Worth It

Chapter 9: Cherokee Rose

⚠️ WARNING ⚠️ Self harm and mention of suicide including suicide attempt ahead, continue at your own risk. Remember, I'm always here to listen. DM me if need be.

When I wake the next morning, I muster the courage to get up. I slowly throw off the sheets and swing my legs over the edge. My side was really sore.

I gently stepped down onto the floor and made my way to my clothes that had been freshly cleaned and folded. I ran my fingers over the fabric, not remembering the last time I had freshly washed clothes.

I grabbed the clothes and walked into the bathroom. I looked around and carefully tried the sink. When water poured out, I smiled.

I turned the shower onto hot and waited for it to heat up before getting in. The hot water felt so nice.

"Oh fuck." I mumble, remembering my gunshot wound. I held my hand over it, but the edges were taped down. I decided to wash my body quickly before stepping out and wrapping a towel around me.

I stand in front of the mirror once again and open the towel, staring at my naked body. I was thin and bruised. My hair was really long too. I glanced at my arms that were bare, annoyed that I wasn't healed, and the temptation to pick the scabs was too large.

I got dressed and carried the flannel back to the room I was in before wrapping my wrists in bandages to prevent me from peeling or scratching. I packed my two knives and pistol and threw my crossbow onto my back after putting on the flannel.

When I finally left the room, I was greeted by a brown haired girl. She was quite pretty too. "Hi." She says to me sweetly. "I'm Maggie."

"Chloe." I tell her, slightly confused. "Where am I?" She motions for me to follow her, and I do, explaining on the way.

"You were shot, Shane and Rick brought you here. You've been out for about more than a day." She tells me as she leads me into the kitchen. "I'll get you some food." I shake my head lightly. "I'm not hungry." I tell her.

"Hershel, my father, is the one who stitched you up. He said the bullet missed all your major organs." She says, ignoring me. I sit down and stay silent. "You don't talk much, do you?" She says to me as she places a glass of water in front of me. I shake my head.

She places a plate of fruits in front of me and sits beside me. I stare at the plate and rub my hands on my thighs before taking a piece of fruit gingerly. "That man who was hunting the deer..." I say to her, "Who is he?"

She looks down at the table. "His name was Otis." Her face doesn't show much emotion. Was? Was. That means he's dead. I decide not to ask about Otis anymore.

"He passed away yesterday when He and Shane went to get supplies." I reach over and grab her hand. "I'm sorry for your loss. These times are horrible. We can't control what happens to us, only how it affects us." She smiles at me sadly.

"For someone who doesn't speak a lot, you sure have a way with words." She tells me. I eat the fruit and shrug, swallowing slowly.

After eating, Maggie leads me outside and introduces me to her family. I greet Rick and Lori silently, feeling guilty for not being able to protect Carl.

"Shane." I mumble. He's limping and his hair is gone. I walk up to him and hug him tightly. "Thank you for saving me." I tell him as he wraps an arm around my waist. The other reaches up and ruffles my hair. "It was nothin."

Maggie explains that we are gathering rocks for Otis' memorial and I nod, helping out. Though, Shane nudges me aside. "Ya don't need to be workin', you're healing." I nod and stand up straight, locking my fingers together in front of me.