Haunted | Daryl Dixon

23. Spinning World

Everything was spinning. The walls. The ground. Evelyn.

She was spinning. Like an endless carousel that just sped up every time it finished a loop until it was going faster than anyone would've thought to be possible.

She held onto the wall, the railings, the cell doors- anything she could get ahold of- as she stumbled through the cell block.

People were coughing left and right. There were blood splatters everywhere. The air reeked of death.

She was still walking when Hershel emerged from a cell a few feet ahead of her, a sickly looking Glenn and Sasha on his heels.

All three turned to face her when they noticed movement, eyes turning sad when they took in her no doubt ghastly looking appearance.

"Evel-" Glenn was cut off by his own set of rough coughs.

Hershel, expression still somber, extended an arm towards the woman, "Come on now," His voice was soft, "Let's get you into an empty cell."

Hand grasping the nearest rail tightly in order to keep her balance, Evelyn shook her head stubbornly, "No," She rasped, "I need to help."

The older man shook his head, "You're in no state to-"

"And neither are they," She cut him off, casting pointed looks in Sasha and Glenn's direction, both of which who were swaying in place.

He sighed, turning to face the two, "She's right, you all need to get in your cells."

Glenn shook his head, a determined expression set on his sweaty face, "N-no, I'm-" He coughed, "I'm staying with you."

Hershel sighed tiredly, "How about this? You all go back to your cells and take a break for an hour. Then you all can come back out and help me again- only if you're feeling up to it."

Evelyn coughed violently, "Only-only if you take a break too."

The man smiled gently, extending an arm to her once more, "We'll see."

Another wave of dizziness overcame the woman once more, leaving her too out of it to argue as she fell into the man's arm and let him lead her to her cell.

Even after he left her with the promise to be here the second she called for him and lay down, sleep didn't come to her. Perhaps it was how much pain she was in, every time she coughed another stab of pain through her wound. Or it was the way her mind wouldn't stop racing.

Where was Daryl? Was he safe? How was Daniel holding up? Will all of these people be okay? Would the medicine be back in time?

"Um- Evelyn?" A small voice startled the woman out of her thoughts.

She shot up in her bed, grunting slightly in pain as she did so, eyes flying up to face the small girl standing in the doorway.

"Ricks asking for you." The little girl told her.

Evelyn's eyebrows furrowed, "Rick?"

Worry immediately shot through her heart at the thought of Rick being in here, sick.

The young girl nodded, "At the window, it's what we're using to talk to the healthy people outside."

Shakily, Evelyn rose to her feet, relief flooding through her, "Thank you..."

"Lizzie." She finished for her, a small smile on his face.

A pang of sadness shot through Evelyn. Though Lizzie looked healthy enough, the woman knew that there had to be a reason she was here. She was sick, this young girl who probably couldn't even fully comprehend what was going on.