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sickness

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sickness

SCARLETT WOKE UP FEELING STILL A BIT UNDER THE WEATHER, BUT THERE WAS WORK TO BE DONE. A bigger group of geeks gathered at one side of the fences, and she guessed it was because someone was feeding the damn things. She only guessed it after finding a rat carcass near the bottom of the fences.

She was with a big group trying to kill as many as they could through the fences, and she could feel herself growing weaker as time went on. She was sweating like Violet, and she could feel her heart beating so loudly.

"Scar!"

Scarlett's eyes widened at a walker getting too close to her hand. She nodded in thanks to Glenn before continuing her job. He furrowed his brows as her sluggish, and practically awful, movements.

"Maybe you should head in for a bit! Send someone in your place," Glenn called to her, glancing worriedly at Maggie.

"You probably have a bug or something. Like when you were little. Just go rest honey," Maggie pleaded.

Scarlett ignored them, sending her pike through the walker's head. She shook her head when Glenn tried to pull her back. "Hey, hey, you're gon' hurt yourself," he told her softly as she tried to push him off. "Maybe you—"

"WALKERS IN D!"

Scarlett's head whipped over to where people began screaming. Gun shots were heard next.

"Come on!" she shouted, trying to forget her pain and pushed forward toward D-Block where the screams were coming from.

Scarlett saw Rick rushing as well, a worried look on his face. She saw Carl and Sophia by the front gate with Michonne, though they had to grab their guns to help her. Scarlett shook her head, knowing Michonne would look after Carl.

"RICK!" she shouted, grabbing his gun from the armory area that she passed. She threw it at him, and he caught it with ease. He made it to D first, and it was just an awful, terrible sight.

There were walkers everywhere.

Daryl was already in there, shooting them down with his crossbow as Carol tried to get everyone who was still alive out of there. Scarlett used her machete and killed a man she knew as Donald. She sighed as she moved on to the next one.

"Mika. This way!" Scarlett yelled for the small girl, pushing her toward Carol who had her sister.

"My Daddy!" Mika cried.

"Go!" Scarlett said, locking her dad in the cell. He was still alive, but he was bit. He nodded at her as she moved on to the next group of people hiding in a cell.

As soon as it started, it seemed to end.

No more gunshots or screams of terror.

Scarlett felt the exhaustion hit her as she fell to her knees. The machete left her fingers as Carol fell next to her.

"Hey, hey, what's goin' on?" she asked Scarlett softly.

"Nauseous," she grumbled back, feeling dizzy as she tried to catch her breath.

Hershel noticed her from afar as he listened in to Daryl and Rick's conversation.

"Well, if there's a flu," Hershel said softly, "I found its next victim."

The three men turned to face Scarlett who was coughing up a storm. Blood left her lips. Carol rubbed her back softly.

"No," Rick said quickly. "No. She's not ending up—What do we do!?" He rushed forward, about to go to his girlfriend. Hershel held him back. "What are you doin'? She needs help!"

"If you stay with her too much, you'll get sick. She needs to be quarantined. David, too. And anyone else coughing up like that. Think about Carl and Judith, Rick," Hershel pleaded.

"She was around them yesterday."

"Let's hope it didn't get them," Hershel whispered. "Carol! Get away from her!"

Scarlett whimpered slightly as she was left alone on the floor. Rick rolled his eyes at Hershel's warnings as he rushed to her and began to help her stand. "We were all exposed anyway. We'll separate the kids. Quarantine in A. Let everyone know," he said with a strict nod. He was taking control. "I'll take care of Scarlett."

"Rick?" she whispered. "Don' feel very good."

Rick sighed as they began to leave D. He looked at Daryl. "Start diggin' graves. Wear a mask and gloves when dealin' with the bodies. Let everyone know."

"And the fence?" Daryl asked.

"Do what we can. Keep killin' them."

Daryl nodded, squeezing Scarlett's arm as she passed. Rick managed to get her to A-Block without getting anyone's attention. He found a clean cell on the top floor, laying her gently on the bed.

"Hey," Rick whispered to her, reaching his hand out.

She turned her head with a scowl. "You got to go. Don' get sick. Take care of Jude and Carl."

"I'll send Dr. S, okay? We'll get you fixed up."

Scarlett stared at the ceiling with a quiver of her lip. She shook her head at him as a tear fell.

"Love you," she whispered. "Go!"

Rick hesitated before leaving when she started to cough again.
He made sure to lock her cell that way no one could get in, and if something, god forbid, were to happen, she would not get out. He passed Dr. S who had brought in Karen and David. They were settled on the bottom floor.

Carol was standing at the door with a look in her eyes Rick could not decipher.

"You locked her in?" she asked, noticing the keys.

"No one but Dr. S needs to see her until she's better," Rick told Carol.

Carol hummed, nodding her head.

"What?" he asked her.

"Just worried 'bout Scarlett," Carol whispered. "Worried, indeed."

Violent Silence • Rick Grimes ✓Where stories live. Discover now