Tomorrow Will Come

Seventeen

When Mary finally came to consciousness, she immediately screamed from the pain, her whole body shaking as Aaron carried her.
"We got you, baby," Michonne soothed, the group halting, "we're gonna get to Hilltop, and your Uncle Sid is there, and Enid. They'll fix you right up."
"My left chest pocket." Mary rasped,  and Michonne looked at her in confusion, but Aaron lowered her to the floor, propping her head up slightly on his knee.
"We can't stop," Eugene hissed, "they're on our tails!"
"No, no they're not. We got time. And it's better to have a look at it now." Yumiko snapped.
"Don't... Take the knife out. It's keepin' blood in at the moment." Mary breathed, and Michonne nodded, realising it was safer to take it out when they could control the bleeding. "Pocket." Mary breathed again, and Michonne put her hand in Mary's pocket, pulling out the contents; a blister packet of some tablets, a tatty photograph, Glenn's pocket watch, a spare toddler hair band that was once Mary's, and some boiled sweets.
"What is it, baby?" Michonne soothed, stroking Mary's forehead, and Mary's hand grasped at the tablets.
"Two. They're strong. Pain." Mary mumbled, and Michonne nodded as Daryl passed a bottle over, letting Mary swallow them. "I'm scared. I think I'm gonna die."
"Don't even think that." Michonne whispered, kissing Mary's cheek, and ignoring the steady trickle of blood coming from the girls wound. "Okay, Aaron, Daryl, come ahead with me. Jesus, you fucking stay with my girl. Don't you dare let her get hurt, or I'll kill you myself. We gonna get the horses, bring them here. I don't know how much further she can go." Michonne ordered.
"Love." Mary croaked, and Michonne nodded, putting Mary's small things back into her pocket and squeezing her hand, then getting up to go, tears and fear in the woman's eyes. Aaron blew her a kiss, as Daryl could barely look at her - he was petrified he could lose her. He couldn't lose Rick's little girl.
When the trio had gone running ahead for the horses, Jesus lifted Mary into his arms, the girl already drifting back into unconsciousness.
"I'm gonna die." Mary mumbled, her face screwed up in pain.
"No. No, you're not."
"I need rest. I... This runnin'. Killin' me quicker than the knife. Gotta stop."
"No," Jesus soothed, "no, you're gonna be fine. I promise. We just need to get you to Hilltop."
"No," Yumiko said suddenly, "she's right."
"Uncle Jay. You can listen to reason. Stop. Please," Mary wheezed, "I think I'm gonna die. My lung might be... Punctured. Infection's gonna set in. I... I'm gonna slow you down."
"Stop that, silly," Jesus whispered sadly, still running, "I got you. Got you safe. You're not dying."
"Uncle Jesus. Please. This running is... Hurting. Too... T-too much. Makin' worse. Mom 'n' Uncle... 'Ron, and Dar- they won't let you. Leave me. Somewhere safe. That... Cave jus' there. Come back for me. Tom'row. Uncle Jay. Please. I can't..."
"I... I can't leave you alone. I love you too much. And it's too dangerous."
"Give her me. I'll stay." Magna said suddenly, surprising everyone.
"If I die, she can make it back. And bring my body home. Next to Carl." Mary breathed, exhaling slowly, and not taking a breath for a while.
"I've got her. I'll keep her safe. With my life. Keep running. I've got her. Don't tell Michonne. She won't let her stay. She needs rest, she's right. She can't keep it up like this. She'll die on the way home. She's gonna die on the way home if she keeps going like this. Let me stop with her. I'll fix her up. Stitch and cauterise the wound. Jesus, she can't make it back in this state. She's right."
Jesus stopped in his steps, turning back and seeing that Michonne, Aaron, and Daryl were completely out of eyeshot, then he sighed. He hated the idea. He didn't want to leave her, at all. But Mary and Magna were right.
"She better not die," Jesus hissed to Magna, a tear falling down his cheek and onto Mary's head, "and no matter what, you don't leave her. Ever. No matter what."
Magna nodded, and took Mary into her arms, grateful the teenager was as light as a ten year old. "Miko, I'll be back by tomorrow. I promise."
"You stay safe." Yumiko whispered, putting her forehead to Magna's, and Magna nodded, pecking the girl on her lips, and then she ran. She ran, and got Mary, now passed out, to the safety of a cave. And then waited it out until morning.

"Mag?" Mary rasped as she woke up hours later, seeing a pale woman with light brown hair.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm here, kiddo." Magna soothed, as Mary lifted an arm to touch her face.
"Maggie. You came back," the girl sobbed, "you came back."
"It's Magna, honey. My names Magna."
"Not Maggie?" Mary whimpered, and Magna shook her head. "My... It hurts."
Magna nodded slowly, trying to get the image from a few hours ago out of her head; how she held a mostly delirious Mary down as she removed the knife, then stitched and cauterised the wound.
"You've lost a lot of blood. Still are." Magna explained gently, and Mary nodded, understanding why she felt so dizzy, so sick, so disoriented. "It was the right call. For us to stop. And they're gonna come back for us any time now. Have some water."
"I think I'm gonna die." Mary mumbled, and Magna scoffed.
"Nah, kiddo. You would've died if I hadn't saved your ass. You're not allowed to die now. I've worked my ass off to sort that mess out."
"It's gonna get an infection." Mary murmured, panicking slightly.
"Hey. Hey, don't you worry about that, okay? 'Cos they're gonna come back with a cart, pick us up, and you can nap all the way to Hilltop, and when you wake up, you'll have antibiotics. It's okay." Magna soothed.
"We'll be home when I wake up?"
"Yeah," Magna whispered, not even convincing herself, "we'll be home. And you'll be just fine."
"I'm really scared, Magna. I'm so scared."
"Me too." Magna breathed, stroking Mary's hair off her face, freezing when she felt the girls warmish forehead; any sign of infection could be life threatening.
"I feel so bad." Mary sobbed suddenly, and Magna exhaled shakily, then laid down in the cave floor next to her, and held her until she fell asleep.

"Wake the fuck up." A voice hissed from the cave opening, jostling Magna awake. The woman scrambled into a sitting position, panic flashing across her eyes as she looked at a woman she didn't know.
"Did... Are you from Hilltop? Did they send you?" Magna asked unsurely, her voice tripping.
"Yer from that group? With the samurai, the two men with long hair, the man without an arm, and the Asian woman?" The woman asked, her voice southern and nonchalant yet menacing.
"No." Magna lied, sending danger, malice, but this just angered the woman.
"We know you fucking are. How many couples are there hiding in a cave, with a half dead kid? Get the fuck out. They took my daughter. So we're taking you."
"You'll have to kill us first. Because we're not going with you." Magna hissed, holding her knife tightly.
"I forgot the part where I say that you don't have a choice." The woman snapped, as a dozen others appeared at her side. "I'm gettin' my daughter back. And you're gonna do it for me. So come on. Now!"