In Hope Of Falling In Love (A Walking Dead Fanfic)

Chapter 40: A Game Of Trial And Error

It'd been at least a week since Maggie had been submitted to quarantine and in that short span, Hershel had grown very ill, Rick had developed a cough and was now held in quarantine too, Daryl had fallen clumsily after getting attacked by a walker while hunting and had broken his leg, Chloe had not returned from a lone run for supplies for Aislynn and the babies, and Carl was ordered to stay in the watch tower outside after being grabbed by a walker at the gate and spraining his ankle.

Apart from the babies, Beth was the only capable body in the whole prison and much of the responsibilities lied on her shoulders.

She had been caring left and right for Judith and Nevaeh, trying to make sure Carl was fed and rested while also giving Daryl his medicine to ease his pain.

Beth couldn't help but panic that if walkers were to get into the prison or the Governor were to attack that she would be the only one able to defend against it and being just one female against a world of things that were willing to harm her family terrified her.

Sure, everyone would do as much as possible to help her, but what use what a load of sick and injured people be able to do to help?

She'd been in everyday to talk Aislynn on behalf of Daryl and Carl, telling her what was happening and asking her about her father and Maggie, and sometimes Glenn or Rick, but Aislynn was close to death, Beth could tell, and those things her now-ill father needed to help her couldn't be found.

If Chloe were to return with the things, everything would be better. But really, Beth asked herself, how can just Chloe find the medicine, baby supplies, medical equipment and more painkillers?

Was there even a chance that Chloe could return after two days with everything they needed?

Aislynn had been fighting her hardest to stay alive and every time Beth left, she heard her crying to herself. Beth was taking care of everyone with Nevaeh in one hand and toddler Judith in the other, while making sure everyone was fed, had clean water, had suitable clothing, blankets and pillows, and had medicine.

Right now, Maggie, Hershel and Daryl were her biggest concerns.

She dreaded to think what would happen if one of them died but each time she let herself think about it even the tiniest bit, she had to shake it from her head and wipe at the tears. It's not like she couldn't; seeing her loved ones sick left a hole in her heart where they should've been.

Where they should have been healthy.

Daryl himself had a painfully broken leg and even when he tried to help, Beth sent him straight to bed with a kiss and a hug and then resumed whatever job she was struggling to do.

She knew everyone thought she was useless, that her only job was taking care of the children, but know she was the fighter of the group, the healer of the group, the cook of the group, the carer of the group and the leader of the group.

Each job the sick would have done was now her responsibility.

Atleast half of the previously sick were now dead, they're blood spread over numerous bed sheets and their bodies buried in the holes in the courtyard Beth had to dig herself.

When she needed something done, she'd leave Nevaeh and Judith with Carl in the watch tower, handed him a gun and a bottle of formula and told him sternly not to leave and she'd be back, before handing him some painkillers and doing whatever job she was needed to do.

It wasn't the set-up she wanted but it was the set-up she needed. Daryl surely couldn't with his broken leg and she couldn't keep watching the two children left, right and centre, and everyone else who might have been suitable a few days ago were now down with a fatal-flu and Beth was trying her hardest to keep them safe.