Daryl's P.O.V
I sit bolt right up in bed, my breathing heavily laboured. I look around the room and notice that I'm not in the hospital, but in the house beside Cat. I take deep breathes and look at her, listening to the sounds of her snoring. It had been months since I've been able to lay next to her and watch her sleep. She looks extremely calm and peaceful as she lays there.
I lie on my side and prop my head up with my hand, watching her sleep. She is facing me with her hands under her head, her mouth open ajar. Her hair covers her face and I reach forward, moving it out of the way. She stirs slightly underneath my touch, but continues to sleep and I smile at the sight.
At that moment the door bursts open and Cat sits up bolt right. Torches shine in our faces and I block the light with my arm.
"Wha' the hell is goin' on?" I yell.
"Walkers are everywhere." Rick yells.
Cat turns to me and stares in horror, her hand covering her mouth.
"Grab your gear, we need to go." Rick commands, leaving the room.
Cat and I rush out of bed, putting on our shoes and grabbing random things. I pull my bag on my back and grab my crossbow, holding it tightly. Cat pulls on her bag and she hobbles quickly with me out the door.
The hallway is filled with people, yelling at each other and running around. I hear the sound of a window breaking and everyone freezes momentarily.
"Let's go!" Rick yells.
We all rush for the stairs and get to the bottom floor, which slowly becomes filled with walkers. I grab Cat's hand and pull her in the opposite direction of the walkers, with people following close behind. As we round a corner, walkers come out of the dining room in our direction. We all turn to go the opposite way but as Cat and I are about to go through the study, walkers block our path. I look around and see a doorway to the lounge room.
"Come on!" I yell, pulling her with me.
We rush past the walkers converging on us and go through the lounge room. Cat screams out as a walker grabs her arm and I quickly shoot it before it sinks it's flesh into her. She quickly grabs the arrow and we run through the front door onto the porch.
We run onto the lawn towards the cars that are rumbling loudly. Walkers surround the house and slowly make their way towards the car. Cat and I run to Rick's SUV and quickly jump into the back. He slams his foot onto the gas and we speed away from the house.
I look around and see Carl in the front with Judith in his lap, holding into her for dear life. Michonne is beside us on the seat, her katana held firmly in her hands as she watches out the window. Maggie and Glenn are in the back with little Beth in Glenn's arms.
"Did everyone make it out?" Cat asks breathless.
"We don't know." Rick says, eyes locked on the road.
"I tried to help people out, but we got cornered." Glenn says.
"There are two cars behind us, so hopefully everyone's out." Maggie says shakily.
"Wha' happened?" I ask.
"I was on watch with Noah, when we heard a rustling in the woods. A lone walker stepped out but soon a dozen or so came out and we ran immediately to get everyone out." Rick says.
We sit there in silence, trying to catch our breaths. I feel a hand reach out and clutch mine firmly, squeezing tight. I look beside me and see Cat looking out through the windscreen with a blank expression, her hand holding mine. Her other hand is rested on her stomach, stroking it slowly back and forth. I squeeze her hand back and wrap my arm around her waist, settling it on her stomach while gripping her hand in my hand.
"Where do we go now?" Carl asks, looking at his dad.
"I don't know."
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I opened my eyes to see that it is daylight and we are slowing down. I look down and see Cat asleep, curled into my side. I look up and see that we are pulling over.
"Why are we stopping?" I ask.
"Something happened." Michonne says, undoing her seatbelt.
I shake Cat's shoulder and she stirs, burying her face into my chest.
"Cat, wake up. Something happened." I whisper.
Her eyes flicker open and she rubs them, adjusting to the morning light. She sits back and stretches, her shirt lifting up slightly revealing her belly. Everyone opens their doors and we all climb out and walk towards the other cars.
Behind us are Eugene, Rosita, Abraham, Tyresse, Sasha and Carol. In the last car is Noah, Tara, Travis, Hayden and Amelia. We walk towards the last car and see Travis supporting Amelia out of the car, with Hayden on the other side.
"What happened?" Rick asks, walking forward.
"She was bit." Hayden says, with a look of dread.
"Walkers had us cornered and she tried to fight them off." Travis explains.
To my right Cat gasps, a hand covering her mouth. I pull her against my side and let her cry into my chest as we watch on.
"She's really weak and says she doesn't want to go on." Hayden says, looking down at his sister.
"We got to take care of it." Abraham says.
"What just shoot her in the head?" Travis yells.
"It's not like she can stay with us." Noah argues.
