my angel ➶ ➶ daryl dixon

t h r e e

THREE WEEKS PASS

"Hello miss nice to see you again." Leon turns to me and greets me with a smile. "How are you doing on this fine day?" Leon is the nurse that was assigned to Rick. Since I've been in here almost everyday since Rick was shot, I've gotten to know him pretty well. He is a sweet Mexican man with dark brown hair and a natural tan. Even though this situation is really dull, with Rick being shot and all, he always seems to know how to make my day better.

"Oh, you know. Dad is off on one of his tangents, giving me crap about not doing my schoolwork and coming here instead. It isn't my fault that Rick got shot! I want to be here for him." I sighed. "Oh well. He'll get over it soon." I walk over to Rick's bedside table and replace his flowers. "How's this guy doing?"

"He's stable, and he is taking his medicine well. We actually have hopes he might come out of his coma soon." Leon glanced at me. "But don't get too excited. This doesn't mean he'll jump out of bed and be fine and dandy. It still might be awhile."

I took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Okay, well thanks anyways Leon. I'll see you around."

"Don't stay too long Aspen."

I turned to look at Rick as Leon turned and walked out, shutting the door behind him. "You still doing okay?"

Still no response.

"Well, I need you even more out here. Carl asked me something the other day and it really got me thinking. He asked me if Shane and Lori would get married if you died. I told him he was crazy, but now, I think I see something. And that's what's scaring me the most. Not the fact that you're here, but the fact that they might not want you to wake up." I grabbed a tissue off his dresser and wiped my eyes before tears could start to fall. "I just want you to be okay, that's all. I need you Rick. Don't leave me in this world."

I layed my head down and the next thing you know my eyes were closing.

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I heard the door slam open. As I jerked awake."Aspen! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Dad screamed as he came barging into the room.

"I- I- I was visiting Rick. And I guess I fell asleep." I stammered. What has him so angry?

"Well, we're leaving. NOW." He grabs me by the arm and roughly starts to pull me through the door.

"Wait Dad, why?" I grab a hold of the doorframe and it stops him in his tracks.

"We need to get out of the city." He scans the hallway once, twice, three times. It's like he's looking for something.

"Dad, what's going on?"

"I'll explain later Aspen. We need to leave now!"

"What about Rick?" I glance back at the man begging him to wake up.

"I'll get him, you go downstairs now. Lori and Carl are in the car waiting for us. Let's go! Move your feet!" He roughly shoves me down the hallway. I stumble before catching myself on the wall. I push the elevator button but it seems to be shut off. "Great timing." I mumble as I walk to the staircase and push open the door and nearly gag at the stench.

"What is that?" I pull my shirt  up over my mouth as I continue down. As I look along the walls, there is blood. And lots of it. It's covering the walls. There is more and more as I continue walking down. And then I see it. A body. Or what would be a body. It looks like it has been.... eaten. I turn my head and this time I do vomit. As I look past the body, I notice a person stumbling towards me.

"Hey, you! What happened here?" They keep stumbling their way towards me. They look like they're drunk. "Hey! Are you okay?" It looks like Leon!

"Leon! Hey, are you okay?" I focus my eyes and realize there is something wrong. Leon doesn't look alright. His clothes are tattered and covered in blood, he has no shoes, and it looks like his skin is almost too big for him. His eye sockets are drooping and his jaw is wide open. His skin is a greyish-brown, not close to his normal tan.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" I start backing up but my back hits the wall. I have nowhere to go. Leon is between me and the exit. He keeps making his way towards me. Not stopping.

"Dad! Help! Dad!" I screech as he continue getting closer and closer. I shut my eyes and flinch right when I hear a gun go off. Then I feel liquid hit my face. And a lot of it.

"Aspen! Let's go! What are you still doing here?!" Dad yells as he lowers the gun that he used to shoot Leon. Then it registers, he shot Leon! That kind man that was taking care of Rick! My dad just killed a man in cold blood and he doesn't even look like he cares. I get it he has to do it for his job sometimes, but I didn't think it would be so easy for him. Then, I realize Rick isn't with him.

"Dad, where's Rick? You said you were going to get him!" He doesn't even look at me. "Dad, stop! Where's Rick?"

He finally turned and looked at me. "Aspen, he's gone. Alright?! He's gone and there's nothing you can do about it!" He grabbed my arm again and dragged me out of the hospital.

I thought I heard myself screaming, but the whole world seemed to go silent. He was dead. Rick, the loving, caring father was dead.

My dad abruptly stopped. "Listen to me. I know this is a shock for you but you need to get over it and shut up. That thing you saw was not a person. And there's more off them out there. They are attracted to sound, so you need to be quiet." He handed me a towel off the ground. "Here, wipe your face off. You look terrible."

I quickly swiped at my face realizing that the liquid that I felt earlier was blood. Once I was done, I looked to my dad, not trusting myself to speak.

"Okay, the car is right on your left when we get through these doors. Move quickly and quietly. You're sitting in the back with Carl." I nodded my head.

"Okay, let's go." My dad dragged me through the doors and just as he said the Grimes' car was waiting for us on the left. I quickly hopped in the back as Dad jumped in the driver's seat.

"Aspen!" Carl hugged me. "Where's Daddy?" I felt the tears start to spill down my face.

"He-he's in a better place now Carl." I saw realization hit him and I brought him to my chest as he began to sob. I looked up at Lori as Dad started the car. I saw one lone tear slip down her face and then she looked out the window. My dad's face was stone.

I looked back at the hospital and kept looking until it was out of sight. Then I turned and stared straight at the back of my dad's seat as we drove.

Where were we going, and what happened to the world I thought I knew?