NORA HELD ONTO HARLOW TIGHTLY AS SHE DRAGGED HER BACK TOWARDS THE PRISON,
Once they were close enough, she called out, "Daryl! Someone! Help!"
Carl rushed to pull on the ropes, opening the gates. Once she dragged Harley inside and Carl closed the gate, he went to help but Nora held out her hand, "She's sick." Harley collapsed to the gravel and Nora held her in her arms, "Go get Daryl!"
The younger Grimes nodded before sprinting back up towards the prison. Nora looked down at her friend, blood running down her pale face, "You're gonna be okay." Nora promised.
Daryl bolted out the cell block door and sprinted down the path. Nora had never seen him run so fast. He came to a stop and dropped down onto his knees, "How long she been like this?"
"We never got to the cabin." Nora informed him, "I brought her back here the moment she began showing symptoms."
Daryl lifted Harley into his arms and began rushing back to the prison, trying not to jostle her too much. The redhead let out a groan, the movement creating pain in her bones, as if she was made of glass.
"Yer gonna be alrigh'." Daryl mumbled, glancing down at the pale girl. He knew she couldn't hear him, but the words were meant to comfort himself more than her.
Nora stayed behind him as Daryl led the way into into the hallways of the prison, "Are you bringing her to A Block?"
He shook his head, "Nah. Too many sick people in there." Daryl paused for a moment when they got to an intersection and went to the right,
"But she's sick, too."
"She'll die in there with the sick. Gotta keep her separated." He stopped and nodded towards the door, silently asking Nora to open it. She moved forward to open the door and inside was an empty office, a mattress laying in the corner,
Daryl quickly laid Harley down on the mattress, the red head letting out a small whimper and clutching onto his vest. He brushed her hair out of her face, "Me an' a group are gonna go on a run, get some medicine." He glanced over at Nora, "Can you take care of 'er?"
"Of course." Nora stood, "I'll go get some water. She needs to stay hydrated."
Daryl nodded, waiting for Nora to leave the room before looking down at Harley, already finding her staring at him,"Imma get you better." He mumbled, "Promise."
Harley shook her head, "Don't go." She whispered, her words barely audible,
He squeezed her hand, "I'll be back." Daryl tried his best to give her a comforting smile, "I'll always come back to you."
Nora grabbed an empty container to fill with water, heading into the field towards the pump. She needed to get back to Harlow before Daryl could leave. She couldn't imagine how scared she was and didn't want the poor woman to be alone. Not in that vulnerable state.
Carol and Rick were already near the fence, attempting to fill their own buckets,
"What's going on?" Nora asked as she approached them.
"The whole line's mudded up." Carol sighed, straightening her back and letting go of the pump, "The end is dragging the bottom again. We'll have to go out there and clear it."
Nora nodded, "Set the bird, go out through the tombs, swing around through the forest route."
Rick shook his head, "We got enough for now. That's tomorrow's problem."
"Rick, five more people have come down with it since Sasha went in." Carol argued,
"Six." Nora added, "Harley's got it."
The farmer turned his blue eyes to Nora, "She okay?"
"Daryl's with her now. But it's not looking good. We need more water. Keep the sick hydrated until the group comes back." Nora replied,
"There's not a lot of us left." Carol continued, "What if you two get sick? What if I do?"
"What if we get in trouble out there and don't come back?" Rick countered, "Let's get this up to the people who need it. Let's get what we have to get done first." He reached down to grab his bucket and emptied the empty water before turning towards the two women,
"Is Carl pretty pissed about going into quarantine?" Carol asked.
"Of course." He answered before glancing in the distance, "But it's better to be safe."
The two followed his eyes to Tyresse, who was finishing the graves. His girlfriend Karen and another member of the prison, David, were murdered earlier that morning. They were the first to get sick, and it was assumed that they were killed to prevent the sickness from spreading further.
Whoever did it, had failed.
But they still weren't caught.
"Always better to be safe." Nora commented,
"You should talk to him." Carol stated, changing the subject and referring to Tyresse.
Him and Rick had gotten into a fist fight earlier after finding the bodies.
"We should all pay our respects." Rick corrected.
"I'll take this up first." Carol stated before walking away, "Meet you."
Both Nora and Rick watched her walk away with a confused glance. That was very not Carol, to avoid someone.
Rick's eyes turned to Nora, silently asking if she'd go with him, "I, uh, gotta get back to Harley. So Daryl can go on the run." Not to mention she didn't wanter Harley alone in case the murderer struck again.
He nodded, silently watching Nora head back up to the prison before turning towards Tyresse and sighed, "Alright, then."
When Harley opened her eyes again, Daryl was gone. Nora was wringing out a rag over a bucket of water. She pressed the damp rag to Harley's forehead and smiled, "Hey."
Harley gave her a small smile before turning and coughing into her hand, blood staining her skin.
Nora lowered the rag to sign, "Daryl will be back soon."
The redhead weakly signed back, "Might be too late."
"Positivity goes a long way." Nora replied, "You're strong. You'll be fine."
Harley couldn't be positive. Not in that moment. What if Daryl died out there? Honestly, she wouldn't mind dying if that was the case. She hadn't known him long, but now Harley couldn't imagine living without him.
It was strange, his life currently tied to hers. If he dies, so does she. But if he lives and gets back, she'll live.
Bloody tears ran down Harley's face, "I need him."
"He needs you, too. That's why he's out there risking his life for you. He'll be back. I don't doubt him, and neither should you." Nora signed, "Now, rest. You need to conserve energy."
Once Harley closed her eyes again, Nora left her a cup of water before standing. They needed more water. Everyone did.
Nora went to get Carol and they set up the bird, which was a few lawn ornaments that was designed to shake and gather the attention of walkers.
While they were distracted, the two women snuck out through the cuts in the fences before going over to the stream. Carol kept watch while Nora dug out the hose and began to clean it of mud,
"We've been spotted." Carol commented,
Nora looked up to see Rick staring down at them from inside the fences, "Rather ask for forgiveness than permission." She grunted, smacking the end of the hose on the wooden walkway.
That gathered the attention of some of the walkers on the fence. A few began walking towards them, along with a few walkers that came stumbling from the woods.
"Nora!" Rick jogged down towards the prison's boundaries, "Carol, get out of there!"
"He's right. There's a lot coming." Carol stated, gripping her knife, "Nora, let's go."
"No, the line isn't clear yet."
Carol stabbed a walker that was coming too close, "Nora!"
"Shit." The brunette put the hose back together before dropping it back into the stream. She grabbed her knife and stood, following Carol back towards the fence.
Rick came out in time to help. Carol kicked over a walker and stabbed it in the head, getting her knife stuck in the process. Nora helped, grabbing the handle and pulling on it until it came loose. She handed it back to the other woman before turning towards Rick, who was holding his gun up in their direction.
He fired two shots. One landing in the shoulder of the walker behind them, the other finally piercing the skull.
The two jogged over to him, Nora stabbing a walker that was coming up behind him, "Your aim getting rusty, farmer Rick?" She joked,
"Get in." He growled, grabbing her arm and leading her to the hole in the fence, where Carol was waiting for them,
"Piece of cake." Carol panted once they were in the safety of the fences,
Rick turned to her, "We decided to do that tomorrow."
"We don't know if we get a tomorrow."
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