Worth It

Chapter 30: Isolation

I sat on Michonne's bed, reading a book. I had kicked my shoes off and got nice and comfortable. I hadn't been back in my cell and honestly, I wasn't planning on it. James was sitting with me, reading one of the comic books from Carl. 

"Chloe." Beth says, standing at the cell door. I look up from my book. "What's up?" 

"What happened to your ankle?" I finally looked down to see it purple and swollen. "Um." I pause, sitting up. Michonne looks up from the floor. "I fell. But I didn't think it was anything. It feels numb." She sighs, handing me Judith before leaving.

She comes back a few moments later with supplies. She takes my foot and places it on her knee. "Its fractured." She tells me. I laugh. "No way-"

She twists my ankles and I scream out. "What the hell?!" She shrugs. "I had to align it." I pant, trying to catch my breath. "Some warning would've been nice." She shrugs again and begins to wrap it. James just snickers and I swat his head. "Hey!"

"Council meeting this morning. You coming?" Michonne asks me. I nod. "I need to go. It's my job." She smiles at me before standing up. She offers me her hand and I take it.

She bends down and picks me up. "Am I really that light that people need to pick me up?" She chuckles. "Hell yea you are." 

I look down at James who is currently talking to Beth. Oh boy. "See ya." I tell him, trying to make him seem cool in front of the girl. Beth might've been older, but they were still kind of close in age.

She sets me down in a chair beside her, far enough away from the table. Daryl won't stop looking at me. But I ignore him. 

"It's spread." Hershel says. "Everyone who survived the attack in cell block D. Sasha, Caleb, and now others. "

"Jesus." Daryl mumbles. "So what do we do?" Carol asks him. "First things first. Cell block A is isolation. We keep the sick people there like we tried with Karen and David." 

"The hell we gonna do about that?" Daryl asks. "Ask Rick to look into it." I say. "Try to make a timeline- who's where when." I ignored Daryls stares. "But what are we gonna do to stop this?" Carol asks. "There is no stopping it. You get it, you have to go through it."

"But it just kills you?" Michonne asks him. "The illness doesn't. The symptoms do. We need antibiotics."

"We've been through every pharmacy nearby. And then some." Daryl says. I look over to see him still staring at me. 

"That veterinary college at West Peachtree Tech, that's one place people may not have thought to raid for medication." I look down at my hand, twirling the ring on my finger. This has been one of our longer fights. Normally we would make up and move on with whatever happened, but telling me that I couldn't protect our child... that hurt. A lot.

"The drugs for animals there are the same we need." Hershel tells us. "Thats 50 miles." I says, leaning back in my chair.

"Too big a risk before. Ain't now." Daryl pushes his chair and stands up. "I'm gonna take a group out. Best not waste any more time." He grabs his bow and Michonne steps forward.

"I'm in." I roll my eyes. I want to go with, but I just can't deal with anyone saying anything. Then again.... "Me too." I say, standing up. My pain tolerance was high, and since Beth moved my ankle bones, I didn't feel as much pain. I would just wear tight boots to tie up. 

"You two haven't been exposed. Daryl has. You get in a car with him..." I cross my arms. "He's already given me fleas." She says. Hershel and the rest of them chuckle.