Long Lost (A Carl Grimes/Walking Dead Fan fiction)

Chapter 19

Alex's POV

Carl and I sat in peaceful silence on the way back to the prison. I had my head on his shoulder and our fingers were intertwined together. I felt bad for Carl. He had been through so much in so little time! I probably don't even know half of it! But I don't ask him. He has said so much already.

Once we get back to the prison, we all pile out, emotionally drained from our journey. All of a sudden, a bigger man comes and knocks Rick and Daryl to the ground.

"Whoa Tyreese. What's up man?" Rick says pushing The man off of him. The man just looks at Rick and Daryl, anger and sadness flashing through his features. He breathes heavily as he stares the two men down.

"My girlfriend Karen, she had a disease. It looked deadly but I believed that she could get better. But when I went to check on her, there was a trail of blood going outside. I followed it, and came across two burnt bodies. One of those bodies, was Karen's." He says. I gasp loudly and cover my mouth with my hand.

"Well lets go check it out." Rick says, walking to cell block B. Once we enter, I hear the soft moans of walkers. I pull my gun and start walking. All the cells were closed, and there were no walkers in sight! As I walk past a cell of a previously sick member, two arms fly out and try to grab me. I back up quickly and study the walker. I gasp in surprise.

"Carl! It's Jeremy! One of the Woodbury refugees!" I say. His features grow dim and he takes out his knife to kill the walker. He stabs it through the bars as we go outside to the burnt bodies. My hands fly to my nose as the foul stench invades my senses. It smells of death and burnt flesh.

"What kind of monster would do something like this?!" I exclaim as tears leak out of my eyes. Carl pulls me in and I hug him tightly. He softly strokes my hair as I bury my face into his chest.

I don't get it! Jeremy wasn't dead, or bitten. He was only sick...

My head snaps up quickly. The virus spreads through the air

"What? What is it?" Carl asks frantically.

"The- the virus! It spreads through the air! We need to block off the sick from the healthy! Carl! Don't you see it? Jeremy wasn't bitten! He didn't just die! He was sick!"

"It makes sense." Rick muses from behind me. "Carl, Alex, and Daryl. Go gather up all the sick and put them in one of the empty cell blocks. Don't let anyone in there if they're healthy. Unless they are wearing medical masks."

I nod quickly and run into the prison grabbing a dazed Carl on the way.

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"Ok. This is the last cell block we will check." Daryl says as we stare up at the black words on the wall.

Cell Block C

"Home sweet home." I say sarcastically before pushing the door open. The second I step in the door, I feel a small body attack my legs in a hug. I look down to find Joseph clinging to my legs.

"You're back! I missed you!" He squeals. I giggle and ruffle his hair.

"Yeah buddy I'm back!" I say. "But I have to go do some things real quick, OK?"

He nods his head fast, curls bouncing. I giggle again and walk further into the cell block.

Carl and I check in on everyone before heading to Jake and Vanessa's cell. I cross my fingers, hoping that they are both safe and healthy.

My blood runs cold when I hear coughing coming from the cell that we are approaching. I speed up my pace.

My heart drops at the scene before me. Tears stream down my face as I fall to my knees. Carl picks me up to my feet and hugs me tightly.

Vanessa is sitting on the bed coughing up blood as Jake rubs her back soothingly. I can't bear to tell Jake the news that breaks my own heart. It'll shatter the poor boy's heart.

Vanessa has the virus. She is going to die.