Savior

(25) 4:30 PM

"Oh god. Alice, look at me." Negan shook me, making the pain intensify. "God dammit look at me!" He screamed, which caused my eyes to shoot open. He groaned as he leaned me against the side of the car he was now shielding himself with. The sound of bullets hitting the car made me jump as my ears rung. I could see Negan's mouth moving, but couldn't hear a sound.

Negan was now on his feet, heading towards the inside of Alexandria. A pair of arms hooked underneath my limp ones and began dragging me towards one of Negan's trucks. That's when a bullet collided with his chest and he dropped me to the hard concrete. Whoever took the shot had a silenced weapon, not wanting to be detected. As I pried my eyes open, I could see Negan towering over Carl, Lucille in hand, that's when I screamed, I screamed as loud as I could. I clung to the car as I pulled myself up, my vision spotting as I stumbled towards the open gate.

It wasn't long before I collided with the concrete, which took my breath away. I couldn't fight anymore. I saw what I wanted to do, I wanted to run to Rick, I wanted to save Carl's life, but I couldn't do it. The last thing I saw was the silhouette of someone racing towards me.

I opened my eyes and I could hear Negan screaming.
"Where is she?! Goddamn it, we're not leaving without her! Alice!" I laid there in the grass, clinging to stands covered in my blood. "Alice!" He screamed one more, the sound of doors slamming shut signaled they were leaving, without me.
"Alice! I'll find you!" I could see him now, he was yelling in the wrong direction, towards the houses, as I was laying in the high grass beside the bell tower. The one thing I could clearly see were the tears that lingered in his eyes as he yelled. That's when everything went dark again.
--
"She's not safe here."
"Where is she safe?"
"We don't have a damn doctor here, but she's going to die, if she's not going to already." My body was picked up, Daryl at my feet and someone had my arms, carrying me to god knows where.

-- Rick's POV
I put all my weight onto the pedal, flying down the gravel road.
"How is she?" Michonne asked, turning towards Maggie, who had Alice in her lap, stroking her hair and humming, trying to distract her from the excruciating pain that she felt.
"Keep driving." Maggie choked out, pushing Alice's hair away from her face. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she struggled to breathe, her breathing short and rapid.
"M–M-Maggie." Her mumbling reminded me of Glenn, his last words. My heart fell into my stomach as I knew this was the end.
"I–I-I'm sorry." She whispered, a single tear rolling down her pale cheek.
"No. No." Maggie began to sob, bringing Alice close to her and rocking her like a child.

Alice died at 4:30 PM. She died in Maggie's arms, which were glued to her lifeless body. She refused to let go until Aaron had to pry her off, not wanting Alice to turn at any moment and bite her.

When Alice turned, she was laying in the grass of the Hilltop, Aaron's knees on her chest as he held her arms. Maggie's shaking hands held the small knife as she prepared herself to drive it into Alice's skull. I touched her shoulder and grabbed the knife from her hands and knelt down beside Alice. Her beautiful eyes were now clouded and sunk in, she clawed at me and tried to bite at Aaron's arms. I drove the knife into her temple and fell to my knees, unsure of what to do. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry until my chest ached and my throats was raw. Instead, I sat beside her and held my head in my hands as Jesus and Aaron began to place her where she belonged, right beside her best friend.

     "If no one else is gonna say it, then I will, what are we going to tell Negan."
"The truth." It was the first words I had spoken in hours, I had already told Michonne I didn't want to lose anyone, but Alice? I had doubted her the entire time, I had thought she was different, that she was going to die by Negan's side until the end, she was beside Negan, but she wasn't on his side. I had been so angry at her.

       "I–I should've done something." I whispered. "I-." I wiped the bridge of my nose with my fingers and began to sob. "Rick, there was nothing any of us could do." Michonne said, rubbing my back.
    "She didn't even see it coming." I choked out and Michonne pulled me into a tight embrace, trying to console me.

"The Saviors are coming!" A man shouted through cupped hands, all of us turned to Alice's grave and back to each other, trying to figure out what to say to him.