Undead

Ghosts (330)

MADISON'S POV.

My eyes open like two flashlight beams and I jolt up in anticipation, waiting for danger to attack me, instead pain surges through me like an electric shock, quick and strong.

I instantly lie back down and clutch my shoulder. My heart thumps at a rate I know is unhealthy, while every thought that shoots through my brain is on high alert. Although I'm ready to fight, I can't understand why.

Instead, I shut my eyes for mere seconds and just as quickly, my memories flood my consciousness of the events that lead to now. it's only when I think to look around me that I notice the arms wrapping around me.

I look up to find blue eyes boring into my own. I feel a wave of relief hit me at the same time confusion takes over. Nothing makes sense. I realize now where I am. I'm in the infirmary but that doesn't explain how I got here.

"Judith!" The name bursts from my lips before my brain has caught up.
Where is she?
Is she okay?
What happened?

She was with me when I was shot. The whole thing happened so quickly. One second the savior and I were both on our feet, ready to fire and then the next, my arrow went through the man's throat but before I shot him he had time to fight back.

All it took was one tiny bullet to throw me to the ground. All I remember after that was Judith climbing on top of me, crying. I could just about move. It had been my shoulder that was hit but the pain affected my whole body and the blood that flowed from the wound was merciless as it seeped through my clothes.

I remember getting dizzy after that, I used a piece of my shirt to try to stop the blood flow. It didn't work well. I had just about enough energy left to crawl to a tree that had an opening, luckily for us. I tucked Judith safely in my arms, adamant on protecting her with my life. I don't remember anything after that.

"She's okay. She's safe." Carl promises. I cling to his arm that's wrapped around me and rest my head back in his shoulder, trying hard to think.
"Kara?" I whisper.
"Safe." He promises.
I look next to me and find Kai asleep against the wall next to me. His arm is tucked into a sling and a square bandage covers the wound. I look down at myself and find I look practically identical. Sling and bandage.

"Are you okay?" Carl asks.
I nod. "I'm just glad I'm here."
"Me too, you've no idea. You nearly gave me a heart attack out there." He sighs in relief. I move over so Carl can sit closer to me, still, he drapes his arm across my back and his hand rests on my arm, pulling me close.

"You've been out for almost a day. Dad and Daryl waited here for a while but they had to go back."
"You didn't leave?"
He shakes his head. "No. Neither did Kai. He's exhausted but he said he didn't want to leave you. Between me and you I think he wanted to be conscious when you woke."
I chuckle lightly. "I'm a great actress, I'll pull it off again."
He smiles brightly but it quickly fades as if reality hit him in the face.

"Mads, there's something I have to tell you."
I can tell by his tone that it's not good news and instantly my stomach knots and drop.
His brows furrow and he suddenly avoids my eyes.

"The saviors did a lot of damage here. A lot. Yesterday there was too much dust and smoke from the fires. We couldn't see anything. We searched for a lot of people that went missing. We found some, injured but alive. We found everyone, just, not all of them were alive."

I feel a lump in my throat and my voice cracks as I speak.
"W,who?"
He shakes his head and looks down.
I grab his hand and squeeze.
"Carl, Who?"
"...Beth."

My brain stutters for a moment and my body freezes. Literally, I feel motionless, I can't move.
"What?" I don't even remember speaking the word but I heard it, so it must be me that said it. Surely he meant somebody else, not Beth.