safe

Chapter 38

As I walk into the prison I feel the eyes of the other group members on me but I don't turn to return a glare, I can't think straight.

Max is sick.

The man is not so much walking as slow running, which I appreciate.

"What sort of sick are they?" I ask, my voice laden with fear, so obvious to anyone who can hear me.

"The doc doesn't know but Hershel said it's a spanish flu type thing. I assume you don't want a cuddly version of what is happening so i'll tell you straight up that it kills people if untreated. Daryl volunteered to go to the med room and he isn't back yet."
He tells me as he walks ahead.

Fuck, oh fuck. I can't lose Max, I just can't.

"When did they get sick? I saw Max just yesterday!" I tell him desperate for him to tell me its a joke, that none of this is real.

"Ruby, they just got sick, but they have quite severe symptoms. What happened was this morning after you left one of the members from Patrick's cell block got out and alerted everyone that there was walkers all through, before anyone could stop him Max raced into the cell and shot eight walkers to save the little girls, I forget their names-" He tells me before I cut him off.

"How can you let a five year old outrun you?" I scream.

Suddenly everything starts spinning and I hold my head to make it stop.

"Let me finish." He says calmly.

"Patrick got the flu and died, he turned and killed some of the others but the infection is viral and he came into close contact with Patricks body, when he was dragging corpses out... Glenn saw him struggling and told him to go back to the cell. Glenn walked back and Max was out cold and sounded like he was having an asthma attack so Glenn called the doc and she checked them out and they're both sick." The man tells me with guilt evident in his voice.

"Run there. Now." I command coldly, my voice laced with fury.

I sound powerful and malicious.

Without pausing for thought the man takes off running and I follow him closely, without much effort we're at the glass door separating me from my only family.

I pound on the glass with my fist and the doctor comes into view.

I grab the doorknob and twist it to enter, but it's locked.

"I'm sorry Ruby you can't come in, it's not safe." She says before coughing heavily.

"Bullshit let me in! Where's Max?!" i call angrily.

"I'm sorry Ruby but you can't, too much danger for you and the baby." She says sternly.

"LET ME IN!" I say pounding the door with my fist again.

"Ruby?" I hear Max whimper.

I peer in the little glass window and my heart shatters.

Standing in front of me is Max, my beautiful Max whose face is gaunt and Hair is plastered down from sweat. His eyes are hollow and he is trying his hardest to smile but he is in so much pain that it forms more of a grimace.

His little hand waves from under the blanket he has wrapped around him.

"Max! Are you okay? I can't believe I left you for a second! Fucking hell!" I yell with my guilt wracked voice.

But he just smiles.

"It's okay Rubes, Glenn's looking after me." He says shakily through fits of coughing.

I rattle the door handle again, hoping it'll open so I can pick up my little cousin and hold him close.

"Where's Glenn Max? Tell him to open the door." I plead, the strain of not having control of the situation is getting to me and tears start to cascade down my cheeks.

Max coughs violently and more tears stream heavily from my eyes.

"He's over-" Max manages to say before he falls down and starts to shake furiously.

I take a few steps back and take a run at the door, which isn't a good idea.

I manage to forget the fact that this is a prison and the doors a much sturdier than necessary for barging.

I slam into the door shoulder first and I feel the door bend to accommodate the force but it moves back into place and I feel something different in my shoulder.

It's dislo-fucking-cated.

But that doesn't matter now because if I can't get to Max I can't save him.

I bring my leg up and kick the door repeatedly with my foot, bringing it down hard on the door handle.

I kick it faster and I keep kicking until my foot aches and I keep kicking until I can't feel the pain anymore and it feels like hours have gone past and I know i'm screaming, but I don't know what and I can't stop screaming.

I just keep kicking and kicking and after that I don't know what happens.

I just sort of let go of my body and I feel myself fade back into nothingness.

Glenn's P.O.V~

I wake up to the sounds of violent screaming.

My body is covered in streams of sweat that pool underneath me and soak my blanket in squelchy, warm water.

More screams pierce my ears, but this time I hear it clearer.

I hear who it is.

I bolt through the door of my infirmary cell and find the doctor holding Max's airway open and struggling to get a breathing tube down his throat.

I look around and I can't find her, but I know that if I save Max it will make her better, and me better.

I hold Max's little mouth open, his eyes are rolling and he isn't breathing and I want to die.

I just watch the tubes being fed into his mouth.

Then I watched doc pump the air back into his lungs, over and over.

His little chest rose and fell until suddenly he sputtered and choked and woke up.

"Max! Max!" I cry happily, grabbing his little hand and wrapping it in my own.

His little eyes slowly opened and he looked at me, his gaze filled with terror.

"Where is she Glenn!" He says hoarsely, his voice obscured by the tubes.

"Max are you okay? I need to know if you're okay!"

"Just find my cousin! Help her." Max croaks.

I stand up too quickly and the world starts to spin.

I stumble over to the closest wall to regain my bearings and that's when I see her.

She's unconscious, lying limply in Tyreese's arms.

I hear him yelling.

"Rick come get her quick, she's in a bad way."

I push off the wall and force my legs to move over to the door that separates us.

As I get to it Rick comes into view and grabs Ruby bridal style and carries her away.

Tears begin to stream down my face, once again I can't save her.

I can never save her.

I lose control and I start crying more and more until I feel a little arm curl around my neck.

"You're okay Glenn." Max tells me.

I stand up and grab Max around the waist to pick him up.

"Come on buddy, back to bed." I say as I hug him tightly and shuffle over to his cell.

A/N~ Hey guys thanks for reading Safe as it now has 5K reads!

I love you all and feel free to comment any suggestions for the future of the story!

4 more weeks until the show starts again ❤