cassette tapes |d. dixon| [1]

34

"Before I could open my eyes, all I felt was pain. My head hurt. My lungs. Everything. I couldn't remember why. Then it hit me."

CAROLINE OPENED HER EYES, coughing and letting out a yelp of pain. Her lungs felt like they were on fire and her ribs weren't much better. She knew instantly that she must've cracked some.

The air was full of smoke. Each cough she made to try and expel the smoke from her lungs made her ribs cry in pain.

The blonde sat up with a whimper, holding her side. She grabbed her knife from her waistband before opening the door slowly and as quietly as she could.

She felt dizzy as the sun hit her face. There was a stinging sensation coming from her head as the wind hit it. She raised her fingers and felt a liquid running down her face. She pulled her hand back to see blood coating her fingers.

"Shit."

A walker came around the corner of the tower and Caroline took it out quickly, leaning against the wall in pain after it hit the ground. She definitely needed Hershel to look at her ribs.

Despite her light-headedness, Caroline rushed over to the other gate that leads to their cell block.

She shut the gate behind her before anything could get to her. Caroline began limping, holding her aching side. She let out another round of coughs before collapsing in pain, "God dammit." She cried out, punching the concrete.

The blonde sat up against the wall, glancing over at the door that led into the cellblock, "Help." She muttered before her vision went fuzzy again.

"I couldn't process anything except for the pain. And soon it just got too much and I passed out. I know I should've kept my eyes open, in case any walkers came through, but I couldn't move. Not without being in pain. So... I gave up."

Caroline opened her eyes as she heard voices. She felt hands lift her up and she screamed in pain. The sound tore through her throat and she was coughing again.

Every movement bothered her ribs. She couldn't take a deep breath. Smoke was still in her lungs.

"Give her my bed." She heard Maggie's voice.

Someone's fingers began feeling around her ribs and Caroline flinched away, "I-I can't..." She began coughing more and someone patted her back,

"I need you to go to the infirmary and get the disposable resuscitators." She heard Hershel tell someone.

Caroline finally opened her eyes and was grateful that the sun wasn't in her eyes.

"Care, I need you to take a deep breath. We need to get the smoke out of your lungs." Hershel told her,

She shook her head, causing her to wince, "It hurts."

"I know it does, but you can't breathe properly until it's all out. And we can't have you coughing with those ribs so we need to do it now." Hershel replied,

Caroline continued to shake her head, "No, no." Someone ran in with the resuscitator and she began moving away, "No. No."

"Hold her down."

A pair of fingers wrapped around her wrists and Caroline looked up into bright blue eyes, "Daryl?" She whispered before she went into another coughing fit.

"I wasn't sure if I was being delusional from my head injury or if he was really there. But I felt my heart break all over again."

Hershel placed the resuscitator over her mouth and squeezed, forcing air into her lungs. Caroline cried out as pain filled her body once again. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she once again passed out from the pain.