𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐒 | 𝐭𝐰𝐝 ²

28.

Daryl stepped forward a bit. “Yer not dyin’ on me or that little girl, ya understand?”

Nicole scoffed before bursting into a fit of harsh coughs. “Daryl, if I don’t make it out of this-”

“Ya are gonna make it out of this; I’m getting them meds, and yer gonna be just fine.” Daryl wasn’t having any of Nicole’s pessimism.

“If,” she stated harshly, turning around to face him. He noticed the blood streak beside her eye. “If I die in there, promise me that you’ll take care of my little girl.”

“I ain’t promising anything because yer-”

“Daryl!” she cried out. “Please.”

“I promise, Nik,” he muttered just loud enough for her to hear.

Nicole tried to smile. “Thank you,” she whispered, brushing back a strand of her hair. “Now, go get that medicine. You can’t waste any more time.” Daryl nodded. Their eyes lingered on one another, taking in every last detail before he turned around to start walking. “Daryl,” Nicole called out. She could see his silhouette halt in the shadows. “Come back to me.”

Daryl let out a watery sigh before marching out of A-Block. Nicole stood in the silence for a moment, taking deep breaths to calm her tormented heart before she swung open that damning door. Nicole’s ears were flooded with the dying coughs of the other survivors; it terrified her knowing that she was going to sound like that soon too.

The tired woman slipped in through the door, swallowing to try and ease her bone dry throat. Her hand settled on her knife, gripping the handle out of habit. It was dangerously dark - the only light that dared to enter that living hell was the small windows at the top of the walls. It was just enough to see the bloodstains that plagued the grey concrete floor. Nicole moved aimlessly through the cells, searching for an empty one, so she could lay down. She made her way up the stairs, seeing Hershel leaning down next to Glenn, forcing him to drink.

“Why am I not surprised you’re here?” Nicole rasped as she got closer. Both of the men stared over at her with wide eyes.

“You got it.” Hershel’s eyes dimmed slightly as Glenn finished whatever it was that he was being forced to drink. “And before you lecture me, I know what I’m risking.”

Nicole held her hands up. “I wasn’t going to,” she stated, trying to act as Nicole as she could. “I know how stubborn you are, old man. Plus, I couldn’t let Peach here go and party without me.”

Glenn let out a laugh that burst into a cough. “Don’t make me laugh,” he groaned, leaning back into the iron bars behind him.  Hershel turned to the sick woman, extending a cup to her. “You better drink it,” he rasped out. “He’ll hold you down otherwise.”

Nicole shook her head, offering the Asian a smile before drinking what Hershel gave her. Just as Nicole was about to continue, tiny arms flung themselves around her waist, causing her to turn around. “Nicole,” Arabella’s sweet voice muttered as the woman wrapped her arms around her petite frame.

“Hey, honey,” she whispered, lowering herself to the ground next to her. “You doing okay?” Nicole whispered, and the little girl shook her head in the crook of her neck.

“I’m scared,” Arabella whispered so quietly that Nicole could barely hear her. The woman sighed, stroking the little girl’s blonde hair in an attempt to comfort her. “I don’t want to die.”

Nicole peeled the girl from her arms, reaching up to brush a sweaty strand of hair from her forehead. “You’re not going to die, hun,” Nicole reassured, wiping away a tiny tear that slipped from her hazel eyes. “C’mon, let’s go lay you down.”

The pair trailed into Arabella’s cell. Nicole could see the blood on her sheets and the floor from her coughs and vomit; she was dealing with this all on her own. “Has Zach come to visit you?” Nicole asked as she tucked the little girl into her sweaty bed.

Arabella turned her head away from Nicole to cough violently, allowing more blood to splatter against the wall. “He’s tried,” she rasped as she turned around with blood slipping out of her mouth, nose, and eyes. Nicole’s heart hurt at the sight; her shaky hand reached over to the rag on the ground. She grabbed it and tried her best to wipe away the blood from her face. “I didn’t want him to see me like this.”

Nicole gave her a small smile. “You’re a good sister, Arabella,” the older woman told her as she finished wiping everything away. Arabella tried her best to smile at her as Nicole glanced over to the two books that the young girl had sitting on the floor. She picked them up, scanning over the covers. “Lord of the Flies and The Great Gatsby. Nice choices.”

Arabella gave a chuckle, which turned into another coughing fit. “Sasha told me that Zach brought them for me.”

“Well, Zach definitely has better taste than I thought he did,” Nicole said playfully. “Want me to read one?” Arabella nodded, pointing to The Great Gatsby. Nicole knew that doing this was going to hurt her throat more than it already was, but she wanted to do anything she could for the little girl. Placing the other book down, Nicole grabbed the small stool at the side of the room and brought it closer to the bed. She settled in and flipped open the book, clearing her dry throat to try and prevent a cough from working its way up her windpipe. And so, she began:

“In my younger and more vulnerable years…”

_____

hi guys, been a lil bit. i've had these chapters written for a while but just never posted them. please keep in mind that they are NOT edited, and tbh, i do not like how i wrote these next few chapters.

i am planning to rewrite these soon, but until then, i figured i should give clarity to at least this part of nicole's storyline after almost 3 years. so, i hope you enjoy <3