fallen angels → the walking dead ²

[ 020 ] an illness.

— CHAPTER TWENTY.
an illness.

BETH AND ODESSA LAID side by side in Odessa's bed. "I can't stop thinking about it," Odessa said. "Zack, I mean."

"Me either," Beth agreed.

"As much as I disliked the kid he didn't deserve that," Odessa sighed. "So much for thirty days without an accident."

"I've already changed it to zero days." Beth looked to her. "Let's just hope it's the last one for a while."

"I hope." Odessa said, her eyes still on the ceiling.

"I'm glad you didn't go on that run." Beth whispered. "Maybe you should stop goin' on runs, Dessy."

Odessa's eyes moved to her. "Beth," she said with a small grin, "that's not gonna happen to me on a run."

"You don't know that," Beth's eyes scanned her face.

"I've survived worse than a run gone wrong, Bethy." Odessa brushed back Beth's hair and turned on her side to face her girlfriend. Beth turned the same way. "I always come back to you and Carl and Jude after a run. Even after—"

"I know, Des." Beth nodded gently. "I know."

Odessa kissed the girl's lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Beth echoed with a small smile.

The two fell asleep not long later.

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The next morning, Odessa woke to an empty bed. She groaned to herself at the sun shinning through the curtain she put up the doorway of her cell.

"Rise and shine!" The voice of Theo Blake hit her ears as he banged on the bars of her cell. She buried her head in her pillow.

He brushed the curtain back and stared at her. "Wake up," he said. "Rick needs us at the gardens."

"Why?" She didn't hesitate to draw out the 'y'.

"Get up, lazy," Theo kicked her bed. "I'll be waiting for you outside."

Odessa rolled out of bed, literally. She changed into a new pair of clean clothes. Blue jeans, a very comfortable blue t-shirt she stole from Beth, and a black button down she left unbuttoned. She grabbed her belt that held her gun and twin knives. She hooked it around her waist and pulled her boots on.

She left cell block C and met Theo outside. She grinned at the boy who had grown to be her best friend. "Let's go pick some cucumbers."

"I guess—"

Both jumped at the sound of a gunshot.  Both turned frantically to cell block D. They shared a look just as two little girls, sisters, Lizzie and Mica came running from the cell block. "Help! Help us!"

Theo and Odessa were the first two in the cell block. Odessa ran straight for a walker cornering Luke. The little boy was screaming frantically as the walker approached him. Odessa's blade went straight through its skull.

"Come on!" She picked up the little boy and rushed him to a cell where Karen was. A second later, a bolt flew past her head.

She whipped around to see a walker drop to the ground. She didn't have time to thank Daryl as a walker grabbed hold of her arm.