CHAPTER FOURTEEN,
burned bodies.

Daryl and Aiden both stood in graves when Rick approached them, "glad you were in there." Daryl said to him.

"I wasn't much use without my gun." Rick responded.

"No, you were. All this time you've been taking off, you earned it. We wouldn't be here without you." Daryl said.

"It was all of us." Rick said and grabbed a shovel.

"No, it was you first. You gonna help us figure this out?" Daryl asked him.

"I screwed up too many times. Those calls you got to make, I start down that road... I almost lost my boy- who he was. Whatever else this place needs, I'm here for it." Rick stated.

"Like I said, you earned it." Daryl said. "But for what it's worth, you see mistakes. I see when shit hits, you're standing there with a shovel."

"Rick! Daryl! Aiden!" They heart Maggie's sudden shout. The three looked over and saw the the fence caving in from the amount of walkers.

"Oh, shit!" The three took off towards the chaos.

"The noise drew me out and now this parts gonna give!"

Aiden and several others began picking off walkers through the fence.

"Are you seeing this?" Sasha caught the attention of the others. They all looked down and saw chewed on rats. "Is someone feeding these things?"

"Heads up!"

"This part of the fence, now!" They all started killing walkers again before they all backed up.

"It's gonna give! It's gonna give!" Aiden yelled. The group pushed themselves against the fence.

"Everybody back! Come on!" Daryl yelled for them to all back up so they listened.

"Fence keeps bending in like that, those walkers are coming over it." Aiden stated.

"Daryl, Aiden, get the truck. I know what to do." Rick told them and they nodded before running off.

The two got into the truck and picked up Rick who was putting the piglets in a crate. "Ready?" Aiden called out to him.

They stopped and the walkers turned their attention to the three. "Let's go."

Rick grabbed one of the piglets and sliced it open and threw it out got the walkers to eat. Aiden shut her eyes tightly at the sounds of its squeal.

The continued the process for several minutes before they pulled back into the prison.

Aiden didn't move from the passenger seat, she was exhausted. A hand was placed on her thigh, "hey, you good?"

"I'm fine. Just tired." She replied to her husband.

"Maybe you should take a day off. Ya know, to rest." He suggested.

"I said I'm fine." She opened her eyes and met his concerned ones. "I'm fine."

»

Tyreese had found Aiden and Daryl talking about the sickness and what to do about it, "what is it, Ty?"

"You two need to come with me right now." Was all he said to the duo before stalking off. The two shared a look before following after him.

Once the reached their destination Rick and Carol were already there as well as two burnt bodies.

Aiden gasped and stopped in her tracks, "what the hell happened?"

"You found them like this?" Rick asked Tyreese.

"I came to see Karen... and I saw the blood on the floor. Then I smelled them. Somebody dragged them out here and set them on fire. They killed them and set them on fire!" Tyreese then stepped towards Aiden and Rick causing Rick to push her back slightly, "you two are cops. You find out who did this and you bring 'em to me. You understand? You bring 'em to me!"

"We'll find out-" Tyreese pushed Daryl away.

"I need to say it again?"

"No. No. I know what you're feeling. I've been there. You saw me there. It's dangerous." Rick said to the man.

"Karen didn't deserve this."

"No."

"David didn't deserve it. Nobody does!"

"Alright, man-" Daryl tried to get Tyreese away from his best friend and wife. Tyreese turned around and slammed Daryl against the bars.

"Tyreese!"

"Man, I ain't going nowhere till I find out who did this!" Tyreese yelled. Rick, Carol, and Aiden all stepped forward but Daryl held out his hand.

"We're on the same side, man." Daryl spoke.

"Hey, look, I know what you're going through. We've all lost someone we know what you're going through right now, but you've got to calm down." Rick said but Tyreese was so angry.

"You need to step the hell back!" Tyreese screamed at Rick.

"She wouldn't want to see you like this." Rick said, this set Tyreese off. He took a swing at Rick. Rick hit the ground while Carol screamed for them to stop. Tyreese hit Rick again.

Daryl grabbed Tyreese, "that's enough. That's enough." Rick got up and punched Tyreese to the floor.

Rick got on top of him and continued to punch him until Daryl grabbed ahold of him, "let go of me! Let go of me!"

Rick shoved Daryl off of him, "stop!" Aiden bellowed at the man. "Rick stop it!" She shoved his chest. "He just lost someone he loved! He's angry! And then you go and beat the shit outta him." Aiden scoffed. She bent down beside Tyreese.

"Ty? Let's get you to Hershel." Aiden said and glared at Rick. "Go on. I can help him by myself."

Aiden helped Tyreese up but Daryl was quick to help her pull him up. "I said I got it." She said to him.

"You don't. You're not okay, I'm not blind. Let me help you." He replied. Aiden rolled her eyes.

"Don't take me to Hershel." Tyreese said.

"No. I'm taking you to Hershel." Aiden insisted.

"No!" Tyreese shoved Aiden and Daryl away from him. "Not until they're in the ground."

»

"It's spread. Everyone who survived the attack in cell block D. Sasha, Caleb, and now a few others." Hershel said to the council and Michonne.

"Oh, Jesus. What do we do now?"

"First things first. Cell block A is now isolation. We keep the sick people there like we tried with Karen and David." Hershel said.

"And what the hell we gonna do about that?" Aiden asked.

"Ask Rick to look into it. Try to make a timeline- who's where when. But what are we gonna do to stop this?" Carol asked.

"There is no stopping it." Hershel said. "You get it, you have to go through it."

"But it just kills you?" Michonne spoke up.

"The illness doesn't. The symptoms do. We need antibiotics." Hershel stated.

"We've been thought everyone pharmacy nearby. And then some." Daryl said.

"That veterinary college at West Peachtree Tech, that's one place people may not have thought to raid for medication. The drugs for animals there are the same we need." Hershel said.

"That's fifty miles." Daryl replied. "Too big a risk. Ain't now. I'll take a group. Best not waste anymore time."

"I'm in." Michonne walked forward.

"You haven't been exposed. Daryl has. You get in a car with him..."

"He's already given me fleas." Michonne smirked.

Hershel chuckled, "I can lead the way. I know where everything's kept."

"When we're out there, it's always the same. Sooner or later we run." Daryl told him.

"I can draw you a map. There are other precautions I feel we should take." Hershel said.

"Like what?"

"There's no telling how long it'll be before Daryl and his group return. Wouldn't it make sense for us to separate the most vulnerable?" Hershel suggested. "We can use the administration building. Separate office, separate room."

"Who is the most vulnerable?" Glenn asked.

"The very young." Hershel replied.

"What about the old?" Glenn countered.

»

Daryl stood in Aiden and his cell. "You be careful when you go out there, do you hear me?" Aiden suddenly said. "You know Glenn's got it now?"

Daryl turned to Aiden, "wha'?"

"Glenn's got it now." Aiden wiped her eyes with the back of her hands as she started to tear up. "You gotta hurry, Dare. I can't lose him."

"You ain't losin' him. None of us are. I'll be back before you even know it."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

_______________________________

word count: 1,356
episodes: infected & isolation

and boom! another edited chapter folks.

this whole freaking chapter was wild. from rick & them killing walkers, the fence bending in, and luring the walkers aways. karen and david's deaths.

aiden really does adore glenn. i swear i've said this before. they are best friend goals.