𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 | 𝘙𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴

The Problem

- Cass's POV -

The fingers hanging off the edge of the bed are lifeless and still, my eyes not finding the strength to bring themselves to look away. Staring endlessly at the grooves and lines bending around the discolored strips of flesh and bone.

They belong to the sixth person who has died today. He was a father to his teenage son sitting beside me. And now he's nothing, despite me trying my hardest, the symptoms were too much for his dad's body to handle.

"There's no hope for us, is there?" His son asks weakly beside me, making my heart sink lower into the cavern that is my chest. I drag my gaze to meet his, trying to comfort the boy who can't be more than seventeen.

"We have the best people I know out there looking for meds. When they get back from the run, we will be okay." I assure him, trying to seem calm despite my stomach twisting and lurching with anxiety at the idea of them not getting back soon enough. The kid nods, ducking his head down as he sobs slightly.

I rub his back comfortingly. "We can-"

"Cass!"

I stop, whipping my head over my shoulder at my friend's desperate call from the cell hall.

"I'm sorry," I mutter to the kid, scrambling to my feet and rushing out. I run up the stairs to the second level, using the railing to help propel myself up to find Sasha and Glenn struggling with restraining one of our patients as he thrashes.

I drop down to my knees, grab Henry's head, and examine him, realizing he can't breathe.

"Shit hold him down," I order, before running and grabbing an intubation kit, and sprinting back, pushing through my symptoms fighting against me with every step.

My hands trembling, I rip open the sterile packaging and prepare the metal tube as quickly as I can. I nod once at Glenn and Sasha to make sure they are ready before I begin to intubate the patient.

He gags violently, clearly panicking, making the job that much harder. I grimace in frustration before finally getting the plastic tube down his throat to his airway. The man has passed out now, his body going limp. I grab the ambu bag and hook it to the tube before squeezing it so he can get his first breath of air.

His body relaxes fully and both Sasha and Glenn let out sighs of relief, sitting back. I let out a shuddering breath, the illness suddenly making me feel lightheaded. Sasha grabs the ambu bag from me, squeezing it and supplying air to Henry as I fall backward, my chest heaving.

"What happened?" Herschel's voice sounds from behind me, and I can only grunt in response.

"Intubation," I explain hoarsely, blinking away the stars behind my vision. "You should stay away, really Herschel," I say, cringing as I try to stand up.

"We had this argument four times Cassandra. I'm stayin' and that's final." Herschel informs me defiantly as he helps me stand up, his arm around my waist, allowing me to steady myself on my feet.

I shake my head. "We should have at least one doctor alive, for the group," I mumble. If I die, the group won't have anyone resembling a medical professional left and I don't want that to happen. Not with the kids.

"No one is dying, stop talkin' like that. Now come on, you need to have some tea. You two as well," Herschel orders Sasha and Glenn who nod, not trying to put up an argument with the adamant man.

The four of us have been working together seeing patients, Herschel and I take the lead of course, but Sasha and Glenn have been a massive help with everything else. Herschel is carrying the heaviest burden being the only one who hasn't been infected, besides Spencer.