Carl Grimes Imagines

Quarantine

A/n: Warning, major feels ahead;

"She what?!"

"I know she's your friend, but you need to listen-"

"She's more than just my friend. Where is she?" Carl was distraught.

Rick sighed knowing that it wasn't going to be good telling him the news, but it would've been worse keeping it from him. "She's in the sick quarantine cell bloc- Carl!" He was gone before Rick could finish.

Carl was running through the prison like a maniac, pushing people and barely avoiding several collisions, all while holding his sheriff's hat on his head. He got a lot of scolding from other residents of the prison, but he didn't notice. He only had one thing on his mind.

You.

He didn't stop until he got to the sick quarantine cell bloc, and started knocking on the entrance door furiously. When Hershel saw Carl, he knew you were the reason.

"Hershel! Hershel!" Carl yelled as he kept banging on the door. Soon, the old man appeared on the other side of the glass, and the look on Carl's face said it all. "Please, tell me she's not here."

Hershel didn't want to confirm Carl's suspicions, but there was no point in lying to the boy. "I promise you, she is being well taken care of." Carl put his face in his hands and started to pace around the halls. "The others should return shortly with our supplies."

"I need to see her. Please, let me in, I'll help you, anything!"

"Carl, you know I can't open this door. I can't risk you getting sick, your father would-"

"I don't care about my my dad, I care about Y/n. I need to see her." Hershel gave a long look to the desperate boy. "Please." After a few very long moments, Hershel sighed.

"I can't let you in, but you can see her. There are some visiting desks over where you kept watch. You can safely talk to her there." Carl breathed a sigh of relief, then bolted back to his station and into the place Hershel described as the visiting room. He pulled up a chair to one of the windows and sat down, waiting to see the girl he loved.

After a few minutes, a large door opened in the back on the other side of the glass, then he caught his first glimpse of you, and it broke his heart. You were wrapped in a large blanket, occasionally coughing, your hair was a mess, and you were holding a mug of Hershel's remedy tea in your hands.

When you saw him, a smile appeared on your face. "Carl!"

"Y/n!" Carl stood up from his chair and placed his hands on the glass separating the two of you. You did the same, putting your hands where his were. "Are you okay? Do you need help?"

"Carl, I'm okay. Hershel and the others are taking good care of me." You stopped at Carl's distraught expression. "I'm bunking with Lizzie. We're not as sick as the others, so we've been separated."

"But your still sick." You knew he was having a hard time dealing with this. You were his best friend. You loved him. It was hard for you too, but you had to get through it, and help Carl as well. Keeping him safe and well was your top priority.

"Yes, I am. But Carl, I need you to listen to me. Anyone who comes here is not safe. You are not safe. I know it's difficult, I do. But I really need you to promise me something."

"Anything."

Y/n took a deep breath. "I need you to leave, and don't come back."

"What? Y/n, I can't-"

"Yes you can. And you will. Carl, look at me. You are not sick, and you are not medically trained or educated. You have to protect us from the outside. It's important that you stay well and survive. And you can't do that worrying about me."

"But I can't not worry about you. It's no safer in there than out here. I need to stay with you."

"No, you need to stay with Rick, Judith, Maggie, Beth. You need to protect them. Take care of Uncle Daryl for me. Take care of your sister. Watch out for everyone else. They are the hope for the future. I know it hurts you, but I need to do this on my own. This is my fight, for my life, and I need you to let me do it alone. I need you to let me go. If I die-"

"No Y/n, don't say that."

"Carl, listen. If I die, I need you to be strong, and keep fighting. You need to trust other people, good people, and help them just as you helped me. You need to beat this world. Do it for your mom, your sister, your dad, and for everyone else who couldn't or think they can't make it. Because I know they can. I know you can. I need you to leave, and don't come back. When the time comes, I will come to you." You started to cry, and Carl started to cry, and the tears weren't stopping anytime soon. You had to tell him; it was now or never.

"Y/n, I can't lose you, too." He balled up his hand on the glass. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too." You looked deep into his sad, beautiful tired eyes and said those words you've always wanted him to hear you say. "Carl, I love you."

Hearing those damned words just made Carl's tears roll faster and his heart heavier. He always imagined telling you, but never like this. Never when he was afraid he might never see you again. After a moment, he finally managed to collect himself enough to say it back.

"I love you, too." And the two of you stayed like that. In a solemn silence with the want and angst hanging heavy in the air. "I love you so much." Carl cried again. You coughed a little, and it scared Carl knowing that it wasn't much now, but it would only get worse. As you looked into his eyes, the contrast of the red and blue were so tragically beautiful, it was terrifying.

"Go read your comic books, go play with Judith, go do stuff with Daryl and Michonne. I'll be alright. But Carl, please. Don't come back." And a few more tears fell, you turned away, removing your hand from the glass, and walked back into the cell bloc, with Hershel holding the door for you. He had heard everything. Every word. You would feel embarrassed if you weren't so heartbroken.

Once you were out of view, you leaned against the wall, finally collapsing, sliding down the wall with your back and sitting in a fetal position. Your head was facing the ceiling, and the tears flowed freely as your loud, hysteric cries echoed throughout the cell bloc. Hershel sat down and engulfed you in a comforting, fatherly hug. He always treated you like a daughter, and you were grateful. Especially now, since he had to see you like this.

Carl was empty. He didn't know what to feel. It was mostly remorse, anger, sadness, and angst. Broken. When he couldn't see you anymore, he lost it. He started throwing chairs and hitting tables and punching walls until his knuckles bled, kicking them, destroying them. He didn't know what to do. Finally in exhaustion, he dropped to his knees and cried. It didn't matter if anyone saw him, he was too upset to even care. One way or another, you were gone.

So...part 2?