infection | D. Dixon

chapter thirty-four

too far gone

I fought weakly against the tube being forced into my throat. Being incubated meant I was dying, and I didn't want to accept the fact that I was dying without having lived.

"Calm down, Reaper!" Hershel yelled, I didn't want to. I didn't want to have to calm down. Glenn opened my jaw and they forced my head back. Sasha forced my arms to the ground, I felt the tube enter my mouth and oxygen being pumped into my tired lungs. I stopped fighting, stopped having to breathe on my own. The fact that breathing was a chore alone, meant I didn't have much time left.

My eyes grew heavy, like there were weights on my eyelashes. I blinked against the light, this wasn't it. They could stop pumping my breath at any time, then I would be dead without fighting. I started to resist the tube, fighting to breathe on my own, but ended up passing out before I could get it out.

I smiled up at Daryl from the bottom of the guard tower. His squinted against the summer light, looking down at me. I was fresh back from a three-day run, I hadn't gotten a chance to say goodbye because we were fighting.

He ran down the stairs and opened the door where he stopped, unsure if he should run for me or not.

I chuckled and ran towards him, wrapping my arms around his neck while his arms wrapped around my waist and my feet lifted from the ground.

"You're okay?" He breathed against my neck, his cans coming up to curl into my hair at the back of my neck.

I nodded, "Am now." I said. I pressed my face into the crook of his neck, "there were a lot of departed out there." I said quietly.

He pulled me back to arm's length, "what happened?" He asked quietly.

I sighed, "same as always," I said.

There was a laugh from behind us, an evil, sadistic laugh. "So, you're back." Miguel said.

I turned around, the sun going behind the clouds as thunder began to rumble over the distance. "Why are you still here!?" I yelled over the roar.

He laughed and loaded his gun, "Because you haven't killed me yet." he said.

I sighed, "I always meant to, but I'm not like you! I can't do that to you." I said loudly. I sounded like I was begging myself to kill him.

Miguel laughed and raised his gun, not at me, but to my sister. "You always meant to." He said.

He shot her, I watched as she fell to the ground, I went to run forward but my legs were stuck to the ground under my feet. "no!" I yelled. I threw my knife at him, landing directly in the chest.

"Reaper?" Daryl called. I turned around as it started to rain.

"Daryl?" I whispered.

"Murderer." He yelled. Everyone in the prison walked towards me, "murderer!" They called, "murderer!"

I dropped to my knees, and Miguel took a bite from my neck. I screamed out in pain, but there was no sound.

I felt my body go weak, as finally, the blood filled my lungs so I couldn't breathe. All the blood was draining from my body, I felt my brain go quiet, and my eyes close, and finally I was--

"Reaper!" Hershel yelled. "Reaper stop playing around! Breathe!" Hershel yelled.

Something pounded against my chest, "Hershel stop!" I coughed. "I'm awake." I said. "This is the second time you woke me up god dammit!" I slurred. The blood was dripping from the side of my lips, "how long was I not breathing?" I asked.