Beautiful Mistakes~ A Rick Grimes Love Story

*| 18 |*

MAGGIE'S POV

"Thank you for being in there... with Judith." I say, a door separating Beth and I.

"Everything okay out there?" Beth asks me.

I try to hold the tears in, but it's impossible. My husband and my best friend were sick. I was worried about them. I couldn't loose them.

"Glenn has it. Luna has it." I say, letting out a few soft cries.

"Maggie. We don't get to be upset. We all got jobs to do. That's what Daddy always says. Daryl, Michonne, and Riley will get the meds. You and Carol and Rick will help everyone else till they get back. And I'll take care of Judith, for Luna. Just focus on what you have to do. No matter what happens, we'll deal with it. We have to." Beth says.

I lean my head against the door. I know I should listen to what she said, but I couldn't help but think of the worst. I couldn't loose them both. Luna is family now. So is Glenn. I'm not loosing anyone else.

Then I saw my dad, out and about. That damn man... never listens to anyone but expects everyone else to listen to him.

"Why aren't you in quarantine?" I yell at him. I was angry with him, because I cared. Glenn and Luna were already sick, I couldn't risk my dad getting it either.

He sits down his crate. "I'm no good to anyone in there."

"Daddy please." I beg him. I wanted him to be safe.

"Maggie, dear, there are people in there suffering. I can bring their fever down and keep them stable." he says.

"Daryl's getting the antibiotics." I say, worried about my family. My friends. This group.

"Some of these people won't last twelve hours." he says. No. I couldn't loose another person.

"I can't let you do this." I tell him.

"Maggie, Glenn and Luna are in there." Hershel says.

"What's going on?" Rick asks, walking around the corner to join us.

"Elderberries. My wife used to make tea with them. They're a natural flu remedy. Caleb's too sick to help. I can. There's so many times we haven't been able to do anything to change what was happening, what was happening to us. We wished we could, but we couldn't. This time, I can. I know I can. So I have to." Hershel says.

"Hershel, if you go in there, you're gonna get sick. Glenn and Luna are already in there." Rick says.

"Wait, we don't know that. What we do know is that these people's symptoms need to be controlled." Hershel says.

"Hershel...please." Rick says.

"Listen, damn it! You step outside, you risk your life. You take a drink of water, you risk your life. And nowadays, you breath, and you risk your life. Every moment now you don't have choice. The only thing you can choose is what you're risking it for. Now, I can make these people feel better and hang on a little bit longer. I can save lives. That's reason enough to risk mine. And you know that." he says.

Rick and I look at each other. We both had someone in there that we loved more than ourselves, but I couldn't stand to loose daddy, too.

"Dad." I say, looking at him with his face covered with a mask. I pause for a second. Maybe this will help Glenn and Luna stay alive long enough for Daryl and the rest to get back. I had to have hope. I hoped he wouldn't get sick, too. We didn't have many choices left. I slide open the door for him and watch him go inside. I shut it and turn around to face Rick.

"I'm scared." I tell him.

"Me too." he says, with sadness and fear in his eyes. I haven't seen him like that too many times. The last time I saw him like that, we thought Luna had died. Rick was different around Luna. He became more alive. He listened to her. She gave him a reason to keep going and hanging on. Luna had a light in her. She was happy and kind. She loved everyone with all of her heart. She still cared about rules and human life. She was rare. Her laugh was contagious and she could make anyone laugh. She always saw the good in people, and she would make the best out of every situation. I missed her, and I know he did, too. If Rick looses her, he would loose himself. I don't think I would be the same either, if I lost her.