WAKE UP / rick grimes⁰¹ ✔︎

chapter fifteen.

Alicia came running towards Maggie, Dylan, and Beth as soon as she and Rick made it back to the cells.

"He hasn't opened his eyes yet-" Before Maggie could finish, she broke down in tears grabbing Alicia's hand. Alicia soon pulled away and kneeled closer to her father.

"You can go, Daddy... I-I won't be mad. I love you. Be peaceful." Just as Alicia fell sobbing in his arms, Hershel opened his eyes. Hershel began growling and snapping at Alicia.

"Daddy?" Hershel pulled Alicia's hair towards him and bit into her shoulder. Alicia screamed out as her blood splattered on her face. Everyone in the cell began pulling Alicia away from her now zombified father, but it was too late.

Dylan held a cloth up to her neck as Alicia kept struggling, "What do we do?" Rick suddenly whipped his gun out from its holster. Rick pointed the weapon at Alicia's head as Everyone heard cries throughout the prison.

"Time's up, Alicia."

Alicia kept hearing her name called and suddenly woke up, "What?"

"I said time's up, Alicia. It's my shift now. Go get some rest." Maggie helped Alicia up from the ground, and Alicia began to tremble, causing her to hide it from Maggie.

"Hey, you have a bad dream or somethin'?" Maggie grabbed her sister's hand with a concerned look. Alicia replied with a fake smile and "no," as she always did.

She didn't want anyone to know she was in withdrawal, especially her sister. Growing up, Maggie was always getting Alicia in trouble to take the burden off of herself. After Alicia got pregnant at 17, Maggie could do no wrong.

Alicia soaked a rag in water and walked back to her cell. She laid down on the bottom bunk with the cold rag covering her eyes. Her lips with so dry it got to the point of blisters. Beth came in with a bucket of water. She grabbed the rag off of Alicia's head and began dabbing her forehead with it.

Alicia kept silent and still. She felt so weak she didn't bother telling her sister to leave her alone.

"Don't worry. I'm gonna take care of you." Beth smiled, dipping the rag in the water and then pulling it out squeezing it.

"Daddy's awake!" Maggie yelled throughout the prison. Beth almost tripped out of excitement, running out of the cell. Alicia stumbled out of her cell and only got so far before she fell onto the ground. Rick came running towards her and helped her up.

Her shirt was full of sweat, and her body was trembling. Rick called out for help causing Daryl to drop his crossbow on the ground and come running.

"I'm fine. Okay." Alicia began mumbling, pushing both Rick and Daryl off of her. She could barely walk before she made it to the stairs. She took a deep breath and leaned her head next to the railing.

As the group made their way into the courtyard, Daryl noticed Alicia's shivering and wrapped a blanket around her. He set his water bottle down next to her, and Alicia immediately drank it all, "Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?"

"Nobody deserves to go through this alone." Daryl began walking away, and Alicia laughed, causing him to stop and smile.

"Daryl Dixon, my hero." Alicia laughed.

"Don't go gettin' any funny ideas!" Daryl yelled out before walking out to the courtyard. Alicia curled up and finally fell asleep. She jolted up as sirens began going off.

Alicia struggled, but she gathered enough strength to walk downstairs, "What's going on?" Beth suddenly came running in before Daryl.

"Son a bitch drawing them right to us?" Daryl yelled out, loading up his crossbow.

"What are you talking about? Who?"

"A prisoner." Daryl gathered the riot gear and ran back out to the courtyard. The sirens suddenly stopped, but the walkers kept coming, and soon the group was divided.

Beth ran into the cell with her father, sitting right next to his bed. Alicia came in to make sure they were okay.

"Alicia, Dylan, and Maggie are missing." Beth cried out, holding her father's hand. Beth gave Alicia directions to the last place she saw them run too.

"Alicia, don't go out there! It's not safe!" Hershel began yelling out to Alicia, but it was too late. Alicia grabbed the leftover riot gear as well as her buck knife.

Alicia slipped through the tunnels before the herd of walkers could get to her. She began whispering Maggie and Dylan's names but got no response.

She heard echoes of crying followed by a gunshot. She ran towards the sound and found a distraught Maggie carrying a baby, and Carl came out behind her crying.

"Alicia, Lori, she-" Alicia cut Maggie off and hugged her. All three walked out to the courtyard where the group was waiting. Maggie tried to hand Rick the baby, but he cried out for Lori.

"Wh-where is she? Where is- where is she?"  Rick began stuttering and trembling, barely able to stand on his feet.

"She's gone, Rick." Alicia decided to be the one to tell him before he collapsed onto the ground in tears. Alicia looked around for Dylan but couldn't find him.