"She's my sister!" Hayden shouts.
"I know that, but they're are right. It's too dangerous to bring her with us." Rick reasons.
They continue arguing but my eyes stay focused on Amelia, who looks extremely pale and tired. She glances around the group until her eyes focus on mine. She stares at me for a moment with a pleading look. It takes me a minute to realise what she's asking, she wants me to do it. I begin to shake my head but she nods at me and I stop.
"Stop it." She says weakly.
They continue to argue over the top of her and I grow frustrated.
"Enough!" I yell.
They all stop and look at me, "Can' yer see the woman is tryin' to speak?"
They all look at her and she gives me a smile in thanks that I return with a nod.
"I've made my decision. I want to live, but I know I can't. I can feel it already beginning to take over and I'm growing weaker by the second. I want it to end before anything happens, before I hurt you all. I've made my choice." She says through exhaustion.
"Meils, don't be-"
"It's done Hayden. It's my choice." She whispers, looking at her brother.
Hayden grows frustrated and walks away in a huff, leaving Travis holding onto her. He lowers her to the ground and kneels down beside her as people begin to walk forward. I look over and see Hayden pacing back and forth along the road, kicking at the rocks on the ground. I feel a sense of familiarity at the situation and I sympathise with him. I make my way over to him and stand aside with my arms crossed, allowing him to take his frustrations out.
"She's being stupid! She's giving up before we have the chance to find a way to fix it!" He yells angrily.
"Hayden, you know tha' there's no cure." I say.
"How do you know? We haven't looked hard enough for one-"
"Because there isn' one." I cut him off
"But if we look, we may find something that can help her!" He argues.
"Even if there is a cure, she won' make it try in' to find one. She hasn't got long left." I say, taking a step forward.
"You need to day goodbye while you have the chance. I wish tha's wha' I could have had with ma brother." I say.
"You lost your brother?" He asks, stopping in front of me.
"Yea'. He died around a year ago." I say.
"How?" He asks.
"I don' really wanna-" I begin.
"Please, it'll help me." He pleads.
I scratch the back of my neck and look down at the ground, kicking some rocks away.
I clear my throat, "Um, he was shot by our enemy and was left to turn into a walker." I mumble quietly.
"I'm sorry." Hayden whispers.
I shake off the images of finding Merle that day, feeding on the lifeless body of one of the Governor's men and focus on Hayden.
"Say your goodbyes."
He glances over to the people around her and reluctantly walks his way over with me following behind. We get to the group and I see Amelia leaning against the fence, her eyes drooping as she says her goodbyes to people. She looks up and notices Hayden standing there and she gives him a smile. He walks forward and leans down, wrapping his arms around her.
I look away and see Cat standing at the back with a neutral expression, chewing on her thumbnail. I walk over to her and stand next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. She looks up and nods at me, leaning into my side for comfort.
Hayden moves back so that Travis can say his goodbyes to Amelia, giving her a long passionate kiss. I look around our group and see the many stages of grief everybody feels. Travis and Hayden, displaying the emotions of losing someone close to them. Noah, Sasha, Maggie and Tyresse, showing the normal amount, where as the rest of us display barely any emotion due to the amount of times we've had to say goodbye to the people we love. It's not as if we don't care, it's that we've lost so much that there's nothing left to give.
Travis pulls away and kneels by her side, with Hayden on the other side. Amelia's eyes lock with mine and I nod my head, removing myself from Cat. I step through the group and pull the gun out of my back pocket.
"You ready?" I ask.
She simply looks around at all of us before turning back to me, giving a nod. I cock the gun and point it towards her head, mentally preparing myself to the pull the trigger.
"Wait!"
I look and see Hayden looking at his sister, "Let me do it."
"Hayden-" She begins.
"I'm your brother and I've been with you throughout this whole thing. If anyone should do it, it should be me." He says.
She looks at him and gives him a sad smile, her mouth trembling. He leans down and kisses her on the head before standing up and taking the gun from me. I step back as he aims the gun at her head with a shaky hand and slowly pulls the trigger. The shot rings out through the air and it's done. Hayden lowers his arm and his head sinks to his chest as his body trembles. I look and see Travis cupping Amelia's face, whispering things to her lifeless body.
I feel a small, soft hand slip into my own, lacing our fingertips together. Cat wraps her other arm around my own and buries her head in my chest, small sobs escaping. I run my hand up and down her back soothingly, placing kisses on her forehead. I stare at Travis and his heartbroken state and I can't help but wonder if Cat were to die, what would I be like?