Leah Grimes

Chapter 17

My night was spent in pain, I was uncomfortably sweating, and couldn't sit up. Glenn shook me awake, and I opened my eyes slightly to see dad standing at the cell with a mask. "Hey kid," he smiled at me. "Daddy," I whispered. He gave me a small nod, holding his hand up against the cell door. "I want you to stay strong Leah. For me for Carl, Judith, Liam, everyone." I fought to keep my eyes open, "I love you dad." He shook his head, "I love you more Leah." He pushed himself off the fence slowly walking away. "Have some of this," Glenn whispered passing me a cup full of some sort of tea. I took a slow sip doing my best to keep it down.

"Hershel made it for us." I nodded setting the cup down. "Liam," I whispered noticing his body slowly moving. "Leah don't." Glenn said pulling me back. "Liam, can you hear me." We both watched as he sat up and slowly looked around. "Hey," I whispered quietly. He gave me a small smile then began coughing loudly. I looked down not wanting to see him in pain. I gave a small breath of relief, I know what Glenn thought, he thought Liam had turned. But he was still here. I stuck my hand through the fence reaching for his. He grasped it tightly and we lay together in our separate cells. "I'm sorry." He whispered. I nodded, "don't be sorry. How would we have known a little cold was gonna take us out." I heard him laugh a little, "no it's not, this cold is the least of your problems. Brush your hair women." I cracked a smile, "have you seen yourself lately."

I watched as Liam slowly faded away again. I didn't let go of his hand, holding onto it for dear life. I drifted off for a few minutes waking up feeling worse then ever. Glenn was beside me bent over in about as much pain as I was. "You awake again?" I nodded in response before I started coughing again, but this time I couldn't stop. "Help," I chocked. "HERSHEL," Glenn called. "HELP US." Tears we're streaming down my face and all I felt was pure panic. Liam pulled himself up the cell wall. "Leah, Leah stay with us. Don't leave." I focused on trying to breath.

"Lay her down," Hershel instructed with Sasha following behind him. They both pinned me down and I was having tubes stuck down my throat. "Your hurting her." Liam yelled. Glenn whipped around, "he's helping. You need to rest." My vision began blurring and I felt myself slipping away once again.

A gunshot made me jolt awake. I looked beside me Glenn was gone. I barely saw anybody here. "Hello." I called. A walker jumped in-front of my cell. Quickly I reached for my knife and stabbed it. Liam wasn't in the cell beside me anymore. There were bodies everywhere, my heart sunk. "Dad." I called out. I just began to open my cell when my legs gave out on me. I collapsed onto the ground sobbing. "Hey, hey." A voice called. Daryl stood in front of me holding pills and a cup of water. "Is everyone dead?" I whispered horrified. He didn't answer instead picked me up off the ground leaning me against the wall. "Take these." I put the pills inside my mouth struggling to get them down. "I need to know. Wheres Liam?" Daryl stood up, "he'll pull through. Didn't get bit." I nodded, "but everyone else?" Daryl sighed, "dead. Except Glenn and Sasha." I sank down, taking a deep breath. "Dad? Carl? Judith?" He nodded, "they're fine." I looked around the cell block, "if I was awake. If I wasn't so stupid I could have helped. They wouldn't all be dead." Me and Daryl both looked as Dad walked in, "no don't start with that shit. Blaming yourself Leah; it's a miracle you survived."

A huge smile spread across my face when I saw him, he ran over to me wrapping his arms around me completely. "Dad," I whispered hugging him back. "You said you weren't gonna make it but you pulled though kid," Daryl whispered. "It didn't feel like I was alive."

Dad helped me back into my normal cell where I lay down. It took me two more days to recover with the help of the antibiotics Daryl and Michonne brought back. On the third day when I woke up the first thing I did was go and see Carl. He was sitting outside on the steps. "Carl," I said running up and trampling him down. He immediately started laughing and hugged me tightly. "I'm sorry I was such a jerk about you and Liam." I giggled, "You were just jealous I found a friend and you didn't." He rolled his eyes, "ya whatever you say." He stood up and reached out his hand, "come on." I hesitantly followed him, "why are we looking at these flowers?" I asked. Carl picked a few, "get some, you can take them to Liam." I smiled, "you must know how much I like him." Carl nodded, "I'll just make sure he knows all the guns me and dad got." I nudged him, and then quickly grabbed a few flowers walking up to the cell he was recovering in. He lay asleep in the bed, and I didn't want to wake him, quickly I put the flowers in a cup and set them beside his bed. "Feel better," I whispered before leaving his room. Carl was waiting for me, and together we walked outside to a picnic table where dad had three sandwiches ready.