Jinx || Daryl Dixon || The Walking Dead Fanfic

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JINX

She was jerked from sleep abruptly by the sound of a gunshot. She rolled over and coughed, blood hitting the floor. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and pushed herself up, dragging her aching body over to the cell door that someone, she assumed Hershel, had closed while she was sleeping. She held onto the bars, swaying for a second before pulling it open.

She pulled one of the knives from her belt and held it so tightly her knuckles turned white. There were walkers in the cell block, people who'd passed and turned quickly. She pulled one back from where it was killing the man who had shot the gun and put the knife through base of it's neck, then repeating the action as a mercy killing for the man on the ground.

Hershel had managed to stop the walker that had attacked him and he turned and ran up the stairs as they heard Lizzie scream and saw Henry attacking her, thankfully the intubation tube kept him from being able to bite. She saw Hershel throw him over the railing and help the girl up, but Jinx quickly spun around as she heard more growling behind her. More people had turned and she pushed through the pain that made every joint in her body throb to shove another woman out the way and take out the next walker.

She saw Maggie at the door yelling to be let in, a gun in her hand, but Jinx shook her head, they couldn't risk her getting sick too, they could handle this. She turned away continuing to fight and when she glanced back the other girl was gone.

She heard a gunshot a short distance away and saw Maggie had found another way in, they both paused, looking up to where Hershel was fighting Henry, Maggie aimed but Hershel shouted out to her, "No! you could hit the bag, we need it for Glenn!"

Maggie kept the gun trained on the walker that had once been Henry and managed to take him out with a single shot. She raced up the stairs to help Glenn as Hershel wrestled the bag from the corpse.

Jinx looked around, they'd taken out all the walkers for now and the adrenaline that had kept her standing quickly dissipated and she fell to her knees. She crawled back toward her cell but collapsed before she could fully make it inside.

___

DARYL

Rick pulled open the gate as they reached it and Tyreese was out of the car before it even stopped moving asking after Sasha. Daryl looked around, seeing that a panel of the fence was down and just Rick and Carl were outside trying to handle it. He turned to Ty "Get in there. We got this." He told the other man as he grabbed his crossbow and jumped out of the car to help Rick.

With Michonne and Carl's help he and Rick were able to get the situation under control enough that he had a chance to turn to the other man and ask about Jinx. Rick looked at the ground as he told him she was in A block, that she was infected. Daryl's heart dropped and Rick nodded, "Go." He told him and he ran towards the main building.

When he made it inside he found her quickly, she was lying on the floor of a cell unconscious and Hershel was just finishing securing an IV to her arm. He nodded at the older man and quickly took his place when he got up to go and help the next person. He sat down on the floor beside Jinx, moving her slightly so her head rested on his thigh, and he pushed her hair back from her face before turning to lift the IV bag from the bed, knowing it would work better if he held it up higher.

As he picked up the bag of fluid he spotted a piece of paper with his name on it lying a short distance away and grabbed that as well. He glanced down at the girl again, she didn't even stir, he flipped the page open and began to read, using his left arm to hold the bag just above his shoulder.

Daryl,

If you're reading this then I guess I didn't make it. I don't know what I'm meant to say, there aren't words for what you mean to me. You remember when I told you I loved you, back when Judith was born? Remember I told you I wouldn't know what it felt like to be in love? I know now.

Look after Shadow for me, she'll remind you every day that you're loved since I won't be here to do that anymore.

I don't want you to blame yourself, I know you will, you carry everything with you, but this is not on you. Don't hold onto this, let me go and find a way to be happy, okay?

I love you Daryl Dixon, despite the end of the world, you make me happier than I ever thought I could be.

Yours always,

Jen

He didn't even realise he was crying until the tear hit the paper in front of him. He roughly shoved the note into his pocket and leant down to listen to her breathe. "No." He whispered, "No, you don't go out like this." There was no response, and he swore, he wanted something he could fight against, something, anything he could do to make this better, but he was helpless against this sickness.

___

JINX

It was just starting to get light when she opened her eyes, her body hurt less, and she didn't immediately feel the need to cough. As her eyes focused she realised her head wasn't resting on the pillow but on Daryl's lap and she smiled weakly, his eyes were closed and one hand over them as he held an IV bag up with the other. "Hi." She attempted to say, but it came out as a croak.

Daryl's eyes flew open, and he nearly dropped the IV bag, she could see the relief on his face as he inhaled sharply looking down at her. He bent down pulling her into him and kissing the top of her head. "You're okay." He whispered. Shakily she raised one hand and pushed him back a little, trying not to cough. She nodded, slowly pulling herself up so she was sitting and turned around to lean against the bed beside him careful not to pull the IV from her arm.

She took the almost empty bag of fluid from him as he hesitated and placed it on the mattress behind them. She leant into him, lifting his arm so he would wrap it around her and rested her head on his shoulder. "Don't do that again. I thought I lost you." He murmured into the top of her head. She took hold of his hand and gave it a squeeze, but quickly remembered the note she'd written and since she wasn't dead, definitely didn't want him to read.

She spun around a little too quickly to look for it and had to pause as she waited for her vision to catch up. Daryl knew immediately what she was looking for and when she obviously couldn't see it, he held it up with a small smile as she felt a flush go over her pale face. "Please tell me you didn't read that?" she attempted to ask, but her voice was barely audible.

"Jen.." he whispered, pulling her back into his arms and pushing her hair back from her face. "I love you." He told her and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I love you." He repeated, this time pressing his lips to hers. As he pulled away she felt her eyes promptly spill over with tears as she held onto him, she had really thought she would never see him again.