My Crossbow

Chapter 3

"It's a sickness from the walkers?" Bob asks.

"No, these things happened before they were around. Could be pneumococcal, most likely an aggressive fluestrain." I still had no idea what Caleb was saying but it sounded bad, I give Daryl a worried glance.

"It'll be okay Megs." Daryl whispers to me, I nod trying to believe he was right.

"Someone locked him in just in time." Hershel's comments.

"No man. Charlie used te' sleepwalk, locked himself in. Hell he wa' jus' eatin' barbecue yesterday. How can someone die in a day from a cold?" Daryl finally chimes in, I agree. Surely it was more than a cold, there's no way a cold can cause someone to die like this. 

"I had a sick pig, it died quick. Saw a sick boar in the woods." Rick states, well that's just great. 

"Pigs and birds. That's how these things spread in the past, we need to do something about these hogs." Hershel's sighs, god dammit. There goes our food source.

"Maybe we got lucky. Maybe these two cases are it." Caleb tries.

"Haven't seen anybody be lucky in a long time. Bugs like to run through close quarters." Bob says.

"All of us have been exposed, everyone in here." Hershel looks at us all.

"Mom!" I hear Darren yell, I let go off Daryl's hand and go to the top of the stairs.

"What's wrong?" I worry, please no one be hurt. Please not my children.

"It's Jamie. He's bit." I freeze. What? But how? He can't be. 

"Come on." Daryl gently leads me down the stairs, we follow Darren to the cell Jamie was laid in. 

"You actually came." Jamie says before coughing up some blood. He looks terrible, I could see the bite on his neck. His clothes and bedding were covered in blood as were his hands. 

"I didn't really have a choice." I joke, Daryl nudges me. "Sorry." Jamie just laughs.

"Megan. I'm sorry."

"Jamie. Don't, just rest. Please." I knew what he was going to do but I was too scared to hear it, too scared to face this reality. 

"No. I'm dead anyway so listen to me." I roll my eyes with a small smirk plastered on my face to match his. "I shouldn't have done any of what I did, I was the biggest dick for doing it all. You're my little sister, I should have been there for you like I once was. I shouldn't of tried to take your kids, they're yours. Not mine. The truth is I was scared to death and I was jealous. You have what I've always wanted, you have what would make me not scared. A family, children. I lost that, I became angry because of it. I thought that I needed the chance to be a father. Instead I became a monster, I became someone I never thought I would be. I'm so sorry, to all of you." He coughs more, I was holding back my tears. "I'm so damn proud of you Megan. You have no idea. Now you two." He looks to Darren and Rachel. "Take care of each other and look after your parents." They nod. "I'm sorry to you both, and you Rach. I really am sorry for how I treated you back in Woodbury." She gives him a hug before standing by me and holding my hand. 

"I love you Uncle Jamie." Rachel mumbles not caring that she now has bits of blood on her.

"I love you too kiddo." He looks at Darren now. "There was so many things I wanted to teach you because your dad wasn't around, but now that he's here. You're going to learn a lot more than I could ever teach you. Just try not to bottle everything up like your parents." Darren laughs lightly. 

"I'll try not too." He replies.

"Daryl." Both Jamie and Daryl look at each other. "I've always liked you, you're the only one who I approved of dating Megan. Even if you did break her heart, she still always chose you. Not sure why sometimes."