A Survivor's Diary of the Apocalypse (TWD/Daryl Dixon)

S4Pt8 - Isolation

Hershel was the only healthy person taking care of all the sick. He found me wondering around and put me in a cell upstairs. I looked at who was in the first cell next to me and saw Glenn.
"You too?" I asked.
Glenn nodded and started coughing up blood. I sighed as Hershel walked me to my cell. He had a cup of tea and told me to drink it.
"What is it?" I asked.
"An herbal tea. It's supposed to cleanse the body and strengthen the immune system." Hershel explained.
I nodded and tried my best to drink the tea, but I was hard keeping anything in my stomach at this point.
"Now get some rest. I need to check on everyone." Hershel said.
He left the cell and I laid down in the bed.
The next few hours were hell. The cellblock was absolutely horrible. I couldn't stop coughing up blood and even vomited a few times. I eventually ended up falling asleep from exhaustion.
I woke up to Hershel tapping me awake around dusk. He gave me more tea and I sat up in bed.
"Are they back yet? With the medicine?" I asked.
"Unfortunately no." Hershel said.
I sighed and managed to stand up. Hershel left my cell and started locking up everyone else. I decided to try and help, and thought that maybe being active would make me get better quicker.
"I'll check on you in an hour." Hershel said to a woman and shut the cell door.
Everyone was locked up on the bottom floor so we walked back up the stairs. I checked a cell and saw a man, someone who I knew was named Henry, and he was choking on his own blood.
"Hershel!" I called out.
I went over to him and turned him onto his side and blood poured out of his mouth. Hershel ran in and gathered materials to intubate him. Glenn showed up and stood at the door.
"Hold him down." Hershel ordered.
Glenn and I laid him flat and managed to hold him down as Hershel put a tube down Henry's throat. He then attached an airbag to the tube and squeezed it.
"Squeeze every 5-6 seconds. If you get too weak, tell Glenn." Hershel said and handed me the bag.
I nodded and started manually breathing for Henry. After about five minutes, I started getting lightheaded and nauseous. Glenn took over for me and I slowly walked back to my cell.
I tried to take a nap but couldn't go to sleep. I was worried that I was going to choke on my own blood, or die in my sleep, so I refused to close my eyes. I felt miserable. I needed medicine, and quickly, because I didn't see how I could get better without it.
Then I heard screaming. I quickly got out of bed and stumbled down the hallway. Then I heard gunshots. I saw a little girl was getting chased by a walker, and ran over to help her.
"Hershel!" She cried.
This little girl, who I remembered her name was Lizzie, fell to the ground and the walker fell to her feet. I noticed that the walker was Henry, because he had the airbag still connected to his mouth.
I grabbed my knife from my belt and stabbed him in the back of the head. I pushed him off of Lizzie and helped her up. I stuck her in an empty cell and closed the door.
"Stay here. Don't come out unless I tell you." I ordered, and she nodded her head.
I turned around and looked into the cell that Henry came out of. I saw Glenn on the floor hacking up blood and unable to breathe.
"Her-Hershel!" I coughed. "Hershel!" I yelled clearer.
He ran in, dropped his shotgun, and instantly rolled Glenn over.
"Where's the airbag?" Hershel asked.
"It's still connected to Henry." I said and lightly coughed. "Down the hall." I pointed outside the cell.
"I'll be back. Keep his mouth open." Hershel said and left the cell.
I nodded and did as he said when Maggie ran into the cell.
"What can I do?" Maggie asked.
"Help me turn him over." I said and covered my cough. "Elevate his head."
She did and Hershel came back in with the airbag. Glenn struggled as Hershel intubated him, but we held him down. Quickly, Glenn passed out and Maggie began squeezing the bag.
"I didn't want you in here." Hershel said to her.
"I know Daddy." She said.
She then pet Glenn's head and Hershel grabbed her shoulder. Hershel sat down on the bed and I leaned against the wall.
"Kelley, go drink some more tea. You seem to be getting better." Hershel said.
I nodded without hesitation and went to my cell where I saw there was a cup of tea. I drank it, managed to keep it down, and then I fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up the next morning thankful I was still alive. I sighed as I got up and didn't feel as weak. Hershel walked past my cell and I followed him.
"Hershel." I called out. "How's Glenn?" I asked.
"He's doing good. They got back early this morning with the medicine. It's working quickly." Hershel said.
"They're back?" I asked and felt relieved.
Hershel nodded his head and pulled out a pill bottle. He handed me a couple pills and I quickly swallowed them.
"I need you to rest up all day today. Hopefully with the medicine, you'll be out of here within the next couple days." Hershel said.
So I did exactly as he said. The medicine was strong and made me extremely tired, so I fell asleep for the rest of the day.

~~~~~~~~~~

I ended up making a full recovery a few days later. As soon as I was allowed, I found Daryl. I saw him sitting alone in our cell and I walked over to him. He saw me, and once he did, he hugged me tight and didn't let go.
"I'm okay." I said and rubbed his back. "Thank you." I whispered in his ear.
"You don't have to thank me. I-" Daryl said and looked me in the eyes. "I'd do anything for you."
I noticed that he wasn't telling me something and stared at him. "What's wrong?" I asked. "Carol killed David and Karen." Daryl said. "She told Rick and he sent her away."
I sighed and held Daryl's hand. I thought about it but understood where Carol was coming from. She would do anything from us, and that included possibly eliminating the threat for us. I believed that she thought she was helping us, and so that no one else would have to die.
"I'm sorry. I know she was a good friend to you." I said and hugged him tight.
Daryl sighed as he sat on the bed and I rested my head on his shoulder.
"How you feeling?" Daryl asked and felt my forehead.
"Better." I said. "Thanks to you."
Daryl nodded then caressed my cheek. I leaned forward and kissed him, and he pulled me closer. I was about to take off his shirt when we heard an explosion. We instantly stopped kissing and looked at each other.
"What the-" Daryl said.
We looked at each other and instantly grabbed all our stuff. I grabbed my compound bow and slung it on my back with my quiver. I loaded all my guns and grabbed my knife. I then twisted my wedding ring, just making sure that it wouldn't come off, and Daryl did to.
I was the first to leave the cell, with Daryl following, and we ran outside into the courtyard.
"Get down!" Rick yelled at us.
Our entire group ducked down against the fences and searched the area for the threat. But the threat was easy to find.
Outside the fences in the field we saw a line up of cars with a tank in the middle of them. And on top of the tank was....
"Oh God..." I thought.
The Governor.