[3rd POV]
Ash slept for three days straight. She has improved and she no longer has a fever but she wouldn't wake up. Her bite had started to heal up and her skin started looking a little lighter but she would not wake up. Hershel pronounced she was in a coma, but the rest of the group who had not seen her believed she was dead and Rick wouldn't let them bury her.
The one visiting her today was Daryl. He sat by her bed and just stared at her face and held her hand tightly in his. All he could think about was that night she asked him if she was going to die. Her words played through his mind like a broken record. "I-I love you, Daryl." He clenched her hand tighter as he bowed his head.
He sighs before going to stand up only for her hand to squeeze his gently. He stopped moving and stared at her hand a moment before his eyes quickly moved to her face to see her slowly opening her eyes. He quickly let go of her hand and cupped her face in his hands.
"Ash? Ash, can you hear me? Hey, you up?" He asks as he gently shakes her face.
She opens her eyes all the way and looks up at the ceiling in a glazed haze. "Who's there? What's going on?" She asks as she tries to process what was happening.
He lets out a sob as he hugs her tightly, scaring the crap out of her. "I thought I lost you." He whispers.
"Daryl? Where are we? What's going on?" She asks super confused.
He pulls back and sits back in the chair. "We at some farm. The people here are letting us stay for a while." He says. "I'll go let the others know you're awake."
He stands up and walks out the door, but not before giving one last look at Ash before the door closed. He walks in a daze towards the front door. When he opens the door, everyone turns to see a dazed Daryl and walk over to him. "Daryl, what's wrong?" Carol asks.
He looks up at all of them and says two words that changes everything. "She's awake."
Everyone stands in shock before Rick moves forward first and hurries past Daryl and into the house. He rushes into the room and sees Ash laying still on the bed looking up at the ceiling with glazed eyes. "Ash?" He asks hopefully.
Her face visibly turns to one of relief. "Rick? Is that you?" She asks, glad he isn't dead.
He lets out a soft laugh as he walks over to the bed and sits in the chair. "I knew you were alive." Is all he says.
She scoffs with a smile. "You trying to bring the brightness back?" She asks.
He chuckles. "Yeah, I guess I am. Is it working?" Rick asks.
"So far, so good." She answers, remembering the first time they had this same conversation.
It's quiet for a moment before she laughs. Rick looks at her confused. "You would not believe the dream I had." She says. "I was laying in the RV and there was a herd. A walker came into the RV and Andrea was stuck in the bathroom as the walker tried to break down the door. I did something incredibly stupid and called the walker over to me. The funny things is, is it bit me. The next thing I know, I'm waking up on this farm. Crazy huh?"
Rick stares at her for a moment in shock. "You...you think you dreamt it?"
She scoffs. "I wouldn't be here now if it actually happened, right? Come on, you know that. If I was actually bit, I would be dead."
Rick stares at her for a moment in silence, trying to figure how she actually survived. Nothing came to mind. "Rick? You good?" She asks, not liking the silence that had befallen upon them.
"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking." He said before standing up. "Well, I'll let the others talk to you." He then walks out the door and walks into the living room where everyone had gathered. "Don't say anything about her getting bit. She thinks it was a dream."
"But she deserves to know." Dale argues. "She is the only one so far that has survived a bite. She deserves to know what happened."
"And we will tell her. Just not now. Let her get situated first. We can't just bombard her with all of this." Rick says and they all agree.
T-Dog walks in and talks to her and then Dale and so does everyone else and the last one to walk into her room is Andrea. She hesitantly walks into the room and looks at Ash who lays still staring up into nothing. "Hey." She says softly as she shuts the door and leans against it.
"Hi." Ash says and everything goes silent.
Andrea sighs after about a minute of the awkward silence. "Are you -- how are you feeling?" She stops herself from asking her first question.
"Like I just rose up from the dead." Ash tries to joke to lighten up the mood but Andrea clenches her fists tightly. Ash sighs. "What's bothering you? You seem tense."
Andrea looks at her in shock, wondering how she could tell something was wrong. "N-nothing! I'm just glad you're okay." She tries to cover up.
Ash sighs again. "Whatever is bothering you, I'm always here to listen. It's not like I can walk away from you or anything." She tries again and this time Andrea laughs a little.
"Yeah, you're right. Thanks." She says and Ash smiles.
"Anytime." She says and Andrea walks out.
Hershel walks in and walks over to her side by the bed. He takes her arm and Ash's eyes widen. "It's alright. I'm Hershel. This is my farm. Now, I'm just going to check your blood pressure and you temperature. Is that all right?"
Ash relaxes her face. "Yeah, that's fine." She says and Hershel begins by sticking a thermometer into her mouth. He wraps a blood pressure gauge around her elbow. Once he's done, he checks both.
"Well, your blood pressure is a little high so I suggest you start eating more and try not to stress too much." He says and she scoffs a little with a smile.
"Sorry doc, I can't do either of those. Apocalypse, remember?" She asks.
Hershel shakes his head with a laugh. "That's why I said try. I will have one of my daughters bring you something to eat. And for your temperature, it's exactly where it should be."
"So, what you're saying is, I'm in perfect health besides the whole blind and paralyzed deal, right?" She asks.
"Yes, that's basically it." He says a little saddened.
It's quiet for a moment before she speaks again. "Hey doc? From a doctor's perspective, how high are my chances? Honestly. What are my chances of living through this the way I am?"
Hershel sighs and rubs his face. "Honestly? Not very high. But from what I have gathered about you, you will make it pretty far."
Ash smiles a little but then closes her blind eyes. "I'm gonna take a nap. All this talking made me tired." She said and Hershel nodded and walked out.
As he shut the door, he noticed that Daryl had been listening in on their conversation as he stormed out of the house.
YOU ARE READING
Into The Dark
Fanfiction[Currently Under Rewrite] She was lost. She was alone. She was scared. She was surrounded by the dead. Ashley Grant was thrown into the terrifying world of the dead walking the streets. All she wanted was to go to the grocery store but she ran into...
