waiting for the light that never comes »» #wattys2018

8

HELP

Carl raced into the cell block and looked through the window trying to find Karen.

"KAREN! KAREN!"

Carl saw Karen exit a cell and wanted to break down when he saw how terrible she looked. She was so unrecognisable. She looked so tired, so sick.

"Karen, what happened?"

"I must have—*coughs*—got exposed when I came in here earlier." She stated weakly as she coughed violently.

"Karen, you're going to get better. Okay? I promise." Carl said as Karen sighed, too weak to even argue before she met his bright blue eyes.

"Carl...I...I don't know how long I go—"

"DON'T SAY THAT, KAREN!" He yelled as he banged on the glass, causing Karen to flinch visibly. Carl panted heavily before tears began to run down his cheeks.

"Carl..."

"I got to go." He stated quickly before leaving; Karen watched and immediately felt gulit consume her heart. She now hates herself for even thinking like that.

It hurts her more than him just thinking about it. Karen coughed more before she went back into her cell; closing it before sitting on her bunk, looking at her locket.

The picture of her sister and herself in the necklace made her begin to sob quietly. As much as she wanted to see her sister again, she didn't expect it to end like this.

From a sickness.

Karen was too exhausted to have an full blown conversation with herself, so she stirred in her bed and finally fell asleep after a few attempts to find a comfortable spot.

~

"Hey, Karen." Karen opened her eyes, thinking it was Carl with the bright blue eyes. Instead it was Rick.

He had a bandana over his face and gloves on himself. Smart thinking, Rick, she thought to herself.

Karen tried to sit up, but Rick pushed her back down.

"You're too weak right now, Karen. You need to lie down now." He said as Karen weakly whined. She wanted so badly for this sickness to be out of her. It sucks.

She sighed audibly before she spoke weakly.

"How's Carl?"

"A little upset from what happened yesterday but he'll be okay. He just wants to know if you're okay." Rick stated as Karen looked away. Rick pushed the few hairs out of herface before putting a warm rag on her forehead.

"Rick...I..."

"Don't speak. You'll only worsen the sickness. Just lie down and relax. Daryl, Bob, Carl, and I are about to head out and get some meds. You'll be fine." Rick explained as Karen nodded tiredly before she stirred in her bed and instantly fell asleep.

~

The sound of screams woke Karen from her sleep and she saw a lot of blood. She slowly rose from her bunk and walked to the cell to get a better look and all she saw was walkers biting at sick people.

Karen brought a hand to her mouth as she saw this before hiding behind a bunk. A walker went by and looked into her cell. She closed her eyes as she whimpered softly and then screamed when the walker banged onto the door.

"HERSHEL! HERSHEL!" Karen screamed as she collapsed on the floor, coughing uncontrollably. More walkers began to come at her cell and it was putting too much pressure on the cell door that it was beginning to slide open. Karen covered her ears and hid her face in knees; too scared to even look up.

"Nononono! HERSHEL!" Out of nowhere, a gunshot was sounded and a walker went down, then next and the rest after that.

Karen sobbed quietly and whimpered as she looked up to see the walkers down and Hershel standing at her cell with a shot gun in his hand.

"Stay in here. Wait until Rick gets the med." Hershel said before taking off. Karen sighed before she sat down. She grabbed a pistol from under the bunk, sliently thanking the lord for looking out for her.

She loaded it before sitting quietly. Listening as she heard Hershel's gun shots going off.

~

"Karen!" Sasha weakly shouted as she stumbled towards Karen who was now passed out on the ground.

"No. Not now. Please." Sasha pleaded as she held Karen's limp hand. She shook her head in disbelief, tears erupting from her eyes before she picked the girl's body up and laid her on the bunk.

"Please. Just hang in there. Rick's on his way."

~

"Karen!" Carl shouted as he entered the cell with a rag around his mouth and gloves on his hands. He knelt down next to the bottom bunk and began shedding tears as he saw her lying there, not moving.

He gave Hershel the medicine and Hershel began to work with the cure. Carl watched anxiously, grabbing Karen hand and squeezing it in comfort.

He need her to be alive. He didn't know where he'd be without her. Hell, even Judith would need her. They get along just as well as with anybody.

Carl caressed the back of her hand slowly; praying that she would make it through this.

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