Reflections - TWD

26. Stay with us.

⚠️Kinda gory but it's not that bad⚠️

Isabella had barely slept, when she did nod off. Either her own or somebody else's coughing would wake her up. She tossed over and noticed the dark blood stain on her pillow, where her mouth had been previously.

Her heart dropped to her stomach, the thought of death racing through her head instantly. She didn't want to die, she was only eight and a half, she hadn't gotten to braid Judith's hair with Beth yet.

She got up, her breathing heavy and quick, both from panic and also the sickness.

"Glenn?" She mumbled as she tapped on the man's cell door, holding her stuffed tiger to her chest.

"Hm?" Glenn rolled over with a small splutter.

"A-am I gonna- die?" Isabella muttered, tears forming a pool at the bottom of her eyes. She could never understand why she cried so much, when she got angry, she cried. When she was sad, she cried. Even when she was happy, she cried.

"What? No." Glenn said, the sudden absurd question completely waking him and making him sit up. "Why'd you say that?"

"Because there's blood. I coughed up blood." Isabella responded, sniffling slightly.

"So did I. I'm fine, aren't I?" Glenn smiled, he was so ill but he was trying so hard to help Isabella in any way that he could.

"Yeah, but you're big and strong." She mumbled, fiddling with the ear on the toy tiger.

"You're strong too. You've just gotta wait for Daryl and the others to get back with the medicine, alright?" Glenn nodded.

Isabella nodded and wiped the sweat off her forehead. She held onto the cell door to
keep her steady, the thought of collapsing was not appealing to her. Slowly, she headed off back to bed and curled up, kicking the blankets off her since she was already too warm.

She managed to get some sleep throughout the night, but when she woke up, someone was coughing non-stop. Isabella was pretty sure she could hear Hershel calling the man who was coughing Henry. Glenn and Sasha had usually helped with the other people, since they could stay calm under pressure.

"Glenn..." Isabella mumbled, but it barely came out audible after the whole night of spluttering and wheezing.

Glenn walked past with Hershel. His eyes were puffy and red, his hair was completely soaked in sweat and he just didn't look like the Glenn she had joked with a day prior. Another one of the men had died in the night and they were taking him out. "Just a second, Bells."

Isabella climbed out of bed, stumbling as she passed Lizzie and walking up the stairs to where Sasha was. "Are you okay?" She asked as she looked at the woman, who was in the same state as Glenn.

Sasha nodded and gave Isabella a weak smile. "Mhm. I'm okay, sweetie. How're you doing?" She asked, a concerned look in her eyes. Isabella couldn't see herself, but she imagined from the look on Sasha's face that she looked awfully similar to Glenn and Sasha.

Isabella nodded and looked at the man on the floor, who Sasha was supplying air to through a plastic tube. "Is he gonna die?" She whispered.

Sasha looked down. "I don't know. We really need those meds."

Isabella nodded and coughed, covering her mouth with her sleeve. "Daryl will be back soon. And your brother, they'll be okay."

Later, Glenn had taken over for helping Henry and Isabella stood by him, keeping him company.

"Thank you." Hershel said as he stood at the cell door.

Glenn smiled weakly. "You're welcome."

Hershel nodded and walked away, leaving the two whilst he helped other people.