Destruction ||| Glenn Rhee x Reader (TWD X Reader)

Chapter 61) Sickness

"It's Patrick..."

They split up and check all the cells, making sure to put down any bodies before they turn. Upstairs, Hershel and Dr. S enter a cell.

"No bites. No wounds. I think he just died." Rick says.

Dr. S nods. "Horribly too. Pleurisy aspiration.

"Choked to death on his own blood. Caused those trails down his face." Hershel says.

"I've seen them before. On a walker outside the fences." Rick says.

Y/N sighs. "On Patrick too."

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

Bob crosses his arms. "It's a sickness from the walkers?"

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

"Someone locked him in just in time." Hershel says, pointing to the dead boy before them.

Daryl shakes his head. "No, man. Charlie used to sleepwalk. Locked himself in. Hell, he was just eating barbecue yesterday. How could somebody die in a day just from a cold?"

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

"Pigs and birds. That's how these things spread in the past. We need to do something about those hogs. Maybe we got lucky. Maybe these two cases are it." Hershel says.

Y/N shakes her head. "Haven't seen anybody be lucky in a long time."

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

"All of us in here. We've all been exposed." Hershel says.
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The council sits around at a small table in the library.

Y/N shakes her head. "Patrick was fine yesterday, and he died overnight. Two people died that quick?" She sighs. "We'll have to separate everyone that's been exposed."

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

Hershel interlocks his fingers and rest them on the table. "We know that this sickness can be lethal. We don't know how easily it spreads. Is anyone else showing symptoms that we know of?"

Carol sits up in her chair. "We can't just wait and see. And there's children. It isn't just the illness. If people die, they become a threat."

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

"We could use cell block A?" Sasha offers.

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

"It's clean. That's an upgrade. Think that'll work for Dr. S?" Daryl asks Hershel.

"I'll help Caleb get it set up."

Suddenly coughing is heard from the hallway. They all stand and exit to find Tyreese walking with Karen.

Carol eyes her. "You okay? You don't sound too good."

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

Hershel rests his hands on his hips. "Tyreese, I don't think that's a good idea."

Karen tilts her head. "Why? What's going on now?"

"We think it's a flu or something. That's how Patrick died." Y/N says.

Hershel walks closer to them. "Judith was in that cell block. She's vulnerable. Anyone that may be sick or even exposed should stay away."

Tyreese squeezes Karen's hand. "She's gonna be okay. 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. We'll have Caleb take a look at you. I'll see what we have in the way of medications." Hershel says.

Karen nods. "David, from the Decatur group. He's been coughing too."

"I'll get him. There's some empty clean cells in the tombs, right?" Glenn asks Y/N. She nods. "Yeah we'll meet you there."

Hershel looks at them carefully. "Y'all wear gloves and a mask. We need to be safe. Just in case."

She nods and follows after Glenn.
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