peaches & softie | daryl dixon ✅

Chapter 59 (1/2): Infected

 Carter's P.O.V

" Get up. You don't deserve to sleep. Get up! You let me die! My brother's alone now because of you slut! Even though I've died I'll still haunt you! Get up!"

My eyes snap open, sitting up straight as my hair sticks to me from sweat. I breath heavily but slowly, trying to clam myself before feeling a pair of arms wrap around my torso.

" Another nightmare?" Daryl whispers, his voice deeper from waking up.

" Sorry for waking you up," I apologize, laying back down. I take one more deep breath before my breathing becomes normal. " I need to use the restroom. I'll be back in five." I peck his lips before walking away.

 Once in the bathroom, I lean against the sinks, a sick feeling going through me before I walk over to the toilets. My body wavers side to side before vomit escapes me, landing in the bowl. What felt like an eternity of throw up finally stopped after a few minutes. I wipe my mouth, letting my hands continue gripping the toilet seat. " Two days," I mumble, letting out a deep breath.

---

 Carter's P.O.V

 The click jolts me awake, a breath escaping me as my eyes open. Once my vision clears, I see Daryl with the polaroid camera I found. I glare at him as he chuckles, giving a small apology before the shaking the photo, allowing the picture to be seen. A soft smile plays his lips as he looks at the photo. I snatch it from his fingers, seeing  it's me sleeping. I cringe, fully awake now.

 " Please throw that out," I beg him, thinking I look horrid.

 " Not happening," he says, a smirk playing his lips. I roll my eyes, sitting up before beginning to tame my hair.  I smile at him before grabbing my crossbow and knife, placing them on my body. 

" Imma' go check the cells," I state, moving my hair out of my face.

 " Why?"

 A sigh escapes my lips before replying, " I have a--bad feeling today is all. I just want to make sure. Love you." I kiss his lips, walking away from him and into the corridors.

 After checking B I walk towards C, only to hear screaming. I run towards it, seeing walkers, people who lived here, eating survivors. " Holy shit," I mumble, seeing Lizzie and Mica run to me. " Tell Rick and 'em we need help in here!" They follow my orders, running to get help as I get to work.

 Shooting as many as I can, I yell to the survivors to run, most leaving their cells quickly. One kid gets taken down by walkers as Rick and the rest finally get inside. I shot a bolt at the walker, it limping before I pick up the kid, handing him to Karen before killing another. Slowly, everything quiets, every walker dead. I follow Daryl, checking upstairs before a walker pushes me to the railing.

 " Carter!" The hunter shoots quickly, the bolt lodging itself in it's brain before falling, allowing myself to breath. It only hitches once more, seeing it being Patrick.

 Seeing the aftermath of it all, bodies are dragged out of the block. Looking around, I think for a moment, looking at the other walkers before a growl clears my thoughts. I look to the right of me, seeing Charlie, one of the newcomers a walker. " Rick," I holler. He walks over to where I am, seeing it as well. " He locks himself in the cell 'cause of his sleep walking," I  mumble to myself, stabbing him through the bars. Opening the door, I crouch down beside the body, as does Rick while Daryl, Hershel and Dr. S walk in.

 " What happened to him?" Daryl questions.

 " Choked on his own blood," I say, looking at Dr. S for conformation.

 " Yes, he did. They're from the internal lung pressure building up--like if you shake a soda can and you pop a top. Only imagine your eyes, ears, nose and throat are the top."

 " Could it be from the walkers?" Bob asks.

 " No, these things happened before they were around."

 " What if it's the Swine Flu?" I question, Dr. S staring at me to explain, as do the others. " Multiple walkers have these symptoms--the blood from the ears, mouth and eyes. We have pigs who could also carry it. Maybe it killed Violet," I explain, glancing at Rick. " It could be a really bad Swine Flu."

 " That could probably it. Most likely, what Carter said, an aggressive flu strain."

 " So someone locked him in just in time," Hershel announces.

 " Nah, Charlie sleepwalks, he always did this as a precaution," I explain.

 " Hell, he was just eating barbeque yesterday. How could somebody die in a day just from a cold?" Daryl questions.

 " It's spreading through the pigs and probably birds too," I state, cringing slightly. " We gotta' do something about the hogs, Rick," I say, Hershel agreeing.

 " Maybe we got lucky. Maybe these two cases are it," Dr. S thinks out loud.

 " Nah, I got a gut feeling this ain't the last of it," I object, biting my lip. " We're all exposed. I don't know much about medicine, but I know this isn't gonna end well," I cringe, standing up before walking out.

 Walking into the courtyard, I stand in the field, trying to calm my breathing before hurling up my dinner from last night. The taste is too terrible to bare. After what's left leaves my stomach, I thickly swallow, calming my breathing as my hands stay on my knees. A pair of footsteps makes me look up, seeing Glenn walking over to me. " Daryl wanted to me check on you while he helped with the bodies. Are you sick?"

 My breathing quickens as I stand up straight, looking over at him. " I'm scared," I admit, wiping my forehead of sweat.

 " Why?" he questions, taking a few steps to me.

 " My period's late and I've thrown up for three days straight," I croak, allowing myself to fall to my knees.

 " You could be pregnant! That's not so bad!" he exclaims, pulling me close with a small grin on his face. " You could have a little Daryl Dixon running around," he states, only for a empty laugh to escape me, tears beginning to form.

 " That's the problem. It's gonna be a Dixon--but not Daryl's."