Somebody is shaking me awake and the first thing I do after I wake, I cough. There weren't blood coming out, thank God, but my lungs still feels like it's on fire.
"Lizzie?" I asked once I was done. I remember her coming here yesterday, sadly she also got the flu like I did.
"Carol's downstairs." She tells me and I sit up. "She wants to talk to you."
I nod my head before standing up. Lightheaded, that's what I also feel, but I keep going. I went down the steps and saw my mom behind the glass.
She smiled when she saw me. "Hey, I'm going on a run with Rick."
"Well, be careful." I tell her, throat hoarse. "How's everyone out there?"
"Maggie's on watch. Carl, Beth, and everyone else is on quarantine. Daryl and the others still aren't back." She tells me and I nod. I already know that Carl isn't happy about being in quarantine.
"When are you leaving?" I asked, hugging myself.
"About now." She tells me and I nod again. "Just wanted to see you before I go. How you doing?"
I cough, covering my mouth. "Still the same."
"You're gonna fine, okay?" My mom reassures and I just nod, not knowing what to believe. "Alright, I'll get going now."
"Be safe." My mom leaves and I watch her walk away. There's this feeling in my gut that's telling me something, but I don't understand it. It's like it's saying I shouldn't have let my mom leave, but maybe it's just the sickness talking.
When I turn around, Hershel was at the top cells. "Hey." I call to his attention.
I went up the steps when Hershel told me to come there. He then hands me a cup with liquid inside. "It's elderberries. Drink it."
I took a sip from the cup and finished it off, before giving it to Hershel. "Has Lizzie drank this?"
The old man shakes his head. "She hasn't, do you mind giving her some?"
I grab the cup from Hershel and went to my cell, where Lizzie was in. She was holding a flashlight while reading the book that Michonne gave me the other day. It was a Harry Potter book, the first one, I would've asked Patrick to go all nerd on me about Harry Potter, but...
"Hey." I call to her attention, sitting beside her. "Drink some of this. It'll make you feel better."
Lizzie grabs the cup from my hands and takes a sip, before scrunching up her nose. "Is that tea?"
"Yeah, you don't like?" She shakes her head. I'm not a fan of tea, too but elderberry tea kind of tastes good.
"Can you tell me what this book is about?" Lizzie asked me, referring to the Harry Potter book. I nodded, and started telling her what it's about.
— later
"Farren?" Lizzie and I both turn to Hershel, who's standing by the gate of our cell. "Rick's downstairst, he needs to say something to you."
I nod before standing up. "Is my mom with him?"
He shook his head. "Just go talk to him."
Confused, I got out of the cell and down the steps. When I got to the room, there was a dead body but I didn't pay attention to that.
"Hey," I said, grabbing Rick's attention. "How's my mom?"
Rick pinches the bridge of his nose. "About that..."
My heart started beating fast. "I-Is she..?"
"She's alive. She's alright." Rick tells me and I breathe out a sigh of relief. "I sent your mom away."
My eyes widen when I heard that. "What? Why would you do that?"
"She killed Karen and David."
Rick tells me and I took a step back. That's why I haven't seen Karen nor David anywhere in here, but... why would my mom do that? That can't be true.
"Why?" I question with tears in my eyes. Rick looks at me with sympathy and I had to look away. I don't need pity.
"She thought it would stop the flu from spreading."
But it didn't. She took two lives of people for a false hope. But still... that's my mom. I understand why she did it.
"I didn't even get to say goodbye." I state, my voice cracking at the end. "D-Did she know you were gonna send her out?"
"I think she saw it coming." Rick tells me. "I'm sorry. But you have to understand..."
With a sigh, the tears fell onto my cheeks and I looked down. "I-I..."
I turned around from Rick without another word and ran up to my cell, ignoring everyone as I plop down the mattress and cried onto my pillow.
— later
I don't talk to anybody as I help Hershel check on the people. I closed the gate of a lady's cell and moved onto the next. I can hear Hershel talking to somebody but I don't really remember everyone's name.
The information that Rick gave me earlier has sunk in. I'm angry that my mom's gone, but I understand why Rick thought it was best to send her away. She killed two people. Karen and David, both nice people, whose lives didn't have to end that quick. It wasn't my mom's call to end their lives, but I understand why she did what she did.
"Hershel!" Lizzie's voice from above startles me and I jumped when a walker comes out from a cell.
I look for my switchblade as the walker gets on top of Hershel. Once I found it, I saw a woman step on the walker's back, breaking its spine. I helped Hershel get up.
A man comes out of a cell with a gun, aiming it at the walker, but another walker comes out from the cell he was in and bites onto his nape. His gun went off, hitting the woman beside me, making me scream for a second.
He falls to the ground as I help Hershel stand up, the man's gun went off again as the walker takes another bite from the back of his neck.
"Go get Lizzie!" I tell Hershel before running towards the walker and stabbing it in the head.
"Let me be with my son." The man said and took his last breath after that.
I gulped down and gripped the knife in my hands. "I'm sorry." I tell him before driving my knife into his head.
I grabbed his gun once it was done and turned to the other walker, whose back is broken. I drive my knife into its skull, pulling it back. I heard Lizzie's scream and I immediately went upstairs, and when I do, I saw Hershel forcefully toss walker Henry over the railings.
I heard wheezing coming from my left and my eyes widen when I saw Glenn on the floor. I immediately crouched down.
"Glenn, please hold on." I tell him desperately before looking up. "Hershel! Hershel, Glenn needs help!"
The man comes and checks on Glenn, checking his pulse before standing up. There's some blood coming out of the latter's mouth.
"Keep him on his side." Hershel tells me before he starts walking away.
"Where are you going?" I said before coughing.
"I need to get something first. Just keep him on his side!" Hershel walks away and I do what he told me.
Glenn keeps wheezing, gasping for air and I don't know what to do, but just keep him still on his side. I feel so useless.
"Just hold on, Glenn." I mutter to him before coughing again. I can feel the metallic taste in my mouth but it's not a lot.
Later, Maggie comes rushing to us and she took over Glenn as I stand up, leaning against the wall and feeling lightheaded once again. Hershel soon comes back with the airbag and a tube, before he puts the tube inside Glenn's throat and connects it with the bag, giving him air. I breathe out in relief when Glenn's breathing starts to even out.
"Is it over?" Lizzie asked when she appeared in this cell. I nod my head at her.
"Farren, take Lizzie back your cell. You two get some rest." Hershel tells me and I nod before leaving the cell.
Lizzie and I walk side by side but with every step I take, I keep feeling dizzier. I felt my knees give up before my body collapse, my eyes rolling to the back of my head as I lose consciousness.