."
We started sweeping the area, making sure there wasn't any more or that we didn't miss any. Also made sure to stop the ones that haven't turn to not turn.
"Red, c'mere."
I nodded up at him and started up the stairs, skipping one step every few. I holstered my bat and joined Rick, Hershel, Daryl, Dr. S, and Bob.
"No bites, no wounds," Rick explained, "I think he just died."
"Horribly, too, pleurisy aspiration," Dr. S commented.
"Choked to death by his one blood," Hershel put in simpler terms, "caused those trails down his face."
"I've seen them before on a walker outside the fence," Rick informed.
"I saw them on Patrick, too," Daryl nodded.
"They're from the internal lung pressure building up—like if you shake a soda can and pop the top. Only imagine your eyes, nose, ears, nose, and throat are the top," Dr. S stated.
"Like a fucked up nursery rhyme," I summed up.
"Red," Daryl sighed.
"It's a sickness from the walkers," Bob questioned.
"Nah," I shook my head, "these things happened before without walkers. An old friend of Callus's had a case like this."
"Could be pneumococcal," Dr. S informed, "most likely an aggressive flu strain."
"Someone locked him in just in time," Hershel sighed.
"No, man. Charlie used to sleepwalk," Daryl corrected, "locked himself in. Hell, he was just eating barbecue yesterday. How could somebody die in a day just from a cold?"
"Low immune system," I shrugged, "poor genes? Fuck if I know."
"I had a sick pig, it died quick," Rick informed, "saw a sick boar in the woods."
"Pigs and birds," Hershel stated, "that's how these things spread in the past. We need to do something about those hogs."
"Maybe we got lucky," Dr.S offered, "maybe these two cases are it."
"Haven't seen anybody be lucky in a long time," Bob commented, "bugs like to run through close quarters. Doesn't get any closer than this."
"All of us in here," Hershel continued, "we've all been exposed."
"There goes my dream," I sighed.
"Of what," Daryl questioned.
I looked up at him and cocked an eyebrow.
"To become a werewolf, obviously."
Daryl sighed, "I really need to get Carl to stop lendin' you those werewolf comics. They're corruptin' your brain."
I gawked, "my brain is just fine thank you. Asshat."
"Are they always like this," Bob questioned, "so full of...tension?"
"Yes," We all chorused.
Bob jumped at the shocking reveal. Daryl and I always had this tension. Had it before we collected people, and we'll continue to have it. I glanced at Daryl's lips before stalking away. Frustration ran it's course through my veins. We were close, closer than normal people should be, so why haven't we kissed yet? What's holding us back? I huffed in frustration before walking down the stairs.
"I really need to get out more," I mumbled, "I'm questioning relationships being stuck inhere."