Cupid's Arrow | Daryl Dixon

𝚎𝚙𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚍𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚢-𝚝𝚠𝚘 - 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚍

"They're from the internal lung pressure building up." The doctor said. "Like if you shake a soda can and pop the top. Only imagine your eyes, ears, nose, and throat are the top."

"God." Madelyn said as she covered her mouth. Poor Patrick suffered badly.

"It's a sickness from the walkers?" Bob asked.

"No, these things happened before they were around." The doctor said. "Could be pneumococcal. Most likely an aggressive flu strain."

"Someone locked him in just in time." Hershel said.

"Nah, man. Charlie used to sleep walk. Locked himself in." Daryl said. "Hell, he was just eating barbecue yesterday. How could somebody die in a day just from a cold?"

"I had a sick pig, died quick." Rick said. "Saw a sick boar in the woods."

"Pigs and birds, that's how these things spread in the past." Hershel said. "We need to do something about those hogs."

"Maybe we got lucky. Maybe these two cases are it." The doctor said.

"Since when does luck exist nowadays?" Madelyn asked.

"Bugs like to run through close quarters." Bob said. "Doesn't get any closer than this."

"All of us in here, we've all been exposed." Hershel said.

🧟‍♀️ 🧟🧟‍♀️ 🧟

The council decided they needed to have a meeting to discuss what to do about this new flu that was going around. The council mostly consisted of the group members that had been in Rick's group from the start, like Daryl, Madelyn, Carol, Glenn, Hershel as well as new comer Sasha.

"Patrick was fine yesterday, and he died overnight." Carol said. "Two people died that quick?"

"We're going to have to separate everyone that's been exposed." Madelyn said.

"That's everyone in that cell block." Daryl said. "That's all of us. Maybe more."

"We know that this sickness can be lethal." Hershel said as Madelyn felt her throat starting to hurt a little. "We don't know how easily it spreads. Is anyone else showing symptoms that we know of?"

"We can't just wait and see, there's children." Carol said. "It isn't just the illness, people die, they become a threat."

"We need a place for them to go." Hershel said. "They can't stay in D. We can't risk going in there to clean it up."

"We can use cell block A?" Carol suggested.

"Death row?" Glenn asked. "Not sure that's much of an upgrade."

"It's clean, that's an upgrade." Daryl said. "Think that'll work for Dr S?"

"I'll help Caleb get it set up." Hershel said as the group heard coughing coming from outside. They all quickly got up and went to check it out. Karen was with Tyreese and she was coughing.

"You don't sound so good." Carol said.

"We're just taking her back to my cell so she can rest." Tyreese said.

"Tyreese, I don't think that's a good idea." Hershel said as Madelyn felt her throat getting scratchy.

"Why, what's going on now?" Karen asked.

"We think it's a flu or something." Glenn said. "That's how Patrick died."

"Judith is in that cell block. She's vulnerable." Hershel said. "Anyone that may be sick, or even exposed, should stay away."

"It killed Patrick?" Karen asked.

"She's going to be okay." Tyreese said. "Now that we know what Patrick died from, we can treat it, right?"

"Don't panic. We're going to figure this out, but we should keep you separated in the meantime." Hershel said. "We'll have Caleb take a look at you. I'll see what we have in the way of medications."

"David from the Decatur group, he's been coughing too." Karen said.

"I'll get him. There's some empty clean cells in the tombs, right?" Glenn asked.

"Yeah, we'll meet you there." Sasha said before Glenn left. Madelyn couldn't hold it in anymore. She began coughing, alarming everyone, including Daryl.

"Maddie?" Daryl asked, holding onto Madelyn as she kept coughing.

"She needs to go down to cell block A with Karen. Madelyn's been exposed." Hershel said in concern. To say Madelyn was scared was an understatement. She knew she had caught this life threatening flu and there may not be a cure.

"Ain't no way my girl is going down there." Daryl said.

"Daryl, it's-" Madelyn said before coughing again. "I'll be fine. I'll be fine."

"No, Maddie." Daryl said, extremely worried. He couldn't lose Madelyn like this. They were in a good place. They loved each other. They needed each other.

"Come on, let's get you both down there." Sasha said, leading Madelyn and Karen away.

"I'm gonna find a cure for you, Maddie." Daryl called out.

"I'm counting on it." Madelyn said.